Thanks to the group I got a usb drive to mp3 player, now I'm looking into a portable DVD player to take on our trips. It's got to have at least a 3hr life, but longer is better, I fly mostly WN so no power, and most of my longhaul Hawaii flights are powerless also. I'd prefer something small, probably in the 7" range, I think smaller is to small, and larger would take more power, and be more bulky to tote around. I haven't decided if I want 1 player, 1 player with 2 screens, or 2 seperate players. I travel with 2 kids and with wn's seating may not always get to sit togather.

I kinda like the portable media players, but have a hard time justifing the need to spend 3x as much as a DVD player. We only fly a few times a year, and don't drive anywhere.

I did like one I saw with 2 screens and built in games, the youngest loves his video games, but it's not batt powered. Are there any like this that are batt powered?

Any brands to reccomend ^ ? avoid ? personal opnions.

Thanks
Bryan

For the past 1.5 years, I've been using a Panasonic DVD-LS55 7" portable DVD player, which now seems to have been replaced by the DVD-LX95, a 9" player. I purchased the LS55 because of the battery life -- it lasts at least 8.5 hours after it's been fully charged (I don't know its absolute maximum as I've never used it for more than 8.5 hours without recharging). It's sufficiently small that carrying it onboard isn't too onerous (though the TSA security folks often don't seem to know what to make of it and ask, accusingly, whether someone forgot to take their laptop out of its case), and it fits nicely in the seat pocket in front of you should you want to stow it for a while. It seems pretty sturdy, and I've been very happy with the video and audio quality. The screen on the Panasonic is really flexible and the unit as a whole doesn't take much space, which is handy given the small amount of space on the tray table, especially if the passenger in front of you decides to recline. I completely agree with your cost benefit assessment -- the money you'll have to spend if you're looking for a long battery life is hard to justify unless you're going to make substantial use of the unit. However, my brother, who has the same DVD player, tells me that it was hugely popular with my usually very fidgety niece (brother and sister-in-law, too), and made their flight from Munich to Chicago pass quite uneventfully.

1) Go to WorstBuy and purchase expensive portable DVD player
2) Use portable DVD player
3) Return portable DVD player, knowing that the 15 year old clerk won't inspect the contents, more than a quick glance.
4) If desired, purchase exact same portable DVD player that is 20% off thanks to the "open box" deal.

The end.

After thorough research, in December we chose the Panasonic LS90 (a 9" screen) for our son, as extra entertainment during our frequent long-hauls. Absolutely stoked with it!

As PP said, battery life is key - we're getting *at least* 8 hours out of it set to low brightness (which doesn't at all look low to me, doesn't compromise quality at all). I couldn't find anything else in the market that came close to this battery life. Overall product quality is excellent, too (two headphone jacks, plays a host of input media, connect to TV in hotel rooms without DVD players etc etc)

HTH

Another Panasonic vote here. A good place to buy is Amazon.com where you usually get a mail-in rebate in the form of airline power adapter and carrying case.

Otherwise, stick to the reputable Japanses brands and make sure it is "Made in Japan." Don't be tempted by the cheap no-brand models, mostly made in China. The video quality is bad, battery life worse, and they have a cheap "feel" to them.

Well it really depends, you want keepsake that may work perfectly in 6 years w/o a scratch, but will be outdated in three months and gives you no flexibilty to play differnet regions, etc and which costs 4-5 times as much as something similar? Or do you want the most bang for your buck, with total flexibility that costs close to nothing and you won;t mind trashing for something better next year or the year after. That is the question, as these things are now just commodites and some of the Chinese ones are surprisingly robust. I should add that almost NONE of these machines are made in Japan any longer as they are seen as too low margin by most Japanese electronic makers.

You can get a good no-name 7" DVD screen for $99 at ecost.com. Use it for six months to a year, until you lose it or drop it or it shorts out, and then get another one. There's no point in shopping for or "investing" in an appliance like this -- even the cheap ones are reasonably good quality, they just keep getting cheaper, and you're probably going to leave it in a seatback pocket someday soon anyway.

Questionable ethics aside, what you suggest is probably not an option any more, as 'WorstBy' now charges a restocking fee on most returned electronics devices like this. They put a little sticker type seal on the box when you purchase it and if the seal is broken you can't return without a restocking fee.

I purchased the ls-90 before xmas, it was 299$ at WB, with a 50$ rebate and some free headphones.

It is a GREAT player with long battery life.

Audiovox 7", 3-hour battery life, $119.94. I personally would not pay a lot more for a portable dvd player.

I have a Panasonic LS5 which is no longer being made, but it has worked very well for me. It has an excellent picture.

You really need to look at the picture quality in person before buying - the differences between some players are really pronounced.

I just bought a Zenith (actually LG) at BestBuy. 7" screen. Battery life is supposedly 3.5 hours..not the greatest but good enough for most domestic flights.

It cost me $100 after rebates. My kinda price.

As an addendum, an inexpensive portable player plus a Universal Portable DVD 12-hour Battery should fill the bill, even for most transoceanic flyers.

I never had that, yet again, it was worstbuy up North. Good to bear in mind though.

I started this thread on omni (link: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=575733, and I was referred to this forum.

My question relates to the use by the most practical portable dvd by our 10 yr old daughter, often in plane trips, car trips, or other trips, but perhaps sometimes at home too, esp if she wants to see something in her room (there is no tv in her room).