Polaroid PDV-0700 7" Portable DVD Player
Plays everything!
This player has impressed me over and over again.  I've had problems with the (JVC) DVD player in my home entertainment system playing the DVD movies I have burned to DVD-/+R discs.  It would pause or get glitchy.  The Polaroid has no problem playing these discs, which is a big hit with me.<br /><br />So far I have been able to play:<br />DVD-/+R -- especially the ones that my home unit won't play!<br />Burned audio CDs<br />.jpg discs (pictures)<br />.mp3 discs (audio)<br />and, of course, all commercially produced CD/DVD<br /><br />I haven't tried playing any DVD/CD product from out of country, but am curious to see if they work as well.<br /><br />The only problem I saw was that you can't fast-forward through a disc if you don't have the remote.  The buttons on the player are limited, and it would be nicer if they had just two more for fast-forward/scan (and of course the other way.)<br /><br />The battery lasts for about 3 full-length movies played at full volume (with headphones).  The battery is removable, which is nice if you want to reduce the weight by almost half, and the size by almost a third in thickness.  (The book recommends that you NOT leave the battery plugged in to the wall for more than 3-4 hours at a time.)<br /><br />The screen is well built and solid feeling.  My only gripe is that you have to get the angle of the screen just right; otherwise the picture gets dark.  My friend's Mintek (sp?) has a screen that can be viewed at any angle, which is nice if two people are watching it.  The only nice thing I can think about having the screen being only user-viewable is that you won't have that guy next to you on the plane staring over at the player trying to encroach on your movie viewing.  (Maybe I'm the only one that gets bothered by people like that.)<br /><br />As a tip -- after seeing a bunch of screen sizes -- 7-inch screens should be the smallest even considered.  5-inch is too small, no matter how good the picture may be.  With letterboxed/widescreen formatted DVDs this brings the screen viewing area MUCH smaller.  I still can't bring myself to watch a movie any other way, so my 7-inch screen is as small as I would go/recommend.<br /><br />One thing I noticed is that when I plug this player into the front of the TV it's hard to hear the voices, whereas the music track and sound track is loud.  My friend's Mintek does the same thing, so it might be the TV input or speakers on the front of the TV.  But how often are you really going to do that?<br /><br />My wife and I each own this player (since June), and neither one of ours has had any problems.  I'm a little more abusive and demanding of mine, and it has performed flawlessly every time.<br /><br />Sound = 4 stars (strange \\"stereo\\" setting that is really mono in each ear?)<br />Picture = 4.5 stars (another half-a-star if it had the other style screen)<br />Durability = 5 stars (this weighs heavily with me)<br />Battery = 5 stars<br />In-box accessories = 4 stars (comes with a dual earphone plug and remote)<br />Weight = 4 stars (with battery) 5 stars (without)<br />Buttons = 3 stars (seems to me that I have to push some of them twice before they work)<br /><br />Alot of the guys I work with have portable DVD players, and this is by far one of the best.  We use them almost daily, and for the most part no one has had any problems with theirs, so I think the quality is really getting up there for all players.  I just like this one more than others.<br /><br />******* UPDATE July 2005 *******<br />The Polaroid DVD player DIED.  BUT, through normal use, I managed to put it through Hell and back!<br />1) I dropped it many times -- kept on working!<br />2) I slammed it in a door -- kept on working!<br />3) I walked away while it was still plugged in and ripped the plug out -- kept on working!<br />4) I drained the battery and recharged it many many times -- kept on working!<br /><br />After a brief autopsy (with the help of a friend who is a trained technician) we could not figure out what killed the DVD player.  It just wouldn't power up anymore.  I (luckly) have two of these and swapped out the battery and power cord... still it won't power up.<br /><br />Oddly enough, the second DVD player's spindle fell off and we can't seem to find it, so neither is working right now.<br /><br />But, have no fear, these are well worth the money, and are tough.  Great for kids (or clumsy adults.)  I would buy one again!cord... still it won't power up.    Oddly enough, the second DVD player's spindle fell off and we can't seem to find it, so neither is working right now.    But, have no fear, these are well worth the money, and are tough.  Great for kids (or clumsy adults.)  I would buy one again!