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Philips PET721D
by Elaineee
We have alot out of use out of these DVD players, so when ours broke I replaced it with this model. Seeing this Philips one in Asda with £20 off I snapped it up, having had cheap branded ones before I wanted a proper 'make'. They retail at £99 but I paid £79- at the time of writing Amazon are selling them at £99.
The techy ... bit:
Play movies, music and photos
DVD, DVD+/-R, DVD+/-RW, (S)VCD, CD compatible
DivX videos, MP3-CD, CD and CD-RW playback
JPEG images from picture disc.
7" color LCD screen
16:9 widescreen format
Built-in stereo speakers
Up to 2 hours of playback with a built-in battery and car adaptor
Remote control
I've had this for over two years now and it's still in good shape apart from cosmetic scratches on the top. The DVD player itself is stylish black plastic- the inner looking more matt. The screen folds down which makes this small and neat the whole thing is only about 8x6in, this also protects it. The hinges haven't snapped and aren't loose. The built in speakers are beneath the screen and are loud enough and the quality isn't bad. The DVD player has complete control buttons so you don't have to use the remote control (if you've lost it like me). I find these difficult to see as they are also in black and are flush. This is a rechargeable device but can be used plugged in although the lead is only short. On the side there are portals for the 9v charger, AV output and headphones, there's volume control and the on/off switch- a green light tells you it's on which turns red to warn of low battery. I wish the light was on the side and not the front as it can be distracting. To open just lift the screen up and then flick a switch on the front to flip the DVD lid open, this is still in good condition.
My son loves this he takes it in the car on long journeys, we have to plug it into the cigarette lighter as although the spec says 2hr playback the charge lasts less than this maybe long enough for a short film, normally it's watched indoors and plugged in. I don't know exactly how long it takes to fully charge it but it's hours rather than overnight. Sometimes he plays music CD's but not often when he does it sounds okay, but better with headphones (for all of us!).
Although the screen is only 7in it's big enough, the sound is loud enough and the picture quality is good enough. The DVD player is still working and in solid condition- I would recommend it. I'm giving it 4 stars because the control buttons are black and the battery could be longer lasting.
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Philips PD9030
by EdgySurveys
I got this portable DVD player for a birthday present from my parents earlier this year. And from what I've experienced of it through my use of it so far - it's very good.
I've not previously had a portable DVD player so I can't strictly compare this to any other portable DVD players or say how it holds up in general, but just ... based on a basic analysis of the audio/video quality and general build, this one seems solid.
== Display ==
This player has a 9" TFT LCD screen which is wider than most portable DVD players, and definitely wide enough when you have it in your lap (whether you be on a train or in the car); close range viewing makes for an enjoyable experience, a great display size.
== Video Quality ==
The video quality on this player is very good. The screen has an almost 'coated' shine to it, and DVDs look rich and clear on it, with great colour depth resolution.
== Audio Quality ==
Next to video, the most important thing in terms of a quality rating of course would be audio - as you may enjoy what you're looking at all you like, but if you can't hear it properly, what's the point!?
So how does this audio stack up? well, like I say: I haven't owned any other portable DVD players but just going by way of comparison to the audio quality of say an MP3 player, or what I am used to from good speakers or a television: this audio quality is very good.
This audio is Dolby Digital stereo and aside from sounding very crisp and 'surrounding', it also appears to be quite loud and you'll certainly have plenty of range with it.
== Quality of Build ==
In terms of the quality of the product itself, as in, its structure and manufacturing materials... it seems sturdy enough to me - with a solid base and thick screen.
Phillips are known to be a quality brand, even amidst some of the top dogs cheapening their hardware - Phillips is one of those brands that continues to make solid products.
My only slight gripe with this would be the noise of the disk spinning, it is sometimes noticeable, a very slight whirring but overall, you barely notice it, and won't at all if you have headphones in.
Overall I'd say this is an excellent gadget and great DVD player; great for traveling or perhaps curled up in bed: you can attach it to the back of a car seat too!
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Philips DVP3310
by KennyG5000
So if you're looking in to picking up this DVD player you are obviously at the budget end of the market, as we were when we got it! When our last bells and whistles Sony DVD player gave up the ghost, I was in a quandary as to whether to dig deep in to my (unfortunately quite shallow!) pockets and opt for a Blue Ray player, or just spend ... the bear minimum to get the job done and still be able to watch a DVD every now and then. I figured that Blue Ray players were still yet to really crash in price, and also if you do want one you may as well cough up an extra hundred quid or so and bag yourself a nice shiny Playstation 3 (which can already play Blue Rays off the shelf).
Though I did try, alas, my wife would not go for the PS3 option (claiming it would quite rightfully lead to more expense when purchasing the forty pound plus games!) so we ended up with this modest little model. Well, Philips are an electronic brand I trust, and the specification all looked right for a DVD player; it plays 'CD,(S)VCD,DVD,DVD+R/RW,DVD-R/RW and MP3', so all bases covered there. The player is multi-regional, which I believe is a must these days when it is so convenient to pick up cheap imports of US discs (or even for rarities that have not come out in the UK at all). It also has 12bit/108 Mhz image processing, which according to the blurb makes everything look better. Well the picture quality I can say is spot on, and it features a sort of quality 'upscaling' feature in that it does a 'progressive scan' of the picture (techno babble for rendering both the odd and even lines vertically on the screen simultaneously rather than one after the other as normal). This again noticeably adds to the clarity of the picture even through a good old modest scart connection (which is all you are going to get on this model). So far, so good. However, I believe this also causes one little nag with this player that is sure to bug anyone. When watching a DVD and you come to a particularly 'dark' scene (not in the emotional sense, just basically any scene at night!) suddenly there's some jerky frame skipping going on, like you've suddenly dropped the DVD into slow motion. I think the image rendering just can't keep up with this progressive scan, (well that's my best guess anyway!), but is certainly annoying.
Oh well, you get what you pay for in this world I suppose. Everything else about the player is exactly what it says on the tin, and to be honest, it's pretty good for what you pay. The setup is a breeze, it loads discs nice and promptly and is not too noisy when spinning (have you ever tried to use a Playstation 2 to watch DVDs, now that's noisy!). It's robust; my toddler has had a few goes at pulling the DVD drawer in and out and so far the motor has held up well! It also looks sleek enough and is unobtrusive in black (obviously helps if TV, Sky Box etc are also that color mind!). Go for this DVD if you want something to tide you over until Blue Ray players become more reasonable is my best advice.
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