Initial IDM-1731 Portable DVD Player with 7-Inch LCD
Great product, so long as you don't expect it to play DVDs..
I purchased an Initial IDM-1731 this past holiday for one specific purpose; my fiancee and I had a long holiday road trip planned, and we needed something to shake the monotony of a voyage from southwest Florida to northeast Indiana by automobile. After reading up a bit on the available models in the price range I was comfortable with, I decided on this unit. I understood that others had run into problems with it in the past, but assumed it was just a case of a few bad shipments to specific regions and not a flaw in the product itself. Just as a failsafe, however, I purchased a retail chain's extended warranty plan along with it (to cover any of the long-reaching problems that I'd read this unit was particularly susceptible to) and took it on a short, hour-and-a-half long drive before the big trip... a sort of trial by fire. The IDM-1731 performed with flying colors. The picture quality was outstanding and the limited number of buttons on the unit itself managed to keep its physical appearance uncomplicated without sacrificing too much usability (for instance, we effortlessly changed the aspect ratio from widescreen to fullscreen to avoid stretching the TV-series disc we were watching without the use of the remote control). The screen size felt just right, and though the audio was a little weak and tinny when using the built-in speakers, the various output options made the incorporation of an FM Transmitter a breeze. The inclusion of a car-adapter for unlimited use on the road was a godsend, and a major selling point.<br /><br />It wasn't until we began our wintery trek and crossed the border between Florida and Georgia that we ran into our first problem with the unit. After what I'd estimate as a total of three hours' worth of use in its lifetime, (including the \\"test voyage\\" we'd taken the week before) the unit suddenly froze, mid-scene, in the middle of playback. It wasn't attempting to move between chapters, we didn't hit a bump or even budge it physically. Just a freeze frame of the last scene that had aired and nothing else. We attempted to troubleshoot, powering it down, removing the disc, reinserting and powering up again, but had no luck. The unit would recognize that the lid had closed and bring up a \\"DISC LOAD\\" message, but never proceed from that point. The two of us assumed it had overheated (since the base was growing a bit warm) and closed it up for the night. The next morning, I tried again and was met with the same \\"DISC LOAD\\" message. We began looking out for another location of the retail chain we'd originally purchased it from. When we reached Chattanooga, Tennessee, (roughly the two-thirds point of our voyage) we spotted one right near the highway, turned off, and exchanged our faulty unit for a brand new one. We climbed back into the car, popped a disc in to ensure the unit would function before we left the parking lot, and were pleased to see the DVD loading without a problem. We left the parking lot secure in the knowledge that our nightmare was over.<br /><br />An hour and a half later, with about ten minutes remaining in the first disc we'd ever attempted to play in the unit, the screen froze once again. We were having the exact same problem... the disc refused to play again, the \\"DISC LOAD\\" screen was staring us down, and we were more than a bit frustrated. Upon arriving in Indianapolis, we returned the unit (and the accompanying, unused, extended warranty) for a full refund. This isn't a mild problem that affects only a few unlucky regions in the United States (as we can attest, thanks to our experience with units from both Florida and Tennessee)... it's a flaw with the unit itself that's left me questioning Initial's credibility as a manufacturer. Don't waste your time with an IDM-1731... you'll spend more time troubleshooting, scratching your head and waiting in line to exchange it than you'll spend actually enjoying movies on the road.st a freeze frame of the last scene that had aired and nothing else. We attempted to troubleshoot, powering it down, removing the disc, reinserting and powering up again, but had no luck. The unit would recognize that the lid had closed and bring up a \\"DISC LOAD\\" message, but never proceed from that point. The two of us assumed it had overheated (since the base was growing a bit warm) and closed it up for the night. The next morning, I tried again and was met with the same \\"DISC LOAD\\" message. We began looking out for another location of the retail chain we'd originally purchased it from. When we reached Chattanooga, Tennessee, (roughly the two-thirds point of our voyage) we spotted one right near the highway, turned off, and exchanged our faulty unit for a brand new one. We climbed back into the car, popped a disc in to ensure the unit would function before we left the parking lot, and were pleased to see the DVD loading without a problem. We left the parking lot secure in the knowledge that our nightmare was over. <br /> <br />An hour and a half later, with about ten minutes remaining in the first disc we'd ever attempted to play in the unit, the screen froze once again. We were having the exact same problem... the disc refused to play again, the \\"DISC LOAD\\" screen was staring us down, and we were more than a bit frustrated. Upon arriving in Indianapolis, we returned the unit (and the accompanying, unused, extended warranty) for a full refund. This isn't a mild problem that affects only a few unlucky regions in the United States (as we can attest, thanks to our experience with units from both Florida and Tennessee)... it's a flaw with the unit itself that's left me questioning Initial's credibility as a manufacturer. Don't waste your time with an IDM-1731... you'll spend more time troubleshooting, scratching your head and waiting in line to exchange it than you'll spend actually enjoying movies on the road.