|
Browse categories
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 Product Description
Sony DVP-FX870 Portable DVD Player with 8 (inch) TFT LCD display and Twisting High Resolution Wide Screen.
Customer Reviews
Excellent as you would expect from Sony, 25 Oct 2008
I did a fair bit of research before settling on this Sony. I was originally interested in the 7" model, but it is worth going for the extra size to get a better picture. The quality is outstanding - very sharp even with 80s TV programmes on DVD. The colours are punchy and crisp and overall I am very impressed with the visuals.
Althought it is region 2, it plays my region 4 DVDs fine, but cannot play Region 1 NTSC disks.
Two earphone jacks is great so you can watch a movie on a plane or train with others.
The detachable battery is slim and means when using the unit through the plug without a battery, it is nice and slimline.
I think it is better than any of the Phillips, Toshiba and other models I viewed.
Super picture quality, 10 Sep 2008
Picture quality is excellent, far better than I expected for a unit of this size. Picture is sharp with vivid colours. Recent BBC wildlife DVDs come into their own! Sound quality is OK from the internal speaker, but a little 'tinny'. Much better through a decent set of headphones. Unit is well built with good quality switches etc that should last. Battery charges faster than the spec. and lasts about 6 hours as per the spec.
Amazon recommend that you you purchase a case with this unit. Don't as one is supplied! It is not listed but there is one in the box.However, there is no in car installation kit as listed by Amazon. This doesn't bother me, but may be important to some.
Overall a super unit. The only let down is the slightly disappointing sound quality from the internal speaker.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
Excellent as you would expect from Sony, 25 Oct 2008
I did a fair bit of research before settling on this Sony. I was originally interested in the 7" model, but it is worth going for the extra size to get a better picture. The quality is outstanding - very sharp even with 80s TV programmes on DVD. The colours are punchy and crisp and overall I am very impressed with the visuals.
Althought it is region 2, it plays my region 4 DVDs fine, but cannot play Region 1 NTSC disks.
Two earphone jacks is great so you can watch a movie on a plane or train with others.
The detachable battery is slim and means when using the unit through the plug without a battery, it is nice and slimline.
I think it is better than any of the Phillips, Toshiba and other models I viewed.
Super picture quality, 10 Sep 2008
Picture quality is excellent, far better than I expected for a unit of this size. Picture is sharp with vivid colours. Recent BBC wildlife DVDs come into their own! Sound quality is OK from the internal speaker, but a little 'tinny'. Much better through a decent set of headphones. Unit is well built with good quality switches etc that should last. Battery charges faster than the spec. and lasts about 6 hours as per the spec.
Amazon recommend that you you purchase a case with this unit. Don't as one is supplied! It is not listed but there is one in the box.However, there is no in car installation kit as listed by Amazon. This doesn't bother me, but may be important to some.
Overall a super unit. The only let down is the slightly disappointing sound quality from the internal speaker.
At least one intolerable flaw., 29 May 2008
I bought one of these from Richer Sounds in London.
Good points: whilst the screen is of low-resolution it's not as harsh or blocky as many similar screens on budget machines. The player handles the vast majority of DivX files without complaint, though it refuses to play HD files.
Bad points: I initially found it unbelievable that this player can't correctly play 4:3 (non-widescreen) DVDs - it will only play them at 16:9. Philips support then actually confirmed the fact: so if you have any 4:3 DVDs they will only play stretched out across widescreen, with everyone and everything looking fat. Note that this problem does not affect DivX playback: the LCD aspect ratio of DivX is selected according to the TV ratio chosen in the player setup.
A secondary problem with this player is that whilst it is capable of showing DivX subtitles, several functions on the remote tend to lead to the subtitles vanishing. Only re-loading the disc recovers them, but fast-forwarding to the point you were at in the footage risks them vanishing again. Final irritation: when you start play, the time elapsed is always superimposed on the screen. You have to press a button on the remote twice to clear the timing from the screen - which may seem trivial but rapidly becomes tiresome.
Conclusion: this hardware could have made a potentially good budget machine, but here is coupled with with firmware which Philips should be ashamed of. The 4:3 DVD fault is so limiting that I suspect a case could be argued that the model is not fit for the purpose for which it is sold.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
Excellent as you would expect from Sony, 25 Oct 2008
I did a fair bit of research before settling on this Sony. I was originally interested in the 7" model, but it is worth going for the extra size to get a better picture. The quality is outstanding - very sharp even with 80s TV programmes on DVD. The colours are punchy and crisp and overall I am very impressed with the visuals.
Althought it is region 2, it plays my region 4 DVDs fine, but cannot play Region 1 NTSC disks.
Two earphone jacks is great so you can watch a movie on a plane or train with others.
The detachable battery is slim and means when using the unit through the plug without a battery, it is nice and slimline.
I think it is better than any of the Phillips, Toshiba and other models I viewed.
Super picture quality, 10 Sep 2008
Picture quality is excellent, far better than I expected for a unit of this size. Picture is sharp with vivid colours. Recent BBC wildlife DVDs come into their own! Sound quality is OK from the internal speaker, but a little 'tinny'. Much better through a decent set of headphones. Unit is well built with good quality switches etc that should last. Battery charges faster than the spec. and lasts about 6 hours as per the spec.
Amazon recommend that you you purchase a case with this unit. Don't as one is supplied! It is not listed but there is one in the box.However, there is no in car installation kit as listed by Amazon. This doesn't bother me, but may be important to some.
Overall a super unit. The only let down is the slightly disappointing sound quality from the internal speaker.
At least one intolerable flaw., 29 May 2008
I bought one of these from Richer Sounds in London.
Good points: whilst the screen is of low-resolution it's not as harsh or blocky as many similar screens on budget machines. The player handles the vast majority of DivX files without complaint, though it refuses to play HD files.
Bad points: I initially found it unbelievable that this player can't correctly play 4:3 (non-widescreen) DVDs - it will only play them at 16:9. Philips support then actually confirmed the fact: so if you have any 4:3 DVDs they will only play stretched out across widescreen, with everyone and everything looking fat. Note that this problem does not affect DivX playback: the LCD aspect ratio of DivX is selected according to the TV ratio chosen in the player setup.
A secondary problem with this player is that whilst it is capable of showing DivX subtitles, several functions on the remote tend to lead to the subtitles vanishing. Only re-loading the disc recovers them, but fast-forwarding to the point you were at in the footage risks them vanishing again. Final irritation: when you start play, the time elapsed is always superimposed on the screen. You have to press a button on the remote twice to clear the timing from the screen - which may seem trivial but rapidly becomes tiresome.
Conclusion: this hardware could have made a potentially good budget machine, but here is coupled with with firmware which Philips should be ashamed of. The 4:3 DVD fault is so limiting that I suspect a case could be argued that the model is not fit for the purpose for which it is sold.
faulty, 14 Nov 2008
mine didnt work. ordered it with express delivery as a pressie.it arrived in time but was faulty. the player failed to load and read any disc.waiting for a replacement.
delighted customer, 04 Oct 2008
bought this item for son and daughter in law and they have been absolutely delighted with it. We are now purchasing another one.
Lovely Piece of Kit, 01 Sep 2008
Recently upgraded my old portable DVD player for this one, Great picture, very durable, and lovely design. Tried the FM feature, too, and this worked well in my car. Cannot recommend it highly enough.
shincoSDP-1735, 15 Feb 2008
I was pleased with this DVD player,a good design,nice size and easy to use! I was also impressed with the FM transmitter and its multi region capability which was the main reason I purchased it.And at this price you cant go wrong.Ive had no problems as of yet.So overall definately a good buy.
Excellent iPod white dvd palyer, 01 Oct 2007
This is a superb dvd player - fantastic colour contrast, outside stylish looking iPod white, open it and equally stylish black finish - really nice. The player itself is very good, nice picture quality, good sound quality. The feature i like about this player is its FM transmitter - tune in your car radio to the player and hear the sound through your in-car stereo system, really awesome. Played all formats of media without any problems. Its stylish design and finish had heads turning on my recent train journey asking about the unit. Really pleased with it.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Product Description
This Portable DVD player delivers performance with convenience. The high quality screen displays images in glorious detail and the 3D virtual surround sound brings movies to life, even through the headphones. Its great to share and its easy with the SD-P71 which has two headphone sockets, letting you enjoy great films anywhere - without disturbing those near by. With a three hour battery life you will have time to get through your DVD and plenty of extras.
The SD-P71 plays back most popular DVD formats, allowing you to watch programmes previously recorded at home on your DVD recorder a great way to catch up on the soaps if you have a long commute. The range of media options includes MP3 playback and JPEG viewer, with DivX compatibility allowing playback of compressed video and audio files downloaded from the internet.
Customer Reviews
Excellent as you would expect from Sony, 25 Oct 2008
I did a fair bit of research before settling on this Sony. I was originally interested in the 7" model, but it is worth going for the extra size to get a better picture. The quality is outstanding - very sharp even with 80s TV programmes on DVD. The colours are punchy and crisp and overall I am very impressed with the visuals.
Althought it is region 2, it plays my region 4 DVDs fine, but cannot play Region 1 NTSC disks.
Two earphone jacks is great so you can watch a movie on a plane or train with others.
The detachable battery is slim and means when using the unit through the plug without a battery, it is nice and slimline.
I think it is better than any of the Phillips, Toshiba and other models I viewed.
Super picture quality, 10 Sep 2008
Picture quality is excellent, far better than I expected for a unit of this size. Picture is sharp with vivid colours. Recent BBC wildlife DVDs come into their own! Sound quality is OK from the internal speaker, but a little 'tinny'. Much better through a decent set of headphones. Unit is well built with good quality switches etc that should last. Battery charges faster than the spec. and lasts about 6 hours as per the spec.
Amazon recommend that you you purchase a case with this unit. Don't as one is supplied! It is not listed but there is one in the box.However, there is no in car installation kit as listed by Amazon. This doesn't bother me, but may be important to some.
Overall a super unit. The only let down is the slightly disappointing sound quality from the internal speaker.
At least one intolerable flaw., 29 May 2008
I bought one of these from Richer Sounds in London.
Good points: whilst the screen is of low-resolution it's not as harsh or blocky as many similar screens on budget machines. The player handles the vast majority of DivX files without complaint, though it refuses to play HD files.
Bad points: I initially found it unbelievable that this player can't correctly play 4:3 (non-widescreen) DVDs - it will only play them at 16:9. Philips support then actually confirmed the fact: so if you have any 4:3 DVDs they will only play stretched out across widescreen, with everyone and everything looking fat. Note that this problem does not affect DivX playback: the LCD aspect ratio of DivX is selected according to the TV ratio chosen in the player setup.
A secondary problem with this player is that whilst it is capable of showing DivX subtitles, several functions on the remote tend to lead to the subtitles vanishing. Only re-loading the disc recovers them, but fast-forwarding to the point you were at in the footage risks them vanishing again. Final irritation: when you start play, the time elapsed is always superimposed on the screen. You have to press a button on the remote twice to clear the timing from the screen - which may seem trivial but rapidly becomes tiresome.
Conclusion: this hardware could have made a potentially good budget machine, but here is coupled with with firmware which Philips should be ashamed of. The 4:3 DVD fault is so limiting that I suspect a case could be argued that the model is not fit for the purpose for which it is sold.
faulty, 14 Nov 2008
mine didnt work. ordered it with express delivery as a pressie.it arrived in time but was faulty. the player failed to load and read any disc.waiting for a replacement.
delighted customer, 04 Oct 2008
bought this item for son and daughter in law and they have been absolutely delighted with it. We are now purchasing another one.
Lovely Piece of Kit, 01 Sep 2008
Recently upgraded my old portable DVD player for this one, Great picture, very durable, and lovely design. Tried the FM feature, too, and this worked well in my car. Cannot recommend it highly enough.
shincoSDP-1735, 15 Feb 2008
I was pleased with this DVD player,a good design,nice size and easy to use! I was also impressed with the FM transmitter and its multi region capability which was the main reason I purchased it.And at this price you cant go wrong.Ive had no problems as of yet.So overall definately a good buy.
Excellent iPod white dvd palyer, 01 Oct 2007
This is a superb dvd player - fantastic colour contrast, outside stylish looking iPod white, open it and equally stylish black finish - really nice. The player itself is very good, nice picture quality, good sound quality. The feature i like about this player is its FM transmitter - tune in your car radio to the player and hear the sound through your in-car stereo system, really awesome. Played all formats of media without any problems. Its stylish design and finish had heads turning on my recent train journey asking about the unit. Really pleased with it.
NO USE FOR HOME BURNED MEDIA!, 19 Oct 2008
On the surface this looks like a great deal. Top brand, DivX playback, classy design and it comes with TONS of accessories - seriously, it comes with a carry case/car mounting straps, UK 3-pin and Euro 2-pin AC cables, 12v car cable, AV in/out cable, 5 hour battery, Toshiba branded pad-on-ear headphones and the obligatory remote control unit - which is great, as no portable I have previously owned came with that many accessories. But read on for the bad stuff.....
Apart from the fact the unit is VERY noisy in operation, i.e. seeking and reading discs, one of its main failings is that of the display....you can actually see the lines of resolution unless you are some distance from the screen. My last player, a cheap supermarket branded unit, had a better picture than this as regards perceived resolution - yet the colour, contrast and brightness are admittedly better on the Toshiba. But the unit's main failing for me was laser over-sensitivity. Which means while it will read clean, unblemished store bought DVD movies and what-have-you with out fail, it falls flat on its face with the use of home authored media. So anything you want to play that was recorded from your DVD recorder, or movies you have downloaded from the net and burned to disc are VERY susceptible to jumping/skipping, freezing and even causing the unit to reboot itself....or it just gets itself stuck in an endless loop of noisily trying to mount the disc...and failing. Now before you might think it is the media I use, I can assure you it isn't. I use Verbatim and Taiyo Yuden made media, which are recommended as being the best in the business, amongst other high quality brands. I also regularly use Nero's disc quality checker, and all the discs I keep scan with 90-98% quality scores. I can only imagine what would happen should someone try playing cheap brand media, burned at high speeds or, heaven forbid, scratched DVD's. I noticed that rewritable DVD's faired even worse off than single use discs. Of course many discs played through fine....but the rejection rate was FAR TOO MUCH to live with - considering the vast majority of my discs are home recorded media. I should add that I keep all my discs free of scratches and fingerprints....so that is not the problem either. I did manage to test the DivX/Xvid playback, and that was the same issue....on some discs the files played back OK, and on others the laser got too fussy with the disc and jumps, skips or disc rejection quickly ensued. I should note too that it restricts DivX file names to a measly 8 characters in length....which is also quite poor.
Of course, if you're buying the unit solely to use with store bought DVD movies, and you and your family keep your discs in MINT condition, I should imagine you'd be OK. IF you plan to only ever use it with headphones to muffle the lawnmower like noise that is, or you don't mind sitting a good few feet away to account for the display's shortcomings. The reason I have give it 3 stars is because perhaps there are people who could live with its drawbacks. I couldn't, however.
If you want my advice, don't buy it....and search Amazon for the Sony DVPFX720 7inch portable player instead. I bought this upon returning the Toshiba. It comes with the bare amount of accessories (5 hour battery, AC cable, 12V Car cable, AV in/out cable and remote control...no carry case or headphones), and it comes in a choice of white, red, blue or pink colour schemes. The white seems to be cheaper than the others and can be got for just a few quid more than this Toshiba on Amazon. But it's quiet, classy, built to last for years (it's Sony!) and what is more it does what it says on the tin - it plays every disc you throw at it. It is also DivX compliant, and allows for DivX files names of 14 characters in length. The display on the Sony is MILES better too. While it has the same 480x234 resolution spec as the Toshiba, you cannot see the lines across the screen. Perhaps this is down to the Sony using a 12bit video DAC, which is listed in the specs, I don't know....it's just a beautiful quality picture compared to the Toshiba. Trust me....you won't regret it. I certainly don't.
Good it is, a player for the car it isn't, 27 Sep 2008
I bought this DVD player to use by my daughter in the car and for myself while working away. The quality is first class with a rubber like covering on the outside of the top. The sound is excellent and combined with a screen that displays the colours in great depth, this was well worth the money. The only downside is that the bag is not designed to be used to hold the player in a car. when the top of the bag is open to watch the screen, the only thing which holds the player in place is a velcro strap which fastens across the loading lid. This means you cannot swap DVD's without removing the player from the bag. If you want a quality DVD player, this stills makes an excellent purchase.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
Excellent as you would expect from Sony, 25 Oct 2008
I did a fair bit of research before settling on this Sony. I was originally interested in the 7" model, but it is worth going for the extra size to get a better picture. The quality is outstanding - very sharp even with 80s TV programmes on DVD. The colours are punchy and crisp and overall I am very impressed with the visuals.
Althought it is region 2, it plays my region 4 DVDs fine, but cannot play Region 1 NTSC disks.
Two earphone jacks is great so you can watch a movie on a plane or train with others.
The detachable battery is slim and means when using the unit through the plug without a battery, it is nice and slimline.
I think it is better than any of the Phillips, Toshiba and other models I viewed.
Super picture quality, 10 Sep 2008
Picture quality is excellent, far better than I expected for a unit of this size. Picture is sharp with vivid colours. Recent BBC wildlife DVDs come into their own! Sound quality is OK from the internal speaker, but a little 'tinny'. Much better through a decent set of headphones. Unit is well built with good quality switches etc that should last. Battery charges faster than the spec. and lasts about 6 hours as per the spec.
Amazon recommend that you you purchase a case with this unit. Don't as one is supplied! It is not listed but there is one in the box.However, there is no in car installation kit as listed by Amazon. This doesn't bother me, but may be important to some.
Overall a super unit. The only let down is the slightly disappointing sound quality from the internal speaker.
At least one intolerable flaw., 29 May 2008
I bought one of these from Richer Sounds in London.
Good points: whilst the screen is of low-resolution it's not as harsh or blocky as many similar screens on budget machines. The player handles the vast majority of DivX files without complaint, though it refuses to play HD files.
Bad points: I initially found it unbelievable that this player can't correctly play 4:3 (non-widescreen) DVDs - it will only play them at 16:9. Philips support then actually confirmed the fact: so if you have any 4:3 DVDs they will only play stretched out across widescreen, with everyone and everything looking fat. Note that this problem does not affect DivX playback: the LCD aspect ratio of DivX is selected according to the TV ratio chosen in the player setup.
A secondary problem with this player is that whilst it is capable of showing DivX subtitles, several functions on the remote tend to lead to the subtitles vanishing. Only re-loading the disc recovers them, but fast-forwarding to the point you were at in the footage risks them vanishing again. Final irritation: when you start play, the time elapsed is always superimposed on the screen. You have to press a button on the remote twice to clear the timing from the screen - which may seem trivial but rapidly becomes tiresome.
Conclusion: this hardware could have made a potentially good budget machine, but here is coupled with with firmware which Philips should be ashamed of. The 4:3 DVD fault is so limiting that I suspect a case could be argued that the model is not fit for the purpose for which it is sold.
faulty, 14 Nov 2008
mine didnt work. ordered it with express delivery as a pressie.it arrived in time but was faulty. the player failed to load and read any disc.waiting for a replacement.
delighted customer, 04 Oct 2008
bought this item for son and daughter in law and they have been absolutely delighted with it. We are now purchasing another one.
Lovely Piece of Kit, 01 Sep 2008
Recently upgraded my old portable DVD player for this one, Great picture, very durable, and lovely design. Tried the FM feature, too, and this worked well in my car. Cannot recommend it highly enough.
shincoSDP-1735, 15 Feb 2008
I was pleased with this DVD player,a good design,nice size and easy to use! I was also impressed with the FM transmitter and its multi region capability which was the main reason I purchased it.And at this price you cant go wrong.Ive had no problems as of yet.So overall definately a good buy.
Excellent iPod white dvd palyer, 01 Oct 2007
This is a superb dvd player - fantastic colour contrast, outside stylish looking iPod white, open it and equally stylish black finish - really nice. The player itself is very good, nice picture quality, good sound quality. The feature i like about this player is its FM transmitter - tune in your car radio to the player and hear the sound through your in-car stereo system, really awesome. Played all formats of media without any problems. Its stylish design and finish had heads turning on my recent train journey asking about the unit. Really pleased with it.
NO USE FOR HOME BURNED MEDIA!, 19 Oct 2008
On the surface this looks like a great deal. Top brand, DivX playback, classy design and it comes with TONS of accessories - seriously, it comes with a carry case/car mounting straps, UK 3-pin and Euro 2-pin AC cables, 12v car cable, AV in/out cable, 5 hour battery, Toshiba branded pad-on-ear headphones and the obligatory remote control unit - which is great, as no portable I have previously owned came with that many accessories. But read on for the bad stuff.....
Apart from the fact the unit is VERY noisy in operation, i.e. seeking and reading discs, one of its main failings is that of the display....you can actually see the lines of resolution unless you are some distance from the screen. My last player, a cheap supermarket branded unit, had a better picture than this as regards perceived resolution - yet the colour, contrast and brightness are admittedly better on the Toshiba. But the unit's main failing for me was laser over-sensitivity. Which means while it will read clean, unblemished store bought DVD movies and what-have-you with out fail, it falls flat on its face with the use of home authored media. So anything you want to play that was recorded from your DVD recorder, or movies you have downloaded from the net and burned to disc are VERY susceptible to jumping/skipping, freezing and even causing the unit to reboot itself....or it just gets itself stuck in an endless loop of noisily trying to mount the disc...and failing. Now before you might think it is the media I use, I can assure you it isn't. I use Verbatim and Taiyo Yuden made media, which are recommended as being the best in the business, amongst other high quality brands. I also regularly use Nero's disc quality checker, and all the discs I keep scan with 90-98% quality scores. I can only imagine what would happen should someone try playing cheap brand media, burned at high speeds or, heaven forbid, scratched DVD's. I noticed that rewritable DVD's faired even worse off than single use discs. Of course many discs played through fine....but the rejection rate was FAR TOO MUCH to live with - considering the vast majority of my discs are home recorded media. I should add that I keep all my discs free of scratches and fingerprints....so that is not the problem either. I did manage to test the DivX/Xvid playback, and that was the same issue....on some discs the files played back OK, and on others the laser got too fussy with the disc and jumps, skips or disc rejection quickly ensued. I should note too that it restricts DivX file names to a measly 8 characters in length....which is also quite poor.
Of course, if you're buying the unit solely to use with store bought DVD movies, and you and your family keep your discs in MINT condition, I should imagine you'd be OK. IF you plan to only ever use it with headphones to muffle the lawnmower like noise that is, or you don't mind sitting a good few feet away to account for the display's shortcomings. The reason I have give it 3 stars is because perhaps there are people who could live with its drawbacks. I couldn't, however.
If you want my advice, don't buy it....and search Amazon for the Sony DVPFX720 7inch portable player instead. I bought this upon returning the Toshiba. It comes with the bare amount of accessories (5 hour battery, AC cable, 12V Car cable, AV in/out cable and remote control...no carry case or headphones), and it comes in a choice of white, red, blue or pink colour schemes. The white seems to be cheaper than the others and can be got for just a few quid more than this Toshiba on Amazon. But it's quiet, classy, built to last for years (it's Sony!) and what is more it does what it says on the tin - it plays every disc you throw at it. It is also DivX compliant, and allows for DivX files names of 14 characters in length. The display on the Sony is MILES better too. While it has the same 480x234 resolution spec as the Toshiba, you cannot see the lines across the screen. Perhaps this is down to the Sony using a 12bit video DAC, which is listed in the specs, I don't know....it's just a beautiful quality picture compared to the Toshiba. Trust me....you won't regret it. I certainly don't.
Good it is, a player for the car it isn't, 27 Sep 2008
I bought this DVD player to use by my daughter in the car and for myself while working away. The quality is first class with a rubber like covering on the outside of the top. The sound is excellent and combined with a screen that displays the colours in great depth, this was well worth the money. The only downside is that the bag is not designed to be used to hold the player in a car. when the top of the bag is open to watch the screen, the only thing which holds the player in place is a velcro strap which fastens across the loading lid. This means you cannot swap DVD's without removing the player from the bag. If you want a quality DVD player, this stills makes an excellent purchase.
fantastic, 16 Oct 2008
had this dvd player for a week now its fantastic batt lasts about 10 hours normal viewing picture is very good , sound is good from internal speakers , the unit looks very nice , can use it in the car too good point of this unit with the free head rest that comes with it , good size screen .. and did not get it from here but i ordered the 83 model for 141 pounds with a free case but was not in stock so they sent me the 86 model for the same price as the 83 .. looked at alot of players and this one is the best in my point of view at the moment .. got dvd player from
Total Digital
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Product Description
Toshibas SD-P91S is a real technological gem! Ideal for use on your travels or in your car, this player allows you to watch your favourite films and TV programmes with image quality that rivals that of DVDs. The SD-P91S has a large, 16:9 screen and a USB port, making it compatible with photos, music and even the films stored on a USB key! It can also play DivX and MP3 formats, and comes complete with a host of accessories, which includes a pair of headphones and a travel case. With the SD-P91S, you no longer have to travel alone!
Customer Reviews
Excellent as you would expect from Sony, 25 Oct 2008
I did a fair bit of research before settling on this Sony. I was originally interested in the 7" model, but it is worth going for the extra size to get a better picture. The quality is outstanding - very sharp even with 80s TV programmes on DVD. The colours are punchy and crisp and overall I am very impressed with the visuals.
Althought it is region 2, it plays my region 4 DVDs fine, but cannot play Region 1 NTSC disks.
Two earphone jacks is great so you can watch a movie on a plane or train with others.
The detachable battery is slim and means when using the unit through the plug without a battery, it is nice and slimline.
I think it is better than any of the Phillips, Toshiba and other models I viewed.
Super picture quality, 10 Sep 2008
Picture quality is excellent, far better than I expected for a unit of this size. Picture is sharp with vivid colours. Recent BBC wildlife DVDs come into their own! Sound quality is OK from the internal speaker, but a little 'tinny'. Much better through a decent set of headphones. Unit is well built with good quality switches etc that should last. Battery charges faster than the spec. and lasts about 6 hours as per the spec.
Amazon recommend that you you purchase a case with this unit. Don't as one is supplied! It is not listed but there is one in the box.However, there is no in car installation kit as listed by Amazon. This doesn't bother me, but may be important to some.
Overall a super unit. The only let down is the slightly disappointing sound quality from the internal speaker.
At least one intolerable flaw., 29 May 2008
I bought one of these from Richer Sounds in London.
Good points: whilst the screen is of low-resolution it's not as harsh or blocky as many similar screens on budget machines. The player handles the vast majority of DivX files without complaint, though it refuses to play HD files.
Bad points: I initially found it unbelievable that this player can't correctly play 4:3 (non-widescreen) DVDs - it will only play them at 16:9. Philips support then actually confirmed the fact: so if you have any 4:3 DVDs they will only play stretched out across widescreen, with everyone and everything looking fat. Note that this problem does not affect DivX playback: the LCD aspect ratio of DivX is selected according to the TV ratio chosen in the player setup.
A secondary problem with this player is that whilst it is capable of showing DivX subtitles, several functions on the remote tend to lead to the subtitles vanishing. Only re-loading the disc recovers them, but fast-forwarding to the point you were at in the footage risks them vanishing again. Final irritation: when you start play, the time elapsed is always superimposed on the screen. You have to press a button on the remote twice to clear the timing from the screen - which may seem trivial but rapidly becomes tiresome.
Conclusion: this hardware could have made a potentially good budget machine, but here is coupled with with firmware which Philips should be ashamed of. The 4:3 DVD fault is so limiting that I suspect a case could be argued that the model is not fit for the purpose for which it is sold.
faulty, 14 Nov 2008
mine didnt work. ordered it with express delivery as a pressie.it arrived in time but was faulty. the player failed to load and read any disc.waiting for a replacement.
delighted customer, 04 Oct 2008
bought this item for son and daughter in law and they have been absolutely delighted with it. We are now purchasing another one.
Lovely Piece of Kit, 01 Sep 2008
Recently upgraded my old portable DVD player for this one, Great picture, very durable, and lovely design. Tried the FM feature, too, and this worked well in my car. Cannot recommend it highly enough.
shincoSDP-1735, 15 Feb 2008
I was pleased with this DVD player,a good design,nice size and easy to use! I was also impressed with the FM transmitter and its multi region capability which was the main reason I purchased it.And at this price you cant go wrong.Ive had no problems as of yet.So overall definately a good buy.
Excellent iPod white dvd palyer, 01 Oct 2007
This is a superb dvd player - fantastic colour contrast, outside stylish looking iPod white, open it and equally stylish black finish - really nice. The player itself is very good, nice picture quality, good sound quality. The feature i like about this player is its FM transmitter - tune in your car radio to the player and hear the sound through your in-car stereo system, really awesome. Played all formats of media without any problems. Its stylish design and finish had heads turning on my recent train journey asking about the unit. Really pleased with it.
NO USE FOR HOME BURNED MEDIA!, 19 Oct 2008
On the surface this looks like a great deal. Top brand, DivX playback, classy design and it comes with TONS of accessories - seriously, it comes with a carry case/car mounting straps, UK 3-pin and Euro 2-pin AC cables, 12v car cable, AV in/out cable, 5 hour battery, Toshiba branded pad-on-ear headphones and the obligatory remote control unit - which is great, as no portable I have previously owned came with that many accessories. But read on for the bad stuff.....
Apart from the fact the unit is VERY noisy in operation, i.e. seeking and reading discs, one of its main failings is that of the display....you can actually see the lines of resolution unless you are some distance from the screen. My last player, a cheap supermarket branded unit, had a better picture than this as regards perceived resolution - yet the colour, contrast and brightness are admittedly better on the Toshiba. But the unit's main failing for me was laser over-sensitivity. Which means while it will read clean, unblemished store bought DVD movies and what-have-you with out fail, it falls flat on its face with the use of home authored media. So anything you want to play that was recorded from your DVD recorder, or movies you have downloaded from the net and burned to disc are VERY susceptible to jumping/skipping, freezing and even causing the unit to reboot itself....or it just gets itself stuck in an endless loop of noisily trying to mount the disc...and failing. Now before you might think it is the media I use, I can assure you it isn't. I use Verbatim and Taiyo Yuden made media, which are recommended as being the best in the business, amongst other high quality brands. I also regularly use Nero's disc quality checker, and all the discs I keep scan with 90-98% quality scores. I can only imagine what would happen should someone try playing cheap brand media, burned at high speeds or, heaven forbid, scratched DVD's. I noticed that rewritable DVD's faired even worse off than single use discs. Of course many discs played through fine....but the rejection rate was FAR TOO MUCH to live with - considering the vast majority of my discs are home recorded media. I should add that I keep all my discs free of scratches and fingerprints....so that is not the problem either. I did manage to test the DivX/Xvid playback, and that was the same issue....on some discs the files played back OK, and on others the laser got too fussy with the disc and jumps, skips or disc rejection quickly ensued. I should note too that it restricts DivX file names to a measly 8 characters in length....which is also quite poor.
Of course, if you're buying the unit solely to use with store bought DVD movies, and you and your family keep your discs in MINT condition, I should imagine you'd be OK. IF you plan to only ever use it with headphones to muffle the lawnmower like noise that is, or you don't mind sitting a good few feet away to account for the display's shortcomings. The reason I have give it 3 stars is because perhaps there are people who could live with its drawbacks. I couldn't, however.
If you want my advice, don't buy it....and search Amazon for the Sony DVPFX720 7inch portable player instead. I bought this upon returning the Toshiba. It comes with the bare amount of accessories (5 hour battery, AC cable, 12V Car cable, AV in/out cable and remote control...no carry case or headphones), and it comes in a choice of white, red, blue or pink colour schemes. The white seems to be cheaper than the others and can be got for just a few quid more than this Toshiba on Amazon. But it's quiet, classy, built to last for years (it's Sony!) and what is more it does what it says on the tin - it plays every disc you throw at it. It is also DivX compliant, and allows for DivX files names of 14 characters in length. The display on the Sony is MILES better too. While it has the same 480x234 resolution spec as the Toshiba, you cannot see the lines across the screen. Perhaps this is down to the Sony using a 12bit video DAC, which is listed in the specs, I don't know....it's just a beautiful quality picture compared to the Toshiba. Trust me....you won't regret it. I certainly don't.
Good it is, a player for the car it isn't, 27 Sep 2008
I bought this DVD player to use by my daughter in the car and for myself while working away. The quality is first class with a rubber like covering on the outside of the top. The sound is excellent and combined with a screen that displays the colours in great depth, this was well worth the money. The only downside is that the bag is not designed to be used to hold the player in a car. when the top of the bag is open to watch the screen, the only thing which holds the player in place is a velcro strap which fastens across the loading lid. This means you cannot swap DVD's without removing the player from the bag. If you want a quality DVD player, this stills makes an excellent purchase.
fantastic, 16 Oct 2008
had this dvd player for a week now its fantastic batt lasts about 10 hours normal viewing picture is very good , sound is good from internal speakers , the unit looks very nice , can use it in the car too good point of this unit with the free head rest that comes with it , good size screen .. and did not get it from here but i ordered the 83 model for 141 pounds with a free case but was not in stock so they sent me the 86 model for the same price as the 83 .. looked at alot of players and this one is the best in my point of view at the moment .. got dvd player from
Total Digital
Beware - Not for use in Cars, 01 Nov 2008
As with the other reviews that have gone before, I can't fault Amazon for their delivery or service, however I've been un-impressed with this product and have subsequently returned it to Amazon. On opening the box, we were presented with a leaflet which insisted the DVD player should not be used in a moving vehicle (despite the car adaptor and carry bag). Whilst frustrated by this, we were more frustrated to find that the DVD player struggled to play DVD's. Out of the 10 dvd's we put in the device, only 2 would play without freezing, and 4 would not play at all (despite them being brand new region 2 Disney discs). The device is also very noisy on trying to load discs. I've subsequesntly gone out and bought the Philips PET831/05 DVD player, which for around £30 more is a much better player.
Amazon have been great in resolving the issues though, and their customer service excellent.
Andy
good visualy, 27 Oct 2008
Great all round item, does very well all that you would want from a portable DVD player with excellent picture quality.
Lacking in sound when not using headphones, the ones that came with it throw away and invest in a decent pair, Sound cancelling type for aircraft etc.
Great Portable DVD Player, 27 Sep 2008
First of all the delivery from amazon was great, I ordered the player on a sunday and received it on wednesday.
As for the DVD player it is excellent for a number of reasons. Firstly the size, i had a DVD payer before which was seven inches and this is much better; you'd be surprised how much difference 2 inches makes.
Next the design, it has a very sleek black design which looks great and the 180 degree swivel screen makes it very easy to use. As for the sound it isn't of a great quality but all DVD players are like this and the player makes a small sound while playing DVD's but this isn't distracting and again pretty much all DVD players do this. Also the DVD player comes with a bag which i think is necessary for any DVD player if you don't want it to scratch to soon, and many other accessories which most other dvd players don't come with now.
Chic portable player, 24 Aug 2008
First thing i would like to say is excellent delivery from amazon bought it tuesday morning recieved thursday lunch time,Now to the player i love it reason being it is so cool looking in piano black.it matches all my gadgets.The player it self is oakish,p.q is not bad but it is not good either.Why do all portable players sound like a battlefield when loading dvds.the sound from these players all ways sound tinny,but hooked up to other sound out put sources its ok.The reason have given it 5 stars because of the cool looks other than that it would have got 3 stars.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Product Description
Double your entertainment pleasure on the go with the Philips PET707 featuring two 7" TFT LCD display screens! Simply plug in the second screen to share DVD movies or JPEG photos - perfect for in-car enjoyment. Comes with Smart Car Mount.
Customer Reviews
Excellent as you would expect from Sony, 25 Oct 2008
I did a fair bit of research before settling on this Sony. I was originally interested in the 7" model, but it is worth going for the extra size to get a better picture. The quality is outstanding - very sharp even with 80s TV programmes on DVD. The colours are punchy and crisp and overall I am very impressed with the visuals.
Althought it is region 2, it plays my region 4 DVDs fine, but cannot play Region 1 NTSC disks.
Two earphone jacks is great so you can watch a movie on a plane or train with others.
The detachable battery is slim and means when using the unit through the plug without a battery, it is nice and slimline.
I think it is better than any of the Phillips, Toshiba and other models I viewed.
Super picture quality, 10 Sep 2008
Picture quality is excellent, far better than I expected for a unit of this size. Picture is sharp with vivid colours. Recent BBC wildlife DVDs come into their own! Sound quality is OK from the internal speaker, but a little 'tinny'. Much better through a decent set of headphones. Unit is well built with good quality switches etc that should last. Battery charges faster than the spec. and lasts about 6 hours as per the spec.
Amazon recommend that you you purchase a case with this unit. Don't as one is supplied! It is not listed but there is one in the box.However, there is no in car installation kit as listed by Amazon. This doesn't bother me, but may be important to some.
Overall a super unit. The only let down is the slightly disappointing sound quality from the internal speaker.
At least one intolerable flaw., 29 May 2008
I bought one of these from Richer Sounds in London.
Good points: whilst the screen is of low-resolution it's not as harsh or blocky as many similar screens on budget machines. The player handles the vast majority of DivX files without complaint, though it refuses to play HD files.
Bad points: I initially found it unbelievable that this player can't correctly play 4:3 (non-widescreen) DVDs - it will only play them at 16:9. Philips support then actually confirmed the fact: so if you have any 4:3 DVDs they will only play stretched out across widescreen, with everyone and everything looking fat. Note that this problem does not affect DivX playback: the LCD aspect ratio of DivX is selected according to the TV ratio chosen in the player setup.
A secondary problem with this player is that whilst it is capable of showing DivX subtitles, several functions on the remote tend to lead to the subtitles vanishing. Only re-loading the disc recovers them, but fast-forwarding to the point you were at in the footage risks them vanishing again. Final irritation: when you start play, the time elapsed is always superimposed on the screen. You have to press a button on the remote twice to clear the timing from the screen - which may seem trivial but rapidly becomes tiresome.
Conclusion: this hardware could have made a potentially good budget machine, but here is coupled with with firmware which Philips should be ashamed of. The 4:3 DVD fault is so limiting that I suspect a case could be argued that the model is not fit for the purpose for which it is sold.
faulty, 14 Nov 2008
mine didnt work. ordered it with express delivery as a pressie.it arrived in time but was faulty. the player failed to load and read any disc.waiting for a replacement.
delighted customer, 04 Oct 2008
bought this item for son and daughter in law and they have been absolutely delighted with it. We are now purchasing another one.
Lovely Piece of Kit, 01 Sep 2008
Recently upgraded my old portable DVD player for this one, Great picture, very durable, and lovely design. Tried the FM feature, too, and this worked well in my car. Cannot recommend it highly enough.
shincoSDP-1735, 15 Feb 2008
I was pleased with this DVD player,a good design,nice size and easy to use! I was also impressed with the FM transmitter and its multi region capability which was the main reason I purchased it.And at this price you cant go wrong.Ive had no problems as of yet.So overall definately a good buy.
Excellent iPod white dvd palyer, 01 Oct 2007
This is a superb dvd player - fantastic colour contrast, outside stylish looking iPod white, open it and equally stylish black finish - really nice. The player itself is very good, nice picture quality, good sound quality. The feature i like about this player is its FM transmitter - tune in your car radio to the player and hear the sound through your in-car stereo system, really awesome. Played all formats of media without any problems. Its stylish design and finish had heads turning on my recent train journey asking about the unit. Really pleased with it.
NO USE FOR HOME BURNED MEDIA!, 19 Oct 2008
On the surface this looks like a great deal. Top brand, DivX playback, classy design and it comes with TONS of accessories - seriously, it comes with a carry case/car mounting straps, UK 3-pin and Euro 2-pin AC cables, 12v car cable, AV in/out cable, 5 hour battery, Toshiba branded pad-on-ear headphones and the obligatory remote control unit - which is great, as no portable I have previously owned came with that many accessories. But read on for the bad stuff.....
Apart from the fact the unit is VERY noisy in operation, i.e. seeking and reading discs, one of its main failings is that of the display....you can actually see the lines of resolution unless you are some distance from the screen. My last player, a cheap supermarket branded unit, had a better picture than this as regards perceived resolution - yet the colour, contrast and brightness are admittedly better on the Toshiba. But the unit's main failing for me was laser over-sensitivity. Which means while it will read clean, unblemished store bought DVD movies and what-have-you with out fail, it falls flat on its face with the use of home authored media. So anything you want to play that was recorded from your DVD recorder, or movies you have downloaded from the net and burned to disc are VERY susceptible to jumping/skipping, freezing and even causing the unit to reboot itself....or it just gets itself stuck in an endless loop of noisily trying to mount the disc...and failing. Now before you might think it is the media I use, I can assure you it isn't. I use Verbatim and Taiyo Yuden made media, which are recommended as being the best in the business, amongst other high quality brands. I also regularly use Nero's disc quality checker, and all the discs I keep scan with 90-98% quality scores. I can only imagine what would happen should someone try playing cheap brand media, burned at high speeds or, heaven forbid, scratched DVD's. I noticed that rewritable DVD's faired even worse off than single use discs. Of course many discs played through fine....but the rejection rate was FAR TOO MUCH to live with - considering the vast majority of my discs are home recorded media. I should add that I keep all my discs free of scratches and fingerprints....so that is not the problem either. I did manage to test the DivX/Xvid playback, and that was the same issue....on some discs the files played back OK, and on others the laser got too fussy with the disc and jumps, skips or disc rejection quickly ensued. I should note too that it restricts DivX file names to a measly 8 characters in length....which is also quite poor.
Of course, if you're buying the unit solely to use with store bought DVD movies, and you and your family keep your discs in MINT condition, I should imagine you'd be OK. IF you plan to only ever use it with headphones to muffle the lawnmower like noise that is, or you don't mind sitting a good few feet away to account for the display's shortcomings. The reason I have give it 3 stars is because perhaps there are people who could live with its drawbacks. I couldn't, however.
If you want my advice, don't buy it....and search Amazon for the Sony DVPFX720 7inch portable player instead. I bought this upon returning the Toshiba. It comes with the bare amount of accessories (5 hour battery, AC cable, 12V Car cable, AV in/out cable and remote control...no carry case or headphones), and it comes in a choice of white, red, blue or pink colour schemes. The white seems to be cheaper than the others and can be got for just a few quid more than this Toshiba on Amazon. But it's quiet, classy, built to last for years (it's Sony!) and what is more it does what it says on the tin - it plays every disc you throw at it. It is also DivX compliant, and allows for DivX files names of 14 characters in length. The display on the Sony is MILES better too. While it has the same 480x234 resolution spec as the Toshiba, you cannot see the lines across the screen. Perhaps this is down to the Sony using a 12bit video DAC, which is listed in the specs, I don't know....it's just a beautiful quality picture compared to the Toshiba. Trust me....you won't regret it. I certainly don't.
Good it is, a player for the car it isn't, 27 Sep 2008
I bought this DVD player to use by my daughter in the car and for myself while working away. The quality is first class with a rubber like covering on the outside of the top. The sound is excellent and combined with a screen that displays the colours in great depth, this was well worth the money. The only downside is that the bag is not designed to be used to hold the player in a car. when the top of the bag is open to watch the screen, the only thing which holds the player in place is a velcro strap which fastens across the loading lid. This means you cannot swap DVD's without removing the player from the bag. If you want a quality DVD player, this stills makes an excellent purchase.
fantastic, 16 Oct 2008
had this dvd player for a week now its fantastic batt lasts about 10 hours normal viewing picture is very good , sound is good from internal speakers , the unit looks very nice , can use it in the car too good point of this unit with the free head rest that comes with it , good size screen .. and did not get it from here but i ordered the 83 model for 141 pounds with a free case but was not in stock so they sent me the 86 model for the same price as the 83 .. looked at alot of players and this one is the best in my point of view at the moment .. got dvd player from
Total Digital
Beware - Not for use in Cars, 01 Nov 2008
As with the other reviews that have gone before, I can't fault Amazon for their delivery or service, however I've been un-impressed with this product and have subsequently returned it to Amazon. On opening the box, we were presented with a leaflet which insisted the DVD player should not be used in a moving vehicle (despite the car adaptor and carry bag). Whilst frustrated by this, we were more frustrated to find that the DVD player struggled to play DVD's. Out of the 10 dvd's we put in the device, only 2 would play without freezing, and 4 would not play at all (despite them being brand new region 2 Disney discs). The device is also very noisy on trying to load discs. I've subsequesntly gone out and bought the Philips PET831/05 DVD player, which for around £30 more is a much better player.
Amazon have been great in resolving the issues though, and their customer service excellent.
Andy
good visualy, 27 Oct 2008
Great all round item, does very well all that you would want from a portable DVD player with excellent picture quality.
Lacking in sound when not using headphones, the ones that came with it throw away and invest in a decent pair, Sound cancelling type for aircraft etc.
Great Portable DVD Player, 27 Sep 2008
First of all the delivery from amazon was great, I ordered the player on a sunday and received it on wednesday.
As for the DVD player it is excellent for a number of reasons. Firstly the size, i had a DVD payer before which was seven inches and this is much better; you'd be surprised how much difference 2 inches makes.
Next the design, it has a very sleek black design which looks great and the 180 degree swivel screen makes it very easy to use. As for the sound it isn't of a great quality but all DVD players are like this and the player makes a small sound while playing DVD's but this isn't distracting and again pretty much all DVD players do this. Also the DVD player comes with a bag which i think is necessary for any DVD player if you don't want it to scratch to soon, and many other accessories which most other dvd players don't come with now.
Chic portable player, 24 Aug 2008
First thing i would like to say is excellent delivery from amazon bought it tuesday morning recieved thursday lunch time,Now to the player i love it reason being it is so cool looking in piano black.it matches all my gadgets.The player it self is oakish,p.q is not bad but it is not good either.Why do all portable players sound like a battlefield when loading dvds.the sound from these players all ways sound tinny,but hooked up to other sound out put sources its ok.The reason have given it 5 stars because of the cool looks other than that it would have got 3 stars.
Thinking, about buying this product? Think again!, 17 Aug 2008
I purchased this DVD player to keep my children happy during a long drive to the south of France. It has proved to be the most unreliable electronics product I have ever owned.
Firstly, it was supplied without the rechargeable battery which dramatically reduced the portability of a portable DVD player. When this finally arrived it was found that the second screen did not work at all. It cost me GBP 11.00 to send it back to the supplier. A replacement eventually arrived, but after only 6 hours of French motorway use the replacement screen went black, never to work again.
The main unit also makes a lot of mechanical noise during playback. Although this does nor effect performance with headphones (not included), it does not exactly inspire you with confidence either.
I leave you to draw your own conclusions.
big no no, 07 Aug 2008
i really dont advise you buy this
phillips are a reliable brand, but this is just crap...
first thing i noticed out of the box, the actual unit is very heavy and chunky
second, the actual player, the first screen is crap, there are lines, it is impossible to read anything and is horrible...
third, you need about 3 cables (the manual doesent tell you which ones) to connect the two screens up
third thing, it freezes EVERYWHERE. EVERY SINGLE DVD I HAVE PUT IN, IT HAS FROZEN AND MADE A HUGE MARK ON AFTER 40 MINUTES, RENDERING THEM USELES...
fourth thing, the running time...you dont even want to know with both screens, but with a fully charged battery, on one screen playing a normal movie, it lasted 69 minutes before it runs out...
utter crap...avoid at ALL COSTS....
Disappointment, 02 Aug 2008
Having purchased a so called quality brand I have been very disappointed with the reliability. The remote control has never worked. The unit has been repaired once and it still takes several attempts to load dvd's.
I totally agree with the other review regarding the headrest mounts. They place the screen far too close to the viewer, the unit is unstable and the bracket potentially dangerous.
If music videos is your thing then this player isn't for you., 28 Jul 2008
There is something peculiar about this machine. It doesn't like music DVD's. What I mean is that if you try to play a DVD of your favourite band in concert or a DVD collection of their videos it will play them but the sound is out of sync with the visuals. Strangely this does not happen with any movies or indeed all the kids videos I have tried.
I called the Phillips customer care centre to see if there was a remedy. I was on the phone for over 15 mins, much of it on hold whilst they discussed the problem. At 15p per min it wasn't a cheap call but they were very pleasant when telling me to send the product back to Amazon as they hadn't had that problem before!
Apart from that strange idiosyncrasy it works fine except that it is quite a noisy machine. But given that I bought it for the car to keep the kids happy on long trips I'm not too concerned.
All the fittings fitted to my car and in fact it came with alternative fittings - fixed (but easily removable) to the front seat headrest pillars or pouches that strap to the headrests.
So I'm now in a quandry - do I keep it, as it seems to play what the kids watch without too much trouble, or do I send it back as it doesn't handle DVD's that I might watch when we're on holiday? As usual it's the kids requirements which have won the day. I'll read a book.
Here's hoping that it doesn't pack in when we head for France very soon.
HIGHLY UNRELIABLE - GIVE THIS A MISS, 26 Jun 2008
The fixing brackets, mounted on my Golf headrest, could only be screwed using the central holes - subsequently the brackets were loose and ultimately one cracked
The first one I bought - the 2nd screen never worked and delayed my holiday as I had to return to the store to exchange it
The exchanged one worked for a few hours then once again failed as the 2nd screen went blank and so was useless
It was exchanged once more, worked for one journey, the headrest mounting rail cracked and when used again, a few weeks later for a long journey, the 2nd screen went blank yet again.
It was an extremely dissapointing puchase and the mountings for the screens were very wobbly.
The numerous trailing cables were an unwanted and unsightly distraction and potential problem
I would urge you strongly NOT to buy this equipment despite being from a usually reputable and reliable manufacturer
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
Excellent as you would expect from Sony, 25 Oct 2008
I did a fair bit of research before settling on this Sony. I was originally interested in the 7" model, but it is worth going for the extra size to get a better picture. The quality is outstanding - very sharp even with 80s TV programmes on DVD. The colours are punchy and crisp and overall I am very impressed with the visuals.
Althought it is region 2, it plays my region 4 DVDs fine, but cannot play Region 1 NTSC disks.
Two earphone jacks is great so you can watch a movie on a plane or train with others.
The detachable battery is slim and means when using the unit through the plug without a battery, it is nice and slimline.
I think it is better than any of the Phillips, Toshiba and other models I viewed.
Super picture quality, 10 Sep 2008
Picture quality is excellent, far better than I expected for a unit of this size. Picture is sharp with vivid colours. Recent BBC wildlife DVDs come into their own! Sound quality is OK from the internal speaker, but a little 'tinny'. Much better through a decent set of headphones. Unit is well built with good quality switches etc that should last. Battery charges faster than the spec. and lasts about 6 hours as per the spec.
Amazon recommend that you you purchase a case with this unit. Don't as one is supplied! It is not listed but there is one in the box.However, there is no in car installation kit as listed by Amazon. This doesn't bother me, but may be important to some.
Overall a super unit. The only let down is the slightly disappointing sound quality from the internal speaker.
At least one intolerable flaw., 29 May 2008
I bought one of these from Richer Sounds in London.
Good points: whilst the screen is of low-resolution it's not as harsh or blocky as many similar screens on budget machines. The player handles the vast majority of DivX files without complaint, though it refuses to play HD files.
Bad points: I initially found it unbelievable that this player can't correctly play 4:3 (non-widescreen) DVDs - it will only play them at 16:9. Philips support then actually confirmed the fact: so if you have any 4:3 DVDs they will only play stretched out across widescreen, with everyone and everything looking fat. Note that this problem does not affect DivX playback: the LCD aspect ratio of DivX is selected according to the TV ratio chosen in the player setup.
A secondary problem with this player is that whilst it is capable of showing DivX subtitles, several functions on the remote tend to lead to the subtitles vanishing. Only re-loading the disc recovers them, but fast-forwarding to the point you were at in the footage risks them vanishing again. Final irritation: when you start play, the time elapsed is always superimposed on the screen. You have to press a button on the remote twice to clear the timing from the screen - which may seem trivial but rapidly becomes tiresome.
Conclusion: this hardware could have made a potentially good budget machine, but here is coupled with with firmware which Philips should be ashamed of. The 4:3 DVD fault is so limiting that I suspect a case could be argued that the model is not fit for the purpose for which it is sold.
faulty, 14 Nov 2008
mine didnt work. ordered it with express delivery as a pressie.it arrived in time but was faulty. the player failed to load and read any disc.waiting for a replacement.
delighted customer, 04 Oct 2008
bought this item for son and daughter in law and they have been absolutely delighted with it. We are now purchasing another one.
Lovely Piece of Kit, 01 Sep 2008
Recently upgraded my old portable DVD player for this one, Great picture, very durable, and lovely design. Tried the FM feature, too, and this worked well in my car. Cannot recommend it highly enough.
shincoSDP-1735, 15 Feb 2008
I was pleased with this DVD player,a good design,nice size and easy to use! I was also impressed with the FM transmitter and its multi region capability which was the main reason I purchased it.And at this price you cant go wrong.Ive had no problems as of yet.So overall definately a good buy.
Excellent iPod white dvd palyer, 01 Oct 2007
This is a superb dvd player - fantastic colour contrast, outside stylish looking iPod white, open it and equally stylish black finish - really nice. The player itself is very good, nice picture quality, good sound quality. The feature i like about this player is its FM transmitter - tune in your car radio to the player and hear the sound through your in-car stereo system, really awesome. Played all formats of media without any problems. Its stylish design and finish had heads turning on my recent train journey asking about the unit. Really pleased with it.
NO USE FOR HOME BURNED MEDIA!, 19 Oct 2008
On the surface this looks like a great deal. Top brand, DivX playback, classy design and it comes with TONS of accessories - seriously, it comes with a carry case/car mounting straps, UK 3-pin and Euro 2-pin AC cables, 12v car cable, AV in/out cable, 5 hour battery, Toshiba branded pad-on-ear headphones and the obligatory remote control unit - which is great, as no portable I have previously owned came with that many accessories. But read on for the bad stuff.....
Apart from the fact the unit is VERY noisy in operation, i.e. seeking and reading discs, one of its main failings is that of the display....you can actually see the lines of resolution unless you are some distance from the screen. My last player, a cheap supermarket branded unit, had a better picture than this as regards perceived resolution - yet the colour, contrast and brightness are admittedly better on the Toshiba. But the unit's main failing for me was laser over-sensitivity. Which means while it will read clean, unblemished store bought DVD movies and what-have-you with out fail, it falls flat on its face with the use of home authored media. So anything you want to play that was recorded from your DVD recorder, or movies you have downloaded from the net and burned to disc are VERY susceptible to jumping/skipping, freezing and even causing the unit to reboot itself....or it just gets itself stuck in an endless loop of noisily trying to mount the disc...and failing. Now before you might think it is the media I use, I can assure you it isn't. I use Verbatim and Taiyo Yuden made media, which are recommended as being the best in the business, amongst other high quality brands. I also regularly use Nero's disc quality checker, and all the discs I keep scan with 90-98% quality scores. I can only imagine what would happen should someone try playing cheap brand media, burned at high speeds or, heaven forbid, scratched DVD's. I noticed that rewritable DVD's faired even worse off than single use discs. Of course many discs played through fine....but the rejection rate was FAR TOO MUCH to live with - considering the vast majority of my discs are home recorded media. I should add that I keep all my discs free of scratches and fingerprints....so that is not the problem either. I did manage to test the DivX/Xvid playback, and that was the same issue....on some discs the files played back OK, and on others the laser got too fussy with the disc and jumps, skips or disc rejection quickly ensued. I should note too that it restricts DivX file names to a measly 8 characters in length....which is also quite poor.
Of course, if you're buying the unit solely to use with store bought DVD movies, and you and your family keep your discs in MINT condition, I should imagine you'd be OK. IF you plan to only ever use it with headphones to muffle the lawnmower like noise that is, or you don't mind sitting a good few feet away to account for the display's shortcomings. The reason I have give it 3 stars is because perhaps there are people who could live with its drawbacks. I couldn't, however.
If you want my advice, don't buy it....and search Amazon for the Sony DVPFX720 7inch portable player instead. I bought this upon returning the Toshiba. It comes with the bare amount of accessories (5 hour battery, AC cable, 12V Car cable, AV in/out cable and remote control...no carry case or headphones), and it comes in a choice of white, red, blue or pink colour schemes. The white seems to be cheaper than the others and can be got for just a few quid more than this Toshiba on Amazon. But it's quiet, classy, built to last for years (it's Sony!) and what is more it does what it says on the tin - it plays every disc you throw at it. It is also DivX compliant, and allows for DivX files names of 14 characters in length. The display on the Sony is MILES better too. While it has the same 480x234 resolution spec as the Toshiba, you cannot see the lines across the screen. Perhaps this is down to the Sony using a 12bit video DAC, which is listed in the specs, I don't know....it's just a beautiful quality picture compared to the Toshiba. Trust me....you won't regret it. I certainly don't.
Good it is, a player for the car it isn't, 27 Sep 2008
I bought this DVD player to use by my daughter in the car and for myself while working away. The quality is first class with a rubber like covering on the outside of the top. The sound is excellent and combined with a screen that displays the colours in great depth, this was well worth the money. The only downside is that the bag is not designed to be used to hold the player in a car. when the top of the bag is open to watch the screen, the only thing which holds the player in place is a velcro strap which fastens across the loading lid. This means you cannot swap DVD's without removing the player from the bag. If you want a quality DVD player, this stills makes an excellent purchase.
fantastic, 16 Oct 2008
had this dvd player for a week now its fantastic batt lasts about 10 hours normal viewing picture is very good , sound is good from internal speakers , the unit looks very nice , can use it in the car too good point of this unit with the free head rest that comes with it , good size screen .. and did not get it from here but i ordered the 83 model for 141 pounds with a free case but was not in stock so they sent me the 86 model for the same price as the 83 .. looked at alot of players and this one is the best in my point of view at the moment .. got dvd player from
Total Digital
Beware - Not for use in Cars, 01 Nov 2008
As with the other reviews that have gone before, I can't fault Amazon for their delivery or service, however I've been un-impressed with this product and have subsequently returned it to Amazon. On opening the box, we were presented with a leaflet which insisted the DVD player should not be used in a moving vehicle (despite the car adaptor and carry bag). Whilst frustrated by this, we were more frustrated to find that the DVD player struggled to play DVD's. Out of the 10 dvd's we put in the device, only 2 would play without freezing, and 4 would not play at all (despite them being brand new region 2 Disney discs). The device is also very noisy on trying to load discs. I've subsequesntly gone out and bought the Philips PET831/05 DVD player, which for around £30 more is a much better player.
Amazon have been great in resolving the issues though, and their customer service excellent.
Andy
good visualy, 27 Oct 2008
Great all round item, does very well all that you would want from a portable DVD player with excellent picture quality.
Lacking in sound when not using headphones, the ones that came with it throw away and invest in a decent pair, Sound cancelling type for aircraft etc.
Great Portable DVD Player, 27 Sep 2008
First of all the delivery from amazon was great, I ordered the player on a sunday and received it on wednesday.
As for the DVD player it is excellent for a number of reasons. Firstly the size, i had a DVD payer before which was seven inches and this is much better; you'd be surprised how much difference 2 inches makes.
Next the design, it has a very sleek black design which looks great and the 180 degree swivel screen makes it very easy to use. As for the sound it isn't of a great quality but all DVD players are like this and the player makes a small sound while playing DVD's but this isn't distracting and again pretty much all DVD players do this. Also the DVD player comes with a bag which i think is necessary for any DVD player if you don't want it to scratch to soon, and many other accessories which most other dvd players don't come with now.
Chic portable player, 24 Aug 2008
First thing i would like to say is excellent delivery from amazon bought it tuesday morning recieved thursday lunch time,Now to the player i love it reason being it is so cool looking in piano black.it matches all my gadgets.The player it self is oakish,p.q is not bad but it is not good either.Why do all portable players sound like a battlefield when loading dvds.the sound from these players all ways sound tinny,but hooked up to other sound out put sources its ok.The reason have given it 5 stars because of the cool looks other than that it would have got 3 stars.
Thinking, about buying this product? Think again!, 17 Aug 2008
I purchased this DVD player to keep my children happy during a long drive to the south of France. It has proved to be the most unreliable electronics product I have ever owned.
Firstly, it was supplied without the rechargeable battery which dramatically reduced the portability of a portable DVD player. When this finally arrived it was found that the second screen did not work at all. It cost me GBP 11.00 to send it back to the supplier. A replacement eventually arrived, but after only 6 hours of French motorway use the replacement screen went black, never to work again.
The main unit also makes a lot of mechanical noise during playback. Although this does nor effect performance with headphones (not included), it does not exactly inspire you with confidence either.
I leave you to draw your own conclusions.
big no no, 07 Aug 2008
i really dont advise you buy this
phillips are a reliable brand, but this is just crap...
first thing i noticed out of the box, the actual unit is very heavy and chunky
second, the actual player, the first screen is crap, there are lines, it is impossible to read anything and is horrible...
third, you need about 3 cables (the manual doesent tell you which ones) to connect the two screens up
third thing, it freezes EVERYWHERE. EVERY SINGLE DVD I HAVE PUT IN, IT HAS FROZEN AND MADE A HUGE MARK ON AFTER 40 MINUTES, RENDERING THEM USELES...
fourth thing, the running time...you dont even want to know with both screens, but with a fully charged battery, on one screen playing a normal movie, it lasted 69 minutes before it runs out...
utter crap...avoid at ALL COSTS....
Disappointment, 02 Aug 2008
Having purchased a so called quality brand I have been very disappointed with the reliability. The remote control has never worked. The unit has been repaired once and it still takes several attempts to load dvd's.
I totally agree with the other review regarding the headrest mounts. They place the screen far too close to the viewer, the unit is unstable and the bracket potentially dangerous.
If music videos is your thing then this player isn't for you., 28 Jul 2008
There is something peculiar about this machine. It doesn't like music DVD's. What I mean is that if you try to play a DVD of your favourite band in concert or a DVD collection of their videos it will play them but the sound is out of sync with the visuals. Strangely this does not happen with any movies or indeed all the kids videos I have tried.
I called the Phillips customer care centre to see if there was a remedy. I was on the phone for over 15 mins, much of it on hold whilst they discussed the problem. At 15p per min it wasn't a cheap call but they were very pleasant when telling me to send the product back to Amazon as they hadn't had that problem before!
Apart from that strange idiosyncrasy it works fine except that it is quite a noisy machine. But given that I bought it for the car to keep the kids happy on long trips I'm not too concerned.
All the fittings fitted to my car and in fact it came with alternative fittings - fixed (but easily removable) to the front seat headrest pillars or pouches that strap to the headrests.
So I'm now in a quandry - do I keep it, as it seems to play what the kids watch without too much trouble, or do I send it back as it doesn't handle DVD's that I might watch when we're on holiday? As usual it's the kids requirements which have won the day. I'll read a book.
Here's hoping that it doesn't pack in when we head for France very soon.
HIGHLY UNRELIABLE - GIVE THIS A MISS, 26 Jun 2008
The fixing brackets, mounted on my Golf headrest, could only be screwed using the central holes - subsequently the brackets were loose and ultimately one cracked
The first one I bought - the 2nd screen never worked and delayed my holiday as I had to return to the store to exchange it
The exchanged one worked for a few hours then once again failed as the 2nd screen went blank and so was useless
It was exchanged once more, worked for one journey, the headrest mounting rail cracked and when used again, a few weeks later for a long journey, the 2nd screen went blank yet again.
It was an extremely dissapointing puchase and the mountings for the screens were very wobbly.
The numerous trailing cables were an unwanted and unsightly distraction and potential problem
I would urge you strongly NOT to buy this equipment despite being from a usually reputable and reliable manufacturer
Stylish and Sleek design, 30 Sep 2008
The Hyundai has got all the features you could want in a portable DVD player such as multi reigon, MPEG 4 (DivX playback) and a few more thrown in for good measure such as a USB port and card Reader not to mention the carry case as well. The unit itself looks good, is nice and slim with a very sharp picture and good sound quality.
It's an ideal product and will keep the kids entertained on those long car journeys.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Customer Reviews
Excellent as you would expect from Sony, 25 Oct 2008
I did a fair bit of research before settling on this Sony. I was originally interested in the 7" model, but it is worth going for the extra size to get a better picture. The quality is outstanding - very sharp even with 80s TV programmes on DVD. The colours are punchy and crisp and overall I am very impressed with the visuals.
Althought it is region 2, it plays my region 4 DVDs fine, but cannot play Region 1 NTSC disks.
Two earphone jacks is great so you can watch a movie on a plane or train with others.
The detachable battery is slim and means when using the unit through the plug without a battery, it is nice and slimline.
I think it is better than any of the Phillips, Toshiba and other models I viewed.
Super picture quality, 10 Sep 2008
Picture quality is excellent, far better than I expected for a unit of this size. Picture is sharp with vivid colours. Recent BBC wildlife DVDs come into their own! Sound quality is OK from the internal speaker, but a little 'tinny'. Much better through a decent set of headphones. Unit is well built with good quality switches etc that should last. Battery charges faster than the spec. and lasts about 6 hours as per the spec.
Amazon recommend that you you purchase a case with this unit. Don't as one is supplied! It is not listed but there is one in the box.However, there is no in car installation kit as listed by Amazon. This doesn't bother me, but may be important to some.
Overall a super unit. The only let down is the slightly disappointing sound quality from the internal speaker.
At least one intolerable flaw., 29 May 2008
I bought one of these from Richer Sounds in London.
Good points: whilst the screen is of low-resolution it's not as harsh or blocky as many similar screens on budget machines. The player handles the vast majority of DivX files without complaint, though it refuses to play HD files.
Bad points: I initially found it unbelievable that this player can't correctly play 4:3 (non-widescreen) DVDs - it will only play them at 16:9. Philips support then actually confirmed the fact: so if you have any 4:3 DVDs they will only play stretched out across widescreen, with everyone and everything looking fat. Note that this problem does not affect DivX playback: the LCD aspect ratio of DivX is selected according to the TV ratio chosen in the player setup.
A secondary problem with this player is that whilst it is capable of showing DivX subtitles, several functions on the remote tend to lead to the subtitles vanishing. Only re-loading the disc recovers them, but fast-forwarding to the point you were at in the footage risks them vanishing again. Final irritation: when you start play, the time elapsed is always superimposed on the screen. You have to press a button on the remote twice to clear the timing from the screen - which may seem trivial but rapidly becomes tiresome.
Conclusion: this hardware could have made a potentially good budget machine, but here is coupled with with firmware which Philips should be ashamed of. The 4:3 DVD fault is so limiting that I suspect a case could be argued that the model is not fit for the purpose for which it is sold.
faulty, 14 Nov 2008
mine didnt work. ordered it with express delivery as a pressie.it arrived in time but was faulty. the player failed to load and read any disc.waiting for a replacement.
delighted customer, 04 Oct 2008
bought this item for son and daughter in law and they have been absolutely delighted with it. We are now purchasing another one.
Lovely Piece of Kit, 01 Sep 2008
Recently upgraded my old portable DVD player for this one, Great picture, very durable, and lovely design. Tried the FM feature, too, and this worked well in my car. Cannot recommend it highly enough.
shincoSDP-1735, 15 Feb 2008
I was pleased with this DVD player,a good design,nice size and easy to use! I was also impressed with the FM transmitter and its multi region capability which was the main reason I purchased it.And at this price you cant go wrong.Ive had no problems as of yet.So overall definately a good buy.
Excellent iPod white dvd palyer, 01 Oct 2007
This is a superb dvd player - fantastic colour contrast, outside stylish looking iPod white, open it and equally stylish black finish - really nice. The player itself is very good, nice picture quality, good sound quality. The feature i like about this player is its FM transmitter - tune in your car radio to the player and hear the sound through your in-car stereo system, really awesome. Played all formats of media without any problems. Its stylish design and finish had heads turning on my recent train journey asking about the unit. Really pleased with it.
NO USE FOR HOME BURNED MEDIA!, 19 Oct 2008
On the surface this looks like a great deal. Top brand, DivX playback, classy design and it comes with TONS of accessories - seriously, it comes with a carry case/car mounting straps, UK 3-pin and Euro 2-pin AC cables, 12v car cable, AV in/out cable, 5 hour battery, Toshiba branded pad-on-ear headphones and the obligatory remote control unit - which is great, as no portable I have previously owned came with that many accessories. But read on for the bad stuff.....
Apart from the fact the unit is VERY noisy in operation, i.e. seeking and reading discs, one of its main failings is that of the display....you can actually see the lines of resolution unless you are some distance from the screen. My last player, a cheap supermarket branded unit, had a better picture than this as regards perceived resolution - yet the colour, contrast and brightness are admittedly better on the Toshiba. But the unit's main failing for me was laser over-sensitivity. Which means while it will read clean, unblemished store bought DVD movies and what-have-you with out fail, it falls flat on its face with the use of home authored media. So anything you want to play that was recorded from your DVD recorder, or movies you have downloaded from the net and burned to disc are VERY susceptible to jumping/skipping, freezing and even causing the unit to reboot itself....or it just gets itself stuck in an endless loop of noisily trying to mount the disc...and fai | | |