The
Panasonic DVD-RV32K is a DVD player that can play MP3, WMA, CD-R, CD-RW, VCD, XVCD… You name it and the
RV32K will most likely play it.
The RV32 is a replacement for the
Panasonic RV31, which already was an excellent DVD player.
Front Panel
The RV32K is black (if you want a silver DVD player, check out
Panasonic DVD-RV32S) and its front panel looks more stylish than the RV31K it replaced. It features a shuttle control so you can adjust playback/scan speed, as well as buttons for basic and some advanced functions, including skip, A-B repeat, cinema mode control, dialogue enhancer, random mode, etc.
The disc tray looks very solid and its operation is very smooth. Everything is rock-solid and the tactile feel of controls is reassuring. The player has the same width as stereo components and “component-width” VCRs, so you can put the DVD player on top of your VCR or another component.
Inputs
Audio: there are analog audio outs (left and right - RCA-type jacks plus subwoofer out) as well as an optical digital audio output (both Dolby Digital and DTS compatible), which you can use to connect it to Dolby Digital or DTS receivers or mini-systems.
Video: there is a composite output, an S-video output and a component video out. You can use either S-Video out to connect the player to your TV or, even better, component video out, which is the best possible way to connect DVD player to your TV since it digitally separates the video signal into its luminance (Y) and separate chrominance (PR and PB) elements, allowing delivery of a reference-quality picture with precise color reproduction.
Of course you have to have a TV that is compatible (has component inputs) to utilize the benefit of this feature. But you will have to deal with 3 cables instead of one S-Video cable. Besides, the difference between component connection and S-Video is difficult to see.
On the other hand, the “standard” composite connection will create cross-luminance artifacts (rainbow like Moire patterns, dot crawl, etc.), due to the inability of a TV’s comb filter to correctly separate luminance and chrominance.
So, if your TV has an S-Video input, S-Video cable will improve your picture substantially comparing to the composite connection. The cheapest S-Video cable will provide significantly better picture than the most expensive premium composite cable. Remember this when you talk to sales people who might try to convince you to get premium composite video cables.
CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, etc.
The RV32 plays both CD-R and CD-RW discs - it employs twin-laser pickup (for CD-R/W playback) and built-in stabilizer. The ability to play computer CD-R/W - recorded CD-R/W is essential when you want to play your WMA, MP3s or custom-made Video CD/XVCD. It also plays DVD-R discs.
MP3 And WMA Playback
The player features WMA and MP3 playback. The sound quality is excellent (depending on the bit rate of the MP3 or WMA file) and the shuttle control could be used to adjust the playback/scan speed.
The previous model didn’t let you program the MP3 playback and didn’t allow use random MP3 playback. Now it plays WMA and MP3 and you can do both random and programmed playback. The player can play MP3 files encoded at up to 320 Kbps and supports variable bit rate (VBR).
The player supports long file names and has excellent MP3 playback control menu – probably the best among current crop of DVD players that play MP3. The playback interface shows the
entire file name (e.g. “Metallica – Master of Puppets - Battery”).
The player shows a directory tree. Songs are grouped based on directory and you can program the playback by creating a nice long playlist.
Panasonic recommends to prefix the file names and directory names with numbers like "001", "002", etc. to set the playback order (the track are played back in the order of these numbers, unless you program the playback).
Video CD, SVCD and XVCD
The player also plays Video CDs as well as XVCD. Keep in mind that in comparison with DVD, the picture quality of VCD seems significantly worse and comparable to VHS. However, the XVCD looks much better than VHS and can approach the picture quality of DVD.
The VCD features 352x240 resolution with video bit-rate of about 1150 kbps using MPEG-1 encoding. But you can also make XVCD with other resolutions (e.g. 720x480, 502x480, etc.) I normally use the same horizontal resolution as the original file and specify 480 pixels of vertical resolution.
This way, it is easier to ecode the file faster and there is less quality degradation. RV32 plays these XVCDs with different resolutions flawlessly, as long as bit rate is below 2500 kbps.
I use variable bit rate and it works well. I use TMPGEnc and Nero 5.5 to create XVCD discs. You can also use bit-rates lower than standard 1150 to fit more on one CD.
Unfortunately, the amount of video that fits on one CD-R or CD-RW shrinks as the bit-rate (and quality) increases. I suggest you try using variable bit rate (VBR), which produces better picture quality at lower average bit rates – just make sure the maximum bit rate is lower than 2500 Kbps.
It is difficult to make the RV32 play SVCD - to make the RV32 play SVCD you have to multiplex the resulting MPEG-2 file as MPEG-1 (VCD). Otherwise, the player would go into slow motion playback, freeze and have problems with sound. But after extensive testing I know that the XVCDs I make look better than SVCD (480x480) and require much less hassle to create. XVCD makes me happy.
Performance
The operation is
super-fast. There is no delay after you press a button, everything happens
immediately. It almost seems that the player can predict what button you are going to press next.
Picture
The player produces excellent picture and sound quality. You can see the smallest detail, even in the dark areas. The colors are vivid and sharpness is incredible (you can also adjust most of the parameters like brightness, sharpness, contrast, etc.).
Digital Cinema Modes
The RV32 has the
Digital Cinema Modes: Cinema1 and Cinema2, in which (on paper) the picture is enhanced by reducing glare, softening resolution, and improving visibility of details in dark scenes, resulting in a more realistic, cinemalike image. For me it looks like the lightness is increased, which is helpful when watching dark movies or homemade dark VCD.
I suggest you use standard mode for DVD and some VCD and employ cinema mode for darker VCD/XVCD.
Sound
The sound quality is great, especially when using “real” surround sound (not virtual surround sound). The player allows you use Dolby Pro Logic sound systems through its analog stereo outs, or use Dolby Digital or DTS through its optical digital out.
Advanced VSS
The player has Advanced Virtual Surround Sound (VSS) circuitry that simulates the "presence effect" by downmixing Dolby 5.1 signal to two channels, so you can enjoy audio effects with just 2 speakers. But RV32’s version also includes an additional channel for subwoofer (AVSS with Bass Plus).
Although not replacement for “the real thing”, it is a nice feature. The rear panel has analog outs you can use with this mode – left channel, right channel and subwoofer out.
Dialogue Enhancer
The RV32K has
dialogue enhancement feature, which boosts the volume of the center channel when playing a Dolby Digital 5.1 disc so that the dialogue doesn't become drowned out by the left and right speakers. A very helpful feature when watching “Trainspotting”, where it’s hard to hear what people say, or “U571”.
Error Correction
Panasonic DVD and CD players are known for their ability to play scratched CDs and DVD discs much better than other players, and this model is no exception. It plays even substantially scratched discs and also has no problems with different types of CD-R or CD-RW media (if they are properly finalized, of course).
Quick Replay
The
Quick Replay function allows you replay several seconds at a touch of a button (if you missed some detail, for example). The button is located on both remote control and the player’s front panel.
Features
The RV32K features still and frame advance modes, chapter preview mode. It has features high-speed scan (5 speeds in both directions), which provides crystal-clear forward and reverse scan at up to 200x. The previous model (RV31) provided up to 100x speed and that was already more than sufficient. There is also slow motion at 5 speeds in either direction.
The menus are very intuitive with descriptions of what buttons to use and the MP3 interface is excellent (see above). The player also has shuffle/random mode, direct track access. There are also bookmarks you can return to and you can jump to any moment on the disc by entering the time.
The front panel jog/shuttle control allows you adjust the scan speed. There is also a sleep timer that can be set using “Sleep” button on the remote.
The player also remembers where you stopped and can resume from that moment, even if you turn it off if you push a button designated to remember the position (“Position Memory”). The player can also remember this position for up to 5 discs even if the disc was ejected.
Zoom
The player has zoom mode that allows you expand a widescreen (letterbox) movie to fill the “regular” TV screen.
Remote
The remote control for the RV31 was better than the remote for this newer model. The remote has strange shape and many similarly-sized buttons. The major functions are still easy to use and now there is less chance of hitting “Eject” instead of “Play”, but the “Eject” button is still close to the frequently used buttons – it is right above “FF”.
The remote control is the worst part of this player, but it is not terrible, just not as good as it could be.
The Price Is Right
The RV32K lists less than the predecessor (RV31), plays WMA, MP3, CD-R and CD-RW. You can buy it for less than $150, which is a very good deal.
Bottom Line
The Panasonic DVD-RV32K is an excellent choice at a great price. Its MP3 interface is great, picture quality is excellent, and it is easy to use. Buying anything else in this price range seems a very bad idea.
Current Panasonic DVD Players
Below you can find the current lineup of Panasonic DVD players:
Panasonic DVD-F65
Panasonic DVD-S55
Panasonic DVD-S35
Panasonic DVD-S25
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