Panasonic DVD-CV50 5-Disc DVD Player
By: Panasonic Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 21
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 On: 2005-10-11
I bought this DVD player after my RCA quit reading disks after a few months. I liked DVDs so much I wanted to upgrade to a 5-disc carousel. I picked this one that was a display model at a discounted price of about $450 can. I brought it home and realised it was missing the power cord, which Future Shop forgot to include in the bag. It is the same as a Play Station so that problem was solved. It worked well for about a year, but now it starts skipping and going to a black screen after an hour or so. This is really annoying especially when you dont get to much time to sit down and watch a movie. I am now considering going to Wal-Mart and buying a $50 player since spending good money on what I thought was good DVD player made by a name brand isnt worth it.
 On: 2004-11-24
Recieved this unit as a present a few years ago, and have had nothing but problems with it. Its motor has died on my twice in that time, the lens once, and it will also not play CD-R or DVD-R media that even my X-box and PlayStation2 will play. If it wasnt a gift from someone Im still living with, I would have replaced it with a different brand. DO NOT waste your money on this unit, its outdated and very limited.
On: 2004-11-23
Recieved this unit as a present a few years ago, and have had nothing but problems with it. Its motor has died on my twice in that time, the lens once, and it will also not play CD-R or DVD-R media that even my X-box and PlayStation2 will play. If it wasnt a gift from someone Im still living with, I would have replaced it with a different brand. DO NOT waste your money on this unit, its outdated and very limited.
On: 2004-09-20
Four months after I bought this player it also did the skipping, pixelated, black screen process due to overheating and condensation on the lens. I was charged the 85 dollars from Panasonic to have it fixed. Needless to say, less than six months after I got it back the problem started again. Now it will play a maximum of 35 minutes before the unit freezes (on cds as well, not just dvds.) I will never buy ANYTHING from Panasonic, or Panasonic affiliated companies again!!! Apparently they havent figured out how to make a decent piece of equipment anymore because Amazon is loaded with bad reviews on their newest equipment as well. They got my 430 dollars, bent me over and said thanks.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-19
My husband and I purchased this player a couple of years ago, and it has given us flawless performances ever since then. The one drawback is that it wont play CDs that one would make from a computer. Our daughter made us a CD and it will only play in the car. We dont usually have a need for this, though, as our entire collection of CDs are purchased from the store or online. We have really enjoyed this player, and the picture and sound quality is supurb.
On: 2003-08-29
All i have to say is that mine worked for about a year and all of a sudden quit reading my discs. I took it in and paid $20 just to be told it would cost $185 more to replace the laser lens that went "sour." I will never buy from panasonic again. I bought one of there portable cd/mp3 players 5 months ago and treat it like a baby and it doesnt even work as good as it use to brand new. Panasonic can go $%!# themselves. I hope no one else ever buys another panasonic product in their life.
On: 2002-03-20
This player will not play home-burned CDs (CD-R and CD-RW). It notes this limitation in the instructions, so I suppose one cant really attack Panasonic for it, but that seems like an important feature these days since you are likely to burn or be given a home-burned CD at some point.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-02-24
Initially, this player seemed to have all the right stuff. It worked for a total of five months and two days. Now, it wont play anything. I called Panasonic for customer support and was told that the lens was probably dirty and all that was needed was a lens cleaner. WRONG!! I used a lens cleaner and it still didnt work. I called Panasonic and was pretty much told that I was SOL (excuse the expression, but I am a disgruntled custome). Stay away from this LEMON!
On: 2001-10-30
I purcahsed this unit at Best Buy near Christmas time 2000. While it looks like a strong candidate in the DVD market do not be fooled by good online reviews. I have owned several Panasonic components, including Technics CD changers and all have failed within two years! Sadly, this was no exception. Initially, this player worked great until I tried playing dual layer discs. These will play fine until the layer change, and then you will see intermittent blocks of digital "noise" which will gradually get worse until the disc freezes up completely. After calling Panasonic and receiving no help at all, I did some online research and found many others were having the same problems. Apparently this has been attributed to anything from defective firmware to the unit overheating and the laser pickup forming condensation on it. When I approached Panasonic again, they told me to REPLACE MY DISCS! Because I have some 15 discs out of 59 that wont play at all, I have a hard time beleiving the disc is to blame, especially when they play fine on the new Toshiba sd355 player I recently purchased.As a very unhappy Panasonic customer I urge you to look beyond the seemingly attractive prices and go with a higher quality player. You will be happier for it.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-10-19
My family received this item as a Christmas gift. Because it wouldnt accept a regular cable connection, we had to get a new TV which was about February. We have been using the player for about 8 months now and it has quit working. All DVDs that we put in the player skip and pause constantly giving a pixelated display that eventually goes to a black screen. The only way to get the DVD to do anything at that point is to turn the player off and back on again. There is nothing in the manual as to possible causes for this problem. We have tried using a DVD lens cleaner on it and that did not solve the problem. After looking at the warranty, I found out that not only is there no Factory Service center within 500 miles of my home, but I am also responsible for all labor and shipping as only parts are covered for one year. Now my husband and I are debating how we are going to handle the situation, whether we will drive to the nearest major city which may have an authorized repair shop, send it back to the service center, or whether we should just replace it with a JVC or Sony.
On: 2001-08-15
This Panasonic 5-disc DVD player has many features for a relatively low price. Picture and sound quality are both quite good, and the unit has all the basic functions that a DVD player should have, as well as many nice extras. This player can be loaded with a mix of audio CDs and DVDs simultaneously, and it has a handy "play exchange" feature, allowing you to change 4 discs in the carousel while the 5th disc is being played. So why I have been forced to give it a rating of only two stars? Unfortunately, this DVD player has a huge flaw: it cannot play CD-Rs or CD-RWs. Thats right: any disc you burned on your PC will be unplayable on this unit. On the positive side, the DVD-CV50 is a mid-level DVD player that will be easy to incorporate into almost any home theater setup, from the most basic to the relatively advanced. In addition to providing Dolby Digital surround sound, this unit also has useful features like support for additional languages, multiple camera angles, and bookmarks. It also keeps track of your place in a movie even if you shut off the unit. And dont underestimate how convenient it is to have a 5-disc changer. Once you get used to it, you will never want to go back, especially since many movies are now packaged on two discs. The player comes with standard RCA-type cables, but if you have a capable home theater system, I strongly recommend that you purchase an optional S-video cable or component video cable so that you can take advantage of true digital output. I also recommend a coaxial digital audio connection as opposed to fiber optic, because unlike fiber, coax is almost impossible to break. The DVD-CV50 will reward you with a noticeable increase in sound and picture quality if you spend the extra money on these cables -- the digital picture is far superior to anything you can get with regular TV or video. On the negative side, the remote control is nothing special; some keys glow but many more are unilluminated, making it hard to use the remote in a dark room. The on-screen interface is also somewhat challenging to decipher and use. But these flaws are relatively minor; after all, the primary job of a DVD player is to deliver high-quality picture and sound, which this unit does. It truly provides a lot of functionality and value for the price. I would rate this DVD player with 4 stars if not for the inexecusable fact that it cannot play CD-Rs. If you dont burn your own CDs, then this consideration doesnt apply, and I would happily recommend this machine. Otherwise, dont make the same mistake I did -- go buy the Panasonic DVD-CV51 instead. It can read not only CD-Rs but also data CD-Rs encoded with MP3 files.
On: 2001-07-23
The first player delivered to me would skip at the same point on several CDs. These same CDs played fine on every CD player I could find and on one other DVD player. I figured I had a lemon and exchanged it for another one (actually, I would have exchanged it for a Toshiba 5-disc changer, but they were out of stock). The second one immediately worked better (so I kept it), but still skipped once on every 10 or so CDs I played on it. Most of the discs that skipped had at least a small flaw or defect, but Ive observed a skip or two on brand new CDs. Initially, the DVDs I tried on it worked great (see following paragraph) which influenced my decision to keep the second player. Ive had the (second) DVD player about 5 months now. For the first few months, I played a total of about 15 different DVDs and none had any problems. All the advertised features of the player worked fine. The video and sound quality were very good. The built-in Dolby Digital decoding was first rate. Now over the past month or so, Ive run across several DVDs that had major skipping problems. There was one chapter in "Anna and the King" that would not play. "Traffic" skipped, paused, and stopped numerous times throughout the DVD. Both discs were in perfect condition with no visible flaws. It seems that many of my CDs are skipping more frequently now as well. This player may be a reasonable value for someone whose collection of CDs and DVDs are in pristine condition. I cant recommend it however, since it is more prone to skipping on audio CDs than an el-cheapo [price]portable CD player and it seems to struggle playing certain DVDs.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-06-23
I bought this for my birthday. 33 days after I hooked it up, it started acting up. Within two weeks it would not play for more than an hour before the image locked up. I just wonder if Panasonics DVD model is a little to cheap on the inside - and their customer service stinks.
On: 2001-04-23
The Panasonic DVD-CV50 is a great DVD player, but since it doesnt offer progressive scan you will want to pass if you have a HDTV.The picture is clean using the S-video connection on the back and the sound is superb using the optical cable connection. Setup is easy and straightforward, and the on screen controls make it easy to set your speaker system up. One thing you will want to note however is that if you decide to move the DVD player you first need to remove all the DVDs from the unit or they can become stuck in the player and possibly scratching the DVDs or damaging the player....
On: 2001-03-14
This changer is really great at everything it does. I hooked it up to our 27" Sony using the S-Video connector and wired the sound into the Dolby amp and was off and running. The hardest thing I had to do was manhandle the 100 lb TV part of the way out of the cabinet to hook it up.The first thing I did was load it up with CDs and the sound was fantastic. When it first loads up and reads in the disk the changer tray is a little noisey but after that it settles down and you can not hear the transport if you are more than about 3 feet away. Dashed out the next day and rented a DVD movie and the picture and sound were magnificnent. I had read all about the problems that Sony has had in the past with the lip synch problems and now with reading layered DVDs and was concerned about that. The first thing the salesman told me was that for those very reasons he recommended the Panasonic unit and the big bonus is that it was cheaper than the either Sony or Pioneer DVD changers I had been considering. I have read complaints both here and other sites from people downrating the unit because it would not play their CD-R disks. Well guess what...thats right it doesnt and no where in the specifications does it say it will. The owners manual also advises against attempting to play CD-R disks as well as a number of other formats. If you want an extremely solid performer with a great picture and sound, is very easy to set up and use, and only plays DVDs and CDs then this is the player for you. If you need all the bells and whistles then at least do your research and make sure that you buy a player that is advertised as performing those functions.
 On: 2001-01-04
This is my first DVD player, so I dont really have anything to compare it to. Im running this through a pretty old Kenwood receiver that does not support the 5.1 channel output or S-video hookups. Nevertheless, the sound (on my Bose acoustimass speakers) and picture are pretty incredible. I havent really had a chance yet to test all the intricacies of this system, but I have a feeling I wont be disappointed.However, on the CD side, I am not able to play "burned" cds that I have made. Regular store bought CDs come through fine, but as soon as I throw in a mix I have made myself from Easy CD Creator, etc., it says that the disc type is ineligible. Needless to say Im a little frustrated knowing that I have to keep my old Kenwood CD player hooked up so that I can keep playing these discs. Im not sure if all DVD players experience this shortcoming, but for me its keeping away that fifth star.
On: 2000-12-22
For me the title says it all. If you are shopping for a DVD player and reading reviews like this one, you really are trying to get the best player possible. I got mine 2 weeks ago, and I can honestly tell you the picture is VERY clean, detailed, and vivid. But for me the most strikeing trait the DVD-CV50 had was the awesome sound! I LOVE BASS, and this Panasonic has got it! I used to use a Kenwood DP5020 for CDs, but when I got the CV50 I immeadiately loaded a cd, and the depth and detail of the sound was simply thrilling!! I love that old Kenwood, but now the Panasonic handles both the DVD AND CD chores!! Now imagine what that does for a modern theatrical sound track!! I no longer just watch movies- I experience them. There are easy to follow on screen "icons" to guide you through the numerous features, and the remote is easy to use. There is only one thing I wish it would do... is play CDRs, if it did it would be perfect. Ill wrap this up by saying that Im very happy with my CV50, I love the picture, sound and features. Now only if I didnt have to go to the Kenwood to play CDRs...
On: 2000-11-20
This is a pretty good DVD player/changer with all the outputs you need. Component, S-video & Co-axial for video and Dolby Digital 5.1 & optical for audio. It comes with RCA cables that is pretty basic. I upgraded the video signal to an Acoustic Review S-video and the audio to optical. It made a lot of difference to the picture and sound. I hooked it to my home theater and the dolby output is astounding. The picture quality is good as any DVD player in the price range. The remote is pretty basic and it serves the purpose.Though I am satisfied with the performance I am not giving it a 5 star because of the following reasons. 1) It did not work initially and I had to get a replacement. 2) Called up panasonic and asked for help with problem they were not that helpful.
On: 2000-10-06
This is my first DVD player and and I was impressed with all the features. The first movie I put in was "The Matrix" and it was impressive to say the least. The picture and sound were outstanding. I surfed the internet for a couple of days to find recommendations on DVD players and no one had anything bad to say about the CV50. I bought mine to eventually replace my Aiwa shelf stereo and the 5 disc carousel saves me some money by not having to buy a seperate CD player later on. Thanks to everyone for helping me find a great product.
On: 2000-09-20
Gave away my CD Changer the day I bought this Player. Both video AND audio are crystal clear. I was truly impressed... from the very first frame to the very last.Go out and get yourself a DVD player. The CV-50 is just packed with features, and has all of the outputs you could want (including built-in Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding). And for sure, the 5-disk carousel is a must.
On: 2000-08-18
I just got my player and am very happy. It has all the output jacks you need to setup older and brand new component systems. This is a major plus since some new player are only optical and 5.1 friendly
On: 2000-08-14
The Panasonic DVD CV50 is in every sense a great player. It sounds absolutely amazing, through my AIWA home Theatre System. The Built in decoder is great. I have not had one problem with any aspect of the Player. Every Dvd I have watched (many) has played perfectly, picture wise and audio wise. The CV50 has several cool features- the graphical setup for your stereo is the best I have ever seen. The remote is excellent, and it glows in the dark. The player has component audio and video outs- and optical out which is very nice. It is well worth the money- every cent. I looked around for quite a while, and purchased this player, and have been extremely pleased with the product.
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