Unlike many budget portable DVD players, the Philips PET724/37 feels sturdy and well constructed. It is also a sleek, attractive device. While it has some drawbacks, the PET724/37 can ably serve as a low-cost portable DVD player.

Load a disc into the PET724/37 and you'll likely be taken aback by the initial noisy, whirring sound. Thankfully, this lasts for just a few seconds and you're left with a clean, sharp image on the 7-inch LCD screen. Philips' Zero Bright Dot policy guarantees that the screen will be free of pixel imperfections often found on other inexpensive portable players. The screen also provides a wide viewing angle that can be comfortably viewed by two people sitting side-by-side, which is ideal for entertaining the kids during extended car rides.

Long battery life is another positive aspect of this portable DVD player. The PET724/37's rechargeable battery delivers up to 4 hours of playing time, enough to enjoy two average-length movies. If you want to use the PET724/37 as an in-car DVD player, you can replace the battery with the included car power outlet adapter and enjoy hours of uninterrupted entertainment. The unit also comes with an AC adapter for use at home or in a hotel room, although it lacks progressive scan output. On the other hand, the PET724/37 is capable of playing both PAL (European) discs on a PAL TV and NTSC (American) discs on an NTSC TV.

In addition to DVD and CD, the PET724/37 is compatible with an impressive array of home-burned discs, including DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-R/RW and discs with MP3, WMA, JPEG and even DivX files. The audio from the twin stereo speakers is marginally acceptable, but once you plug in headphones to one or both of the dual headphone jacks, the audio quality is substantially improved.

Overall, the Philips PET724/37 is an inexpensive portable DVD player that outperforms similarly priced no-name models.


Pros:  Inexpensive, 4-hour battery life, great disc compatibility
Cons:  Noisy disc loading, no disc-resume function, weak built-in speakers

Warranty
90 days labor, 1 year parts