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Portable DVD player hunt made easier(New Straits Times Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) MANY of us own music albums in CD form, favourite films in video CD form, MP3 tracks burnt onto CD-Rs and downloaded TV series written on DVD-Rs. As rewritable media is also getting cheaper, some of us archive photos and home videos on CD-RWs and DVD-RWs. The disc culture among Malaysians has fuelled demand for a variety of playback devices such as notebooks, CD players and portable DVD players. Over the years, we have seen these devices getting more affordable, too. For those on the go who want a player that entertains, the notebook can be too big, too expensive and too indulgent to carry around. On the other hand, the CD player can only support audio CD. A more manageable entertainment solution is the portable DVD player with a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. This compact device comes with plenty of features and you can consider it a travelling companion that allows the best of the audio and video worlds. It supports audio CD, video CD, DVD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW and other variations. With a portable DVD player onboard your car, a long, tiring drive can be made to seem shorter and easier to handle, especially when travelling with children. Somehow the kids become so hooked onto watching movies or their favourite cartoons that they are less easily irritable. There are various types of portable DVD players in the market, but all have the standard features of an LCD screen, earphone jack(s), car adapter and speakers. The LCD screen usually ranges between seven inches and nine inches, a comfortable size for viewing for one to three people. Some players have a 180-degree rotating screen that allows you to turn the screen to the left or right. Also available are portable DVD players that support surround sound standards such as Dolby Digital and DTS, offering quality sound comparable to that from the bigger home theatre systems. Another commonly found feature is anti-skip mechanism, which makes sure that the disc player will not be affected by movements, shakes or shocks. As for format support, most models now typically support DVD audio, DVD video, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+RW, CD, CD-R/RW, WMA, MP3, JPEG, HDCD and MPEG-4. Newer models might carry card readers and built-in support for JPEG file review. Having a card reader onboard expands the player's usability to digital camera and camera phone users. You can easily load Secure Digital, MultiMedia Card and other compatible memory cards onto the player to view photos and videos on a bigger screen. Also included in some of the latest portable DVD players is built-in support for DivX video. A popular media technology created by DivX Inc, DivX media files contain highly compressed video with high visual quality that maintains a relatively small file size. Then there are models that have TV tuners, which means they can receive normal TV channels. WHAT TO LOOK FOR. Since the portable DVD player is going to be your travel companion, make sure that the device is lightweight and compact. Some rechargeable battery packs can weigh quite a bit. If you travel a lot on your own or just with your spouse, a small player will do fine. Models with two headphone jacks are ideal. For those with families, go for a bigger screen. A nine-inch screen is a good size to start with. Note that bigger screens use a lot of power, so check the battery life, AC adapter and charging options of models that you are keen on. Try to go for a model with at least three hours of battery life. And consider buying an additional rechargeable battery. For family roadtrips, getting a portable DVD player with a mountable car kit might be a good investment. Check with the vendor on how the kit works so you can gauge if it is suitable for fitting inside your car. Also check for in-car power supply option. Other accessories that may be part of the portable DVD player package are headphones, a remote control and carrying case. Some vendors throw in these items as freebies. WHERE TO BUY. As a cross between a consumer electronics product and an IT gadget, portable DVD players are sold at both electrical shops and IT vendor hubs. In the Klang Valley, the best places to check out are Bukit Bintang Plaza, Low Yat Plaza, Sungei Wang Plaza and Sunway Pyramid. Brands such as Philips, Panasonic, Audiovox and Hyundai make up the bulk of the offerings. Some shops carry not-so-well-known names such as Shinco, Beliner and Coby. We found some local brands that offer affordable prices. Among them are Super and Hong Kong Video. The latter is sold only at the HKV outlet at Bukit Bintang Plaza. In terms of pricing, you can find portable DVD players from as low as RM399 to high-end models that range between RM899 and RM2,000. Varied options Model - Price Ampex AX451DM - RM599 Audiovox VBP-58 - RM1,139 Beliner PDT-007 - RM699 Coby TF-DVD8000 - RM799 Coby TF-DVD7333 - RM499 HKV PB-400 - RM499 HKV P-400A - RM599 HKV PSDVD-80 - RM699 HKV 1020 - RM899 HKV 1850 - RM899 Hyundai HXD-8117 - RM799 Hyundai HXD-813TV - RM1,199 Iekei KDP-07B - RM465 iWalk DNS-9285 - RM699 LG DVD VCD DP181 - RM875 Philips GY3X - RM699 Philips PET-725 - RM899 Shinco SDP-5820 - RM399 Super KW-9900P - RM699 Super Multimedia Portable DVD - RM655 Super Portable DVD/VCD/CD/MP3 - RM599 Super TVDVD-9299 - RM869 Tenfull PDV-200 - RM479 Copyright 2007 The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad. Source: Financial Times Information Limited - Asia Intelligence Wire. |