Panasonic DVD-RV30 DVD Player -- Lots of Machine for $230
Written: Nov 18 '00
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Component Output, 2+Bass Virtual Surround Audio
Cons: Still Hasn't Dropped Under $100
|
|
|
| radioguy's Full Review: Panasonic DVD-RV30 DVD Player |
I guess just about everybody has at least thought about buying a DVD player. Personally, I haven't been able to bring myself to make the plunge because, however cheap the things get, I just figure, why spend money on hardware when I already have a stereo VCR which works just fine, thanks, and I could feed all that DVD cash into the till at Tower Video?
If the New York Public Library ever starts to loan out DVD's, as they do VHS movie tapes, I might consider buying a DVD player. But I've gotta say, I'm pretty tempted by the Panasonic DVD-RV30.
Unusual for inexpensive consumer electronics products (the RV30 sells for about $230), this DVD player is made right in Japan. It has that rugged fit and finish that's typical for Panasonic products.
This product isn't just good looking, either, with its 96kHz/24-bit D/A (digital to analog) audio converter, the output from the RV30's L/R analog audio outputs is great, ready to feed into the auxiliary (or video) inputs on virtually any receiver (either A/V, or regular old stereo), made in the last 30 years. In fact, if you are running the audio into a plain old stereo receiver, as opposed to an A/V receiver with 5-speaker outputs, the RV30 has a great feature -- its own line-level subwoofer output which lets you run in "2 + Bass" mode, running the analog audio output into a stereo receiver, to play over two regular stereo speakers, while the bass line output can run through a powered-subwoofer. This kind of configuration won't give you as much audio realism as a six-speaker (or, sometimes, 7 speakers, with Dolby-Digital-ES Surround) system, but it will at least let people playing their DVD audio through two regular stereo speakers enjoy the bumps and thumps which a subwoofer can provide.
For those who want to feed a Dolby Digital (DD) or DTS A/V receiver, for use in a six- or seven-speaker surround sound home theater system, there's an optical digital output jack which, with the proper cable, will let you run the DVD's audio information, keeping it in digital form all the way, directly into the DD or DTS decoder in you're a/V receiver. Keep in mind that a few of the lower-priced A/V surround receivers don't have a digital input and their own DD or DTS decoder but, instead, they have six analog inputs, corresponding to the six analog signal lines of the DD or DTS signal which has been decoded (by a DD/DTS decoder built into certain models of DVD players -- there isn't one in the RV30) into analog form.
If you have a receiver like this, with six analog inputs for DD/DTS but no digital input for DD or DTS (and, of course, without its own built-in DD or DTS decoder), you won't be able to get DD or DTS surround audio from the RV30 since the RV30 doesn't have its own DD/DTS decoder and the corresponding six analog audio outputs. As mentioned above, you could feed the regular L/R stereo analog audio outputs into the receiver. Naturally, you can also run the audio into you're A/V audio inputs on your television set and use the TV's speaker for your DVD audio.
The RV30 is no slouch on picture quality either. I found it competitive with just about any DVD player out there, except, of course, for progressive models like Panasonic's DVD-H1000. Of course, the RV30 also doesn't have quite as loft a price as the H1000 ($2,999 list, $1,700 street). Still, with its 10-bit video D/A converter, the RV30 puts out a great picture.
To preserve that picture quality, you'll want to use the component output of the RV30 (as long as your TV has component inputs, of course). The component connection, since it carries the video signal on three separate lines (using RCA jacks for connection), provides the highest-quality way to connect the output of the RV30 to the input of your TV. If you don't have component input on your TV, then use the RV30's S-Video connection. Almost as good as component, S-Video basically divides the video signal into parts, luminance (black & white picture detail) and chrominance (color information). Finally, if you don't even have an S-Video input on your TV, you can use the RV30's composite, yellow RCA-jack output for the connection to the same type of jack on your TV. If your TV doesn't have a composite (a.k.a. A/V) input jack, and only has RF input (the type of connector for an antenna or the line from a cable box), buy yourself an early Christmas present -- a new TV.
Folks who love reading credits will be pleased to note that the RV30 features a frame freeze control. Between the freeze frame, and the higher resolution of DVD's (480interlaced horizontal lines versus 330i for broadcast TV and 240i for VHS tapes). Control freaks will do doubt be pleased by the RV30's frame-by-frame advance, plus high-speed smooth-motion scan with five speeds, going as high as 100x. I bet you can think of many ways these features could enhance you're A/V experience and many video productions which would benefit greatly from the ability to stop at individual frames. I know I can.
A "chapter preview" feature can refresh your memory of a movie by automatically displaying the first three seconds of each previously-viewed chapter. The "quick start" feature will be a boon to folks who just can't wait for their favorite movie to commence. To quickly get to any place in a movie you desire, there's a title/chapter search with marker function and a skip forward/reverse function.
You can find cheaper DVD players than the RV30, but probably not many that cost less and pack in all these features. If you value well-made, well-designed, sensibly-laid-out video equipment, you'll definitely want to take a look at the Panasonic DVD-RV30.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
radioguy
|
 - Top 100 |
|
Member: R.U. Experienced
Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 228
Trusted by: 251 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.