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How to Choose and Buy a Portable DVD Player

Here are some hints and tips on what to look for when choosing and buying a portable DVD player:

Size and Weight of a Portable DVD Player

Size and weight are probably the most important things to consider when choosing a portable DVD player. You will need to look for a portable DVD player that offers the size of screen that you want but isn’t too heavy to carry around. This is particularly important if you are likely to be taking it on long flights, as you will want to make sure that it takes up the minimum amount of space in your hand luggage.

Casing and Durability

You will want your portable DVD player to be durable if you are going to be carrying it around when you are travelling. Although you will want your portable DVD player to be light, make sure that it’s sturdy enough to survive being knocked and dropped on your travels. Many portable DVD players also have an anti-shock feature which helps to prevent skipping, and this can also be extremely useful.

Style of Portable DVD Player

Most portable DVD players have flip-up screens, making them ideal for use when travelling, but not all are the same design, so check that it suits your needs before buying.

If you are planning to use your portable DVD player as your main DVD player as well, you will also want to ensure that the design and colour suits your living room.

If you are planning to use your portable DVD player in the car to entertain the kids rather than for your own personal use, you may want to consider buying one of the specific in-car portable DVD players on the market. These come with screens designed to be fitted on the back of the front seats of your car so that passengers can watch films in comfort.

Play-Back Formats

Check the product description of the portable DVD player you are considering carefully to make sure that it plays the formats that you are likely to want to use. Although all portable DVD players play DVDs and CDs, not all play formats such as DVD-Rs and DVD-RWs, MP3 files or WMA files.

If you want to use your portable DVD player as a way to transport your photos, make sure that it is JPEG photo-CD compatible as well. Some portable DVD players also come with a memory card slot so you can view photos taken on your digital camera simply by transferring the memory card to your portable DVD player.

You should also make sure that your chosen DVD player can handle the formats of DVD that you want to watch. If you are only likely to watch DVDs produced and bought in the UK, then a portable DVD player that only plays Region 2 DVDs will be fine. However, if you want to watch DVDs produced and bought elsewhere, such as in America, you will need a multi-region portable DVD player.

Play-Back Time

Different portable DVD players allow you different amounts of playback time before you need to recharge the batteries. You should look for a DVD player that has a reasonable playback time if you are planning to take it on long journeys as it’s extremely frustrating if you have to recharge the batteries half-way through watching a film.

Connectability/Outputs

If you are planning to use your portable DVD player as your main DVD player, ensure that the model you are considering has enough video and audio outputs to allow you to connect it up to your television or home cinema system.

Sound and Image Quality

Check out the sound and image quality of your chosen portable DVD player before you buy it.

Generally, the smaller screens don’t have as good image quality as the larger screens. This may mean that you will want to choose a slightly more expensive model, but it will be worth your while. Many portable DVD players now have built-in speakers and some have virtual surround sound.

It’s often a good idea to visit your local electrical shop and take a look at the portable DVD player that you are interested in, so that you can see whether or not the sound and image quality is good enough for your needs. Once you’ve decided on the model that you want, you can then look online to find the best deal available for that model.

Adjustability

Adjustability should be another key consideration when choosing and buying a portable DVD player. Firstly, make sure that the screen itself is adjustable, so that you can change the viewing angle to make it comfortable to watch, particularly if you are travelling and can’t control the light hitting the screen.

Secondly, many portable DVD players allow you to adjust the screen brightness and colour, and allow you to change between widescreen format to standard format, so it’s worth checking how versatile each model is before buying one.

Remote Control

Most portable DVD players come with a remote control, which is essential if you are planning to use your portable DVD player as your main DVD player as well. Check the product description of the model you are considering to ensure that it includes a remote control as part of the package.

Portable DVD Player Extras

Check what extras are included with the portable DVD player you are considering. Many manufacturers include car adapters, cables and headphones when you buy a portable DVD player. If these aren’t included, make sure that they are readily available. Check that you can buy any other accessories you want, such as carry cases, as well.

Guarantee

Most portable DVD players come with a manufacturer’s guarantee. Check to see that you are happy with the length of the guarantee. If you aren’t, make sure that you can extend it before you buy the product.

Further Information

You can find out about some of the most popular brands and models of portable DVD player on the market in our Brands and Top Models sections.

For details of some of the top online suppliers, including details of their delivery times and postage and packaging costs, visit our Where to Buy section.

You can learn more about other types of DVD player available in our Types section.

To find out about some of the different accessories that you can buy to go with your new DVD player, visit our Accessories section.