Portable DVD players, Polaroid OR?

[PACKIN' PLASTIC]

I decided to get a portable DVD player and got a Polaroid PDV-0700 off Ebay, but it was WAY over-advertised by the seller and will be on it’s way back ASAP.

It is barely playable and makes loud noises when loading. It also reads “open” when the lid is closed and sometimes runs the speakers when the headphones are in. I’m not completely turned off on Polaroid however as this was a used, defective unit.

Any suggestions for a replacement and where to buy it?

I do like the unit, it is cheaply made (I’m not sure what would be any better though) but the features and sound quality are pretty good from the little I have seen.

I could get the exact one brand new at best Buy for $189.99.

The defective unit made a loud banging noise for about 5 seconds when it was loading, is this common among portable DVD players?

Best buy sells a service plan for $80.00 and that seems awful steep for an item of this price. Can a few years of frequent use (no abuse) be expected before a major failure? Apart from the battery what is the service life on players of this type?

I know $200 is not a lot of money but I’m not willing to spend it if I cannot expect a few years of good service.


PP

[kayak99]

I have a Toshiba SDP-2500 and love it. They now have a 2600 model out so the prices on the 2500 are going down. I use Shure EC3 earphones to top off the quality sound.

Search ebay, pricescan & pricegrabber to cpmpare prices.

[cseyer]

I recently bought a panasonic DVD-LV65 off ebay for just over $200, it was brand new. It is a much higher quality unit than the cheapos I have seen. My Father in Law bought the Mintek 7" that is recommened, I dont like it had a high pitch squeal through the headphones that would come and go it your wiggled the headphone jack. I tried to get him to return/exchange it but he couldnt hear it so didnt bother him.

Anyways the 5" screen may sound small but it truly is crystal clear and the player performs flawlessly and has good battery life. And no it makes no banging noises just a few sounds as the laser jumps back and forther reading the disc initially after that just about silent. PM me if you want to know the Ebay seller she still has several for sale.

[clappj]

I second Toshiba.
Best player, considering the picture quality and the features you get, for the price!
I did a side-by-side comparison with the Mintek, and it is much better picture quality, IMO. :)

[drmoze]

Panasonics have the best pq I've seen, although Samsungs are nice. Much better than the popular budget Minteks. Build quality is great too. I have the LS5 -- 5" screen, but you can watch it close and the pq is great, with good viewing angle. Compared it to a 7" mintek and even a 10" polaroid -- the text was more legible on the Panny.

Plus the Panny has a great battery life, 3+ hrs and a spare battery for $50 gives another 5-6 hrs. Yes, there are cheap models, but you really want a screen that is clear and you'll enjoy watching. Plus battery life and portability are important to me, and the Panny LS5 has both. Sawa few Minteks, was distinctly unimporessed withthe pq compared to the Panny. (Even 7" Mintek vs. 5" Panny.)

[cseyer]

I agree drmoze the little panasonic 5" screen is stunning, really nice. The build quality of the panasonic's also sold me they seem to be built to last vs. the others which feel like cheaper materials and shoddy construction. I also like the toshiba's mentioned above, although the screens didnt seem as good but the build quality was there.