Entered CNET Catalog: 04/14/2004
SKU: 0037988251513
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Manufacturer description
The DVD-LS50 features a 7-inch (diagonal screen measurement) LCD 16: 9 screen, built-in stereo speakers, the Mono Arm design and dual headphone jacks. The battery life of the DVD-LS50 is 2.9 hours at the minimum LCD brightness. The Panasonic portable DVD player includes high-speed, 5-step Smooth Motion Scan, a feature that provides crystal-clear forward and reverse scan, in 5 speeds. At the highest setting, the unit scans at an incredible 100 times normal speed. Panasonic portable DVD player optimizes the viewing experience by adding two key features - Dialog Enhancer and Cinema Mode. Dialog Enhancer boosts the center channel volume - where most of the principal dialog emanates when playing a Dolby Digital 5.1 disc - by 6dB. Cinema Mode improves the picture quality by reducing glare, softening resolution and improving visibility of details in dark scenes - resulting in a more realistic, cinema-like image.Product summary
The good: Swivel screen adjusts for ideal viewing angle; bright, sharp picture; lightweight compact design; dual headphone jacks.
The bad: So-so battery life; hard-to-read function key labels.
The bottom line: With its swivel screen and sharp, bright picture, Panasonic's DVD-LS50 is slicker than your average entry-level portable DVD model, but it also costs a bit more.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 07/12/2004
Its most distinctive characteristic is the adjustable "free play" 7-inch wide-screen LCD panel, a feature previously found only on the company's more expensive models. The screen swivels up and down 180 degrees, slides forward and back, and can be laid almost flat, adjusting to whatever viewing angle you find comfy.
At 1.75 pounds with the lithium battery pack and measuring 7.5 by 6.5 by 1.2 inches, the LS50 is not much larger or heavier than an airport-bought paperback. The cosmetics seem a bit Klingon, but we like the concentric circles milled into the DVD cover flap and the matching function buttons, which add a certain elegance. Even though the DVD flap is thin plastic, it seems firmly attached and able to withstand rough treatment from the young 'uns.
If we had a design gripe, it was that we had a hard time telling apart the identically shaped function keys--and the small label font didn't help. Also, the volume buttons are awkward to reach when the screen is in anything but normal position.
Panasonic's high-speed Smooth Motion Scan lets you scan forward and back at up to 100X in five steps--nice. For home use, minijacks on the spine enable connectivity to a TV or an A/V receiver, using the breakout cables. Panasonic includes a cable for analog audio/video, but you'll need to buy special cables if you want to use the S-Video or optical digital audio connections. Panasonic has eschewed its usual credit card-size remote in favor of a more standard, full-size version.
Thanks to dual headphone jacks located on the right spine, two can watch and listen to music or a movie simultaneously (the player supports a variety of media formats, including MP3 and WMA CD-Rs, DVD-R/RWs, DVD+R/RWs, though not DVD-RAM discs). The LS50 offers two enhanced modes for both the speaker and the headphones, including a Dialog Enhancer that boosts center-channel volume. However, we discerned little difference between the normal and enhanced sound modes listening both through headphones and through the player's external speakers, which played adequately loud and defined the soundstage well.
We found the quality of the picture uniformly excellent, with plenty of brightness and more detail than we've seen in most interlaced DVD portables. Desert vistas in Lawrence of Arabia were rendered as accurately and as powerfully as one could expect on an interlaced device with such a small screen. Little detail was lost even on zoomed, nonanamorphic DVDs such as Titanic, although there was some minor stair-stepping visible on Kate Winslet's otherwise smooth skin line while Leonardo DiCaprio was sketching her.
The DVD-LS50's screen delivered around 300 lines of resolution according to the Avia test disc; this bests most other 7-inch screens we've seen. It accented red by an acceptable 10 percent, and greens, while well-balanced against other colors, looked a bit limey--typical of LCDs. We recommend turning brightness all the way up to avoid losing detail in the shadows; the Cinema 1 preset was particularly dark.
Today's entry-level portable players generally offer only 2.5 hours of battery life, and this model tapped out at 2.75 hours, or just enough to squeeze in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Summing up, the LS-50 may not offer all the bells and whistles of Panasonic's step-up portable players, but it represents a good choice if you're looking for better video quality and a cooler design than those of budget entry-level models.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16out of 16 user reviews
Very misleading-I
Pros: I would have liked it-If it was for what it said it was for-Its saying its for a DVD player-And tells about the screen size and everything-Then you go there to buy it-and find out its ONLY for a power cord or charger
Cons: I dont like wasting my time on line-Or being miss lead-As i said above
out of 16 user reviews
Panasonic ls50
Pros: Picture, sound
Cons: Poor build quality, terrible reliability
out of 16 user reviews
OK, until it soon died!
Pros: Clear image, small size.
Cons: Error message, mediocre battery.
out of 16 user reviews
HO2 error drives me nuts
Pros: compact and clear
Cons: Unable to play DVD
out of 16 user reviews
Great...until it dies...(H03 error)
Pros: Good picture, sound and features..when working
Cons: Dies soon after purchase...10 monthes later in my case
has got this one...wrong. Also, their service
in regard to this item is non-existant. Once the dread H03 pops up on screen...you may as well toss it in the trash.
out of 16 user reviews
Motor Dies - Error Code H03
Pros: Good Picture
Cons: Motor died twice
I have had my DVD player back a whole 7 weeks (June 2005) after getting the H03 code repaired when I got the H03 code again. I only turned the unit on 3 times (I'm afraid it would break again and I need it in times of emergencies). The repair center had replaced the Shaft Assembly, Interior Gears, Traverse Motor, and Optical Pick Up Assembly.
I called the Director of Consumer Affairs at Panasonic, to discuss the repeat problem. He was nice enough to call me after I wrote a complaint letter to Panasonic regarding my first H03 code. Now I am calling on him again. He said he will get back to me but it "shouldn't be happening."
I want my money back but I don't think that will happen. I feel like I threw my money away. I, too, am considering buying a cheaper model. I am also considering starting a petition about this terrible product. A class action lawsuit has also come to mind.
out of 16 user reviews
Good player if it was more reliable..
Pros: Most everything about the player I liked.
Cons: Have to wait for car adapter, Reliability
I then went to the Panasonic site to get the name of an Authorized Service Center, I picked TV Unlimited in Sunnyvale, CA because of its proximity. They took the player and $45 to diagnose the problem. I asked what is the usual change to fix the players and I was told by the owner it was about $80. I thought that was okay, seeing that they subtracted the $45 diagnosis fee from the total, if you had it fixed.
They then called me saying that the player had some dust and a hair in it, they cleaned it and it was working. No parts were needed. They changed me $150 fee to fix the player. I was upset about the much higher cost and I wanted to know, if there was a flat fee to fix it, why didn't the owner tell me that when I dropped it off. After calling the owner to say I would be right there to discuss my bill and the work performed, she was conveniently running errands when I arrived 10 minutes after I called.
In the future, if I get the "H03" error again, I will take the player apart and try to blow it out. If I can't fix it, I will just go and buy a new player like the Toshiba or the Mintek. I seems the more economical way to go, if they are this unreliable and expensive to fix.
This experience also left a very bad impression of the Panasonic Authorized Service Centers and their ethics.
Hope this helps someone avoid a very frustrating experience.
out of 16 user reviews
If you fly coach, get this model
Pros: The video and audio are just as great as others have said. The adjustable screen has been the greatest plus for me. The size is just right.
Cons: A credit card size remote would have been better for me. Controls are harder to get to when the screen is tilted but then once you adjust, not much reason to re-adjust.
out of 16 user reviews
excellent dvd player!!!!!!!
Pros: great picture and sound, dual headphone jacks, screen dimensions very convenient
Cons: havent found any yet
out of 16 user reviews
great design!
Pros: I've had this player for acouple of months now and love it!! Some things I've found VERY useful while viewing in a vehicle: The screen can be configured so you can place the body of the DVD player on top of the sunvisor, and the screen will be in a great
Cons: The way the screen is mounted to the main body.....it seems abit flimsy.
out of 16 user reviews
Superb quality, even at slightly higher price - Get a battery extender!
Pros: Super sharp picture, wonderfully lightweight, great sound
Cons: Included LiIon battery will get you one full length movie - maybe. This is slightly less than some other good players out there - but add a battery extender (I use the Energizer ER-DVD) and you're golden
out of 16 user reviews
Remarkable Quality!
Pros: This system is truley as rock solid as you can get! The design is great for on the go, and you can watch the movies you love through an extremely detailed screen.
Cons: The battery life is a little low, as all entry players are.
out of 16 user reviews
Great quality dvd player
Pros: Plays any burned dvds even if it said in book that it won't Great picture dual headphone jacks for more than one listener
Cons: no video jack no car adapter included
out of 16 user reviews
Excellent multiformat playback, great picture and sound
Pros: This is my first portable DVD player and I was a bit aprehensive about spending a lot of money. I researched the web and played around with a few models at electronics stores and found that this product was simply the coolest thing I have bought in a lon
Cons: No video input so you can't hook up other equipment to it like a video game console or camcorder.
out of 16 user reviews
Excellant Quality Product!
Pros: Able to play DVD-RAM discs and is a very portable device as far as convenience for travel. LCD screen is very crisp and colors are bright and vibrant. Screen is adjustable for maximum viewing convenience, and the unit plays just about every format of DVD
Cons: Battery may only have enough juice for viewing one full length movie.
out of 16 user reviews
Do yourself a favor and get one
Pros: This is my first portable DVD and I have found it to be everything I was looking for and more. I burn VCD's for my pictures and it plays them flawlessly. The picture quality is great. It has not given me any trouble yet and I have put everything in there.
Cons: The only problems that I have encoutered is that it could be a little brighter, and the fact that it doesn't have a video input so that I could play my pictures back directly from the camera.
