You probably haven't heard of Envizen, but it's one of several off-brand companies putting out new digital portable TVs to replace all the obsolete analog units that were toted to sporting events or kept around for emergencies when the power went off. As implied by its name--the Envizen Digital Duo Box Pro ED8850A--this model is actually two products in one: a portable DVD player and a portable DTV.
The ED8850, which costs around $150 online, looks and feels like your typical inexpensive portable DVD player. To put it politely, there's nothing sexy or slick about it. That doesn't mean it's ugly, just that it's very basic and generic-looking (at least it's black and not silver). But we did like what the ED8850 offers in terms of features.
Read the full review of the Envizen Digital Duo Box Pro ED8850A.
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The DVP-FX730 and DVP-FX930 are Sony's latest DVD players.
(Credit: Sony)Two portable DVD players also made their debut at the 2009 Sony line show. New for this year are the DVP-FX730 and DVP-FX930. The DVP-FX730 boasts a 7-inch LCD screen and 5 hours of battery life. Its screen is also covered in an antifingerprint texture, something we've yet to see on a portable player. Look for it on sale this month for around $130.
The DVP-FX930 looks like the successor to our favorite portable DVD player from last year, the DVP-FX820. We were blown away by its impressive high-resolution LCD screen and it appears the DVP-FX930 ups the ante. The player jumps from an 8-inch screen to a 9-incher with full 180-degree rotation and 6-hour battery. Available in five colors, the DVP-FX930 will be available later this month for $190.
Toshiba upgrades portable DVD player offerings with 9-inch screen
(Credit:
Toshiba)
Toshiba just announced two new portable DVD players hitting this March. While we weren't thrilled with the SD-P71S, it seems the high-end SD-P93S has gotten quite a makeover.
The P93S will feature a 9-inch 180-degree swivel screen along with a pearl-white finish. In addition to MP3, JPEG, and DivX playback, the unit boasts a five hour battery life. We're also glad to see that Toshiba has
...Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
On Sale Now: $153.95 - $202.12
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Picking the right portable DVD player isn't an easy task. There are many details to factor in such as screen size, battery life, and playback capabilities. Some players have swivel screens, and others opt for a collapsible hinge. While you'll find that most DVD players use the familiar clamshell design, a few models are now adopting the tablet-style form factor.
Some players are even incorporating iPod music and video playback along with SD flash card readers with the ability to play all kinds of file formats including DivX-encoded movies.
We've taken a close look at the top competing models for 2008 and have tested them extensively. So, whether you're looking for a "bare-bones" portable player or one with all the bells and whistles, be sure to check out our portable DVD player roundup and see which unit is right for you.
Two-for-one special.
(Credit: Disney)Portable DVD players seem to come in all shapes and sizes these days--and sometimes in pairs. Yes, the Disney dual-screen Mobile DVD player has arrived at our New York offices, along with one of Disney's new Pix Max digital cameras, which sports a "Pirates of the Caribbean" theme.
The new Pix Max costs $80.
(Credit: Disney)The idea behind the dual-screen DVD player ($180) is that two backseat riders can watch the same movie at the same time, with neither person having to deal with the perils of off-axis viewing. Both screens feature a 7-inch LCD display that straps onto the back of a headrest; they ship with four Disney-themed faceplate inserts, including "Tinker Bell" and "Pirates of the Caribbean." Needless to say, it's perfect for mollifying the kiddies during those 15-hour road trips to Disneyland or Disney World--or anywhere else for that matter.
As for the digital camera, aside from the swashbuckling Jack Sparrow theme, how this 3-megapixel Pix Max differs from last year's Pix Max ($80) is unclear, but we're always curious to check out cheap digital cameras to see if they don't totally suck. Kodak has an even more budget-priced model, the Disney Pix Micro ($50), but that one wasn't included in the shipment.
(Credit:
Crave UK)
We looked at the MP80D's little brother, the MP70D, a few months back, and this beast is similar--but with a larger screen (8 inches to the MP70D's measly 7). It's a decent little DVD player--it does that job really quite well. Sharp picture, actually in sync with the sound, all the options you'd expect, and it's all very easy to use.
The problems arise when you try to use the integrated Freeview TV. Standing on the top floor of our new office, waving the flimsy aerial around like a glow-stick in a nightclub had Crave reminiscing about the Sega Game Gear's TV tuner. Back then, reception was dodgy, choice was limited, and we remember the sense of achievement on finding a clear picture--this was a games console, and you were watching TV. Way better than a Gameboy, Nintendo dorks!
Now though, the Mustek's reception is dodgy, choice is limited (bidup tv but no BBC) and on finding a clear picture, there's little child-like sense of achievement--the MP80D was designed for this. Certainly not way better than a DS Lite.
Mustek has included a comprehensive set of extras in the box, some useful, like the car adaptor, some useless like the remote--there's still no way to adjust volume (the MP70D had the same problem), and with a screen this size, the notion of being far enough away to need a remote seems bizarre. In fact, when all the add-ons are added on, they turn a reasonable-sized DVD player into the gadget equivalent of a beached whale.
The insanely large battery, which slots on to the back, doubles the weight of the player. And as the headphones come out one side and the TV aerial the other, you end up carrying a clump of wires. Basically, everything designed to make this player portable achieves the opposite. However, when there's space to plug it in, you've got a stack of DVDs to watch or you're a die-hard fan of Sky News, you might find this a useful addition to your entertainment arsenal.
(Source: Crave UK)
They lack the sizzle of Philips' new portable DVD players, which include iPod docks and displays that swivel 180 degrees. But Toshiba's new line of "premium" portable DVD players offer larger screen sizes, an updated design and, the company claims, longer battery life.
Toshiba SD-P1750
(Credit: Toshiba)The top-of-the-line SD-P2900 has a 10.2-inch wide-screen LCD screen, four-in-one (SD, MMC, MS, and xD) memory card slot and component-video output. Battery life is rated at six hours. The SD-P2900 will be available in March for $300.
The midrange SD-P1900 has a 9-inch wide-screen LCD screen with a new black acrylic top, dual headphone outputs and a car cord adapter. Battery life is rated at five hours. The SD-P1900 will be available this month for $180.
Finally, the budget SD-P1750 player has a 7-inch wide-screen LCD, dual headphone outputs and a car cord adapter. It is rated for three hours on batteries and will be available starting in February for $130.
In 2006, we saw a few portable DVD players that integrated an iPod dock so you could playback your iPod videos on the DVD player's larger screen. But Philips has taken iPod integration to a slicker level with two upcoming portable DVD players, the DCP750 and DCP850. Both are wide-screen models that feature 7- and 8.5-inch swiveling screens, respectively. Philips says they'll also have a built-in SD and MMC card reader, and both players will debut in the "first quarter" of 2007 with suggested retail price tags of $149 and $199.
Open dock, insert iPod.
(Credit: Philips)They won't offer the picture quality of Philips' updated PET line and their battery life of 2.5 hours is pretty average. But the DCP line is really designed to iPod owners who are looking for an affordable way to enlarge their iPod videos so that more than one person can watch them at the same time.
The new, high-end PET 1030.
(Credit: Philips)As far as the PET line goes, Philips is introducing the PET1030 portable DVD player, which features an impressive 10.2-inch swiveling screen for tablet-style viewing, five-hour battery life, and side-slot disc loading. The 8.5-inch PET830 offers less battery life (3 hours) but otherwise identical features. Both come with with a car charger and a Smart Car Mount and will retail for $199 and $279, respectively, when they're released in the first quarter.
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