Audiovox DVD1500 5.8-Inch Portable DVD Player
The Hyundai of Portable DVD Players
Ever drive a Hyundai?  It's a competent little car.  It gets you to work and back in relative comfort.  It doesn't have the amenities or coolness of a BMW, but it costs a third as much.<br />That's this DVD player.  It's kind of chunky, a little homely, and the features are so-so. However, it's the cheapest you can get, and it plays DVDs just fine, thank you.<br />First, this unit is the least sexy portable DVD available.  If you're buying it to show your friends how cool you are, forget it.  It's 2 inches thick and pretty heavy.  The battery is a giant silver log.  It's made by Audiovox, so no cache there.  Basically, you almost want to hide it from other people when you're using it.<br />Second, the battery is terrible.  It lasts for approximately 2 hours.  Movies are almost all longer than this.  It also takes a while to charge, and no extra batteries are available.  The worst thing about it, though, is that it's NiCad and not Lithium Ion.  That means it has battery memory, and must be discharged before charging to maintain optimal battery life.  To sum up, if you need to use the battery for long periods of time, buy something else!<br />However, if you only plan to use the battery occasionally, and don't care what technology snobs think of you, this player has some nice things to offer.<br />First, the picture is terrific.  It's sharp and bright, and does justice to any flick you want to watch.<br />Second, Audiovox makes up for the poor battery by including both an AC adapter and a car adapter.  That means you can use it anywhere a cord will reach.  It also includes an S-video cable and standard RCA A/V cables, so you can bring it to Grandma's and watch DVDs on her TV.  It also comes with headphones, in case you don't have any.  That's a lot of stuff!<br />The overall quality of this player is very good.  It seems very difficult to break.  In fact, the bulkiness gives an impression of sturdiness the smaller players don't have.<br />So boiled down, you can get abrand new portable DVD player for ...less than the next cheapest unit.  It has a great picture, nice sound (with headphones), and is very sturdy.  If you can live with the battery, and without the approval of your gadget-guy neighbor, it seems your choice is clear....