Panasonic DVD-F87S 5-Disc Progressive Scan DVD Player
Poor  Color Decoder - by design
This is the first time I have been unhappy with a Panasonic <br />product. It looks good, had nice features, decent remote, but <br />the picture quality is poor. <br /> <br />This unit displays distinct bands of color when it should display smooth gradations of color. <br /> <br />For example, a headlight on a foggy night displays as concentric bands around the headlight, instead of displaying all the shades of brightness between light and dark. <br />Panasonic tech support told my local repair shop that this is not a bug or defect. Rather, Panasonic uses fewer bits in its color circuits than most other DVD players. It is like reducing the number of colors on your PC screen settings.  <br /> <br />I own 6 DVD players, including a  <br />real cheapo model, and none of them dislay this banding. <br /> <br />I own Pana DVD TV combo which I love. I don't know why Panasonic <br />chose to build newer models with reduced bits, but the picture <br />is unacceptable on those scenes. <br /> <br />Most of the time the picture is OK. But when there is a scene with a sky, or a lamp in a dark room, I just want to throw  <br />this unit in the basement and buy something that works.