Initial 10.2-Inch Portable DVD Player - IDM-1250
Fantastic so far!
I got this a week ago at CompUSA and except for a couple of minor quibbles, I couldn't be happier with this dvd player. <br /> <br />The picture quality is terrific; way better than almost any other player I tried. If I hadn't compared picture quality between several different brands and models, I wouldn't have realized how important Progressive Scan is. The difference in picture quality was incredible between the non-progressive scan models and the 3 progressive scan models I used (this one, a Samsung, and a Philips). After seeing these, there's no way I could buy a portable that wasn't progressive scan. And at $280, the IDM-1250 was a lot cheaper than the Samsung and the Philips. <br /> <br />Sound quality through the tiny speakers is tinny, as you might imagine. It's clear but completely lacking in bass. But with headphones, the sound is excellent. <br /> <br />I really like that this one has so many outputs and inputs, and I find it amazing that a little guy like this has component video and digital audio outputs (although I haven't used them yet). I did use the composite output, though, to hook it up to a tv in a hotel this weekend, and the picture was excellent (much better than when I've hooked up my Dell laptop to a tv before). <br /> <br />This unit will play mp3 cd's and I suspect it will play mp3 dvd's but I haven't tried that yet. I hooked up my digital camera to the usb port, and while it was slow and not very high-res, I was able to show the pictures on the dvd player's screen. Very cool. <br /> <br />I also love the fact that it came with an a/c adapter, a car cord that plugs into the cigarette lighter, and a battery. <br /> <br />The only complaints I have are minor. There's no resume feature, so when you turn the unit off and then back on, it doesn't remember where it was. Kind of a pain, but not a deal-breaker for me. Also, while it's great that it comes with a remote, there are things you can only do using the remote, and other things you can onlydo *without* the remote. Not an ideal situation, but in a bargain basement unit like this, I think it's a reasonable trade-off for all the great features you get. <br /> <br />I'd never heard of the Initial brand before and I'm a little nervous about reliability. But my kids and I have watched probably half a dozen movies on it so far and it's been perfect, so I'm glad I took a chance on it. <br /> <br />Pros: <br />* Big screen <br />* Fantastic picture (progressive scan) <br />* Looks nice <br />* Quality feel <br />* Lots of inputs and outputs <br />* Can play movies and music and digital photos <br />* 2 headphone jacks <br />* Component video outputs <br />* 3 ways to power it (home, car, and battery) <br />* Low price compared to competition <br /> <br />Cons: <br />* No resume feature  <br />* Remote doesn't control some features  <br />* Unknown brand <br /> <br />The Bottom Line: <br />So far, this player is fantastic. It was a great purchase!