CAN PLAY DVDS FASTER THAN REAL-TIME & PLAYS DVD-RAMs
Pros:
DVDs can play faster/slower to watch in 60% of the time! Plays DVD-RAM,DVD+Rs.
Cons:
RAM speed only normal. Slow display of hi-res jpeg pics. Can't go left/right on zoom.
The Bottom Line:
Plays DVDs and DVD-RAMs. You can speed up DVDs or watch time-compressed shows at original speed. Watch DVDs - DVD-RAMS - Jpegs - CDs or MP3.
|
|
Overall Rating:
|
 |
|
Author's Review
Nobody else has talked about the greatest feature in this DVD Player. You can play a DVD faster or slower than real time. The settings are:
Play it 20% slower (.80% mode)
Play it 10% slower (.90% mode)
Play it at normal speed (1.00% mode)
Play it 20% faster (1.20% mode)
Play it 40% slower (1.40% mode)
If you play it faster, the picture and sound speed up, but the sound is not like Mickey Mouse! The sound is digitally sped-up and understandable ... spaces are removed between words. You can watch a one-hour movie in 36 minutes (1.40%) or 48 minutes (1.20%!
Why play it slower? Many TV reruns (like those on TV Land) and movies are time-compressed ... sped-up 10% to 20% like this player can do. This is to fit in more commercials than the original broadcast. It's better than editing the shows (as they used to do, but things do move faster.) With a DVD Recorder, you can record TV shows or movies and watch them. If a show is time-compressed (moving too fast), select .80% or .90% slower mode, and walla ... the shows slow down to their original speed. UNFORTUNATELY, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THIS FEATURE DOES NOT WORK WITH ERASEABLE DVD-RAM DISCS ... A BUMMER!
This machine supports DVD-RAM and other formats, including CD-Rs and MP3. The picture quality is great, and the menu system is convienent. It's easy to view time remaining, time elapsed and to move to different titles, chapters, pictures or songs.
Zooms are variable; there are more than just 2 or 3 settings. BUT ... you cannot move left or right on a zoomed picture ... a bummer!
There is a button on the remote which goes back 15 seconds or so ... great when you couldn't hear something the first time.
JPEG pictures on a CD-ROM display very slowly if high resolution. There is a setting for the no. of seconds a picture will display in a slide show. (Another review indicated it doesn't, but it does.) You may also use the PAUSE button to view it longer, and you can skip back or forward.
So many fine features, but the speed-up feature sold me!
P.S. I have not tried but I read that Panasonics will not play finalized DVD R discs. This is another deliberate anti-consumer move.
