If you go around asking what the best portable DVD player is, you’re going to get a lot of answers, but one you’ll hear popping up on the forums a lot is the Sony DVP-FX820.
So… what makes this unit so special? Let’s take a look…
First of all, the eight inch LCD screen doesn’t sound like a big deal, but when you consider the picture quality, it more than makes up for the lack of a huge display. This is partly owed to the crystal clear 800×400 resolution.
It has a shipping weight of about six pounds, which is hefty enough to let you know it’s a sturdy little machine, but it won’t break your back if you toss it in your backpack before taking a plane.
With a six hour battery life, you could watch three or four feature length movies without having to recharge, and you can get a crisp, clean, clear view of the picture from any angle. If you’ve ever dealt with a portable DVD player that only lets you see the picture when you’re sitting it directly on your lap, you’ll know why this is so appreciated.
Besides being able to actually see the image from more than one angle, the unit has two headphone jacks, so you can actually watch a movie with a partner without taking turns.
According to user reviews, it’s surprisingly bump-resistant. The vast majority of portable DVD players can’t sustain so much as a speed bump without the DVD freezing up, so this is another area where the unit excels.
The FX820 also plays CDs and MP3s, and lets you browse photo albums, so you’ll be able to keep yourself occupied long after you’ve exhausted your DVD collection.
The durability really is something to write home about. Many of the users who’ve bought this actually use it to keep the kids entertained on long flights and car trips and, reportedly, there are no problems with the thing breaking the first time someone spills a bottle of apple juice on it, or falling to pieces from the not-so-delicate manner in which most kids handle electronic appliances.
The device features full controls on the unit itself, as well as a remote, so there’s no worry about not being able to skip a scene when the batteries in your remote die.
All in all, it’s just a solid, sturdy, crystal clear, versatile little unit. Is it the best DVD player on the market? Well, if the vast majority of its users have any say in the matter, then, yes, definitely, and at less than two hundred bucks, you can’t really ask for better bang for your buck.
