Consumer Favorite
Written: Feb 14 '01
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Pros: Solid Construction and ease of use. A great value.
Cons: Lacks some of the higher end quality enhancements.
The Bottom Line: Reasonably priced. A very good value for a solid DVD player which will meet the basic needs of most consumers.
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| dmezzer's Full Review: Panasonic DVD-RV30 DVD Player |
I actually own the Panasonic DVD-RV80, but in my search evaluated the RV30 as well and realize that the extras included in the RV80 may not be worth the price difference for everyone although they definitely were for me. In this review my intention is to make use of the information I collected on the RV30 during my search and at the end attempt to point out some of the major differences for those who might be inclined to go with the more expensive RV80 based on those differences.
Picture Quality
The DVD-RV30 is able to provide very adequate DVD picture quality through its 10-bit D/A converter. Digital Cinema Mode achieves cinema-like lighting for enhanced detail in light and especially darker scenes.
Sound Quality
96kHz/24 bit Audio DAC for high level industry standard sound quality. Advanced V.S.S. (Virtual Surround Sound) allows surround sound effects through the front 2 speakers.
Output Options
Discrete Component Video Out facilitates transmission of digital video to equipment compatible with a digital video feed. Optical output for DTS and Dolby Digital which must be decoded by a home theatre receiver which is equipped with DTS and Dolby Digital Decoding capability to provide home theatre surround sound. Two channel + Bass Output allows for a discrete subwoofer signal to enhance bass for added theatre sound.
Other Features
Typical DVD features such as fast search (100x) and freeze frame, slow advance/reverse are that much more enjoyable as features which offer the level of control only attainable with DVD. Freeze frame can be used to fine tune picture viewing settings for very fine picture quality adjustments.
By boosting the center audio channel the DVD-RV30 can enhance dialogue over background sounds.
The headphone jack provides decent audio quality as to make this a not-so-bad option for use when disturbing others might be an issue.
The unit is slim and aesthetically pleasing and its construction appears very solid. Panasonic has a good reputation for dependability and they don’t appear to have cut corners with the assembly of this unit.
Another neat feature is the ability to sample the first 3 seconds of a video segment for searching a disc.
Conclusion
Due to the reasonable price of the DVD-RV30 I believe this to be a very good value for a solid DVD Player which will meet the basic needs of most DVD consumers. Panasonic has a great reputation for reliability and product innovation and puts its name behind this popular product.
How Does this unit compare with the DVD-RV80?
The functionality on this unit is for the most part equal to Panasonics DVD-RV80 except for some output options and some enhanced options such as the settings for Digital Picture Mode.
The main differences between the two lie in the more powerful 54Mhz Video Processor of the RV80 which puts it up a step in terms of video reproduction quality. This greater level of video quality lends itself easily to such added video quality features which are available on the RV80 such as Digital Noise Reduction and Gamma Correction. A difference in terms of audio is that the RV80 has a built-in DTS and Dolby Digital Decoder and thus doesn’t rely on external decoding although encoded audio output can still be produced as output for some added flexibility. It also extends V.S.S. to the headphone jack for enhanced sound reproduction when using headphones. If you’re interested enough in the enhanced features of the RV80 to want further information you can have a read of my review on that unit. The RV80 will be priced up to $200.00 more (suggested retail) but of course this can differ depending on the particular deal.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 250.00
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Epinions.com ID:
dmezzer
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Member: Don Mezzer
Location: Northeast
Reviews written: 99
Trusted by: 69 members
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