Initial IDM-1731 Portable DVD Player with 7-Inch LCD
Mobile DVD fun
I actually have the 8&quot; version, but played with a demo unit of the IDM-1731 (with 7&quot; LCD measured diagonally) at the Circuit City store in Union Square, Manhattan.  I had just purchased a &quot;Bedazzled&quot; DVD at the store, and was able to try it out on this little machine.  (Yes, many CC stores let you load your own DVDs to play on their demo DVD players.)<br />As with my 8&quot; player, this model delivers good picture quality.  It plays pretty much all kinds of video disc formats out there: DVD, VCD, SuperVCD, etc., as well as CD and CD-R with MP3 files.  WMA files are supported as well.  My 8&quot; player, which I use on the bus a lot, is surprisingly resistent to road bumps: I've never experienced a frame drop due to bumps or even when I move the player around, so I expect the 1731 model will be the same.<br />The verdict on quality is rather mixed.  Overall this is far less refined than portable DVD players from Panasonic.  The paint on my player, for example, is already coming off after less than a year.  The buttons on the player are not very responding, so you'll have to press hard or even press twice to make them work.  The remote is ok.  Not very user-friendly but totally functional.  On the other hand, I've used my Initial a lot and done countless pauses and stops and restarts, and it's still quiet and working flawlessly.<br />In summary, Initial DVD players belong to the value category.  If I had some extra cash I'd opt for a Panasonic model for better picture quality, much better sound (both from speakers and earphones), and infinitely better quality and reliability.  But, the Initial's are inexpensive and the one I have has not let me down at all.