Before You Buy a Portable DVD Player

   A great movie can make a long trip go by very easily, especially when flying. Often however, the movie you watch on the small screen at the front of your cabin is edited and interrupted by announcements from the crew about dinner. Have you ever considered taking a portable DVD player with you? With one of these and a good set of headphones, you can enjoy that action flick while everyone else is stuck hearing about the Grand Canyon. Check out our list of recommended features below to help you choose the best portable DVD player.
Dimensions
   A portable DVD player can end up feeling like a small brick to some, especially those which have large rechargeable batteries attached to them. While all players tend to run small, weight can vary by several pounds so make sure to check the side of the box before you buy.
Disc Formats Supported
   Besides playing standard DVDs, many portable players today can double as CD players as well, eliminating the need to take one extra device on your trip.
   You should also consider seeing if your player can support CD-R,CD-RW or DVD-R as well, as these do-it-yourself disc formats are becoming popular amongst those who have burners at home.
Outputs
  One of the great things about portable DVD players is that they can substitute for regular size cousins on the fly when you need to plug into your home entertainment system. You‘ll want to consider a player which has high quality outputs, such as S-Video for video and Optical Out for audio, so you can get the best quality playback possible. 
   If you like to share your audio with a friend, you‘ll also want to look for double headphone jacks as a useful feature.
Screen
  Many players today come with built-in screens, which make it the ultimate DVD entertainment device for the road. While screen size varies somewhat, larger is definitely better. You should expect to pay a higher price however. If you are looking for budget, you can also consider a player without a screen, though you‘ll need to make sure you have something you can hook it up to so you can watch your movie.
Virtual Surround Sound
   For those times when you don‘t have the ability to hook your DVD player up to a home entertainment system, consider a model which has virtual surround sound. This neat feature enhances the sound quality of the movie, giving it a more realistic edge.
Battery Life
   A portable DVD player isn‘t portable if you can‘t take it away from the AC power supply. The thing to think about here is the length of the battery life - many DVDs, with extra features included, will take hours of time to watch. You want to consider a player which has enough juice to get you through a long flight and a little extra in case you are laid over.