In my humble opinion nothing makes a long trip easier(especially if you have kids). A portable DVD player is theideal solution for those long plane rides or endless drives in acar to keep everyone entertained, especially when you have newhit DVD to play.
So what are some of things to keep in mind when selecting aPortable DVD Player?(Here are some items to consider in noparticular order.)
Screen Size:Depending on where and when youplan on using your DVD player the most, size may really be a bigfactor in your decision. If you have a family that's going to bewatching movies in the minivan, you can bet you want to find aportable DVD unit with a larger screen so everyone gets a chanceto view the movie. On the other hand, if you travel mostly byyourself or with a significant other, smaller may be the perfectthing for you, easy to haul and manage anywhere.
Disc Formats Supported by the Portable DVD Player:Ifyou're into creating your own home movies or music cd's you needto look into whether or not the machine you want to buy cansupport other file types (CD-R, CD-RW, or DVD-R). Make sure yourmachine is capable of also playing just a standard music CD.Size of the DVD Player:
While most machines look like weight should never be a factor,there can be significant differences in weight from one type ofportable player to another....as much as a couple of pounds.Read carefully so you know just how much each unit weighs. Ifyou're hiking across the country, weight can make a bigdifference.
Outputs that the Portable DVD Player comes with:
You may not think that this matters, but eventually you'll wishyou thought of this sooner rather than after you've purchased aunit. You'll want a unit that comes with an S-Video outlet forvideo, as well as Optical Out for audio. These features willcome in real handy when you get to your relatives that don'thave a DVD player, and gives you the option of watching a movieon their TV, by hooking into their TV and possibly theirstereo...instant theatre for everyone.
How much do Portable DVD Players cost?
The price of a portable dvd player can vary quite a bit. Some ofthe dvd players with less features or quality will start atapproximately $150.00 for a new portable player. On the high endof the price scale, you may be looking at paying as much as$600.00 for some of the better quality machines. Like anything,you usually get what you pay for.
Like all electronics, the price of portable dvd players hasstarted to come down, as compared to a couple of years ago.
Another option is to look at is buying a used portable player,not highly recommended by me. Just my opinion with electronics,but you have no idea how electronics have been treated. Theoutside may look great, but who cares if all the important partsaren't working properly. It's not like buying a used baseballbat, you know what your getting by looking at it. If you can'ttest out a used portable dvd player, I'd recommend you stay awayfrom this option.
Quick Summary
From what I've seen on the market and looked at, I don't thinkthink that you'll find any terrible portable dvd players. Likeanything though, usually if you pay more you get a betterquality product (dvd player in this case), better picture andfeatures. All I know for sure is, when the kids start gettingwired when we're travelling, it sure is nice to put on a dvdmovie and keep them entertained.
