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Introduction
One of the nice benefits of reviewing DVD hardware is that
we get to play with these wonderful portable DVD players. (Oops, did
we say "play"? What we really meant to say was
"evaluate" and "assess".) Last year when we
reviewed the Panasonic DVD-LV75, we
were very impressed. This year's DVD-LV70 PalmTheater™ portable DVD player
is based on (and therefore very similar to) last year's model, with some
"refinements" to make it
more affordable.
The DVD-LV70 is identical to last year's
DVD-LV75 except for (1) no built-in decoder for Dolby Digital and DTS
decoding in favor of digital outputs, (2) no headphone virtual surround
sound, (3) slightly larger remote (no longer the super slim credit card style
remote), (4) a single-voltage (120V) power transformer, and (5) a more affordable price tag. We
think that these changes are the right way to go. The performance is
identical in many respects, which is to say that the DVD-LV70 is a solid
performer with top notch picture quality, smooth fast scan and slow motion
modes.
 This lightweight
portable player has a handsome, silver case that opens like a laptop
computer. Check out our photo
gallery for pictures of this model. Open the DVD compartment by pressing on the "Push Open"
button at the left bottom corner of the base and the disc lid pops up. Press
the disc (DVD-Video, Video CD, or audio CD) into the spindle until it
engages into the hub clips, close the lid, press and hold the "Play"
button and the unit turns on automatically and starts playing the movie. As
soon as the image appears on the built-in 7-inch color LCD screen, you can't
help but be amazed with the detailed, sharp, bright and colorful image. It's
simply stunning! And with this player's full host of features and very
notable performance, it should easily pull double duty as your primary home
theater DVD player as well.
Video Features & Performance - How
good is the picture?
Picture Quality. Watching DVD movies on this
portable player is a visual treat. The picture quality of the
high-resolution 7-inch (actually 6 7/8 inches diagonally measured) 16:9 aspect ratio LCD screen is
absolutely top notch. The picture is particularly detailed and sharp with anamorphic
widescreen (i.e., "enhanced for widescreen TVs") DVD titles. With
letterboxed (non-anamorphic) widescreen DVDs, you can zoom the image to fill
the LCD's 16:9 aspect screen, but you start to see pixelation effects. This
may seem like a limitation of the non-anamorphic widescreen DVD, but is a shortcoming of the Panasonic's
zoom video processing for its built-in LCD
display. When video is output to a TV, there are no pixelation problems. In
fact, the picture looks really good on both our 27" TV and 61"
rear projection TV. To
accommodate DVD software coming in various aspect ratios, the player allows
you to choose various screen modes: native modes for 4:3 and 16:9, as well
as 16:9 "stretched", and 16:9 zoom.
A Note for Users: Be sure to set the "TV
aspect" (using the "Action" button on the remote control and
selecting menu item #5, "TV aspect") to "16:9" aspect
ratio to get optimal video performance from anamorphically enhanced DVDs
(i.e., those DVDs labeled as "enhanced for widescreen TVs"). If
you output the picture to a conventional 4:3 TV, be sure to set the "TV
aspect" to "4:3". Just remember to set it back to
"16:9" when you use the 7-inch built-in LCD display again.
LCD Screen. The LCD screen is
sufficiently bright for comfortable viewing even under the brightest sunlight conditions. The
screen brightness can be adjusted for comfortable viewing under darker
conditions. Color is saturated and also adjustable. A feature we found particularly useful is the
built-in LCD screen which can serve as a display for an external video/audio feed.
For example, we connected our camcorder (Sony Digital8 camcorder model
DCR-TRV103) to the DVD player and watched the Digital8 videotape playback on
the 7-inch LCD screen. The image was equally astonishing as that from DVD,
since the source is digital video. Our videos looked great on the
Panasonic's widescreen LCD, since we chose to shoot our video in 16:9
anamorphic widescreen format. It's a little troubling that the
advertised 7-inch screen really measures 6 7/8 inches diagonally.
That's an 1/8 inch shy of what's advertised. Hmmm. Anyways, as a
final testament of quality for the LCD display, we did not
notice any dead pixels on the LCD screen of our sample.
Slow Motion, Fast Scan, and Frame-by-Frame Advance. This
player features a full set of scan, search, and slow motion special effects.
It features forward and reverse fast scan search, forward and reverse slow
motion, forward and reverse frame-by-frame advance, chapter preview (plays
the first four seconds of each chapter), and pause.
Audio Features & Performance - How
good does it sound?
Portable Listening. For on-the-go enjoyment, this model comes with a pair of built-in stereo speakers,
located just below the screen. Since the speakers are on the same
panel as the screen, it points towards the viewer for improved
sound propagation, even as the screen is adjusted to various tilt angles
(i.e., good placement of the speakers). However, the sound quality
from these built-in speakers are limited due to their compact size.
For improved sound quality and private listening, there is a mini-headphone
jack for using an optional (read as "not included" or "sold
separately") headphones. So get yourself a good set of
headphones, like the Sony MDR-V600 studio monitor that we used, to fully
enjoy the great sound produced by this DVD player. For on-the-road
use, you may want to consider investing in a pair of noise-canceling
headphones. Panasonic offers the RP-HC100 compact noise-canceling
headphones as an accessory, or you can buy any of the other brands.
These noise-canceling headphones dramatically reduce the ambient noise in
cars, trains, and planes, and make the audio much more enjoyable (though
the technology is not perfect). By
the way, two headphone mini-jacks would be nice for sharing the DVD experience.
Audio CD Playback. Since this model plays audio
CDs, it can double as a portable CD player when you want to give movies a
rest. We were very pleased with the CD playback quality. The
sound has good tonal qualities, is well-balanced, and has considerable bass
extension. The DVD-LV70 also plays CD-Rs. When playing audio
CDs, you should turn off the built-in LCD display to save battery
power. Unfortunately, this has to be done manually with the
"Monitor" button on the unit and setting into mode "4"
(off).
Home Theater DVD Multi-Channel Playback. For
the full-blown 5.1-channel surround sound DVD playback in the home theater,
you will need an optional mini optical digital audio cable (model
RP-CA2120, available from Panasonic) to connect the compact
optical digital audio output to a Dolby Digital
and/or DTS A/V receiver. The
regular, full-size Toslink optical digital audio cable used for home DVD
players will not work. Unfortunately, Panasonic was not able to
furnish us with this accessory so we could not test the DVD-LV70 in our
Dolby Digital/DTS home theater system.
Virtual Surround Sound. A nice
feature is the Virtual Surround Sound (VSS) mode which produces a more
expansive simulated surround sound environment while listening with the
built-in speakers or connected to a pair of home audio stereo loudspeakers. This feature significantly expands the sound
field and simulates a surround sound effect. It doesn't compare to
having a real multi-channel surround sound home theater system, of course,
but is a significant improvement over just plain stereo.
Disc Performance - How well does it handle the discs?
Navigation. When navigating through the various DVD
menus, the DVD-LV70 is quite responsive. This makes navigating through
the various DVD menus an effortless and quick process.
Layer Switch. In
our layer switch tests, this model exhibits fair performance in switching
between layers of a dual-layered
DVD disc. Most layer switches are noticeable to some extent in any DVD
player. Like many DVD players, the picture is momentarily paused for
about a full second as the DVD-LV70's laser automatically re-focuses on the
second layer.
DVD Angle Change. Using
the scene deconstruction featurette in the bonus features section of the
"Men In Black" Collector's
Edition DVD, we were able to verify that the DVD angle change feature
performs smoothly and with a lag time of less than one second from the time
we selected a new angle to the time that new angle is displayed. This
is about as fast as we've seen from the fastest of DVD players.
Ease of Use - Is it easy to set-up & use
everyday?
The DVD-LV70 is pretty easy to use. The operating
instructions are well-written with clear and helpful diagrams. (To get
the most of this unit, do read the user manual.) Most common
settings have reasonable default factory values, making the set-up process quick and
painless for most consumers.
Initial Set Up. Out-of-the-box, this DVD player is
ready to be used as a portable unit -- that is after you charge up the
batteries. As a home DVD player, you may be able to skip the
first-time set-up menus
altogether due to very logical default settings. This is especially
true for those with the
conventional 4:3 aspect ratio TVs. If you have a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio TV or if you
want to re-configure the options, simply press the
"Action" button on the remote control and the graphical, icon-based menu helps guide
you through the configuration of of the DVD player. Settings such as TV aspect ratio, parental lock setting, the menu language selection can be set using this menu. Once you've
completed this initial configuration, you shouldn't
have to do it again.
Everyday Use. When using this portable DVD player's
built-in LCD display, some controls like screen aspect ratio, brightness and
color adjustments can only be accessed by using the buttons on the unit
itself, and not from the remote control. For home viewing with a TV,
some features can be invoked directly from the remote, while other features
are accessible through a series of menu selections from the remote control.
In any case, the method is simple and straightforward, thanks to the
intuitive icons and user-friendly on-screen menu system.
A Note for Users: Cursor control is achieved on
the unit by sliding a circular disc (Panasonic calls it the "cursor
jockey") forward/aft and side-to-side. To skip forward/backward to
other chapters, there are dedicated buttons. However, to perform a forward
or reverse scan search, press and hold the dedicated forward/backward
chapter skip buttons until the desired scan speed is reached. Press
"play" to resume normal playback. To advance the video
frame-by-frame, press pause, then slide the cursor jockey side-to-side to
advance the frame forward or reverse.
Remote Control
 This unit comes with a compact, low-profile remote
control, with color-coded buttons (gray, green, blue, and red) that are
logically organized. The buttons are just big enough to operate with
ease, though they might be a tad small for those with larger hands.
Buttons for disc transport controls (e.g.,
play, stop, pause, scan, skip) and menu navigation buttons (e.g., arrow and enter
buttons) are well placed for good ergonomics. Also included are direct
access buttons for subtitles, audio tracks, and angle change.
Unfortunately, the remote control can't be used to control other
audio or video components (such as a receiver or TV, Panasonic or
otherwise).
Battery Life
Obviously the mass appeal behind portable DVD players is
that you can take it with you anywhere. So you would naturally ask, how long does
the standard Lithium Ion battery (same battery technology as in
state-of-the-art laptop computers) last between charges? Of course, this
depends on how you use the unit. For example, whether you use headphones vs.
the built-in speakers, what volume it is set at, and the LCD screen's
brightness setting. When we tested the DVD-LV75 last year, we got an
astonishing 4 hours and 50 minutes of play time for one charge. Our
test was conducted with headphone volume set to a typical listening level ("6"
on the volume dial), and LCD screen brightness set to "0" (from a scale of
"-5" for dimmest to "+5" for brightest). In our
test this year for the DVD-LV70, using the exact same settings as described above, we
got an identical 4 hours and 50 minutes of play time. That's pretty
long... long enough for
at least two movies or a non-stop flight across the United States.
As if that's not enough, you can always purchase an optional
second battery. Just be aware that you can only charge the battery while the
unit is turned off, battery attached, and the A/C cord plugged in. There is
no separate charging cradle for a second battery. It takes about 4 hours to
completely charge a battery. So if you have a second battery, you would have
to swap the second battery (perhaps in the middle of the night) if you wanted to
fully charge two batteries for the next day. We think the near
five-hour of
battery life should be adequate for most users. Finally, take note that the Lithium Ion
battery can be re-charged and used for about 300 cycles, according to Panasonic.
DVD On The Go
OK, so battery life is great, even with only one battery.
But you're wondering, how well does this unit take to travel? While we
did not subject our unit to any formal drop tests, from our experience with
the occasional and inadvertent bumps of daily life, this unit seems rugged
enough to handle most common and expected bumps of any portable electronics
equipment. Obviously the best part of a portable DVD player is that
you can take it virtually anywhere. And we really mean anywhere.
Where you use it is only limited to your imagination. This portable model
makes long road trips and flights much shorter and much more enjoyable.
Just
think, instead of hearing the kids ask "are we there yet?" every
15 minutes, they'll ask "we're here already?" at the final
destination. Ah, the power of technology.
Video & Audio Outputs - Does it have all the
outputs I need?
As a portable model, the DVD-LV70 does not have all of the
outputs that you would normally expect to find in a good full-blown home DVD
player model. But here is what it does have:
-
S-video output:
also doubles as an input jack, to display video from an external source
(e.g., camcorder) on the LCD screen (cool feature)
-
compact composite video output: use this if your TV does not
have S-video inputs.
-
compact optical digital
audio output: use this output and the optional mini optical
digital audio cable (model RP-CA2120) to connect the DVD-LV70 to an A/V receiver
with Dolby Digital and/or DTS decoding.
-
compact stereo audio analog output: use this to connect to
your TV or Dolby Pro-Logic surround sound receiver.
The DVD-LV70 does lack a coaxial digital audio
output (but you can use the optical digital audio output instead) and component video
output (for the best picture quality if you have such inputs on your
TV). The optical digital output jack should have a cover, as the red
diode/laser keeps lighting up and leaks out from behind the unit.
Though this is relatively minor, it is somewhat of an annoyance.
Build Quality - How well is it made?
The build quality appears to be slightly better than average for a
portable DVD player in this price range. The unit comes with a one year parts and
90-day labor warrantee, which is comparable to other portable models in this price range.
The attractive silver metallic finish casing is actually high-impact
plastic, but it still seems to scratch rather easily. For those who
travel much and want to protect the unit, Panasonic makes a special
protective carrying case accessory (model DY-CC20).
Competitive Models & Value - How does this model
compare?
Panasonic offers a more affordable model DVD-LV60
with a slightly smaller 5.8-inch LCD screen for about $700 (some $200-$300 less), and another
portable model DVD-PV40
with no built-in screen for about $400. The portable DVD player market is a hot one with many
competitors trying to out do each other. Sharp and Toshiba have each
introduced 8-inch LCD screen models, the DV-L80U
and SDP-1500
respectively. Panasonic is answering the challenge in October 2001
with their introduction of the DVD-LV95, a portable DVD-Audio/DVD-Video/DVD-RAM player that will sport a 9-inch (yes, 9!) diagonal LCD screen that
will sell for about $1,300. Meanwhile, Sony continues to offer the
7-inch LCD screen Sony
DVP-FX1 (a year 2000 model) which still retails for about $1,500, while
Pioneer has since introduced the Pioneer
PDV-LC20 which retails for about $1,300.
Conclusion
We absolutely love the concept of portable DVD
players. And this latest model from Panasonic reflects many of the
positive attributes we love of last year's DVD-LV75, with some additional
"refinements" to lower the price. What
more could you ask for? (Besides a 9-inch screen, of course.) At about
$900, the DVD-LV70 should be within reach of more DVD enthusiasts who want
their DVDs "to go". While the DVD-70 is a solid performer on
the road, it should prove to be an equally competent DVD player for your
"at-home" home theater as well. We are wholeheartedly
recommending this portable DVD player to the lucky few who can afford such
luxuries in life.
Availability & Price - Where
can I buy this model & for how much?
A final suggestion: save yourself a chunk of change (about
$200 off the average retail price of $900 and possibly sales tax) - consider ordering
this model from one of the online merchants below. With the savings you'd
realize, you can upgrade to that corner suite at the Hyatt Regency. 
If you buy online, please
consider supporting this site by starting here and clicking through one of our
links below:
> $498.94
@ Amazon.com
> $499.88 @
JandR.com
> $699.99 @
Outpost.com
Other Information
Summary of Features:
portable DVD-Video player; 7-inch LCD color screen (actually 6 7/8 inches,
diagonally measured),
16:9 aspect ratio screen with approx. 337,000 pixels; built-in stereo
speakers; plays DVD-Video, Video CD, audio CDs, and CD-Rs; low-profile remote control; 27MHz/10-bit video D/A converter; Dolby Digital and DTS
digital output; Virtual Surround Sound (VSS) mode; Dialogue Enhancer; Digital Cinema mode (for
enhancing shadow detail); fast scan (forward and reverse); slow motion (forward and
reverse); resume play, random play, and
program play modes; parental lock-out feature; interlaced video via S-video and composite video
outputs (compact, requires included cables); mini-optical digital audio
output (compact, requires optional cables as an accessory); stereo analog audio output (compact,
requires included cables); mini-headphone jack (1); auto power-off function.
Specifications: audio S/N (CD) 115dB; dynamic
range CD 97 dB; DVD linear audio 2 Hz - 22 kHz (48 kHz sampling), 2 Hz - 44
kHz (96 kHz sampling); DC input 9V, 1.5 amps; A/C adapter input 120V; Energy Star compliant;
Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery, rated for approximately 4 hours; power
consumption 23 Watts; weight 3.2 pounds
with battery, 1.4 pounds without battery; dimensions 7 9/32" (W) x 1" (H, without battery) or
1 9/16" (H, with battery) x 5 1/2" (D); warrantee one year parts,
90-day labor; made in Japan.
Contact Information: Panasonic Consumer Electronics
Company, One Panasonic Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094. Call toll-free
1-800-211-PANA (7262). Panasonic DVD web site.
To order accessories, call 1-800-332-5368 or visit the Panasonic DVD web site.
Associated equipment used in evaluation: Sony
KP-61V45 61" rear projection TV (4:3 screen aspect ratio), Sony KV-27V66
27" TV (4:3 screen aspect ratio), Sony
STR-V444ES A/V receiver, NHT 2.1 as left/right main speakers, NHT 1.1C center channel speaker, NHT
SuperZero as surround speakers, Monster Cable M-series S-Video cable MSV-500, Monster
Cable Interlink LightSpeed 100 (Toslink) optical cable, Monster Cable XP speaker
wires, and Sony MDR-V600 studio monitor headphones. Our home theater equipment was calibrated
with the Video
Essentials DVD.
DVD movies and audio CDs used in testing:
Gladiator
DVD, Mission: Impossible 2
DVD, Men In Black DVD, Meet Joe
Black DVD, Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace soundtrack
CD, Celine Dion's "The Colour of My Love"
DVD,
Gloria Estefan's
"Destiny" CD, and Music
from the Motion Picture Titanic CD.
A Bug's
Life DVD, Tarzan
DVD, Meet Joe
Black DVD, Pleasantville
DVD, Tomorrow Never
Dies DVD, and Fleetwood Mac: The
Dance DVD, Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace soundtrack audio
CD, Music
from the Motion Picture Titanic CD, The
Best of Fourplay CD, and Celine Dion's "The Colour of My Love"
CD.
This review was originally posted on August 6, 2001, and
last updated on August 10, 2001.
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