Panasonic DVD-LS5 Portable DVD Player
[Archived in $0 - $400, $300 - $400, All DVD Players, DVD Players, Panasonic, Portable DVD Players, Products, Single-Disc DVD Players]
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Price at amazon.com:
Used & new from $269.99List price $399.99
- Portable widescreen DVD-Video and DVD-Audio player with 5-inch LCD screen and built-in stereo speakers
- Plays DVD-R, DVD-RAM, CD, and recordable MP3/WMA CDs
- Multichannel optical digital-audio outputs with DVD-Audio, DTS, and Dolby Digital surround passthrough
- VSS virtual surround and headphone surround simulate surround sound from two channels
- Dialogue Enhancer, 2.5 hours battery life from included rechargeable battery; remote control included
Product Description:
Description from Manufacturer: Panasonic's DVD-LS5 offers the versatility of a portable DVD player alongside the performance of a sophisticated home-theater component--and you can use it as both. The player handles DVD-Video, high-resolution DVD-Audio, DVD-R, and DVD-RAM playback, as well as standard and recordable audio CDs, including MP3- and WMA-encoded discs. Its slender, 1-inch chassis holds a 5-inch widescreen (16:9) liquid-crystal display and a built-in rechargeable battery good for about 2.5 hours between charges.Designed to take full advantage of both audio and traditional video DVD formats, the DVD-LS5 delivers the super high-fidelity (192 kHz/24-bit) sound of DVD-Audio. DVD-Audio software titles offer classic music titles in both multichannel and stereo, though be aware that this model plays discs in stereo only. Most DVD-A discs have compressed Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 surround tracks, however; these can be passed through the unit's digital-audio output to a compatible surround receiver and speaker system.
Audio features also include DTS and Dolby Digital passthrough, built-in stereo speakers, and Panasonic's Dialogue Enhancer for DVD movie viewing. Advanced Surround Sound (VSS) simulates surround effects from any two speakers or from headphones.
Cinema Mode reduces the detrimental effects of screen glare from ambient light, rendering cinematic colors in pictures that are gentle on the eyes. Further, Cinema Mode improves the visibility of details in dark scenes by automatically adjusting picture contrast.
This player is HighMAT compatible. High-Performance Media Access Technology is a standard co-developed by Panasonic and Microsoft to improve interoperability for digital media programming between PCs and electronics devices. HighMAT provides an efficient method for arranging digital photo, music, and video collections on recordable media.
What's in the Box
DVD player, remote control, AC adapter, audio/video cables, rechargeable battery pack, user's manual, and warranty information.Average Customer Rating: 
Comment: Excellent Portable DVD Player Rating:
This little DVD player is excellent. There are many portable DVD players on the market now, with pretty much standard spec as above, with 3hr battery life, multi-format read, etc.. There are also cheaper models out there with larger screens, but why buy this model??
That is the exact question I had when buying this model, it is not the cheapest model on the market, nor does it have the same screen size as the competition, but the quality of the picture and sound win the day here.
The screen is super sharp, with colour, contrast perfect. The sound is crisp. This unit is also very compact with the battery attached, unlike the cheaper alternatives, whose batteries are the same size as the player itself.
This portable DVD is highly recommended for its practicality, build quality, and performance. I would also recommend buying an additional battery (6 hr battery can be bought) which is also available. A real performer.
Comment: Deserves five stars Rating:
Compared to the Chinese imports (Apex, Initial, Cyberhome, etc.), the Panasonic DVD-LS5 is definitely a premium model, and both the price and quality show. If you just want to watch DVDs on the road and don't mind teeny sound or blocky images, the low-end models will serve you well. In fact I love my 8-inch Initial. On the other hand, if you want to truly enjoy a mobile DVD experience, you gotta buy this product.
Better styling and build quality aside, the Panasonic has at least three significant advantages over non-Japanese players: 1) the screen is clearer and offers better viewing angles horizontally, so you can share the joy of DVD with another person; 2) the sound is just incredibly loud for a small player like this, unlike the low-end players -- in fact it feels almost like surround sound in a quiet room; 3) the tilting mechansim is really cool and allows you to adjust the screen angle freely.
The battery snaps to the back (and raises the player a bit) and offers a little over 2 hours of viewing pleasure. All considered, the Panasonic player is also much more portable than the other ones; even with the battery installed we are talking something you can just grab and watch, as opposed to carrying in two hands.
Is the Panasonic worth the extra money over the other players? I definitely think so.
Comment: great in every way except very small screen Rating:
I recently purchased this player at CC for 219 after rebate. It measures up in every way except one. The small screen size. I was very impressed with the quality of the build, the image, the sound, the controls, but I have a hard time enjoying movies or jpgs on such a small screen. I am a big Toshiba fan. I had a chance to try the 7" Toshiba. This little Panasonic player seemed far superior in evry way. I just can't get be happy with a small screen. I will wait for the release of the new Panasonic 7"
Posted at November 11, 2003 07:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
This is