Panasonic DVD-RV31K DVD Player, Black
all-in-all a sound package for a good price
When I bought this DVD player, I was looking for a multifunctional player that had a good track record and good performance quality -- all for a reasonable price. After trying out this Panasonic unit, I have to say, I'm not disappointed. The video quality is fine. The player has all the functionality of a good quality DVD player, plus it plays MP3/CDR which is wonderful. This player has component video out as well as S-video out, a great option for the HDTV buffs. Scanning - fast or slow, forward or back, can be done quickly and clearly. The unit has a clean metallic finish and isn't too bulky. This certainly is not be the king of the hill, but for the price, you'd be hard pressed to find a better all-round unit.<br />CONS:<BR>1. The 2x-scan skips frames to speed things up, so video is not 100% smooth and half the sound bytes are also skipped so dialogue is rendered incoherent.<br />2. MP3 playability is where this function ends. Only track number and no data (names, etc).<br />3. An annoying attribute is the power-up. Once the power is turned on, it takes about 10 sec. before any functions work because the machine is too busy saying \\"Welcome to your DVD world!\\"<br />4. The macro-technology on this unit does not allow A/V-out to enter another component like a VCR. This was a hassle for me since my TV only had an RF-in. I had to pay [$$$]RF modulator at to view movies from my new DVD player.