Portable DVD Players Buyers Guide

In the past it was impossible to take your movies with you when you went out and about because all of the equipment required to play formats like VHS would have seriously weighed you down. DVDs are well and truly entrenched in society today and the great thing about this digital medium is that the portable players which can unlock the content anywhere you like are not only small and slim but highly functional and inexpensive. Let us take a look at what you should consider when buying a portable DVD player.

Since portability is at the heart of the device you will need to look at size. Size is affected by a number of factors, such as whether or not a rechargeable battery is integrated into the player. It will also depend on the size screen you would like. Larger screens make it easier to see the video and can be enjoyed by more viewers, but smaller options will use less energy and be more portable, so you will need to compromise in one area.

DVD movies have different regions depending on the area of the globe in which they are sold, so make sure that the portable DVD player you choose is compatible with your own region, or indeed multiple regions to avoid disappointment. Also check whether different formats are supported, such as re-writable DVDs or CDs, as this will allow you to listen to music and put your own home movies on DVD so you can watch them on the move.

For a DVD player to be truly portable you need to be able to use it when you are away from a mains outlet and for that a battery is essential. Many will come with integrated batteries which you can recharge via a plug, but you will need to look at the typical amount of playback offered from a single charge. If you are watching a whole film you could be using the device for two hours or more without stopping and if your battery cannot cut the mustard then you will have to stare at a blank screen or find a plug. A good quality portable DVD player should keep on trucking for a movie or two, but it is always important to check up on the specifications to avoid disappointment.

A decent portable DVD player will have integrated speakers, but since you may be on public transport or in a situation where you do not want to disturb others it is important to look for a good, appropriate headphone input. If you want to share the viewing experience with another headphone user then there are even models which come with multiple headphone sockets, although as with screen size you should always anticipate a price hike if you are looking for a player which has these advanced features. If you have some wireless speakers you may also be able to connect them to your DVD player, so always look at the fine print and make sure you are left with compatible gadgets.

DCP850 Portable DVD Player

This is without doubt the most beautiful piece of equipment I have been fortunate enough to own for many years.
Upon opening the package I was initially extremely impressed at the sleek white exterior of this portable DVD player, I open the Philips DCP850 up and the machine and its remote are apparent. The remote control is removeable and the space it vacates is exactly proportioned to house an Ipod Classic.

The ipod fits into the DVD player perfectly and, once there is a selectable source ( of many ) for the Philips 850 screen and speakers. You can select from MMC ( memory card via slot ), DVD, AV-in or Ipod. This is most lovely as you can synch up your itunes with the best of You tube and suchlike. YOu can also RIP movies to play on an ipod so you have gigabytes of films selectable and layable through your DVD player.

Another beauty of this device is that it plays DivX movies, I have many Divx movies in my collection and many DVD’s with 5-6 films on them ( which I have bought from shops and converted – I would not condone illegal downloads ). Not only is this perfect for holidays : 3 DVD’s will carry almost 20 full length feature films, but as the Philips 850 has an AV out socket you can use it to watch DivX films on your normal household TV.

The MMC slot comes into its own when wishing to view pictures, you can pull your card straight out of your mobile and view the jpegs as slideshow on the bright and clear 8 inch screen.

Another wonderful way in which I managed to tweak the Philips DCP850 8inch Portable DVD Player was by using my Nokia N95′s AV-Out into the portable DVD player’s AV-in, whilst driving ( the unit comes with an in car charger of course ) so that I was able to use the Nokias GPS on a large screen, very nice I can say.

Naturally the unit plays traditional DVD’s with s supreme picture quality, the two headphone out sockets make for convivial and mutual enjoyment of films without disturbing anyone else and the 180 degree swivel on the screen vastly improves its portability.

The unit is available very cheaply from Philips DCP850 which is an online retailer I would heartily recommend, not least because they bribed me with one of these DVD players for this review.

For those of you who understand Turkish, here is a very lucid description and demonstration I found on You Tube.