Initial IDM-1810 Portable DVD Player with 8" LCD and Car Kit

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: If I could relive the moment I hit the 'place my order' key on this one, I would!!! I got this for my kids just before Christmas last year and in less than six months, the screen started going black any time it moved. Because I contacted the company a little over a year after the item was purchased, I was out of luck. The only thing they could offer was to replace it for just under $200. Why would I spend that kind of money for the exact product that didn't work in the first place? No, Thank you. The $300+ I spent on this was basically tossed out the window. Never again. Never again.

Rating:
Summary: wow what a piece of junk
Review: Last year around Christmas I decided that the best thing to get would be a portable DVD player. I looked around on the Internet for hours before I came to the conclusion that the Initial IDM-1810 Portable DVD Player was the one for my money. I looked at some reviews and everything seemed fine but I guess the product hadn't been out for long enough for people to start receiving problems. When I got this player I was in love with it. It had a great large screen good sound and a lot of accessories plus it worked. About 3 months into owning this device and taking excellent care of it the screen started going black when it was tilted back to a certain extent. This didn't bother me too much; I just tilted the screen so that it would work. Although last week it just stopped working for good. This concerned me a little and I talked it over with my friend who is an electronics buff and he said that it would be a minimum of $125 to get fixed. I thought about it for a wile and decided to open the player up myself to see what the problem was. Apparently this machine was made out of cheep materials (although it cost me $400). There is a hinge that connects the screen to the player itself and it is made out of PLASTIC with metal screws in it. Now I don't make electronics for a living but that just seems like a no. What the problem had been with my player was that the plastic obviously broke off (probably within the first couple weeks) and the hinge was now broken. Well right under this hinge is the wires that connect the player to the screen and every time I opened and closed the screen it would pinch the wires and now it has pinched and pinched to the point that it has actually cut some of the wires and ruined my cheap DVD player. I don't see any reason to fix it because if it happened so easily in the first place then what is stopping it from happening again. If I were looking for a portable DVD player I would steer clear of initial because of their poor quality. Please learn from my mistakes and do not buy this player.

Rating:
Summary: The WORST Portable DVD Player Period!
Review: My previous review of this product was based on a big mistake. I thought that the DVD player would work with the AC adapter or DC adapter as long as the battery was attached. It did work that way for me, but little did I know at the time that it was because the battery was fully charged and it was the battery that was powering the unit. The AC adapter wasn't doing anything. I tried it with the DC adapter and received the same results. Whenever the battery ran low the unit would shut off even though an adapter was attached. What a piece of junk. I apologize to everyone for this error on my part. I thought I was doing a good thing by helping and as it turns out everyone else was right. This unit should be recalled. Do yourself a favor and save some aggravation. Do not buy this unit! I returned it and purchased the Sony DVP-FX700 on sale at Circuit City. With the exception of it not including a DC adapter (available at Radio Shack) The Sony is one impressive unit. Sorry everybody for the mis-information.

Rating:
Summary: Doesn't work in car
Review: The IDM-1810 is the same as Circuit City's Initial IDM-830. That's what I bought. The picture is crystal clear and the volume is loud enough for car use. It's definitely a better picture than the comparable Mintek 8" unit. Everything about the Initial unit is nice, except one fatal flaw. The screen goes black when the thing is plugged into a car cigarette lighter. I tried it in both our cars - a Honda and a Subaru - and with another car adapter also (the Initial adapter worked fine with another device too). I tried it with the car engine running and with the engine off too. So it's gotta be the DVD player itself. One white flash and then black screen (but audio OK) every time you turn the unit on. But when I used it in the house or with the battery, this only happened once. Strangely there's a note in the package that says if the screen is black when using the car power adapter, turn it off, unplug it, then try again. So Initial KNOWS about this problem! What's the deal? If you ever want to use this otherwise fine DVD player in your car, forget it.

Rating:
Summary: Power cables do not work well
Review: The power constantly cuts off if you barely move the player. It only worked for about 2 weeks.

Rating:
Summary: Power cables do not work well
Review: The power constantly cuts off if you barely move the player. It only worked for about 2 weeks.

Rating:
Summary: Portable entertainment center
Review: This beautiful product should be called a Portable Entertainment Center rather than just a Portable DVD Player. DVD movies, Video CD, MP3 music, regular audio CDs...it is a super product. The 8" color screen is sharp and viewable at least +/-60-degrees off center (horizontal) - good for two viewers. It is great for travel and just the thing for hospital patients. Audio output could be a bit stronger but it depends on the headphone impedance. Use 10K ohm headphones or less for a good experience. A/V line in and out...very practical. Battery lasts 2.4 hours. I upgraded a 4" portable DVD player to this 8" one. Go for the big wide beautiful screen...you'll be very happy.

Rating:
Summary: THIS IS THE BEST
Review: This portable dvd player is the best! I have been looking around for one for along time and this is the best for its price.I have seen ones almost exactly the same for 400-600 dollars! THIS IS THE BEST OF ALL TIME !!!!!!!!!!

from:TIMMY THE TOOTHE