Audiovox D1500A 5-Inch Portable DVD Player with Car Kit
Technical Review
Okay, seeing that many of the reviews were complaints with little to no useful technical information, I thought I'd try something a bit more 'formal'. So, here goes. <br /> <br />Bought the unit on Friday, and so far I haven't had too many problems with it. There are a few complaints, but I'll get to those below. <br /> <br />Disc Player: This machine is LOUD. The noise the disc player makes is far more than any computer cd-rom, cd player, or dvd player i've ever encountered before. The buttons and lid also feel cheaply made.  <br /> <br />Interface: Sadly, the menu and means to navigate is somewhat clunky and very unintuitive. It could have been much better designed. Don't even think about attempting to navigate with the buttons on the machine itself. You're best off using the included remote control.  <br /> <br />Battery Life: I managed to watch a full DVD and parts from other DVDs before the battery keeled over. I was also able to use the player's built in JPG viewer and MP3 player a couple of times. Altogether I'd say it has a battery life of -close- to 2 hours, so don't expect to be able to watch Frank Herbert's Dune or the Complete LotR trilogy in one charging. Be sure to use the adapter for longer movies. <br /> <br />Screen: Well, it's a screen. I hadn't noticed any problems anyone else mentioned so far. Though the dimmer controls do almost nothing to clear up resolution. Also, don't expect to watch it outdoors unless you're in a well shaded area. Anything except room default lighting won't go over too well with it. In fact, you're probably better off watching it with the ligths off. It doesn't like bright lights. <br /> <br />Features: As mentioned, it can view JPGs and play MP3 files that are burned on either CD-Rom or DVD-Rom. However it's worth noting that these features are -slow-. It takes nearly a minute to load up anything that isn't a movie, and then navigating the interface is a laborious process at best. You're better off getting an iPod photo orother such dedicated MP3 player if you want to use these type of functions. <br /> <br />Overall: That said, it's a decent DVD player if you want to watch a movie while on a lengthy bus ride, or if you want to give your kid a way to watch movies in their room without having to shell out for a full sized TV. Otherwise, there's far better deals out there, and you -do- wind up getting what you paid for.