On a recent flight to Denver for the CEDIA Expo, I couldn’t help but chuckle as I looked around and saw several of my fellow passengers attempting to watch DVD movies on their laptop computers. Don’t get me wrong, laptops are great – they give you e-mail, internet, solitaire and a nice, big screen for watching your DVDs. However, it’s that last feature that creates a real dilemma when you’re sitting in coach. If you’re using a laptop with a screen bigger than 12 inches, or the clown in front of you decides that his reclined back is more important than your knee room, how exactly are you supposed to put that giant laptop on a tiny tray table and open the screen far enough so you can actually see it? This is when you’ll wish you had a portable DVD player.
Portable DVD players are compact, simple to operate, they do one thing and they do it well. Or at least, they used to do just one thing. Some interesting features have begun making their way onto portable DVD players recently, so it seemed like a good time to revisit the product category. I had the chance to spend some time with three models from Audiovox, Coby and Philips. Each one will get the job done and each one brings something special to the (airplane tray) table.
With the D8000IP, Audiovox gives you an eight inch LCD, two headphone jacks, an integrated USB port and iPod connectivity. Upon evaluation, the unit’s black plastic case felt a bit chintzy and button clicks tended to echo, but everything behaved as expected. Although eight inches makes for an ideal screen size, I was disappointed that Audiovox affixed the screen to a fixed, non-swiveling hinge. Also, and this may be the unit’s chief drawback, the D8000IP requires a bulky battery pack that adds significant depth and weight to the unit. It’ll still work fine in coach, but it’s not what I’d call compact.
The D8000IP is one of a growing number of portable DVD players to feature an integrated iPod dock. This allows the machine to double as both a DVD player and a television screen for any video you might have stored on your iPod. Using it as an iPod video player, picture quality was about what you’d expect from an iTunes download – good, but nothing particularly special. I used the “Drug Testing” episode of NBC’s “The Office” as my iPod test material. Unfortunately, TV shows download from iTunes in a letterboxed 1.33:1 format; this means that the only way to see the episode in its proper aspect ratio is to watch it “windowboxed” with black bars on all four sides. This greatly reduces the potential image size, but at least Dwight Schrute’s head is the proper shape. Once again, this is not a fault of Audiovox but rather the format in which iTunes video gets downloaded.
DVD playback was about average and I did not encounter any hiccups while watching my Superbit DVD of Michael Bay’s Bad Boys. Audio from the integrated speakers left a lot to be desired, so you’ll definitely want to use one of the unit’s two headphone jacks.
If the non-swivel screen and a bulky battery pack do not pose a problem for your situation, the D8000IP is a solid performer with the added convenience of iPod video playback.
Coby has put together a rather impressive package with the TF-DVD7377. Not only is it one of the more attractive portable DVD players out there right now, it also features an extremely compact footprint and a versatile swivel display. To make room on your tray table for peanuts and your complimentary beverage, the 7377’s seven inch LCD can swivel around 180 degrees or even fold flat. In its flat tablet-style configuration, it makes for an excellent player to use in your car; plus, Coby was kind enough to include a fabric bag to hold the player suspended from your car’s headrest for rear seat viewing. And although they’re not ideal when competing with engine or road noise, Coby has also included a pair of attractive headphones in the box with the 7377.
One of the unique feature combinations presented by the 7377 is its integrated USB port and its support for the DivX file format. I downloaded a bunch of movie trailers in the DivX format and stored them on my keychain thumb drive. Toggling to the USB input immediately loaded the first trailer in my folder and playback quality was perfectly adequate. In addition to USB support, the 7377 also features an integrated memory card reader with support for both SD and MMC cards. On-screen menus are colorful and easy to navigate, especially when you use the player’s circular cursor control pad. Buttons are a bit stiff but layout is intuitive and the device is easy to operate in the dark.
DVD playback quality was average with the 7377 exhibiting occasional shimmer and mild trouble with text on titles such as Bad Boys and Tim Burton’s Batman. Although the push-button hinge release is a bit clunky and I prefer to have two headphone jacks, the TF-DVD7377 is attractive, compact and makes for an ideal travel companion.
Philips was the first company to take a portable DVD player and add to it the video capabilities of the iPod. Surprisingly enough, they’re still tackling that integration better than anybody. Sporting glossy and attractive white and black casework, the DCP750 features a seven inch LCD with full 180-degree swivel capabilities. The LCD can also be closed display-side-out, allowing it to be propped against a cramped seatback or slung from an automobile headrest for rear seat viewing. Fit and finish on the DCP750 is excellent and the supplied remote control fits neatly into the iPod cradle when you’re not using an iPod.
Like the Audiovox reviewed above, iPod video playback is simply adequate, primarily due to the windowboxing. Having to watch a program that originally aired in 16:9 on the DCP750’s 16:9 display with bars on all four sides is frustrating to say the least. One can only hope that iTunes will evolve and allow for true 16:9 TV downloads and properly-formatted output to an external 16:9 display such as the DCP750.
DVD playback was slightly above average and the Philips proved capable of delivering vibrant colors with minimal artifacting. I found myself wishing the screen was a tad bigger, but the good news is that Philips makes a DCP850 with a footprint identical to that of the 750, but it features an eight inch LCD with just a thinner screen bezel. If you can spare a few extra bucks, the eight inch model is the one I would choose between the two.
Although it lacks a USB port, the DCP750 does feature a stylish, compact footprint, iPod video playback, support for DivX video, two headphone jacks, an SD card reader and a best-in-class case design. With street prices well under $150, I’d be hard pressed to find a better bargain in the portable DVD market today.
DVD To Go is a scam. Once you pay $15 you get 3 months use and then the software reverts to “trial” mode where you only can record 5 minutes of your DVD.
Tech support doesn’t exist.