Page: 5 of 5
In this report

See Also

Portable DVD Players: Ratings of Sources
Total of 11 Sources

For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.

1. CNet.com
Oct. 19, 2008
Best Portable DVD Players
by David Katzmaier and the Editors of CNet.com
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

This page lists review summaries of five portable DVD players, with links to full reviews. The Sony DVP-FX820 has the best picture quality of the players reviewed, while the Panasonic DVD LS86 offers the… best battery life; both receive "very good" ratings. The Insignia NS-PDVD10 and Toshiba SD-71S players are a little more stripped-down, but are good choices for the price. The Philips DCP851 stands out for its built-in iPod dock; its picture quality and battery life are less than impressive.

expand

collapse

2. Slate.com
Dec. 6, 2007
Watch Me Now: Assessing the Best Portable DVD Players
by Sam Eifling
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Sam Eifling buys ten portable DVD players from Target and Best Buy, evaluating them for audio and video quality, utility and overall value. Eifling writes that "there wasn't a patent dud in the 10 players"… he tested, but he is careful to point out the drawbacks of each model. He finds the LG DP781 and Toshiba 10.2-inch SD-P2900 to be "more outstanding than others," but only the LG model is still current. LG's 8-inch DP781 hosts multiple file formats but its "speakers are average, at best." This model's video quality is superb, however, and unlike the Toshiba, its screen swivels and shows subtitles during fast-forwarding. "Right out of the box...," Eifling writes, "this player is definitely the best at its price."

expand

collapse

3. Which.co.uk
Not Dated
Portable DVD Players
by Editors of Which?
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Which? is a British product testing and evaluation publication similar to Consumer Reports. For this article, editors review 13 portable DVD players, finding "a big variation in picture and sound." The best… buy, they say, is the Philips PET720, with a good picture, excellent sound quality and the best battery life. Editors warn against purchasing the Panasonic DVD-LS83: "this model scores well below Best Buys and less than some cheaper models." Some of the tested portable DVD players are not available in the U.S.

expand

collapse

4. ConsumerReports.org
Dec. 2007
Portable DVD players make it easy to take the show on the road
by Editors of Consumer Reports
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Consumer Reports rates six portable DVD players on screen size, picture quality, sound quality, battery life, ease of use, weight, warranty and connectivity features. In general, editors say most players offer only "middling picture quality," but portability can be a "godsend on long trips or layovers between flights." Editors recommend only one model.
5. Amazon.com
As of Dec. 2008
Portable DVD Players
by Contributors to Amazon.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Amazon.com is an excellent site for user reviews and ratings; many players receive ten or more owner-written reviews, enough to be useful. These reviews are especially good for spotting reliability issues… and getting a real-world assessment of battery life. Unfortunately, many discontinued models are listed here, and since so many portable DVD players get similar average ratings, Amazon.com is a better source for cross-referencing professional and other reviews.

expand

collapse

6. TestFreaks.com
As of Dec. 2008
Portable DVD Players
by Editors of and contributors to TestFreaks.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Literally hundreds of products are listed here, some complete with numeric ratings, compiled expert and user reviews, and sub ratings such as value and features. While this compilation of reviews from so… many sources and so many angles represents an informational gold mine for shoppers, not every product is rated, and there's no way to easily distinguish current portable DVD players from those that have been discontinued.

expand

collapse

7. About.com
Not Dated
Top 5 Portable DVD Players
by Nino Marchetti
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This article from About.com's guide to portable electronics reports that five portable DVD players are "the best out there," but it is unclear how these models are evaluated. Portable DVD players are not ranked and no performance or testing is noted at all. (Note that ConsumerSearch and About.com are owned by the same parent company, but are not affiliated editorially.)
8. DevLib.org
As of Dec. 2008
Portable DVD Player Reviews
by Editors of DevLib.org
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment As with About.com's reviews, summaries at DevLib.org are typically brief and devoid of many testing details. Players aren't ranked or rated in any way, and editors don't indicate whether or not any of the portable DVD players reviewed are top products in their estimation. Lists of outstanding qualities for each product are helpful, though - if occasionally a bit tongue-in-cheek.
9. Wize.com
As of Dec. 2008
6 Best Portable DVD Players for the Price
by Editors of Wize.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Wize.com takes an innovative approach to selecting top products. The site collects user and professional reviews including a variety of large retail websites and publications like CNet.com to determine… which players have the most reviews and the highest consolidated ratings. Selected narrative reviews from contributors are displayed, along with information on specifications, pricing and availability. Unfortunately, the site's design means that it's not likely to recognize newer portable DVD players as top performers, and that some of the higher-rated models may not be the most current.

expand

collapse

10. Shape magazine
May 2006
Portable DVD Players
by Rebecca Freed
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This brief article recommends three portable DVD players for specific uses, but only one -- the Coby TF-DVD7107 -- is still current, and no testing is mentioned at all.
11. ConsumerGuide.com
As of Dec. 2008
Portable DVD Player Stuff Guide
by Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Editors at Consumer Guide review eleven portable DVD players and include an informative buying guide with a glossary. The reviews vary in quality, although all models are rated in the categories of "value," "performance," "ease of use," "features" and "overall." This site is most useful once you have narrowed down your choice to a few portable DVD players.

Useful Links

     
 

This is our assessment of the review’s relevance, clarity of testing and thoroughness.

Read more about our Ratings Criteria by clicking the link at the top of the page.
 
 
 
  

Back to top