Home :: Video :: DVD Players :: Single-Disc DVD Players  

DVD Recorders
DVD-VCR & Other DVD Combos
Multidisc DVD Players
Portable DVD Players
Progressive-Scan DVD Players
Single-Disc DVD Players

Initial DVD-9510 Portable DVD Player with 4" Screen

Initial DVD-9510 Portable DVD Player with 4" Screen

List Price: $229.99
Your Price:
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 >>

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Doesn't Live Up To Expectations
Review: After reading many positive reviews on several web sites, I thought this would be a great deal on a great product. I was extremely dissapointed when it arrived. You should know that the rechargeable battery is EXTERNAL and locks on with flimsy plastic nubs and you have to connect an external cable from this battery pack into the main unit. This adds extra weight and doesn't feel securely attached (doesn't look good either). An AC adaptor and car adaptor are provided to power the device, but I bought it for my commutes on the subway...Aside from the power situation I found the screen quality to be poor: very pixelated, motion was jerky, colors were off, and there was a dead pixel in the middle of the screen. The menus and other text is unreadable. The audio sounded fine on my Sony headphones. The price is right, but I returned the device for poor quality.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: My Initial Reaction
Review: Always wanted a nice compact portable dvd player,but these toys are usually too high in price..This player got it right on the money.
The player has everything the high price ones have except the BIG screen..(If I wanted that,,I'd get a laptop computer with dvd),,,besides,,it's all about being compact..This player is fun to watch ..The screen is 4 inches but that's what you look for in a portable,,not a suitcase...
Picture is clear,,disc does not skip..Where did these Initial guys come from??This is a high quality player for the price.
With a pair of Koss 50 clip on or Panasonic RP-HS41 clip on headphones,the sound is unreal.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Very Good Thing
Review: How much can you expect from a portable DVD player that's priced [this amount] I wasn't expecting much.

This little puppy will fit into the pocket of your overcoat, and it has a screen that's smaller than the palm of your hand. It comes with the battery pack, A/C adapter, cigarette lighter adapter, and the cutest little remote control. You can use it for viewing, or hook it up to your television as a player.

It plays just about any kind of CD or DVD you can think of, including Kodak Picture CD's. The picture quality is amazingly clear, although you will find it necessary to adjust the angle of the LCD screen for the best viewing.

The sound quality is quite good using headphones (not included), but the sound through the built-in speakers is nothing to write home about.

The battery pack instructions are the last item in the manual, and they are a bit vague. Don't worry, it's not that hard to figure out. The removable bar on the back of the battery is the charging adapter. Plug the battery cord into one end, and the A/C cord into the other end. When the battery is charged, the light goes off. Pretty simple stuff, once you figure it out.

I can't say yet how durable this gadget is, but I'm taking it to the beach anyway. It seems pretty sturdy, and at this price, it's practically disposable. Well, not really disposable, but certainly not irreplaceable. My guess is that these will end up in a lot of stockings for Christmas.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: I really like it!
Review: I bought this because I have a small car and 2 young boys. I have been very happy with the performance of this one. The picture quality has been great as far as I can tell and there is certainly no problem with the sound. The only complaint I have is that it does tend to get pretty hot. This has not been a problem so far because our trips have been under 2 hours, but I wonder how it will perform on longer road trips. For the money though I have been quite pleased with it. The battery pack is great. I love the fact that if we loose power in the house, I can still pop in a DVD when all else fails to entertain.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Perfect at this price
Review: I bought this elsewhere, before it was available from Amazon...There was a favorable MSNBC review that helped me feel confident in the quality, and I agree with the review. This is an excellent product and at a surprisingly affordable price.

The battery lasts long enough to watch a longer-than-average movie, and doesn't take too long to charge up. It's great that they include the car adaptor and AC adaptor as well -- wonderful for the car.

The screen is fairly low resolution and small, but plenty viewable. It's not the best screen in the world but it works fine and again, it's at such a low cost that I didn't mind. Plus, you can always use the included! cables to plug the machine into a spare TV -- I justified this purchase as a second DVD player as well as a fun toy for trips, since I plug it into my small upstairs TV, where it works perfectly.

The remote is useful, and small enough to port around if you get a bag for this machine. I wish it had volume control and/or power control on it, but it's not a major problem.

All in all an excellent product for the price. Even if I could afford an $800 portable DVD player, I'm not sure I'd bother. A better screen would be welcome, but this one is fine for now.

Get the cheap Koss head-band-less earphones as a companion.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Frustrating and not worth the money.
Review: I bought this less than a year ago and I've been trying to take it back ever since. I've sent several e-mail messages to the manufacturer and they have never responded. I've also sent Wal-Mart.com several e-mail messages and they won't respond either. This unit overheats within an hour of play. It won't play some DVDs at all. It quits playing if you even touch it, then you have to start it up again and find where the movie left off. It freezes at times and you have to start the movie over again. It's terrible to take in a car with you, which is why I bought it in the first place. You spend more time fighting the thing than watching it. The screen is also hard to see, especially if you're in the back seat. My kids complain that it's too dark, even at the lightest setting. I wouldn't recommend it. Save your money and get a nice, working player.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Poor manufacturing
Review: I bought this product almost 1 year ago. It was doing a great job for the first 6 months then I started having problems. I found out that you can not extend the car adapter to the back seat without it messing up the connection. However, that is why I bought it. I think it would be against the law for me to watch TV while I was driving. My kids sit in the back seat and they are the ones going to watch it. Initial needs to state this on their box if it is not intended for that use. It is a good DVD to hook up stationary to the TV but for portable use the battery back is a pain to keep attached. I would reccommend spending your money on a better brand. But research it!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Poor manufacturing
Review: I bought this product almost 1 year ago. It was doing a great job for the first 6 months then I started having problems. I found out that you can not extend the car adapter to the back seat without it messing up the connection. However, that is why I bought it. I think it would be against the law for me to watch TV while I was driving. My kids sit in the back seat and they are the ones going to watch it. Initial needs to state this on their box if it is not intended for that use. It is a good DVD to hook up stationary to the TV but for portable use the battery back is a pain to keep attached. I would reccommend spending your money on a better brand. But research it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Some People Are Too Picky
Review: I have read all reviews and a lot of people have said that the product is bad because of its small screen. Well, the screen size is something you are aware of when you bought it. Even if you bought it online, the screen size is still listed, and you can get a ruler to see how big it would be. So I dont know how you can fault the machine for that. As far as it being pixelated, any small screen is gonna be pixelated unless it is a plasma screen, which would not be cheap. Secondly, many people say the battery is ugly and that it is an external. It is an external battery, true, but an internal battery would cost more and make the machine a lot bigger. While the battery may not make the player win any awards for style, unless you are buying it to show at competition, this really isn't a factor. I dont think your kids in the back seat would say "Daddy, i dont want to watch a movie, the battery is ugly." I have never had trouble playing any DVD's, there have been times a dvd wouldn't play, but it was because the dvd was smudged or had a finger print. All dvd players are finicky, and will not play if that is the case. The sound is very good, for the size of the speakers. I have had no trouble with the battery staying on and it does not feel like it is going to break off. But as with any electronic product, take care of it, if you drop it, it wont last long. As far as the "external cable" that connects the player to the battery, It is a whopping 2 inches long. As far as the power cord not stretching to the back seat, it does fine in my car. Of course it may not do so in a minivan or limousine that is longer, but your average 2 or 4 door you should have no problem. Thats why they dont have a warning label saying "The car adapter cord will not stretch to back seat", because all cars are DIFFERENT! I have had it for about 9 months now, no problems. If you are looking for a portable DVD player, that doesn't cost you a lot of money, this is a great option. If you dont like a small screen, dont get this model, get one with a bigger screen. If you need subtitles, dont even get a portable dvd player because sub titles do not work well on any of them. If your worried about it breaking, buy it at Wal-Mart, they return anything, just keep your reciept.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Some People Are Too Picky
Review: I have read all reviews and a lot of people have said that the product is bad because of its small screen. Well, the screen size is something you are aware of when you bought it. Even if you bought it online, the screen size is still listed, and you can get a ruler to see how big it would be. So I dont know how you can fault the machine for that. As far as it being pixelated, any small screen is gonna be pixelated unless it is a plasma screen, which would not be cheap. Secondly, many people say the battery is ugly and that it is an external. It is an external battery, true, but an internal battery would cost more and make the machine a lot bigger. While the battery may not make the player win any awards for style, unless you are buying it to show at competition, this really isn't a factor. I dont think your kids in the back seat would say "Daddy, i dont want to watch a movie, the battery is ugly." I have never had trouble playing any DVD's, there have been times a dvd wouldn't play, but it was because the dvd was smudged or had a finger print. All dvd players are finicky, and will not play if that is the case. The sound is very good, for the size of the speakers. I have had no trouble with the battery staying on and it does not feel like it is going to break off. But as with any electronic product, take care of it, if you drop it, it wont last long. As far as the "external cable" that connects the player to the battery, It is a whopping 2 inches long. As far as the power cord not stretching to the back seat, it does fine in my car. Of course it may not do so in a minivan or limousine that is longer, but your average 2 or 4 door you should have no problem. Thats why they dont have a warning label saying "The car adapter cord will not stretch to back seat", because all cars are DIFFERENT! I have had it for about 9 months now, no problems. If you are looking for a portable DVD player, that doesn't cost you a lot of money, this is a great option. If you dont like a small screen, dont get this model, get one with a bigger screen. If you need subtitles, dont even get a portable dvd player because sub titles do not work well on any of them. If your worried about it breaking, buy it at Wal-Mart, they return anything, just keep your reciept.


<< 1 2 3 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates