The Panasonic DVD-S700 DVD player is quite simply one of the best DVD players out there right now. Not only is it one of the fastest we've tested but it is also region free allowing you to play discs from anywhere.
Discs can be bought-DVDs or rewritable, widening compatibility even further. Plus it will upscale everything to Full HD 1080p quality making it ideal for larger, high-resolution TV displays.
With extras like a USB port on the front, plus JPEG and MP3 support, this is ideal as a way to show off photos too. The whole thing is easy to use with a comprehensive remote control and decent selection of connections. The fact everything is encased in an attractive and svelte shell is a just a bonus.
So is this the DVD player for you? Read on to find out everything you need to know about the Panasonic DVD-S700 DVD player.
Panasonic DVD-S700 DVD player: Design and build
The Panasonic DVD-S700 is a DVD player that features an all black finish with a high-visibility shine on the front for display clarity and a matte upper that lets this fit in anywhere. Controls are super minimal with play and pause, stop and eject buttons on the device itself. Everything else is on the remote which features all you could need.
The 2.4 lbs player is just 1.5-inches tall and spans 12.2-inches in length, making it one of the smaller players out there, ideal for fitting into smaller cabinet spaces. However, if you need a smaller one, we recommend looking at the Craig CVD401A player.
On the front is a USB 2.0 port, making it easy to access downloaded photos, music or films. On the back is HDMI out, composite video out and an audio line-out.
Panasonic DVD-S700 DVD player: Features
The Panasonic DVD-S700 is region free meaning it'll play any disc you put in, from anywhere in the world. The type of disc supported is also really broad since this player works with lots of different options.
Discs this can play include: CD, CD-DA, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW, SVCD and Video CD. It'll also offer support for JPEG image files as well as MP3 audio.
Dolby Digital audio is supported, meaning you can enjoy high-quality audio that supports up to 5.1 channel surround sound. So if you have a surround sound system this will be able to help create a more immersive experience.
The power resume feature is a nice addition which automatically bookmarks your DVD location. So if you power off it'll remember where you got up to. Next time you power on and put in the same dics you'll be able to continue playback from where you left off – a great feature for show series viewing. It remembers up to six discs at a time too.
Full HD upscaling to 1080p meaning that even older DVDs with 480p native resolution will be enhanced for viewing on larger, high-resolution TVs.
Panasonic DVD-S700 DVD player: Performance
The Panasonic DVD-S700 is really fast. From powering up to having the disc read and displayed on screen the time is the fastest of any player we've tested. Granted the difference between models is only seconds, but you will notice this when waiting around on other units.
Tracking is really easy to do on this player thanks to a good selection of options. The progressive scan will offer up to four times skip-through while there's also an eight times interlace option too.
The placement of that front USB port is not to be underestimated. If you've got this unit in a cabinet, accessing the back is a hassle. The ability to pop a USB thumb drive in, loaded with pictures, is so useful and an ideal way to get content from a PC to the big screen quickly.
The upscaling makes picture quality superb thanks to correction of the brightness signals at the pixel unit level. That combined with the 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound makes for a really immersive way to enjoy old DVDs like never before.
Should I buy the Panasonic DVD-S700 DVD player?
The Panasonic DVD-S700 is the perfect DVD player for anyone wishing to watch discs from other regions. It's also great for those wanting to watch rewritable discs while still enjoying the quality of Full HD 1080p upscaling.
A super simple to use and powerful DVD player that's quick, offers smart auto playback from where you left off and plays nice with nearly all formats. It's not even that highly priced when you consider all the positives, although if you really are on a budget, the GPX DHX300B should be a few dollars less.
