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Rating: 
Summary: Picture Quality good when you tweek it
Review: I bought the 8" model a few weeks ago, and was concerned about the picture quality too. The 7" model looked much clearer in the store than the 8", but the sales guy insisted that the 8" and 7" model were indentical in part quality. What I found was that there is a resolution setting (high/low) and mode setting (picture dimension). The factory setting had the resolution set to Low. Changing it to High, and experimenting with the screen dimension, I could get a very nice picture. Still, JPEGs from personal photo CDs don't look too great. They are a bit blurry and smaller than I expected. Text within a movie is still a bit hard to read, but the bottom line is: don't be put off with the movie picture quality until you get the settings right. I'm very happy with the quality, especially when you compare it to other competing models.
Rating:
Summary: Picture Quality good when you tweek it
Review: I bought the 8" model a few weeks ago, and was concerned about the picture quality too. The 7" model looked much clearer in the store than the 8", but the sales guy insisted that the 8" and 7" model were indentical in part quality. What I found was that there is a resolution setting (high/low) and mode setting (picture dimension). The factory setting had the resolution set to Low. Changing it to High, and experimenting with the screen dimension, I could get a very nice picture. Still, JPEGs from personal photo CDs don't look too great. They are a bit blurry and smaller than I expected. Text within a movie is still a bit hard to read, but the bottom line is: don't be put off with the movie picture quality until you get the settings right. I'm very happy with the quality, especially when you compare it to other competing models.
Rating: 
Summary: Solid machine, so far so good
Review: I just purchased this about 4 days ago. I've run about 5 DVD's (mostly with the player connected to a TV), and it has been wonderful.
1) The manual is not very good. Make sure the unit is in the "Out" position when connected to the TV (the picture in the manual shows "In").
2) The unit will not spin up and will appear not to work if you turn it on while in the "In" position.
3) The speakers have a very good quality for their size (when there is no other ambient noise). I was very impressed at home.
4) There are two headphone jacks, which is great if you're sharing the device with another person. One is on the left, the other is on the right.
5) The picture quality is very good for the price (I paid $359 at Best Buy 1/2/04), considering it's an 8" for about $300 less than the Sony/Panasonic counterparts. Words are a little hard to read if they are small (subtitles seem to be big enough, but the FBI warnings at the beginning are fuzzy - not that you read them anyway). When hooked up to the TV, it is DVD-perfect quality.
6) When swiveling the monitor, I haven't had any problems with the screen flashing. This happened on some of the lower priced models - definitely try out this type of equipment in the store if you get a chance! There is a button on the monitor that allows you to flip the picture 180 degrees, so you can turn the unit upside down and watch the film rightside up.
7) The remote is more than credit-card size. However, it is very thin and comes with the battery (about the size of a quarter). The remote has all the functions.
8) The unit only has a few options if you aren't able to use the remote (like on an airplane) - Complete menu functionality, Play, Next, Previous (no Fast Forward or Rewind, Subtitle, etc.).
9) You can charge the battery using the enclosed AC adapter but not while using the enclosed car adapter. (Note: I don't know if it was a manufacturer or store problem, but part of my power adapter was missing - from the transformer to the wall - they used a power cable from a computer and it fit and works perfectly.)
10) Battery life seems to be very good so far - it does have memory, though (Li batter), so they suggest letting it die before charging again. The battery is thin and covers the entire bottom of the unit. The initial charge only took about 2 hours, even though they told me it would take 4 hours. There is no indicator for the battery on the screen (as far as I know) - there is a LED on the battery when plugged into the wall - green if charged, red if needing a charge. Hope this helps. I'll update this review if I have any issues. I'm giving 5 stars, because I don't expect manuals to be very good, and I believe that I've gotten a very solid product for the amount spent. Other units this price were about 5" from Panasonic with the same features/quality. Update 1/9/04: Still working fine - note that you should disconnect the battery when not using the player, because it drains the battery in "standby"... This can lead to battery problems and user frustration.
Rating: 
Summary: Unless Inferior Picture is OK, Keep Shopping.
Review: I was excited about the reviews so I went to Best Buy and Sams Club to see it in person. I was greatly disappointed in the picture quality on this (and the 7"): It just isn't very sharp, even compared to some other el-cheapo no-name brands (granted, this is probably a far-east product with a "Polaroid" label stuck on it). You'll notice the edges of text are quite fuzzy and distorted -- and this is consistent across three different players (not just one bad unit). Sams Club had the RCA 7" which had much better picture. Still others had a better picture than that, so COMPARE IN PERSON before shopping online. You may even find a good deal in the store. The Maganavox also has a decent picture, as does the G2G Gear brand at Sams (which comes with case and 2nd TFT/screen and strapable case, but I can't find reviews on that ANYWHERE. $399). Other than the display, this has a lot of good features. If only it had a better picture..
Rating:
Summary: Unless Inferior Picture is OK, Keep Shopping.
Review: I was excited about the reviews so I went to Best Buy and Sams Club to see it in person. I was greatly disappointed in the picture quality on this (and the 7"): It just isn't very sharp, even compared to some other el-cheapo no-name brands (granted, this is probably a far-east product with a "Polaroid" label stuck on it). You'll notice the edges of text are quite fuzzy and distorted -- and this is consistent across three different players (not just one bad unit). Sams Club had the RCA 7" which had much better picture. Still others had a better picture than that, so COMPARE IN PERSON before shopping online. You may even find a good deal in the store. The Maganavox also has a decent picture, as does the G2G Gear brand at Sams (which comes with case and 2nd TFT/screen and strapable case, but I can't find reviews on that ANYWHERE. $399). Other than the display, this has a lot of good features. If only it had a better picture..
Rating: 
Summary: Everything good except the screen quality
Review: The only complaint I have is the poor screen quality, which was enough reason for me to return it!
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Value...Great Picture
Review: The Polaroid PDV-0800 DVD player is an outstanding value given the price range and the outstanding picture quality that you get in an 8" screen portable. After comparing 5", 7", and 8" screens I decided I preferred the 8". The closest competitor in price I found was the Audiovox 8", but I liked the look, feel, and picture of the Polaroid better. This unit seemed more substantial, and I found it at a lower price on sale. The Polaroid is sleek, elegant, and has a nice solid feel. The battery covers the entire bottom of the unit, and disconnects easily for storage. The battery does continue to trickle in standby mode, so just disconnect it when not in use..too easy! The ultra slim remote works great, and stores easily. I connected to my TV right out of the box with no effort. Crystal clear picture and no skipping. Sound was great for individual listening when operating without a TV. I have not tried it with headphones, but I am sure that will be even better! Comes with DC adapter, car adapter, and audio/visual cables to hook directly to a TV. Summary:
1. Love the 8" screen size!
2. Beautiful picture.
2. Best price/quality for the size.
3. Slim line profile looks great!
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