Philips PET320 3.5-Inch Portable DVD Player
Don't Let Its Ultracompactness and Looks Deceive You
When I first discovered this portable DVD player, I was impressed with how much it met both my normal and oddball demands.  However, after some time, I gradually became less satisfied with it than I was the first month I had it.  First and foremost, its internal speaker volume is somewhat weak, even when the volume control is set to the maximum possible level, and I prefer not to have to deal with the hastle of headphone wire.  My second gripe with this model is that it will not play MP3s recorded to DVD.  Being that DVD5 single-layer discs can hold about six times a standard CD, it is unfortunate that this model cannot play hours of MP3 files recorded at 320 KBPS constant bit rate, the highest quality MP3 file format to date.  (Please click on 'Comments' and let us know if that is incorrect.)  None of the Philips portable DVD players can currently play DTS audio tracks.  If I am on the road, yet want higher sound quality than a DVD's standard Dolby Digital audio track, this is a feature I will miss, but only slightly because only four of my most frequently played DVDs use a DTS audio track.  I decided to send this unit out to Philips because its finish is breaking off the speakers and arrow keys.  This unit can be made multi-region compatible.  With the disk door open, power up the set while holding down OSD.  When the menu appears, change the region to '0.'  Power off the set and close the disc door.  Its PAL-to-NTSC conversion leaves a little bit to be desired if connected to a TV set.  I recently upgraded to the Philips PET724 7\\" model.  It is larger, yet mannageable.  It only runs approximately $20 more, but most of all, it is a much better performer than this model.  However, if you absolutely cannot dig up that extra cash and/or make that extra room in your briefcase, it's not like you purchased a total lemon of a portable DVD player because the two good things this model has going for it are ultracompactness and a stable disc mechanism, so at least you willhave this product for years to come.