Panasonic DVD-LS90 9-Inch Portable DVD Player
Flawed, but the best high end portable dvd as of Aug '05
I wanted a 9-10 inch portable dvd.  The best values I could find came down to the Pansonic LS90 and the Philips PET1000.    I decided on the Panasonic for several reasons:  (1) It had superior audio over the Philips ... I could hear nuances in the Incredibles like phones ringing in the background that I couldn't hear on the Philips.  (2) The Panasonic operated more quietly, particularly when skipping through chapters.  The Philips emitted a grinding sort of noise as the laser sought chapters. (3) The Panasonic's ability to position it's screen in so many configurations is a big plus when using it on a airplane. (4) The extra battery life on the Panasonic is helpful, even if  you need to darken the screen a bit to get that extra time. (5)  The Panasonic takes up less room in my briefcase, due to a slimmer profile, and a more space-efficient way in which Panasonic attaches the battery to the unit (as compared to the Philips, which is a bit more bulky).    The Philips has a better picture, hands down.  It's considerably clearer than the Panasonic.  But that doesn't mean the Panasonic is bad.  I'd give the screen on the Panasonic a very good, with the Philips scoring an excellent -- best currently available I might add.    All in all, it was a no brainer for me to trade off some picture quality for the extra advantages the Panasonic held over the Philips.