Toshiba SD-P2900

We found the best review at Australia's Good Gear Guide. It doesn't review many portable DVD players, but it's well-versed in consumer electronics and it takes the extra steps, like testing the battery (six hours, better than the advertised 3.5). Slate.com ranks seven portable DVD players with numerical scores after hands-on use by the reviewer. We found a wide range of owner opinions at Amazon.com.

Reviews say the Toshiba SD-P2900 is the best portable DVD player if you want a big screen, but it's expensive. Almost every review says the Toshiba SD-P2900's 10.2-inch, 800-x-480-pixel widescreen is dazzling, but some wish the screen would swivel. Most reviews say the audio quality is well above average, but like other portable DVD players, there aren't unanimous raves for the Toshiba SD-P2900's built-in speakers. The Toshiba SD-P2900 can play a wide variety of formats, including DivX, but some owners report difficulty with memory cards. There's a one-year warranty, about as good as you'll find. CNet advises buying a cheap laptop computer instead, but if you want to spend less for a portable DVD player, reviews praise the 8-inch LG DP781 (*est. $140) with a smaller screen.