Initial IDM-1731 Portable DVD Player with 7-Inch LCD
The Initial IDM-1731 Portable DVD Player
I picked this portable DVD player out for Christmas two years ago. When comparing it to other models, it compared favorably. The Initial IDM-1731 had many of the features (large screen, progressive scan, decent battery life...) I was looking for at an average price at the time (around $250). A year later, I found myself quite frustrated with a virtually unusable DVD player; the hinges on the screen broke after a year of gentle use. <br /> <br />Pros- <br /> <br />This DVD player has a nice sized seven-inch screen; if the screen were larger the player would be bulky; smaller, and the image is hard see. This screen is also wide, a good shape for wide screen movies. <br />Progressive Scan- Progressive Scan is a clearer way of projecting an image. With a regular TV, the vertical lines of pixels (blocks of color) on the screen are shown first, then the horizontal lines. Think of the vertical lines as odd numbers and the horizontal lines as even numbers. In a regular TV the image is displayed (1,3,5,7,9, ...) then (2,4,6,8, ...). With progressive scan, the image is displayed with alternating horizontal and vertical lines, (1,2,3,4,5,6, ...). This results in a sharper picture. <br />This player comes with a good accessories bundle. You get an A/C (wall) charger, a car charger, remote control, and A/V cables to hook it up to a TV. <br />Good anti-skip system. I never saw this DVD player skip, even on bumpy Michigan roads. <br />This DVD player can play several types of media. DVDs, CDs, MP3s, CD-Rs <br /> <br />Cons- <br /> <br />The Hinges- Within a year the hinges cracked and broke, naturally right after it came off warranty. When they first broke, I was able to hold the monitor in place and continue to watch movies. Now, the damage is more extensive and the player is nearly completely useless. There are two small metal parts located in the hinges that must be in contact for the screen to work, not a wire. The hinges on this player are small, about an inch wide, having broken off; you need to hold the screen just right to get any image (impossible on roads with potholes or expansion joints). When looking for portable DVD players, try to find one with large hinges. Look at the hinge on the Initial IDM-9520. <br />Fragile. We were careful when using this player and were not rough with it. It broke under normal use. <br />Slow To Load. Some DVDs would take a while to start after being loaded; some DVDs took multiple tries. <br />No case included. This was no big deal but a case was definitely needed to carry around player and accessories. <br /> <br />Although this DVD player did its job well, I would not recommend buying it because of its lack of durability. Purchasing this product is a gamble, will it break, and if so, before it comes off warranty? I would recommend a different DVD player, even from Initial, with more robust hinges. <br />