The images on this unit are just hands down impressive. The controls are very intuitive and the sound from the tiny speakers are really impressive considering their size. I have looked at the other offerings side by side and the Panasonic LA95 just topped all the others. The Sony unit was not out when we purchased the LA95 back this past Summer so I cannot comment on the comparison between the two. All I can say is that anything smaller than 9 inches for the screen would be pushing it if you are planning on using this unit anything father than arms length. Thanks for reading!

Perfect for Family Road Trips (Rating: 5.00)
Review : I've tried to imagine what our road trip with 3 small children from northern California to southern New Mexico would have been like without this player, but I shudder every time I try. The picture quality of the Panasonic DVD-LA95 is excellent for a portable and the sound quality and volume were sufficient enough to enable our kids to watch their favorite DVDs in a noisy minivan without the need for clumsy headphones. But more importantly, this player provided me and my wife with a peace and quiet you just can't put a price on. No having to endure the dreaded "Are we there yet?" mantra coming from the back seat. No shouts of "Daaaaaad, he's on my side!" or "I'm bored!" to contend with. A true sanity-saver. My only complaint was the short battery life and the somewhat cryptic setup menu. Neither of which would prevent me from highly recommending this player to other parents planning cross-country vacations with a carload of kids. However, if you plan on taking this unit on the road, do yourself a favor and purchase a cigarette lighter adapter. You'll be glad you did. The unit has also proved to be an excellent in-home player for the TV in our bedroom. After extensive research online and through local retailers, I found the Panasonic DVD-LA95 to be the best portable DVD player on the market. If only they had these things when I was a kid.

Great Picture Worth the Price (Rating: 4.00)
Review : I purchased the LA-95 last year for a roundtrip flight from NY to Hawaii. From the reviews, I knew that I needed something to extend the battery life if I wanted to use it for more than a couple of hours without recharging. I purchased the extended battery from Panasonic which worked beautifully, more than six total hours. I also purchased what was advertised as an adaptor for use in the car or with airline power outlets from J + R. It turned out to be incompatible. I was able to connect the player to tvs in every place we stayed but one, so we had dvd movies everywhere we needed them which was not very often since we were in Hawaii. I've taken it on every plane ride since and have hooked it up to tvs in many hotels and condos. As long as there's a compatible input, I can watch movies. One little glitch did develop a few months ago. The lcd screen got what looked like a black splash across the screen which obscured the picture. Since it was under warrantee, I had it fixed for $65. They replaced the lcd panel. Fortunately, I only had to drive to New Jersey. My other option was to ship it to Texas. I don't know how this happened since it had been stored for about 3 months in a padded case in the closet, not dropped or mishandled. It must be very delicate. I did not ask how much it would have cost to repair if it wasn't under warrantee; I was afraid to know since between the unit and the extended battery, I have a considerable investment. It is a LOT of fun, though and you're never stuck with airplane or expensive hotel movies.

Great piece of equipment (Rating: 5.00)
Review : I looked at number of DVD playes from the cheap to the more expensive thinking I could go a bit cheaper and get by. However, I have a number of home burned DVD's and found that the cheaper units would not play them. I paid the extra for this unit and I love it. It plays flawlessly, had great sound and great picture quality. It's easy to use and with the lighted blue "enter" key you can eaisly navagate in the dark (like in bed at night watching some old MASH episodes). I'm very happy with this product and am glad I paid the extra for this quality unit.

A MUST BUY!!!! (Rating: 5.00)
Review : The 9" screen cannot be beat. Although I must admit that the sound and the picture quality on the Sharp 8" player (which is cheaper) is moderately better, the LA-95 is overall the best portable player. It also does not get any sleeker than this. It is very easy to use, extremely light, and has the best collection of portable accessories of any new players (many of the older Panasonic model's accessories work with the LA-95). After all - if I am going to watch a DVD movie at home - why wouldn't I watch from my big screen TV? I recommend getting the optional battery pack CGP-H501... and/or the the XTend airline power adapter if you plan on (as I do) using on long trips to keep your children occupied. I am not sure, though, if I will ever need to play any of those other formats (what exactly is DVD-RAM?). By the way - cartoons look the best and color sci fi the worst.