Panasonic DVD-LS55 Portable DVD Player with 7-Inch Widescreen LCD
Another excellent Panasonic portable DVD player
The LS55 is the second Panasonic portable DVD player I've owned. Previously I owned the marvelous LS5 model (perhaps you read my old review on Amazon) with a 5\\" screen which gave me several years of excellent service despite a punishing life of constant travel, the occasional drop and several hard knocks. The only downside with the LS5 was the relatively short battery life (about 2 1/2 hours) and weak speakers which I compensated for with an additonal longer life battery (4 hours) and a tiny pair of folding Sony speakers (that they unfortunately don't make anymore). I carried all this around in snug camera pouches that protected everything during transportation. Unfortunately the tsunami was a bit more than I'd bargained for at Christmas. Which brings me to the present... my new Panasonic LS55. <br /> <br />I first became acquainted with the LS55 because I'd seen and rented one from that company which rents it out at several airports in the U.S. for passengers to watch movies during their flight and then drop the DVD player and DVDs at the destination airport. Perhaps you've seen the places. All their staff enthused about the LS55 amazing battery life - about 10+ hours which is easily long enough to last almost any continental US flight including delays and layovers! Moreover as you can imagine, these players take a beating. Also in my experience, children are a considerable proportion of the viewers - you get the picture. Nonetheless I was assured that the LS55 held up very well to knocks and spills.  <br /> <br />In my own experience, Panasonic's screens are excellent and very long lasting without any degradationor pixel loss. The machine's themselves are solid, tough and well designed. The LS55 is a great upgrade over my previous Panasonic portable DVD player. The beautiful 7\\" screen is crisp with excellent contrast and color. The player's understated modern styling is extremely elegant but also tough and practical. The slightly rubberized feel of the body's coating makes it firmer to grip and more resistant to knocks, falls and dings. After spending a few minutes with the LS55 you'll be hooked. <br /> <br />I'm sorry to read someone's poor review regarding the LS55 which seemingly had something spilt on it. Personally I've never had to deal with Panasonic's customer service and judging by your experience, I hope I never have to. However, on the whole my experience of the Panasonic brand has been outstanding over the years. One does pay a premium, however unlike a brand like Sony, I feel that one really is paying for what one get's -> a vastly superior, well designed, well constructed machine produced by what is perhaps Japan's best electronic's company. Indeed the LS55 is almost unique in this marketplace in being completely \\"Made in Japan\\" in a state of the art Japanese factory. <br /> <br />Already since buying the LS55 (an open box model from MacMall for USD 320 including free shipping (and I also bought an extended warranty from them due to the wear and tear I put these machines through) - I advise you to shop around and check eBay because it's silly to needlessly pay 400-500 bucks) I have travelled extensively with it. It's taken a few tumbles from the tray table, a couple of hard knocks and I think the maid in my hotel room dropped it once. Nonetheless it works flawlessly. Usually I keep it in a snug neoprene camera pouch (\\"zing\\"). <br /> <br />THE BATTERY IS TRULY AMAZING!! I've watched 4 or 5 movies on a single charge and still had juice to spare! From New York, I frequently fly to the West Coast, Europe and Asia and simply put, this battery has more stamina than either I or my nephews and nieces do!! They watched an entire season of Friends on DVD (I think that's 16 episodes), the Spongebob movie and Spy Kids before giving up. More likely than not, you'll tire of watching stuff before the battery runs out. Whether you've owned a portable DVD player before or are thinking of buying your first, the LS55 IS REVOLUTIONARY!! Add to this, the beautiful screen and stunning good looks and anything else pales in comparrison. No one else makes a portable DVD player to touch it. <br /> <br />As if that wasn't enough, the speakers are good - not as good as my old Sony fold-ups but probably better than any other portable DVD player or laptop - and of course I can get some new mini speakers although the quality is such that I don't think I need to. However, the sound quality through earphones is stunning! A great touch is the double earphone jacks which work fantastically both acoustically and poltically! In addition, the FM transmitter that transmits the soundtrack through one's car speakers works well in my sister's Renault Espace, although if you have children, you may regret that good innovative feature! Anyone who used itrip with their ipod will be familiar with this technology.  <br /> <br />All in all, a portable DVD player without equal. Excellent build quality, very attractive design, a beautiful large crisp 7\\" screen that can be easily adjusted on it's cantilevered hinge to the prefect viewing angle and pitch, good acoustics especially via earphones (I recommend Bose's noise cancelling ones for travel) and even car sound system. <br /> <br />Also functions very well as a DVD player using the AV cables attached to a TV, especially useful if you've \\"unlocked\\" your LS55 so that you can play DVDs from around the world at home.