Panasonic DVD-C220 DVD Player

Panasonic DVD-C220 DVD Player
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Product Type: CE

Editorial Review:
Product Description
The Panasonic DVD-C220 plays up to 5 DVDs, CDs, or Video CDs, for pure enjoyment in virtually any digital format. The changer's 5-Disc Rotary Carousel design allows you to change any of the 4 non-playing discs, without disturbing the movie you're watching, or the music you're listening to. The Front Panel LED conveniently displays the location of loaded discs, which disc is playing and the position of the disc tray when the drawer is open. The DVD-C220 also features a Quick Disc Rotation System, which lets you switch between discs at the touch of a button. This feature is ideal for watching multiple-disc movies. Dialogue Enhancer increases the center channel volume of a Dolby Digital 5/5.1-channel disc, making the dialogue easier to hear during loud scenes. Advanced Virtual Surround Sound creates the surround sound effect using only two front speakers with a wide range from left to right. Hi-Speed Smooth Motion Scan gives 5-Speed up to x100 thus providing crystal clear scan quality in both forward and reverse. Easy to Use On-Screen Menu Icons allow you to control a variety of player and disc settings via remote control. After resuming play of a DVD movie disc, Chapter Preview feature shows the first 3 seconds of each previously viewed chapter and proceeds with normal play once it reaches the position where you left off. 10-bit Video D/A Converter performs video signal processing at a fast rate for enhanced DVD picture quality. Still Picture Display (I/P/B) indicates on screen the type of still image (I, P, or B) being displayed; the I image is the best and should be used when making picture quality adjustments. Auto Switching Field/Frame Still reproduces still images in incredible detail regardless of source (film or video).
Amazon.com Review
Panasonic's DVD-C220D is one of the finest-sounding DVD players we've heard, and certainly the best at this price. In addition to its convenient five-disc carousel changer, this player offers a host of features that allow it to excel in virtually every system.

The DVD-C220D's handsome front panel has push buttons that control basic transport functions (play, stop, pause) and "repeat" modes, which set continuous play of discs, programmed songs, movie scenes, or even short segments of a piece of software. The panel also contains a numeric keypad below the informative and highly legible fluorescent display. A disc-exchange feature makes it possible to open the tray and change up to four discs while a fifth is playing.

The designers have arranged the front panel controls so that you can differentiate each function from the others. For example, the five disc-access buttons are small and round, and light up in either green or amber, depending on whether or not a disc resides in that space.

Unfortunately, the Panasonic's hand-held remote doesn't share the ergonomic flourishes of the player itself. The buttons are nearly all the same size and shape. What's more, the absence of backlighting makes it difficult to select the correct function in a dark room.

On the back of this machine, Panasonic provides enough connections to satisfy the most ardent audiophile or videophile. Two sets of analog audio-video outputs and a pair of composite-video jacks accommodate traditional system connections, while coaxial and optical outputs send digital audio (whether stereo, Dolby Digital, or DTS) to an external processor. For theater buffs with high-end TVs, the DVD-C220D supports both S-video and component-video formats.

Panasonic didn't sacrifice any performance quality in order to add all these extra features to the DVD-C220D. In contrast to the bright, often harsh trebles typical of most budget gear, the DVD-C220D's high frequencies are smooth and non-fatiguing--even with old, poorly remastered CDs. Of course, those wonderfully recorded "show-off" discs sound superb, with natural midrange reproduction and bass that is both tight and powerful. With both Dolby Digital and DTS software, a superb surround soundfield and startling dynamics tell you this is a first-rate machine. This player even has a Virtual Surround Sound (VSS) button, which simulates rear-channel surround sound from your stereo speakers.

Video quality is also better than average, although "average" for a DVD player is already spectacular. In our tests, images were reproduced with a natural color balance and razor-sharp detail--so sharp, in fact, that we had to reduce the "Sharpness" setting on our reference television monitor. If your set has component-video inputs, you'll enjoy an even more filmlike image.

Despite the versatility of DVD, the absence of low-cost, high-quality changers has prevented many consumers from abandoning their CD players. With its combination of performance and convenience, the DVD-C220 should compel most of you to clear a space in your equipment rack. --Anthony Chiarella

Pros:

• Carousel mechanism offers unsurpassed convenience
• Superb sound from both stereo and surround sources
• Useful assortment of audio-video connections

Cons:

• Remote lacks backlighting feature and ergonomic design

The DVDC220 also offers a dialogue enhancer, which increases the center channel volume of a Dolby Digital2 5/5.1-channel disc, making the dialogue easier to hear during loud scenes.

Advanced Virtual Surround Sound creates the surround sound effect using only two front speakers with a wide range from left to right. Hi-Speed Smooth Motion Scan provides crystal-clear scan quality in both forward and reverse in five speeds up to 100x.

The Panasonic DVDC220 also offers easy-to-use onscreen menu icons, so you can control a variety of player and disc settings with the remote control. Outputs for DTS and Dolby Digital decoders allow for connection to optional DTS and Dolby Digital decoders for 5.1-channel surround sound audio.

Average customer rating:

Sprint PCS Touchpoint TP1100 Phone (Sprint) Manufacturer: Sprint PCS Product Group: Wireless Binding: Wireless Phone ASIN: B000053VG6

Amazon.com

The single-band 1,900 MHz CDMA TP1100 measures 1 by 3.4 by 1.9 inches and weighs only 4.2 ounces. Its glittering silver case and flip housing showed no wear from demanding everyday use. Its external display screen, which displays the date, time, signal strength, and available battery power, enhanced the phone's striking physical design. If your service plan includes caller ID, the screen will also show you who's calling before you even open the phone to answer a call. Volume controls and an integrated headset jack dot the left-hand side of the phone, and the retractable antenna extends 2 inches for enhanced call reception.

A bright, seven-line screen (six lines of text and one line of status indicators) makes it easy to read e-mail, enter phone book information, and work on the Web. The keypad, with its raised rubberized buttons, is well designed and nicely spaced. We had no trouble operating the phone with one hand, whether scrolling through our inbox or setting any one of the 17 available ringer options.

We were also impressed with the TP1100's four-way directional key, which allows you to shuttle quickly through call logs, phone book entries, and other menu selections.

The TP1100's menu selections should serve almost anyone's needs. Scrolling down through the menu reveals the following options: Call History (10-number outgoing, incoming and missed-call logs), Messages, Phone Book, Calendar, Wireless Web, Sounds (to set alerts and ringer types), Display, Security, Setup (to customize roaming modes, any-key answer, Web guard, and other features), Calculator, and Games (Puzzle and an addictive version of Blackjack).

The Web browser accesses popular Web sites as well as the latest news, financial, sports, weather, and entertainment updates. (We also placed a CD into our Amazon.com shopping cart in a matter of minutes, without frustration.) You can train the phone to recognize voice-activated numbers. We had no trouble setting up voice tags, and used easy voice commands to manage our calendar and other PIM functions.

With its event calendar, calculator, and series of different alarms, the TP1100 can double as a basic PDA. Other baseline features include a T9 predictive keypad, scratch-pad memory, text-messaging capabilities, built-in vibrating-ringer alert, call timers, and 99 speed-dial locations with nine one-touch slots. It's worth noting that the phone book can hold 199 contacts, and each entry can store up to five numbers per name. The TP1100 also supports carrier-dependent features such as caller ID, call forwarding, and three-way calling. If you purchase a data cable, you can synch the TP1100 with a PC or PDA and import your computer's address book to the phone, or transfer your faxes and text messages from the phone to your computer.

The lithium-ion battery is rated for 150 minutes of talk time and 135 hours of standby time. In our testing, the TP1100 held a call for 145 minutes, while it lasted for just under six days (142 hours)in standby mode.

The TP1100 is one of the handsomest phones around and is designed to handle most business and personal needs. Although the inherent limitations of a single-band phone makes us cringe, the reliability of Sprint PCS's digital network allows us to recommend the TP1100 without reservation. --Thom Arno

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