Official Panasonic DVD-S97 Specs (Faroudja is back!) (2 Viewers)

[pitchman]

No tray open/close function on the remote? That is a MAJOR turn off for me. Earlier this year, I purchased a SC-PM39D Panasonic micro system for the bedroom. It is a great little DVD changer, but there is no open/close function on the remote and I have to tell you that it is more than little annoying. BTW, the DVD-S97 remote looks almost identical in size and shape to the SC-PM39D remote. It has a great look and feel. In the case of the SC-PM39D, this unfortunate remote omission mars what is otherwise an absolutely superior micro system - head and shoulders above any other comparable player. For a $399 (high-end) single disc player to lack this basic remote functionality, I think is going to be a deal breaker for me. YMMV.

 

[Brandon>C]

Why would you want to open the player form across the room? DO you have really long arms?

 

[pitchman]

Brandon, no offense, but that is why I said it is a deal breaker for ME and that YMMV.



It may, in theory, seem trivial for a remote to lack this basic functionality, but live with one for a few months and your opinion may change.



The fact that almost every CD, DVD player/changer (excluding shelf systems) released in the past 20 years has included a remote tray open/close function indicates to me that many people find this feature of value and a convenience.

 

[matt-f]

I'm not too worried about the remote because I have Panasonic DVD-RP91 (does have open/close on remote!!) remotes which I use to substitue for my RP82 and RP56 remotes because their designs isn't as good.



Since it's been confirmed that the XP50's remote can be used on it, that means the RP91's remote can be used on it. Seems like a set back but for the convenience and design of the RP91's remote it's good work around.

 

[Chris Huber]

It's not 399, it's 269 for the panny DVD-S97S.



Who gives a crap about the eject button on the remote. If you hit it, you've got to get up and get the disc anyway... Geeezzz.

 

[Rich Malloy]

quote:No tray open/close function on the remote? That is a MAJOR turn off for me.



The fact that almost every CD, DVD player/changer (excluding shelf systems) released in the past 20 years has included a remote tray open/close function indicates to me that many people find this feature of value and a convenience.

Gary, sorry to bring this up again, but I am actually dying to know what people use this feature for!



I never could understand why anyone might need it, and I can't stand it! I once had a player with this feature (a Pioneer DV-414... remember those?), and more than once I accidently hit the button causing the tray to open and crash into the perforated metal door on the front of my rack! I always considered this feature nothing more than "an accident waiting to happen" (and it did cause the tray to be slightly askew after one such encounter with the rack door), but now I wonder if there really is some useful purpose for it...?

 

[Rich Malloy]

But on to more important issues...

I'm very excited that this player has the Faroudja chipset, plays DVD-A, and has an HDMI output. These are all crucial capabilities for me.



But there's one more that's every bit as important: can this player be made region free and will it convert PAL->NTSC?

 

[pitchman]

quote:It's not 399, it's 269 for the panny DVD-S97S.

MSRP according to Panasonic



Even if the player only cost $50, it is still a shortcoming IMO. Especially, since you would be hard-pressed to find another $50 player that doesn't have this feature. For Panasonic to not include it in their "top of the line" flagship single disc player, I think is a little disappointing. I can't imagine that this is a cost-cutting move, but perhaps it is.

My guess is this player will provide stellar video playback. If my SC-PM39D is any indicator, I am sure it will.

 

[matt-f]

The Panasonic MSRP has some kind of typo. Shh don't spread it!!

The site does say 399.99 but if you add it to the cart, it saids 299.99.

OneCall is the one selling it for 269.

 

[Ralph B]

quote:No tray open/close function on the remote? That is a MAJOR turn off for me.

I find this funny. you have to get up to take the disc out or put another in anyway. its a useless feature. neat ya, but very useless.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

While an open/close button on the remote would not be a deal killer for me, it is not a "useless" feature. I own a Panasonic RP-91 and use this feature all the time. My equipment rack is located in a dark corner of the room, and it is difficult to see the open/close button on the front panel. There is no good place to setup a light in the area, and there is no need for one by having the drawer button available via the remote.



I mapped the open/close code from the RP-91 to a button on my Harmony universal remote, and would do the same if I end up replacing that player with this new S97, since the codes should be the same.

 

[Ralph B]

quote:There is no good place to setup a light in the area

do what I did and buy a portable flouresent light. home depot sells them for $6 and you can stick them anywhere. 4 AA batterys and is perfect stuck above my rack. just enough light to see all the buttons.



I agree, a missing open/close button wouldnt be a purchase killer for me either. thats just nuts!

 

[Scott Merryfield]

quote:do what I did and buy a portable flouresent light. home depot sells them for $6 and you can stick them anywhere. 4 AA batterys and is perfect stuck above my rack. just enough light to see all the buttons.

...or do what I do and use the open/close button on the remote. Zero dollars spent and no batteries necessary.

 

[Ralph B]

dont consider $6 alot of money and then you can see all your units functions. besides if you cant see the button on the unit how can you see it on the remote ?



personally I know where the button is on the remote and unit so again I still say the open/close button is useless. you cannot tell me you dont know where the open close button is on your dvd player in the dark. lol

 

[PaulBigelow]

As for me, I like the open/close button on the remote so that I don't create any "wear spots" on the players buttons. The less I touch the player the less chance of scratching or creating wear.



I use a URC-200 remote and program a key into it from my other XP50 remote. No problem at all.



Just a thought.

 

[Ralph B]

we def have some strange thought here dont we. lol



as all of us a universal remote is a must. but wear and scratching on the buttons or dvd player ? thats one I have not heard. I still have my first pioneer dvd player from 1998 and it still looks perfect and has no wear and not a single scratch. to this day it gets used atleast 4 times a week.



you must be pretty rough with your units. lol

 

[Scott Merryfield]

quote:besides if you cant see the button on the unit how can you see it on the remote ?

My universal remote has a backlight button -- a must if you watch movies in the dark, as we do.



My point is we should not be so quick to dismiss a feature as useless just because it's not useful in our particular case. Everyone's situation is different, and a useless feature for one person may be a necessity for another.



As I said earlier, no open/close button on the remote would not keep me from buying a product (my Sony CD/SACD player doesn't have one), but I do like and use the feature on my DVD player.

 

[matt-f]

In the case of the XP30/50 and RP82 units, the color is crome so I will use a remote to prevent making finger prints. If I do, I have a dust-off cloth for that purpose, and to clean it as well.



As for the RP91's remote, it's very convenient in the dark due to it's design and the some of the keys are glow in the dark(eject button is not one of them!!). The placement of the eject and power buttons are toward the front of the remote out of reach of the thumb since the thumb can site on the joystick part.

 

[Ralph B]

funny thread or just funny people. I own a XP50 and finger prints never worried me...lol but different folks for different folks. all your stuff must be super clean.

I own 2 LCD backlit remotes. I never use the open close button. I get up and do it as I cvhange dvd. lol



point is that no open/close button should not make or break a purchase. boy I am glad I stay inside and have no friends. there are alot of wacky people out there. funny thread though.

 

[Bill Will]

It may also be possible that just because the unit doesn't have an Open/Close button on the remote that it still may have that feature if you can find out the descrete code for it to program into a universal remote or use another Panasonic remote that has it to Learn the code to a learning remote. On my Proscan DVD the remote doesn't have an Open/Close button on it but I took a Learning Remote to a store & used an RCA Remote that had an Open/Close Button on it to learn it to my remote & it works perfectly & I'll bet the Panasonic is the same way they just ran out of buttons on the remote & din't want to design a new remote just for it so they just got rid of the button but the unit still has that feature built into it. Just a thought guys