What to look for in a cheap portable dvd player

Cheap Portable Dvd Player

cheap portable dvd player
A cheap portable DVD player could make a long trip bearable for passengers of any age, whether on a bus, train, car, or plane. With a set of headphones and a favorite movie, photos or a cd, travel time can be pleasant time, well spent.


When searching a well known online store for the prices of a PDP, or portable DVD player, the results range from $39.99 to $400.00. There are features common to the entire spectrum of PDPs, beginning with the LCD, or liquid crystal display, screen. The width varies from a little over 2.5 inches to 12 inches, the most common screen size being 7 inches. The quality of the picture depends upon the pixel resolution, with 800 x 480 the best available today. Some screens tilt and swivel to convert the DVD player into a handheld device.

A cheap portable DVD player will have a battery, common to all PDPs, and the life of the battery is an important factor to consider when weighing a purchase. An SD or Secure Digital Card slot is an extra that allows transfer of digital data for display or listening. A USB port can give access to more computing power and resources, remotes are available for many models, and the speaker quality varies widely among offerings. Packing, or the appearance of the case, and the weight of any cheap portable DVD player are also variables to take into account.

Comparing features of a cheap portable DVD player listed on Amazon, descriptions center on the display, speakers, case, battery, and any additional options. The lowest in cost is the Samsung DVD-L25 Hand Held Mini DVD’s Player. The unit measures 4.3 x 6.7 x 1.3 inches, with a color LCD screen only 2.5 inches wide. Using mini-DVDs, not full size DVDs, it will play back any MP3, WMA digital audio, or JPEG recorded onto mini-DVDs. It weighs 1 ½ pounds and runs 2 ½ hours on 4 AA batteries, taking NI-MH or alkaline, ranking #19,845 in Electronics for all Amazon sales. It has an AC adapter, battery charger, one external speaker, a headphone jack, and a joy stick controller on the front.

The Coby TFDVD7008 7-Inch Portable DVD/CD/MP3 Player is priced at $68.99 and ranks a much higher #235 in Amazon Electronics sales. The screen is a 7 inch wide color LCD, and this cheap portable DVD player accepts DVDs, MP3s, JPEGs, and CDs. It has Dolby enhanced sound for the built in stereo speakers and includes an AV output, but does not include the cable. It weighs 2.75 pounds, includes anti-skip circuitry, and is available in black. The screen tends to be heavy causing the unit to tip backwards if one is not alert.

For children or the child-like, the Spongebob Portable DVD Player, priced at $69.99, ranks #2,882 in Amazon Electronics and is packaged with the accessories to make it convenient. The LCD is 5 inches across, it comes with a rechargeable batter, it plays a variety of media including DVDs, audio and picture CDs, MP3s, and includes an AV output jack and headphone jack. A wireless remote and power adapter for the car make this a ready to go purchase, in a case appealing to fans of this cartoon character.

The price of a cheap portable DVD player is commensurate with the quality of sound, picture, case, battery, and whether or not accessories are included. A cheap portable DVD player is a good purchase for anticipated as well as unexpected free time in any circumstance.

Cheap portable dvd players – what’s available

Cheap portable DVD players fall at the lower end of the pricing bar in the category of portable DVD players. You can expect the price to fall between $40 and $200 though most cheap portable DVD players are priced closer to $100. They are easily available and you should have no difficulty in finding one that will suit your requirements.

Like the normal DVD player, a portable DVD player also plays the digital video discs. As the need for portability is on the increase, with more and more people on the move, the availability of cheap portable DVD players in the market has also increased. There are also many different models available that you can choose from.

You will find certain differences in the cheap portable DVD players, the major difference being that of screen size. The seven inches screen has been most popular owing to the cheaper price yet serving the functional use. You can also find bigger screens like the 10 inches and 12 inches. The bigger screens offer better viewing and useful especially for the long drives. There are also cheap portable DVD players with spinning screens that can be flipped around by 180 degrees. This feature enables to put the screen facing up as the player is closed and also means that you can adjust the screen’s position to suit you.

The other difference you will find between cheap portable DVD players is the style. Some of them are highly desirable due to their slimmer designs. Some are lightweight and hence more popular because they can be easily carried around. Some also come with advanced designs that allow them to be clipped to surfaces like the back of a car seat. You can also buy accessories separately to allow fixing of the DVD player to a surface.

There are many trusted brand names in cheap portable DVD players like Coby, Mustek, Astar, CyberHome and Audiovox. These brands are the dominant players in this segment. Cheap portable DVD players are not only useful for watching movies but also are great to use as iPod speakers or watching videos from a camcorder. Most players are designed to read all video file formats and hence you can simply insert the video without checking for the file format.

Even though they are priced considerably less than the premium models, cheap portable DVD players still do what you need them to. They come with all the basic features that you would require out of a DVD player on the go. The premium models have some advanced features, which you may not necessarily use. However, do keep in mind that often the sound and picture quality improves when paying a bit more. There is a great market for cheap portable DVD players and many people are taking advantage of them. If you are a traveler or often on the move, and would like to watch movies or videos on the go, cheap portable DVD players are ideal for you.