Panasonic DVD-LS5 Portable DVD Player

• Portable widescreen DVD-Video and DVD-Audio player with 5-inch LCD screen and built-in stereo speakers
• Plays DVD-R, DVD-RAM, CD, and recordable MP3/WMA CDs
• Multichannel optical digital-audio outputs with DVD-Audio, DTS, and Dolby Digital surround passthrough
• VSS virtual surround and headphone surround simulate surround sound from two channels
• Dialogue Enhancer, 2.5 hours battery life from included rechargeable battery; remote control included

Compared to the Chinese imports (Apex, Initial, Cyberhome, etc.), the Panasonic DVD-LS5 is definitely a premium model, and both the price and quality show. If you just want to watch DVDs on the road and don't mind teeny sound or blocky images, the low-end models will serve you well. In fact I love my 8-inch Initial. On the other hand, if you want to truly enjoy a mobile DVD experience, you gotta buy this product.

Better styling and build quality aside, the Panasonic has at least three significant advantages over non-Japanese players: 1) the screen is clearer and offers better viewing angles horizontally, so you can share the joy of DVD with another person; 2) the sound is just incredibly loud for a small player like this, unlike the low-end players -in fact it feels almost like surround sound in a quiet room; 3) the tilting mechansim is really cool and allows you to adjust the screen angle freely.

The battery snaps to the back (and raises the player a bit) and offers a little over 2 hours of viewing pleasure. All considered, the Panasonic player is also much more portable than the other ones; even with the battery installed we are talking something you can just grab and watch, as opposed to carrying in two hands.

Is the Panasonic worth the extra money over the other players? I definitely think so.

Buy Panasonic DVD-LS5 Portable DVD Player Now

For Christmas this year I decided on a portable DVD player as my present. I dont travel very much but I LOVE technology so I figured why not, and so began my quest. I went to various online sites and eventually went out to my local electronics stores to do some research and to see the different players. I visited the usual Wal-Mart and Target, which had decent amount of relatively inexpensive portables on display but none of which were working models. I went to BestBuy to find 3 models on the floor. The one which price wise, was close to the Panasonic, was a Toshiba sd-p1200. It was HORRIBLE, it looked like an Etch-A-Sketch playing a DVD. The other two models, one a Poloroid that wouldnt work, and the other a Mintek which like the Poloroid wouldnt work, looked very cheaply put together and not worth the money. So I decided to move on to Circuit City. Once there I came across this wonderful little DVD player. The Panasonic DVD-LS5. I didn't want something clunky or bulky, and this player fit the bill. It is about the size of a portable CD player. The screen resolution is amazing. It is like a nice LCD computer monitor (albeit a small one). But with just over 500 lines of resolution and a 5 inch widescreen display, it does the DVD's justice. It is lightweight and very quiet. I played two movies back to back (Terminator 3 and Indiana Jones and the last Crusade) and this bad boy didnt even work up a sweat. The entire unit stayed cool and whisper quiet 4 hours after I first turned it on. I used wall power as my battery was not charged yet. Later on I used the battery and got through one 2 hour movie. So the description of 2 hours per charge is accurate. It only takes 2 hours to charge the battery back up and since it is a lithium ion battery there is no need to fully discharge the battery. The swivel screen function is really very cool. It allows you to watch a movie in classic portable dvd player fashion (like opening a book) or you can adjust the height and tilt, or you can completely compact the unit by laying the screen flat on the player. Little rubber wheels on the bottom of the screen prevent the screen from scratching the player. Panasonic has thought of everything. I only paid $299 for mine and at that price I almost felt like I stole it! It is an amzing little machine that has phenominal sound too. I am a radio dj so I am all about sound. When the headphones are plugged in.. WOW!!!... I've heard sounds on the portable that I never heard on my full size DTS home theater system! The bottom line is, if you on a quest for a solid portable system, the quest ends here. I know that it is a little pricy, but considering some of the other models out there that are shotty construction and hit or miss as far as it working or not, for the money (and it was well spent money), the Panasonic DVD-LS5 is at the top of its class!

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic DVD-LS5 Portable DVD Player Here

After reading all the other reviews on Amazon and looking at everything in a few of New York City's major electrical stores (J&R, Circuit City, Best Buy) I bought the Panasonic DVD-LS5 portable DVD player for $329 from Amazon.

It was the most streamline and compact, solid feeling, good looking and highly recommended DVD player of this size. The screen looked sharper and brighter than it's competitors including larger much more expensive models.

6 months later, several friends and colleagues have fallen in love with this portable DVD player and after doing their own due dilligence, all chose the same model. Panasonic really seem to have gotten it right and the premium one pays for this consistently strong and reliable brand is well worth the money.

Size? I travel a great deal and wanted a very good tough small well made machine for around $350. The LS5 fits the bill and seems to stand alone in it's corner of the market. Larger portable DVD players start approaching the size of a small laptop and cost around $600 and up. Moreover, this model is perfect for a tray table even when the seat in front is reclined in your face. Ideal for the back of a car. Sits on my knee in the airport lounge. In hotel rooms I either connect my DVD player to the TV using the supplied cables or usually prefer it's crisp clean screen and awesome headphone sound.

Extras? The battery gives just over 2 hours of juice basically one movie plus change. I recommend people buy an additional battery: Panasonic's CGR-H601A/B extended life battery is good for an extra 3-4 hours (a very reasonable $69 especially considering most batteries cost more than a hundred bucks).

Sound? The headphone sound is absolutely amazing and the external speakers in such a tiny machine can't match their sophisticated range and power. So I recommend a really good pair of headphones don't skimp the sound is incredible! I can hear a depth and nuance in a movie's soundtrack and dialogue which I've never noticed before. A headphone splitter is a very good idea. Additionally I recently bought Sony's small and highly touted SRS-T55 travel speakers ($47.50) so that a small group could join the fun. Two or three people can all view equally well without losing quality from being off centre.

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I'm not much of an electronics wiz/enthusiast but I really love this machine. I do lots of travel by train and air and this device has been my constant companion for the past three months. I find I don't have much of a chance to watch the movies I want to watch at home (4 kids ages 2-15 tend to keep you busy) so investing in a portable DVD player was a must if I was ever going to see a real movie again. The picture quality is quite good, I'd recommend buying a good pair of headphones (good sound quality and comfortable!) since you'll need it if you're out in public.

I have had the Panasonic DVD-LS5 for two months now. It is awesome! I did alot of research and decided to go with the Panasonic. I got it for $198 after using the Amazon Visa for $30 off and $50 rebate and then a $50 Promotional certificate. I couldn't beat that price. I basically have to agree with all the positive details everyone else has written because I would just be repeating all of their findings. I do have one story to mention. My daughter and her friend brought both of their portable DVD players on a trip. His was a Cyberhome and if you read the reviews on that one I can tell you the Cyberhome did everything they said it would do also. It froze, skipped, and had no picture but had sound. Cyberhome may be cheaper with a carkit included but the Panasonic can't be beat. They ended up using the Panasonic and put the Cyberhome away. I just smiled.I was glad I did my homework. I did receive the carkit charger it was $125. I thought it was rather expensive but the quality is excellent and the cord goes from the lighter to the back of the van. Can't beat that. The Picture is just as clear as if it were hooked up to a/c. We are thoroughly enjoying it hooked up to our TV also. Thanks again.