Panasonic DVD-RV30 DVD Player

It's ok, but can't watch VCDs with it. Read more

I finally decided to buy a DVD player a few days before xmas, after I bought my parents a Sony DAV-S300 DVD home theater system(great for people with just a TV and portable radio). I wish I would have decided before Dec 19th, and Amazon would have paid for my shipping too. I shopped around for 2 days straight, checking prices and reading tons of reviews. This player was out of stock at many places. The RV30 is a great deal. I wanted my first DVD player to be one that wouldn't be out dated in a few years, and also not be lacking features that suit my needs. I think I got what I needed, and more. Hook up is quick and simple. Just remember you have to switch your TV to AUX/VCR after selecting INPUT from your TV menu-not channel 3 or 4 like you do for a VCR, or you will only get sound and no picture. Forget about the whinning about back lit remote, this remote is user friendly and only takes a few movies to get the hang of it. Plus, if you must sit in the pitch dark to watch all your movies, there should still be enough light from the TV to see the remote. CINEMA MODE worked well with The Bone Collector as there were many dark scenes. Virtual Surround Sound and Dialogue Enhanacer also worked well with my 2 stereo speakers and 100 watt amp. Menus are easy to access/select from, and the player is quiet. I am only using the cords that came with the player. My vcr is only used for recording TV shows now, you can't even come close to the picture/sound of the DVD. Plus the EXTRA options you get with the DVD version over the VHS tape are unbeleivable. Its like seeing 2 movies for the price/rental of 1. For a first time DVDer using a 100 watt stereo with woofer-mid-tweeter speakers, and a 32 inch TV, I don't feel the need to go to the movies anymore. The movies will now come to me & my DVD player when I want them an how I want to see/hear them. Read more

If I'd have looked closer, I'd have noticed it doesn't come with a remote. Otherwise, works like a dvd player should. Read more

It was supposed to come with a remote which it didn't and the audio didn't work. Read more

Well, let me start by telling you I am no electronics guru, so I cannot tell you about all the features this player has. But I can tell you what a wonderful player this is. We decided to get a DVD player, because I feel they are what CD's are to music. Plain and simple, I was looking for better clarity. We have a digital satellite system, and when we first got it, I noticed the vast visual difference from cable. I, too, was noting that VHS tapes just did not offer the same quality as when we were watching TV from the satellite. We got the player just after Christmas, and it was perfect timing, because my son had received some DVD's. I have seen so many people indicate that The Matrix is the movie to watch to see the DVD difference. While this may be true, Toy Story is a great one, too. We popped it in and my husband and I were amazed. There really are no words to describe how much better it is. We've really been taking this player for a spin, too. here is only thing that I think is hard to get used to. This just has to do with the movies, not the player. It is the widescreen layout, and most DVD's have this. But, hey, if you have the money, they have TV's that will take care of that. This is a great player, entry level or not, and I am sure it will be enjoyed by our family for many years to come. Read more

I did some detailed research on multiple DVD players from the usual suspects - Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba, Pioneer - before I settled on this Panasonic. There were numerous reasons why I picked this one and I will try to delineate them below. First, this DVD player is either the best or among the best in all the technical specifications that matter - picture resolution, dynamic range, S/N ratio etc. Second, both the picture and sound quality from this DVD player are awesome - this is specially important when you realize that quite a few Sony owners were complaining of the "noisy drive mechanism" and "softer picture quality" saying that the picture was not much sharper than their own high end VCRs. Third, this DVD player gives you all the output jacks (albeit less in number than the Sony) that one would need to hook up to even the most advanced TV's and receivers out there. Finally, I didn't plan to use my CD-R discs on it, but if you intend to, then look for another DVD player. Bottom line, if you intend to buy a DVD player that would give you excellent video and audio quality at a very reasonable price and are willing to trade-off on certain other minor things, then this is the one to buy - no question about that. Read more