Initial IDM-1731 Portable DVD Player with 7-Inch LCD
A Letdown
When I first saw the Initial IDM-1731 I'd bought for my mother, I was envious. I'd just purchased a little 5-inch GoVideo/Memorex for myself and was impressed with the sharpness and clarity. Now I was looking at a 7-inch screen. Talk about poor timing!<br />But when I turned it on, the envy left me immediately. The sharpness and clarity was more like that of a VHS. There was no shadow detail and even on widescreen, the image looked stretched. When changed to TV ratio, the perspective was perfect, but you lose half of your screen size. Good enough for mom, probably but I was awful glad I'd gotten the little GoVideo.<br />No matter which one of these guys you go with, drop by a Radio Shack and pick up a small amplifier. Powered by a tiny battery, you can plug your headphones in and use it on an airplane. If you don't, you won't have the volume to hear over the engines.<br />And, again, get the 5-inch screen. This and the GoVideo are obviously made by the same company. And why haul around something as heavy as this around when you don't have the benefit of a sharp screen.