Portable DVD Players

Best portable DVD players

In general, price corresponds to screen size. Portable DVD players generally top out at about ten inches (measured diagonally.) Reviews say you should base screen size on your budget and the number of viewers. If more than one person will watch at once, bigger is better. However, for solo viewing, most people can get by with a smaller 7-inch or 9-inch screen.

Slate.com's top picks for portable DVD players are the 10.2-inch Toshiba SD-P2900 (*est. $250) and the 8-inch LG DP781 (*est. $140) . The Toshiba SD-P2900 has outstanding sound quality and a wide, crisp screen with 800 X 480-pixels of resolution, although this model does "struggle somewhat with heavy dark shades" writes Sam Eifling. Owners posting comments to Amazon.com are generally positive, but a few users make note of the additional size and weight that a 10.2-inch screen entails. Slate.com's Eifling also notes that the Toshiba screen does not swivel, and that it is so heavy it can slip forward or backward when jostled. The Toshiba portable DVD player supports a wide range of file formats, including DivX, AVI and MPEG4. Toshiba advertises an average battery life of 3.5 hours for the SD-P2900, but one user at Amazon claims to have gotten up to seven hours using headphones. The unit comes with jacks for two sets of headphones, a rechargeable battery and a one-year warranty for parts and labor.

A player with a slightly smaller screen, the 9-inch Toshiba SD-P1900 (*est. $170) is also available. Reviewers on Amazon.com note that the picture quality of the 480 X 234-pixel screen is not as sharp as that on the SD-P2900, however.

According to some reviews, the LG DP781's sound quality could be better, but otherwise this portable DVD player leads the pack in its price range. The LG's picture quality is excellent with an 800 X 600-pixel screen (corresponding to the resolution of a widescreen DVD movie), and its 8-inch swiveling screen can rotate and fold back on itself. The battery lasts nearly five hours in tests and the model comes with twin headphone jacks. The LG portable DVD player can play most DVD formats and audio CDs, even home-burned DVDs. "Right out of the box…," Slate's Eifling writes, "this player is definitely the best at its price." The LG portable DVD player draws very good reviews at Amazon.com, although a few users complain about its sound quality, even using headphones.

Another moderately priced player with decent reviews is the 8-inch Sony DVP-FX810 (*est. $140) . Like the LG DP781, the Sony portable DVD player has a nifty swiveling screen that works like a laptop screen, but also twists around and folds flat on the unit, making it a lot easier to find the right viewing position. While we found good reviews for both the Sony and the similar LG DVD players, Slate.com is the tie breaker; while the Sony scores points for design and features, picture quality on its 480 x 220-pixel screen is "nothing special."

Shape Magazine recommends this model for airplane travel specifically because of the swiveling screen and the two headphone jacks, but the LG portable DVD player, with its higher resolution screen, also has these features. According to reviews at CNet.com, the picture quality for the Sony is "watchable," but not the best. Reviews for the Sony on Amazon.com are more mixed than those for the LG DP781, with several owners complaining that the Sony portable DVD player died after less than a year of use. Everything considered, including reviews that evaluate both models, the LG DP781 is a better choice than the Sony DVP-FX810. The Sony is available in a choice of four colors: black, red, blue and pink. While the LG DP781 player offers a one-year warranty for parts and labor, Sony includes a one-year parts warranty but only 90 days of labor coverage.

Sony has just announced a new portable DVD player, the 8-inch Sony DVP-FX820 (*est. $180) . This model is too new to have any reviews, but it appears similar to the DVP-FX810, which it may replace. The resolution of the swivel screen is improved to 800 x 480-pixels, and this model has DTS output and an optical audio output. With the higher resolution screen, the newer Sony portable DVD player may better compete with the LG, but it still costs more.

Slate.com rates the Panasonic DVD-LS82 (*est. $240) highly, but has reservations about the bright/dark contrast of its screen. The speakers are both powerful and accurate, and the screen is unusually flexible, tilting almost 270 degrees around its x-axis. The player accommodates the gamut of file formats, and comes with two headphone jacks and easy-to-use controls. It also resists skips well. However, compared to other 8-inch portable DVD players, it is expensive. Amazon.com contributors generally give the Panasonic portable DVD player high marks, although some have problems with the screen image quality and others note the absence of a remote control. This model ships with a car headrest mounting bracket kit and a battery with a life expectancy of up to 12 hours, if brightness is set to lowest level and if used with headphones.

Reviews have consistently said that Philips portable DVD players have excellent image quality. Unfortunately, we found no professional reviews for the latest Philips portable DVD player models. The most recent offering, the 7-inch Philips DCP750 (*est. $140) , does distinguish itself with a player that has a dock for your iPod. The docking station also charges your iPod while viewing. The rechargeable battery is rated for up to 2.5 hours of viewing time, and reviewers at Amazon.com note that the unit must be turned off to recharge. There are two headphone jacks. Users at Amazon give the Philips DCP750 portable DVD player high all-around marks, although some report that the iPod dock will not work with sixth generation iPods.

Budget portable DVD players

Unfortunately, portable DVD players appear to be one of those "you get what you pay for" items. In our research, we failed to uncover any great bargains offering good performance and reliability for a low price. Almost without exception, portable DVD players costing less than about $130 receive mixed to low reviews from owners.

At Amazon.com , the 7-inch Audiovox D1718PK (*est. $100) earns mostly favorable user reviews. Some say it's a good value for the money because it comes with an extra set of headphones, a case and wiring for use in your car, but others report short product life.

We saw more consistently good reviews for the Coby TF-DVD7107 (*est. $95) . This portable DVD player receives a better average score than other inexpensive models at Amazon.com, where over 125 owners have reviewed it. The Coby has a 7-inch widescreen. It plays CDs and DVDs, and it will play recordable DVDs burned on a computer. It can also display JPEG photos. Many owners are impressed with the picture; many are not so impressed with the integrated speakers, which some say are not loud enough. As with all portable DVD players, we read complaints about durability; while some of the more expensive players come with a one-year warranty, the Coby is warranted for only 90 days.

In short, if you want a cheap portable DVD player, you shouldn't become too attached to it. While some owners are perfectly happy, the large number of poor reviews indicates that buying one of these cheap players is a roll of the dice.

Important Features: Portable DVD players

Reviewers say you should consider the following aspects when choosing a portable DVD player:

• Screen size and portability. Experts recommend screens measuring at least seven inches diagonally. Players with 9- to 11-inch screens weigh and cost more, but they might be worth the price if more than one person wants to watch. Just remember that players with bigger screens are heavier. (Weight specifications for the models included in our Fast Answers can be viewed in our Comparison Chart.)

• You will get better sound if you use headphones. In Consumer Reports' tests, headphones always carried sound better than the players' built-in speakers. When choosing a player, test out the sound through the built-in speakers and through a pair of headphones.

• Most DVD players can also play music CDs and home-burned DVD-/+R discs. Check our Comparison Chart for disc compatibility of specific models. A few portable DVD players can also play DivX and MPEG-4 video files.

• Battery life. Make sure the player's battery will last long enough to play an entire movie. The best players can run about four hours. If you plan to use your player in the car, battery life is less of an issue because you can use a car charger, often included with the purchase. Batteries may last longer if you use headphones and set the brightness level at its lowest setting.

• Connectivity. If you plan to share the player with another viewer, look for two headphone jacks; otherwise, you will need to purchase a Y adapter so two people can listen simultaneously. Nearly all portable players can hook up to a full-size TV to double as a home player.

• Look for at least a one-year warranty. Most players have a 12-month warranty on parts and a three-month warranty on labor.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of picks	Model (with retailer links)	Details from Amazon.com
4	Sony DVP-FX810 (*est. $140)	details
2	LG DP781 (*est. $140)	details
1 each	Audiovox D2011 , Coby TF-DVD7107 , Coby TF-DVD500 , Panasonic DVD LS91 , Samsung DVD-L300A, Philips PET720, Philips DCP850 , Polaroid PDM-0742 , Toshiba SD-P2900 , Toshiba SD-P1900 , Magnavox MPD850

While we found some good reviews for large and expensive portable DVD players, models in the 8-inch range offer the best blend of portability and value. Although the Sony DVP-FX810 has been on the market long enough to amass more reviews, articles that compare the Sony with the LG DP781 give LG the edge in this price range. If you want the best image quality, reviewers say the Toshiba SD-P2900 is better than most. With a 10.2-inch screen, it's expensive, but many find the excellent audio and video quality worth the extra money.

Among inexpensive portable DVD players, we found slightly better reviews overall for the 7-inch Coby TF-DVD7107 than for others in the $100 price range. Your choice generally comes down to whether you want a good portable DVD player or a cheap portable DVD player.

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