i have an RCA RC5400P portable dvd player and have had it for about 2 years. used it once and awhile, mostly on flights.

all of a sudden the screen went dark. movies still play, i can hear them and i can BARELY see a faint picture on the screen but its so dark now.

any ideas what happened and how to fix?

thanks.

From what I've heard, portables are basically disposable because they cost more to fix than they are worth. A new screen would probably set you back almost as much as a new unit. I rarely get extended warranties but did get one on mine because they are prone to breakage and very difficult to fix. Good luck. Nothing is worse than when a toy breaks.

so im basically screwed?

Probably if the unit is no longer under warranty.
If you are brave, you could open it up and make sure all cables are connected and not corroded.

hell ive got nothing to lose now.

Sounds to me like the backlight went out. That happens alot with laptop LCDs so I imagine it happens alot with other LCD products. It actually might be worth it to get it fixed. Backlights are relatively inexpensive and are somtimes user replaceable. I replaced the backlight in my laptop and it cost me about $50 for a $2500 laptop, so I would imagine that portable DVD players are a bit less expensive...

Worth a shot.

Sponge