Excellent Portable DVD Player with Great Quality Screen and Battery Life
Pros:
Large/clear screen w/great picture quality, 3 hour battery life, sturdy construction, adjustable tilt screen
Cons:
Can't charge battery pack separately or while using machine, volume/power controls, battery pack size
The Bottom Line:
Tilt-screen is excellent for home or car use and high picture-quality make this portable DVD player an affordable winner.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
The Magnavox MPD850 sports a huge 8" TFT LCD screen that eliminates the need to 'squint' when watching movies. I am comfortably watching a movie on my unit approximately 6 feet away right now--with excellent picture and sound quality.
The included thin-sized remote control accesses all DVD player functions with the exception of the volume control and power button--which must be adjusted manually via a knob or switch on either side of the DVD unit. It would be nice to be able to control all functions including volume and power via the remote--but this is not a major issue. You'd never be sitting more than a few feet from the actual unit, anyway.
The picture quality is sharp, bright, and non-pixilated. It is best viewed from within 90 degrees of the front of the unit. Brightness is adequate--but is slightly less pronounced when operating off of battery power as opposed to AC. Audio quality through the provided speakers is adequate, but sounds are mostly 'treble'--with very little bass. Audio is clear, however. The sound via the dual headphone jacks on the side of the unit is brilliant and very high quality. There is also an analog/coaxial digital output on the side of the unit--for using other sources for the output.
The unit also functions as a stand-alone DVD player that can be attached to a separate TV via RCA outputs. It also plays audio CD's via the attached speakers or headphone jacks--as well as MP3's (on cd).
Provided accessories are: a/v cable, remote control w/battery, owner's manual, ac power adaptor, rechargeable battery pack, and a car cigarette adaptor.
The included battery pack (Li-Ion, 7.4V, 4400mAh) provides approximately 3 hours of use--more than enough to completely finish almost any movie. The size, however, is quite large (9" x 1" x 2 3/8") and adds considerable size and weight to the unit. Another gripe is that the battery pack needs to be charged while attached to the unit--but without the unit operating. There is no way to circumnavigate this--and charge the battery pack separately or while you are watching a movie. This means that even if a spare battery pack was purchased, it would need to be charged while the unit is off, removed, and then stored until needed. This is common among portable DVD players and manufacturers should figure out a way to charge the battery pack separately. If the unit's screen is not being used and is being operated as a stand-alone DVD player, battery life is approximately 4 hours.
