Sometimes the future is so close you can smell it. Every once in a while a new technology comes along whose benefits are so obvious that it's just a matter of time before it takes hold. I was eleven, staring at a VCR in the early '70s, the first time I had that feeling. Video games, graphic user interfaces for computers, online services, and the Internet grabbed me the same way. Nonlinear audio and video editing. And recently, DVD.

DVD stands for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc, depending on who you ask. Think of a compact disk, only for video. A compact disk on steroids. A DVD is the size of a CD, it looks the same, it's made the same way, but a DVD can hold about 25 times as much information. It does this by storing data using tiny pits that are physically smaller than those on a CD, by storing data on two different layers, and by using both sides of a disc.

All this extra storage capacity means that DVD movies (there are, by the way, also DVD-ROMs for computers, which are used like CD-ROMS) often have deluxe options not available on videotapes. Subtitles in several different languages. Extra audio tracks with the director commenting on shots as they appear onscreen. Two different versions of a movie (e.g. regular and letterboxed) on different sides of a disc. Dolby Digital audio for theater-quality sound.

If all that isn't enough, DVDs don't wear out after repeated use like videotapes. They never need rewinding. The audio and video quality is substantially higher than videotape. You can skip to any part of the disc almost instantly. DVD players are backwards-compatible with CDs, so that any DVD player can also play regular audio CDs. And since the process of making a DVD is very similar to making a CD, manufacturers don't have to acquire completely new equipment and new fields of expertise to ramp up production.

In short, DVDs are as close to a sure thing as you can get. The major electronics manufacturers all have DVD players on the market, some for under $400, and the market is already starting to evolve. Panasonic is one of the first out of the gate with a portable DVD player, the DVD-L10D PalmTheater.

The PalmTheater is bigger than a portable CD player, but smaller than a laptop computer, about 6 1/4" x 6 1/4" x 1 3/4". The unit sports a built-in LCD screen that's about 6" wide and gives a fairly sharp picture. There are audio & video outputs, an optical output for Dolby Digital sound, and an S-VHS jack for higher quality video. It comes with a remote control, a rechargable battery pack, and a full set of cables. It weighs in at about 3 pounds with the battery pack, 2 pounds without it.

The PalmTheater has all the bells and whistles, a number of thoughtful design features and one really lousy one (which I'll get to in a minute). Among the nicer touches is the small joystick-like button that can be used to navigate the onscreen menus, but it's not accessible when the screen is closed. Another handy feature is the switch on the back that converts the outputs to input jacks, so the PalmTheater can display video and audio from an external source like a VCR, Hi-8 deck or camcorder. Thankfully, every important operating function can be performed using the controls on the unit, so you're not enslaved by the remote control.

The functions of the machine are fairly easy to comprehend and use; I managed to set it up and start watching movies less than five minutes after opening the box (without looking at the instruction manual). The picture quality was superb, even on my less-than-stellar TV. There was none of the noise and fuzziness that accompanies a regular broadcast or videotape. Freeze frames are rock steady and unbelievably sharp. The only thing I can compare it to is a good laser disc; you have to see it to appreciate it. The sound was, of course, wonderful.

The PalmTheater is easily good enough to serve as the DVD source for a home theater system, but real theater buffs will want a unit with more flexible output jacks. Speaking of output jacks, this is where the PalmTheater falls short: when you attach the battery pack, it covers all the output jacks. While it's possible to simply attach the battery pack without mounting it on the back of the player, the manual says that NO external equipment -- like a TV set, which is specifically mentioned as an example -- can be attached. It is simply not possible to connect the PalmTheater to a television while on battery power. This also means that it probably won't EVER be used for video from an external source, since the only scenario for such a use is in the field where there are no AC outlets handy.

I was surprised to discover that the PalmTheater didn't have space for batteries; it only uses the battery pack. The pack recharges in about two hours, and provides about two hours of power. I understand the need to save space and weight, but it would be nice to have some options here.

In the short time I've had it, I've become attached to the PalmTheater. I can easily imagine it as a permanent part of my home A/V system. The only thing that would prevent this is the hefty list price of $1299. I don't travel enough to be able to justify spending three times the price of an entry-level DVD player just for the portability. For anyone looking for a portable DVD player though, the Panasonic PalmTheater is the way to go. In fact, at this point it's the only one I've heard of.

The future smells like DVD, and it's moving closer to us every day. I may even be able to convince my wife that we need a better stereo and TV before it's right under our noses.