Entered CNET Catalog: 03/20/2003
SKU: 0037988250561
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Manufacturer description
This portable DVD Player can be used on the move or as a home deck when placed into its docking station. The docking station provides easy connection to other A/V equipment and delivers 5.1-channel audio output as part of a home cinema system. It also has a built-in amplifier and two stereo speakers.Product summary
The good: Beautiful picture; loads of connectivity; attractive form factor with swiveling screen; excellent connectivity with base attachment.
The bad: Minuscule battery life; expensive.
The bottom line: While the sleek-looking Panasonic DVD-LX9 can produce wonderful pictures, its woeful battery life is a major Achilles' heel.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 03/26/2004
By itself, the LX9 doesn't look like it could possibly house a large, 9-inch-diagonal LCD. The sleek, handsome main unit measures just 1.5 by 9.37 by 7.19 inches (HWD) and weighs 1.5 pounds without any of its attachments. The screen tilts so that it can lie flat on the control deck if desired. The built-in speakers, mounted in the top corners of the base, fire upward.
Unlike many portables, the LX9 allows access to most functions without recourse to the remote. The Picture Mode button, which brings up the sliders for brightness, color, sharpness, gamma, and other options, was particularly welcome. We also noted a jog/shuttle dial and selectors for monitor mode, audio mode, and media source, in addition to the usual buttons. However, we found the recessed buttons to be stiff and unresponsive, requiring prolonged or multiple clicks before the player responded. The crowded remote control is not particularly well laid out, but its buttons, including a thumb stick for menu navigation, worked well.
Aside from the remote and requisite cables and AC adapter, the player also comes with a pair of minitower speakers and a docking cradle. These extras really enhance its functionality at home, but they increase its bulk only if you take them on the road. Those who don't want all those extras should check out the DVD-LA95.
The DVD-LX9 has stellar connectivity when you factor in the included docking station. Alone, the unit has merely a headphone jack and standard A/V outputs, as well as an SD card slot. The docking station adds about another pound to the carry weight and doubles the unit's height, but it essentially turns the portable into a full-service DVD player. It adds progressive-scan component and S-Video outputs, an optical digital output, and even a full 5.1-channel analog audio output for DVD-Audio. (Yes, the LX-9 plays DVD-Audio, MP3, JPEG, and Windows Media Audio discs.) The weakest part of the cradle is its stereo speaker connectivity: just two pairs of spring clips to accept the nonterminated wires of the included minitower stereo speakers. Bare wires don't belong on an upscale player like this.
Audio and video performance were great. We tortured the display with Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, but the changes from sunlight to torchlight to shadow didn't faze the unit. The video was always lush and beautiful as long as the AI video option was turned on. Without it, the various shades of black showed constant solarization and visible pixels. Audio was likewise impressive. The built-in speakers sounded more than good enough, but the included minitowers raised the bar considerably; they sounded wonderful for such a small player.
So what's wrong with this Panasonic? Battery life: it doesn't have any. When the battery light started flashing at 1:40, well short of the advertised 2.5 hours, we knew something was wrong. Perhaps we didn't fully charge the unit? We ran the battery dry, recharged it, and tried again, only to find its life to be even shorter--just shy of 90 minutes the second time around. It could be that we had a defective battery or that our battered review sample was worn down--or it could be that Panasonic wants to sell the auxiliary power pack ($199 list).
In the end, battery life was the only really sour note in our experience with the Panasonic DVD-LX9. If your plans don't include long stretches away from a wall socket or you don't mind the extra weight and bulk of the add-ons, this player will perform very well for you. However, those seeking the freedom to watch movies on an airplane without paying for extra batteries should look elsewhere.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8out of 8 user reviews
The best player till today 2008
Pros: Plays every kind of media any format of video , Audio possible
Cons: dosent play Divx no big deal
Has Video in Audio in on main dvd player, you can watch TV, VCR, or external ipod video on it without docking station,
No other Portable player has this feature even high end Sony, Philips, Sharp also lacks this very helpfull features.
Great picture quality, great audio and lots of coustomisation of picture, smooth easy to operste,
Worth every penny.
Thanks Panasonic, your absolutly a quality provider
out of 8 user reviews
It was great - when it was working!!
Pros: Easy to use
Cons: We only got about 3 months use out of it
out of 8 user reviews
READY FOR ROAD TRIP
Pros: Awesome picture; great features
Cons: None yet...
out of 8 user reviews
Look no further.
Pros: Depth and beauty of picture. Clarity of detail. Connectivity.
Cons: Battery life. Carrying case.
Video. The picture is simply stunning. The picture is finely detailed and rich in blacks and colors. I have not seen a better picture.
Audio. As might be expected, the included speakers--a pair in the unit and an outboard pair--cannot do justice to the depth of sound available on most dvds. I have a pair of A8 earphones from Bang and Olufsen and, believe me, the combination of those earphones and this player will have you believing you are sitting in an Imax theater in no time.
Connectivity. In this area the unit is without peer. The detachable cradle lets you connect this unit to everything. I have a digital camcorder and can use the player as a monitor. You can connect the player to virtually any audio/video combination you desire. I already have a Toshiba portable dvd player and my partner and I can connect them together for watching the same movie in bed with the luxury of each having our own 9" screens.
Ease of use. While there are all kinds of features available it is remarkably intuitive to navigate. The unit without the cradle is light, and the cradle adds very little weight to that.
I recommend this player above all others I have seen and tried (and purchased). If you shop wisely, you can reduce the price by at least half the list. If the battery life were at least 4 hours I would have given this little wonder a perfect "10."
I now actually prefer watching movies on this rather than on a large-screen television.
out of 8 user reviews
Simply The Best DVD Player w/ My Solution For The Short Battery Life
Pros: brilliant & crisp picture; great connectivity options; swiveling screen
Cons: short battery life; not cheap
out of 8 user reviews
The Best Portable DVD Player on the Market
Pros: I actually sell the LX9 at my store and have had the same one on display for over a year. It has been lifted off the docking station thousands of times and put back on, it has been handled by thousands of prospective customers, shaken around to prove it
Cons: I know that many of the reviews here say that the battery life of this player in not satisfactory, but they seem to be leaving out the fact that the 9" Panasonic players are the only ones in the market with built in batteries in the spine of the player.
out of 8 user reviews
good, but not as good as I thought
Pros: light weight, picture resolution very good.
Cons: battery life is very short.
out of 8 user reviews
The best portable dvd player !
Pros: Best image of all portable players (Samsung DVD-L200 is a very close #2) with excellent saturated colors, no artifact, excellent brightness, and wide angle viewing. Sound from internal speakers is very good for their size, still the best (and most audible
Cons: - The battery which comes with the unit lasts only ~ 1hr30 to 2hrs, therefore buying the extended life CGP-H501A/1B battery pack is mandatory. - Brightness and angle viewing are not as good when unit is not plugged to external power source, but I've foun
