Magnavox MPD820 8" Portable DVD player

Rating:
Summary: a Mintek player with a name change
Review: I have compared the 8-inch Magnavox with the 7-inch 1770 model from Mintek and they are very similar. The switches and jacks are all in the same places, and the battery configuration is identical. The power switch is exactly the same. I suspect that Magnavox got their players from Mintek, then put their more recognizable name on them. Since Mintek is a very small company with no track record, you might want to check out their reviews before you buy this player. I've had the Magnavox for 2 weeks, and the Mintek for 2 months, and so far they both work fine. But when you buy a big name brand, you expect that it is more reliable than the unknown maker. In this case, I don't think that assumption is justified. That's the only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5. If you want this player, BestBuy.com has it for $350, with free shipping, a nice case, and 2 sets of lightweight Sony headphones.

Rating:
Summary: Very nice player
Review: I've had this portable DVD player for only a month and I have been quite pleased with it. The 8" TFT screen is quite nice. It provides excellent picture quality and viewing from just about any angle. Plus, with the larger screen size, two or three people can watch a movie without any problems. Color and brightness controls are easy to access and the factory settings are great as it.

For a portable player, the sound is excellent with out headphones. When I previewed it at Best Buy, I was amazed how loud it can get on its on. With headphones, the sounds is clear and crisp even without expensive noise canceling headphones. Plus, there are two ear phone jacks so two people can plug in and listen. The remote is a nice size, not to small, not too big. So far, battery life is excellent. Another good feature, is that this unit already comes with a car charger (some other brands do not).

So far, only three minor complaints. One, you can only fast forward, reverse or do slow motion with the remote. For some reason they left these buttons out on the player. In addition, there is no S-video output as advertised nor is there an option for input (so you cant plug in your playstation or x-box). Honestly, this doesn't detract from the player because it does exactly what I want...play movies when I'm traveling or on the go. Overall, its a great player with crisp, clear picture and sound. Magnivox makes another winner.

Rating:
Summary: Better than Average Picture w. Good Viewing Angle
Review: Picture: This is a widescreen unit, which means most widescreen DVDs will play without black bars over and under the image. The TFT LCD display is crisp, with good horizontal (side-to-side) viewing angle, which is a real-life advantage for backseat passengers in a vehicle. Predictably, vertical (up-down) viewing angle is rather less, so you may find yourself tilting the screen occasionally to find the best picture if you change your viewing position (e.g. slouching down or sitting up straight). You can adjust the color and brightness, but the factory settings are subjectively optimal.

Sound: The sound through either of the two headphone jacks is excellent. I had expected the sound from the tiny stereo speakers just below the screen to buzzy, but it is surprisingly clear. Obviously, the laws of physics have not been repealed and they produce nothing approaching bass, but the articulation of dialog is crisp, which is much more important for movies. Another pleasant surprise: There was no buzzing or breakup even at their relatively polite "top volume."

Other observations: The case is aluminum and plastic, with an attractive brushed metal top and a generally solid feel. The screen feels very securely attached via two hinges. The removable battery included attaches to the back of the unit. The power cord is a little over seven feet, so you can't range too far from an outlet when using AC. Thermally, it stays cooler than a laptop, which is a plus for travelers, though the transformer in the AC cord gets quite warm.

A couple of gripes: 1.) The remote is nothing special, with white-on-light gray lettering being harder to read than necessary (the slide out battery drawer for the lithium button cell is a nice ergonomic touch); 2.) While you can change scenes without the remote, you need it to fast-forward or skip back within a scene. Doh! This omission alone costs a full star. Also, the disc handling mechanism is buzzy getting up to speed, then settles down to the barely-audible whirring common to DVD players everywhere. Sound-deadening adds cost, weight and thickness, so this is a logical and defensible design tradeoff.

As another reviewer noted, this unit is clearly sourced from the same manufacturer in China that sells entry-level players under the Mintek brand. One might read Mintek reviews for hints about reliability.

I have enjoyed watching movies on the MPD820 and find this is one entry-level DVD player that doesn't seem cheap at all.