Portable DVD Player Price Guide
What you get for your money
There are about three distinct categories when it comes to buying a portable DVD player. It’s particularly important to explore each of these, since it is a market that has yet to be strangled by the “big boys”. As a result, no-name brands are still quite popular, and are openly pushed in the flyers of big box electronics department stores. Since you’ve probably shaken your head in confusion on a few occasions when flipping through those flyers, we’ll take an in-depth look at what’s available:
$250 - $400
What you get for the BIG money:
- Longer battery life
- Larger screens (usually around 10 inches)
- Sharp, clear, colorful displays
- Effective, efficient design
- Comfort of owning a brand name
- Better warranties
- Longer product life
- Bragging rights
Everyone’s heard of Panasonic and Philips, and that’s part of the reason you’ll be paying at least $250 USD to own one of their portable DVD players. As with any electronics shopping, you’ll have to weigh quality versus price, which might depend on the amount of use in the device’s future. If you plan on using a portable DVD player fairly often, it might be in your best interest to purchase a brand-name edition with a colorful display. However, if the use is going to border on overuse, then you may want to look into something cheap that’s easy to replace.
$200 - $250
Brand names:- Audiovox
- Sony
- Mustek
What you get for the medium money:
Generally middle of the road compromises, such as a quality display for a fair price
- Often worse picture than the higher end Panasonic or Philips
- Above-average battery life
- Sometimes can muster up a large display (Audiovox D2011)
- Money leftover to buy a few movies
This range features brand names spanning the entire recognition spectrum. You’ve surely heard of Sony, possibly recognize Audiovox and have almost undoubtedly lived your entire life without the knowledge that Mustek ever existed. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything, and indeed Mustek’s player - the MP100 - provides a large screen while somehow managing to avoid a boulder-like weight. However, the Mustek player, like Sony and Audiovox, generally sacrifice picture quality in order to remain in this price range. That’s the dilemma in selecting medium range portable DVD players.
$100 - $200
Brand names:- Initial
- Mintek
What you get for the little money:
-
Not much;
- generally small displays (7 inches or less) made by fly-by-night companies
- Low battery life
- Low picture quality
- Low self-esteem
We don’t mean to completely rip apart those consumers who settle for a portable DVD player in this range. For most people this is the price group that fits, for the simple reason that a portable DVD player isn’t an everyday item. Think about it: do your kids need to watch movies away from home on the average weekday? Probably not. That’s why the portable DVD market is flooded with low-end brand names like Initial and Mintek. Very trendy names, but it’s unlikely people will ever expect much by picking up their wares.
Do keep in mind that many of the big name manufacturers produce players for each of the price ranges; but since people are unlikely to pick up a $400 Mustek or Initial player, these brands generally stick to the low end.
