CyberHome CH-LDV 712 7-Inch Portable Progressive-Scan DVD Player , Silver
A REAL STEAL
Having purchased and returned a good number of 7\\" portable DVD players (Apex, Initial, Mintek), I was slowing coming to the conclusion that there's no such thing as a GOOD $... portable DVD player.  Then I came across this little beauty at Amazon.com and decided to give it one more try.  I've had the player for about a week now, and I am happy to report that I am most pleasantly surprised by how good this players is.  I've seen quite a few movies on this unit and have not experienced any problems.<br />The CyberHome 712 has all the standard features of your average 7\\" DVD player (mp3, jpeg, remote control, home/car adapter, AV output & input, Dolby digital & DTS outputs, etc), plus a few other nice extras.  What's most unusual is that the outer casing, and the DVD lid/deck are all made of diecast metal, while similar units are made of painted plastic.  Although the metal case adds weight to the unit, it also gives it a substantial and robust feel.  Another unusual feature for this price range is the progressive scan output (componet cables are included.)  That means you can use this player with your HDTV and display your movies in all of their 480P, non-interlaced glory.  The rechargeble lithium ion battery has a claimed life of 4 hrs between charges, while other batteries typically claim to have between 2-3 hrs.  So far, I've only been able to get about 3 hrs out of each charge, but that's more than enough time for just about any movie.<br />The player is not without flaws though.  The 7\\" LCD screen is not of the active matrix type, so while it is bright and vibrant at the proper angle, it is difficult to see when you are way off to the side.  Also the brightness level returns to the default level every time the unit shuts off, so you will have to re-adjust the screen at the beginning of every movie.<br />Overall, I am very happy with my purchase, and would recommend this unit to anymore looking for a quality product at a reasonable price.  For the brand consciousfolks, Toshiba offers some very nice players at substantially higher prices.  For my money, the Cyberhome 712 will do just fine.