All of the kid specific players share several different features. One of them is the screen size. All of the ones mentioned above have screens of 5″ or less. They’re all in kid friendly colors with graphics. Models like the Fisher Price unit have rubberized corners, anti-skip technology and a carrying handle. With the exception of the carrying handle and graphics, the GoVideo models have some of the same features.

How about the older kids? With older kids, the rubberized corners and oversized controls aren’t a consideration. Most older kids will spend at least a portion of their DVD time in the car. This changes what you need to consider when buying a portable DVD player. One of the first considerations will be how the player is mounted in the car. You’ll want to find a unit that is easily installed and removed from the vehicle. In most cases, a player with dual screens can make a more enjoyable viewing experience for everyone. Having multiple headphone jacks is also a plus. Another really handy feature in a player is a A/V jack.

This allows the player to connect to some types of home electronics. But just as, or even more importantly, it allows games to be played while on the road. You’ll also want to make sure that the player that you select is able to handle a wide range of discs. Besides DVD and CD, you’ll want to be sure that the player works with writable discs like DVD+RW and CD-RW. This will allow you to play discs that you’ve recorded at home. Another new development are players with built in iPod docks. This can greatly expand the selections available for a portable player and is a real plus if you have older kids.

These are just a few ideas of what to look for in a kids portable DVD player. Looking at what’s on the market today should help you find the perfect match for your kids.

The advances in technology have made so many things in our day to day life easier. One of those things is the easy accessibility of entertainment. Of course, car trips aren’t the only use for portable DVD players, just one of the most common. Most players have a number of features in common, but, in reality, all are not created equal.

Most, if not all, players function by having one of the units being a player with a screen mounted to it. This “master unit” then feeds a second screen. Commonly you’ll find the player/screen unit having output jacks that send the signal to the second screen. The second screen has input jacks and can only receive the signal. Both screens will have headphone jacks with the player frequently having two sets. Other common accessories are an A.C. adaptor, AV cable, mounting straps, and very importantly, a car adaptor so that you can recharge the battery while in the car.

Some players have additional features that make life a little easier. One of the things to look for is a mounting system that lets you quickly add and remove the monitors. Leaving electronics easily visible from outside the vehicle is an invitation to thieves. The ability to easily remove the player for secure storage just might save you a broken window. Something else to look for is the ability to play games. Sometimes video alone just isn’t enough.

As a general rule, any player that has an AV jack should be game compatible. You’ll also want to look for players with some type of anti-skip circuitry, especially if the primary use for your player is in a moving car. Another desirable feature for parents of young children is some type of parental lock controls. This will let parents have more control over what their children are watching. If headphone cables are a problem, look for a DVD player that has an IR transmitter for wireless headphones. Wireless headphones can make it a little easier to do all of the shifting around that seems to go with sitting in a car for long periods.

Sitting in a moving vehicle watching a movie or in a hotel room playing a video game, a dual screen DVD player can be a great way to pass the time.

This masterpiece portable DVD player from Philips shall overwhelm you with a special AV entertaining experience. Its 9 inch TFT wide-screen LCD wide display allows you to watch your favorite movies at high resolution.  The DVD player features a brightness of 120 cd/m2 and a typical contrast ratio of 250:1, which makes it convenient for use indoors and outdoors. The LCD TFT display features an anti-glare polarizer technology. The effective viewing area of the display screen has a width of 198.2 millimeters and a height of 111.7 mm. The response time of this LCD TFT screen is 30 milliseconds.  The DVD player features built in stereo speakers.

The DVD player allows you to listen to music, watch movies and display photos in almost every available format. It is DVD, DVD +/-RW, DVD +/-R, CD and (S)VCD compatible. Moreover, the DVD player is compatible with DivX video format and MPEG4 compression formats. It features multi playback modes with fast reverse, disc menu, OSD, Disc menus and zoom modes. The DVD player can playback movies in both PAL and NSTC video playback systems.

It also features CD, MP3-CD and CD-RW playback capabilities. You can also display JPEG images saved on a picture disc. The audio playback file system support Joillet and ISO-9660 file systems. It allows playback of MP3s with bit rates that range from 32 to 320 kbps. The DVD player is compatible with Dolby Digital and MP3 compression formats.

The DVD player is designed to indulge you with extra features, it comes with a built in battery that allows up to 5 hours of continuous playback. The battery is rechargeable using an AC adapter or a car adapter. The portable DVD player from Philips comes with an AV output and an AV cable to allow you to incorporate it into your home theater system. Moreover, the player comes with an extremely slim remote control to ensure maximum convenience when you are using it.

The PET941d/05 Philips portable DVD player is a masterpiece that is unmatched by any other portable DVD player on today’s market. It is elegant, easy to operate, durable and offers the best resolution possible through TFT LCD display systems.

The DVD-LS86 from Panasonic weighs less than 2.5 pounds; however, it is one of the wide portable DVD players you can ever find on the market. The DVD player is enclosed in a black casing made from plastic and the outer surface of the screen is covered with a faux leathery design. It features an 8.5 inch wide display screen. The screen is smartly designed so that it can collapse to fold back into the DVD player unit instead of swiveling around. On the other hand, the articulating hinge allows the screen to be adjusted to numerous vertical angles.

The DVD player features numerous functions, yet it is simple to operate. The volume buttons are located on the right border of the unit. The play/stop and on/off buttons are located on the player’s front edge and are easy to access. You can adjust the brightness of the screen and alter the size adjustments with just a click of a button. Furthermore, fast forwarding and rewinding functions are easy to access with a simple touch. On the left border of the DVD player, you can find dual earphone jacks, the AV input and the AV output jacks. The AV input jacks enable you to use the DVD player’s screen as a monitor, while the AV output jacks allow you to watch your DVD on a large TV or an LCD.

The portable DVD player from Panasonic comes with a rechargeable battery that allows up to 13 hours of continuous playback. The unit’s battery is attached below the hinge of the display screen and doesn’t protrude out of the unit’s body excessively. The unit comes with an AC adapter and a car charger. It is compatible with multiple video formats such as DivX, MPEG4 as well as VCD. It is also capable of playing MP3 and WMA files. You can also display JPEG photos that are save on a picture disc.

The DVD-LS86 Panasonic Portable DVD player is one of the most convenient portable DVD players that can serve you on a trip as well as it can be incorporated into your home theater system. A smart design, an easy to operate functions and a long life battery distinguish this unit from other DVD players available on the market.

Just how cheap is cheap? While portable players can sell for as much as $800.00 US they start as low as $16.00 US. For under $150.00 US, it’s possible to get a player with all of the bells and whistles that most viewers will require.

Shoppers will want to consider the players screen size, which other file types that it may be able to play, if it has headphone jacks, its battery life, its ability to run on power sources other than batteries, and the weight. Let’s take a look at those features.

Screen sizes generally run in the 7″-8″ range. Screens can go as large as 10″, but those are usually found on the more expensive units. Of course, the larger the screen, the more that the player weighs. Some units feature dual screens. It’s not uncommon to see a player with a built in screen and a jack to plug a second screen in. There’s also usually a way to fasten one of the screens to the back of the front seat. Portable players will normally handle several different types of DVDs including, DVD, DVD+/-R, and DVD+R/-RW. This capability will allow the user to play DVDs that they’ve recorded themselves, as well as DVDs that were pre-recorded.

Besides DVDs, many players will also play MP3s and graphic files like JPEGs and WMAs. Headphone jacks are a standard feature, with wireless headphones becoming increasingly popular. Battery life, along with weight, are the two factors that will really determine if a player is portable or not. The most common battery lifetimes seem to run in the 2.5-3 hour range although batteries in some units can last as long as 6 hours. If the player is to be used mainly in the car, the ability to plug into the cars power port or cigarette lighter is especially helpful. The weight of most portable players will range from 1.75 lbs. all of the way up to 6 lbs.

Whether you’re traveling or at home, a cheap portable DVD player may be just the thing for your movie watching needs.