Buyers Guide to the Best Portable DVD Players

Portable DVD players are popular, and a fair amount of information is available online to help purchasers choose the best.

CNET.com has a page, “Editors’ Top DVD Decks,” with one-sentence reviews of 10 players. The two top-rated units are the Philips PET1000 and the Panasonic DVD-LX9. CNET.com also carries an interesting article exploring the pros and cons of watching DVDs on a notebook computer, rather than on a portable DVD player.

Newsweek in mid-2005 featured pocket reviews of five models, with the GoVideo DP8240 its favorite.

PC World reviewed four players that “redefine portability and allow you to take your movie watching on the road.” Its pick of the four was the GoVideo DP7040.

The Consumer Search website provides a summary of a number of portable DVD player reviews, with the Panasonic DVD-LS50 rated as the top pick, followed by the Sony DVP-FX701 and the Panasonic DVD-LX9. 

The About series of websites carries a feature, “What Are the Best Features of a Portable DVD Player?” in its Electronics section. It has four particular suggestions:

- The weight of different units can vary quite considerably, so check the dimensions carefully before purchase.

- Check if the unit supports CDs and other formats.

- Is the output of high quality?

- Consider a model which has virtual surround sound.

The About website also offers an article, “Top 8 Portable DVD Players,” and another, “Top 6 Portable DVD Players,” with mini-reviews of popular models. There is also a full review of the Toshiba SD-P1600 Portable DVD Player.

All About Portable DVD Players is a web store that includes an article, “Why Buy One,” and a series of “How to” web pages.

Propective purchasers should also check out the consumer reviews at commercial sites such as Amazon.com and Epinions.com.

February 2nd, 2006