Portable DVD Players

The DVD player has revolutionized the way we enjoy video entertainment. After being introduced only 10 short years ago, the benefits of DVDs over VHS were immediately apparent and led to the DVD player being the most quickly adopted consumer electronics device of all time. The tremendous amount of storage capacity available with DVDs allowed DVD players to recreate the crystal clear audio and vivid color video that movie viewers previously only thought were possible in movie theaters. The flexibility of the DVD format also allowed for easy fast forwarding, pausing and perhaps most importantly, the inclusion of DVD extra features such as "deleted scenes" to be easily indexed and viewed. With all of these significant advantages at its disposal, it is not surprising that the DVD format quickly overtook VHS, and today in fact, you really have to go out of your way to even find anything VHS related at your local retailer or video rental outlet.

What to Look For In a Portable Player

Of course, for all of the same reasons that a DVD player makes the ideal centerpiece for your home theater, a portable DVD player is ideal for your video viewing pleasure while on the road. In the last 18 months the popularity of portable players has skyrocketed and as a result the price of units has dropped considerably. In fact, now a nicely equipped player can be had for well under $200. To ensure that your portable DVD player best matches your particular needs, here are a few features to keep in mind while shopping:

Screen size: This will be first and foremost to most buyers and rightfully so. Screen sizes of 7" are about average and offer a good compromise between viewing area and overall player size.

Battery Life: Battery life of 2 hours should be considered a minimum with 3 hours plus considered to be more ideal.

Headphone Jacks: Dual headphone jacks are a nice additional feature and allow two people to listen to the audio simultaneously.

Speakers: Nearly all players offer built-in speakers in addition to the headphone jack(s), but if this functionality is important to you, be sure to double check that it is included.

A/V Output: Portable DVD players with audio and video output connections are handy and allow the player to be easily connected to a TV for viewing. In effect with this functionality the player can double as an extra home DVD player.

DVD Formats: A player with support for the playing DVD-R/RW and/or DVD+R/RW formats allow a DVD that was recorded on a home DVD recorder (say, with your favorite TV shows) to be played back on the device.

Get Flexible!

Whether you are waiting for an appointment, making the best of a long flight, relaxing during a lunch break or hoping to avoid one more "are we there yet?", portable DVD players afford you the ultimate flexibility for your video entertainment.

Car DVD Players

Of course any portable DVD player could also be used in a car, but some road warriors prefer the fixed mounting solutions offered by some car DVD player. If you are in the market for a car DVD player, many of the same attributes noted earlier for portable players are also applicable with the exception of battery life and A/V outputs for units that are intended for fixed installation.