Good Combo for the Budget-Minded
Written: Oct 10 '03
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Sound: |
 |
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
| Picture Quality: |
|
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
|
Pros: all in one, easy setup, DVD works well
Cons: sound quality lacking, VCR fuzzy
The Bottom Line: I think that this unit is good for those that want to get a three-way combo for a reasonable price.
|
|
|
| tkerodd's Full Review: Panasonic PV-DM2092 20 inch TV/VCR/DVD Combo TV |
Although I was late to “join the party”, I absolutely love DVD video! It has opened up a whole new world for us to enjoy video. The sound and picture quality are simply tremendous, with no rewinding necessary. We bought a DVD player a year ago for our family room and have really enjoyed it. While we had VCRs in practically every room of the house, we only had the one DVD player. In the meantime, we had a VCR and a small television go out in our bedroom, leaving us with the need to get a new unit. We liked our DVD player so much, we decided to take a chance on a combo unit. It was a thrill to discover the Panasonic PV-DM2092 – a 20 inch television with a DVD and VCR built in!
When we brought the unit home, the first thing that we noticed was the setup. No wires to connect, just plug the television in and attach the cable for the DSS system. It was truly a “plug and play” experience. No instructions to struggle with, or the like. We were also pleased with the universal remote. Of course, it operates the TV, the VCR, and the DVD player. But you can also program in your DSS system, giving you a universal remote instead of balancing several different ones.
Let me tell you a bit about the television itself. The screen seems a little bigger than I have seen on most 20-inch units. The colors were a little drab, and not as sharp as you might find on a more expensive model. The picture was clear enough that I would recommend it, but it is certainly not “top quality”. But for a unit for a bedroom, it is just right. You have several menus to adjust the picture, or add channels as needed. I did like the sound from this unit, which was very clear and crisp. However, note that it is not stereo, so you will lose a bit of the luster from your DVDs.
The DVD player is probably the best part of this Panasonic unit. The picture quality is really good, with a clear picture and no problems during playback. As you would imagine, this unit has CD quality sound (in spite of the small speaker). All of the features in your average DVD player are here – zoom, pause, etc. You can fast forward or rewind either in either slow or fast motion. The unit will play MP3s, CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs along with DVD videos. We have not seen any jumps or skips featured in the playback. It is a good solid performer.
The VCR unit is not quite as pleasing as the DVD. The playback seemed a little fuzzy. We spent a good bit of time working with the tracking to try to improve the image. It did get better with some effort, but we had to keep working on it. Overall, it is pretty standard with all of the features that we have come to expect. It has a nice fast rewind feature that I really appreciate, and a pause that gives you a clear picture instead showing fuzzy lines. The unit allows you to record on either standard or extended play settings, which allows you to extend the time available on your tapes. When compared to other VCR units in this price range, this one certainly holds its’ own.
The old saying is, “you get what you pay for”. At around $275, this Panasonic unit certainly brings a lot of features to the table. It is inexpensive when compared to other similar units, without question. If you were to pay more, you could get a TV combo like this that would feature better picture quality, stereo sound, and other features that you might like. But for the budget-minded, this unit is just fine. You are able to get a centralized unit that can handle all your video selctions.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 250
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
tkerodd
|
 - Top 500 |
|
Location: Jackson, MS
Reviews written: 507
Trusted by: 118 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.