A big hit in hospitals, hotels, and airports
Written: Dec 28 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: great for trips
Cons: bad battery, large remote
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| sleah's Full Review: Sharp DV-L70U 7 in. Portable DVD Player |
I bought this DVD player almost a year ago because I travel a lot for business and wanted something to entertain me on the plane (I don't like to fly). I chose this model in particular because at the time, there were only a few models out and this one had the largest screen and the reviews were decent.
Well, this player did turn out to be a big help when traveling, but not the way I expected.
Cons
Unfortunately, the battery has never lasted quite long enough to watch a whole movie. When I first started using it, it would last ALMOST an hour and a half (it's supposed to last 3 hours); it then went steadily downhill so that now it only lasts about a half an hour at a time. I was careful all along to care for and charge it appropriately (i.e. to maximize the memory), but it didn't seem to make a difference.
I read other reviews about this product before I purchased it, and heard mixed things about the battery - some people seemed to have the same problem I do with it, while for others it's never been a problem. I've been planning to return it for awhile now for a replacement, but I've just been too busy.
The other cons are that the only way to fast forward or rewind a scene is via the remote, which is fairly large. Also, the connections from the battery and power cord to the player are flimsy, and I suspect they could be easily broken if bumped into (although mine never has).
Pros
I recently went on a cruise to the Caribbean and brought this player (and the A/V cords) along with a bunch of DVD's, and it made all the difference - we hooked the player up to the large TV in our stateroom and watched movies every night (the other guests had nothing but promotional videos and a few old movies to watch in their rooms).
Over the past year, I've taken it on several business trips and hooked it up to hotel room TV's, which allowed me to watch movies for free (although this only works in hotels with TV's that have an A/V hookup). Also, it's useful when you're stuck in the airport (IF you can find an electrical outlet in the waiting area). I even brought it to the hospital when my sister was having contractions and needed to be distracted for a few hours - we hooked it up to the hospital TV and my whole family watched "Any Given Sunday" with my sister while she waited to give birth (since giving birth is very similar to being hit repeatedly by a 300-pound linebacker).
The sound and picture are both very good, and I haven't had any problems playing the films.
Summary
Given the spate of competition out there now, I don't know if I'd purchase this particular player again - but then, I don't know that I wouldn't. Most of the serious flaws seem to related to the state of the technology, so they're likely to apply to all players. Hopefully when it comes time to replace this one, the batteries will last longer, the remotes will be smaller, and the players will be less expensive!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
sleah
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Reviews written: 41
Trusted by: 34 members
About Me:
When I'm not building the New Economy, I'm reading, watching DVD's, or shooting hoops.
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