Price Paid:  $350.00 from PX

Summary:
Hoo boy! I didn't realize that I've been lucky enough to have dodged a bullet. I had no idea that this DVD player was emeshed in all kinds of legal wrangling, and that folks everywhere have had all kinds of technical problems with their A310. I'm happy to report that I've never had a single technical glitch with mine (knock on wood) since I bought it at a PX in Germany a few yers back. The video's been fine, and the audio reproduction has been perfect. It bothers me to read how many others have had horror stories associated with this machine, and it only makes me feel lucky to have acquired a healthy, functioning unit! I don't want to rock the boat here, but if your machine worked as promised, it really is a very nice unit. I'm now considering the purchase of a second DVD player, and I think I'm going to play it safe and buy a Denon unit I've had my eye on

Price Paid:  $100.00 from Montgomery Wards

Summary:
Here is my story: I bought it from MW broken on their crap rack for $100. At the time, the new ones were selling for $450! I took it home and called the Panasonic repair center on Monday. I took it down there and dropped it off. Within 4 days it was repaired and has worked perfect ever since! The only problem I ever had with it is that it only plays "certain" CD-R's. But they never said it would play CD-R's anyway so I didn't think this was a failure on their part. I am rough with my equipment and I am surprised that there are so many bad statements about this player.

Strengths:
5.1 Dolby Digital decoder.

Weaknesses:
Doesn't play ALL CD-Rs.

Similar Products Used:
none

Price Paid:  $450.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
Oh my God, if I could only have found this page sooner. I have sent this POS back to Best Buy 4 (they say it's only been 3) times for repairs for the same problems. Heavy pixalation (tiling) freezes, no disc, and they just keep giving me the runaround. Luckily, I got the 4 yr PSP plan. The only problem is, everytime I send it out, all they do is a PSP cleaning. Seems like the techs at Best Buy would know there is a problem with this player, and fix it. I think they are just trying to get the PSP out of the way, without doing anything about it. Well, now I know, and something will be done about it.

Strengths:
It does a good job of just sitting there

Weaknesses:
I can only use 1200 characters here???? I'll never fit it all.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I NEVER REALLY USED IT THAT MUCH AND ALL OF SUDDEN IT DOESNT READ ALL DVD'S. NEW OR OLD IT READS SOME AND NOT ALL. ALL IT SAYS IS NO DISC. THANK GOD IT WAS A GIFT. NOW I CAN'T EVEN FIND A PLACE TO FIX IT AND PANASONIC IS NO HELP AT ALL.

Price Paid:  $599.00 from BEST BUY

Summary:
I bought this player in 98 right after they came out. At the time I didn''''t own any nae DVD''''s and played mostly rentals for quite awhile. It started locking up or just stopping or pixelating. I thought this may be due to the rental DVD''''s since I could remove and clean them and they would play fine. Finally the problems got to be too much and I took it in to Best Buy for repairs. To shorten a long story....after having it sent in for repairs it failed a fourth time and Best Buy honored their no lemon policy and I exchanged it for a Sony. I''''ve had very good luck with Panasonic/Technics for several years but this was a real failure and I don''''t think Panasonic has enhanced their image at all with the way they''''ve dealt (ignored) with this player. I could have exchanged for another Panasonic DVD player but knew I would be just waiting for the problem again.

Strengths:
Excellent picture on my 32" 9yr. old Toshiba. Excellent sound on DVD and very good on CD''''s. The picture is at least as good as the one on my $800 Denon 2800 when the Denon is playing interlaced.

Weaknesses:
It was a lemon when it came off the assembly line although I never read one review in an audio publication that even mentioned the problem and they all gave it rave reviews.

Similar Products Used:
Panasonic model 31, Denon model 2800.