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 Portable DVD Player Buying Guide

Portable DVD Player Buying Guide



The Basics: Portable DVD Players

Nothing helps pass the time like watching a favorite movie, which is why portable DVD players have become so popular. If you are seeking a way to keep the kids entertained during a road trip, trying to pass the time on a cross-country flight, or just craving some entertainment on a camping weekend, a portable DVD player is just the ticket.

While many laptop computers also have built-in DVD drives, a dedicated portable DVD player tends to be smaller and lighter and offers a longer battery life and more playback options. A quality portable DVD player is compact enough to enjoy on a crowded commuter train and lightweight enough to be carried just about anywhere. Portable DVD players are now so popular that many airports feature movie rental stores so you can pick up a movie from the departure airport and drop it off when you arrive at your destination. This is especially useful for frequent flyers hoping to avoid watching the same in-flight movie the airline shows over and over again.

Portable DVD players are about the size and weight of a thin hardcover book, yet they generally offer many of the playback features of full-size DVD players. In addition to standard DVD movies, these portable are compatible with a wide variety of disc formats, including home movies and TV shows stored on recordable DVD formats, as well as audio CD and discs loaded with digital music files. Some portable DVD players even allow you to create digital slide shows from discs encoded with JPEG picture files.

If you don't have a DVD player at home, or if you're looking for a backup player or one to use in a bedroom or kitchen, many portable players offer audio and video outputs to connect to a TV. This also makes it easy to watch your favorite movies in a hotel room. Alternately, some portable DVD players come with mounting kits for installing them temporarily or permanently in a vehicle. As most parents will testify, having a DVD player in the car is a great way to keep kids entertained and silence all those "Are we there yet?" questions.

Portable DVD players were prohibitively expensive when initially released, with many costing upward of $1,000. However, prices have come down sharply in recent years, and today a host of basic but very functional portable DVD player models are available for well under $200.

How to Shop

When shopping for a portable DVD player, keep in mind how you will be using the device. For example, if you plan to use a portable solely in the car to keep the kids occupied on long road trips, then the screen size and the inclusion of an AC adapter, which will allow you to power the player via your vehicle's power outlet, are more important than the unit's weight or the life expectancy of the battery. Conversely, if you are buying a portable DVD player to take with you on long flights, look for a lightweight model with plenty of battery life. If you usually travel with a spouse or colleague, or if you have two kids, opt for a model with dual headphone jacks and a larger screen size so two people can comfortably enjoy a movie while sitting next to each other.

Most portable DVD players are hinged and open like a laptop computer, but a select few come in a tablet design. Tablets can be easier to watch when resting on your lap, but there aren't many benefits of one format over the other. It's really a matter of individual user preference.

Portable DVD player screen sizes vary from under 5 inches (diagonal) to over 10 inches. Obviously, a unit with a large 10-inch adjustable TFT screen is likely to cost more than one with a smaller 5-inch screen. Anything less than 5 inches will make the unit highly portable but will require long-term squinting, which is never fun. You should definitely try out a new player to see how the screen looks before you buy it.

Battery life on a portable DVD player is another important feature. A projected battery life of less than 2 hours is inadequate, as this won't even let you watch an average-length movie before the player runs out of juice. Longer-life batteries tend to not only affect the price of your portable DVD player, but they usually inflate the weight as well. Check to see how heavy the player is both with and without the battery attached. Some players have svelte, lightweight battery packs, while others come with a heavy brick that takes nearly all the fun and practicality out of portability. There is no point having a portable DVD player with a battery that provides enough juice to keep you entertained on a flight to Australia if you're going to need an extra bag to carry it.

A lot of portable DVD players are constructed to be light and stylish, which is great if you are using the player in airport terminals but not so good if you want to take the player on a camping trip with the kids. For that kind of use you'll want a portable DVD player with a sturdier, more rugged construction. You should also look for an anti-skip feature to eradicate skipping during playback when driving over rough roads.

If you're using the player as a purely portable unit, the inclusion of progressive scan output won't make much difference to the picture quality on the small screen. However, if your portable DVD player will double as a home DVD player or will frequently be used to watch movies in hotel rooms, you should opt for a progressive scan model. Just as progressive scan provides superior quality image when connected to a digital TV, virtual surround sound will improve the audio when connected to a TV or home theater system. In addition to basic composite video outputs, some portable DVD players offer S-video and component video outputs, as well digital audio outputs for connecting the unit to a 5.1 home theater receiver. If you plan to frequently use the portable as a home player, be sure to select a model that includes a remote control.

Most portable DVD players offer built-in speakers, but they generally do not provide much more than basic audio reproduction. If you are an audio aficionado, consider adding a set of external speakers to your player. For most people, however, a set of quality headphones is a more important consideration. Multiple headphone jacks will enable more than one person at a time to enjoy a movie. Alternatively, you can purchase an inexpensive Y-adapter to achieve the same result. Another handy audio feature is Dolby Headphone, which creates a simulated surround sound effect in a set of headphones for a more realistic audio experience. If the unit comes with a set of headphones, try them on for comfort and make sure that you're the only you who will hear all the explosions from that action blockbuster you plan to watch during your flight.

Of course, portable DVD players do not limit you to watching movies. Most double as portable CD players as well, and if you choose a model with the right A/V connections, you can even hook up a game console or a camcorder and view home movies. A lot of models will allow you to play home-recorded CD as well as regular audio CD, including those encoded with MP3 or WMA digital audio files. Insert a disc encoded with JPEG images, and many portable DVD players will enable you to create digital slide shows. It's a great way to share pictures with relatives and friends without having to carry an entire photo album across the country. If you want use your portable to view home movies or shows recorded from TV, opt for a player that is compatible with your home DVD recorder. If you share discs with friends or family from overseas, look for a portable DVD player that offers multiregion disc compatibility.




Glossary

16:9 Aspect Ratio or Widescreen
Aspect ratio refers to the width and height of your TV screen. Many films are offered in their original aspect ratio (16:9). You can tell your player what type of TV you have and it will play back the movie accordingly. If you have a normal 4:3 set, you can watch movies in the standard aspect ratio or letterboxed. (black bars found on the top and bottom of the screen). If you have a new widescreen (16:9) set, it will automatically display the movie letterboxed or ananmorphically (which fills the screen with a widescreen image).


Audio/Video Inputs and Outputs
These are your connections to other components. Video outputs (and their audio counterparts) are desirable because they allow you more versatility in signal switching of multiple VCR and DVD players. Depending on how you hook up your A/V system, either the TV or your A/V receiver can be used for video switching.


Chapter Numbers
These numbers are recorded on the discs and are used to indicate sections or chapters (similar to track numbers on CDs). A symphony with four movements will have four tracks; movies are similarly divided into distinct sections.


Component Video Inputs and Outputs
Also called Color Difference or ColorStream, this is the latest (and best) video input/output to date. While similar to RGB (red/green/blue) connections, it separates the luminance and chrominance even further, providing images superior to S-VHS images. Most step-up DVD players now include component video outputs, which will also be included on most HDTV set-top boxes. Many TV manufacturers are now including these inputs on their mid- to upper-line TVs. These inputs provide resolution of 500 lines or better.


Dolby Digital (built-in)
This means that the player has a Dolby Digital decoder built into it. This is the next step beyond Dolby Pro Logic, offering 5.1 channels of sound. In the Dolby Pro Logic mode, sound comes from the front left and right speakers, the center speaker, and the rear speakers (which are mono). Using Dolby Digital, the rear channel is now stereo and a separate channel (the .1 in 5.1) is included for the subwoofer. This lets the director and sound engineer localize sound to a specific area or speaker. In other words, you are getting full stereo surround.


Parental Lock-Out or Channel Block
All DVD players let you control what your children watch. By accessing the on-screen menu system, you can set specific viewing levels for the player. You can override these controls by punching in a special code (that you as the parent devise). These controls are designed to help parents manage their children's viewing time.


S-video Inputs and Outputs
Many components now include S-video jacks. S-video separates the luminance (Y) and chrominance (C) signals. It offers better picture quality than standard video inputs while increasing resolution. It helps color reproduction and helps reduce jitter at scene transitions. On some televisions, you will find as many S-video jacks as you have video inputs. To get the most out of your video source, you must use an S-video jack for the highest resolution.


Universal Remote
Many models now feature pre-programmed universal remotes with the ability to control a TV and cable box. Some even control satellite systems.




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meta d: Portable DVD players should have big, bright screens, long battery life and multiple headphone jacks. Learn more in Consumer Guide’s Portable DVD Players Buying Guide.

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