Panasonic DVD-LV70 Portable DVD Player
Excellent machine -- Not just a gadget!
I bought this for traveling with my little girl when she was 2. (She is now 3 and a half.) Technically, the picture is great. So is the sound from either the speakers or headphones (though if you do a lot of plane travel, noise cancelling headphones are a great idea). The player has been trouble free in 18 months of weekly use.<br />The added portablility (compared to VHS players) means it's the only option in restaraunts and on planes. We've used it on car trips, plane trips, in restaraunts, we hook it up as a DVD player for our second TV, I hook it up to hotel TVs (if they have a video input jack -- about 50% do), my wife took it to the hospital (to have #2), and I even got to take it on plane trip for myself!<br />Plop in a DVD and you're much more engaged than a book. Same with kids. We've gone from having to rush through a quick entree-only meal to being able to enjoy a drink, appetizer, entree, desert, AND waiting for the check. Our car travel time has gone from 3 hours (2 hour nap, 1 hour awake) to 4 or 5 (I haven't reached the upper limit yet!). With 5 hours of battery life, there's the potential for 7 hours. If you calculate the savings in motel rooms, this should pay for itself in about 5 years. But throw in the ability to relax, be entertained, have a second DVD player... and it's worth the investment. The only down side is that this will invite conversations from every busperson and waiter in your restaraunt!