Initial 5820 Portable DVD Player

Pros: Sharp picture quality, great on long trips, three power sources, price!
Cons: Picture can freeze up after extended use.

UPDATE JULY 2004 - We used this player extensively on our recent Disney trip (Boston to Orlando and then on to Tampa by car) and it performed exceptionally! Didn't freeze once. Might be better in the hot weather! For a recent drive from Boston to ...

Pros: Fantastic picture and sound quality. Relatively cheap price. Lots of extras and cool features!
Cons: No big ones.

I'll admit that I can be a name-brand snob when it comes to electronics, mostly because I've had my share of experiences with shoddy equipment in the past. That's why I wasn't sure what to expect when my husband and I received the Initial 5820 ...

Pros: Great value. Crisp screen.
Cons: Screen quality degrades with zoom function.

I have only had this unit for a week but I love it. I think the fact that I won the unit in a contest makes me like it that much more, but I am still pleased with the performance. I have 3 kids and this player will be wonderful for our long trips. ...

Pros: Great screen, easy controls, a fine value overall.
Cons: Sound without headphones is fair, battery charging cumbersome.

Anticipating a long plane and car trip to the Southwest, we bought the Initial 5820 from Circuit City based upon the reviews here. We needed to keep our 6-year old son occupied on the long rides, and hope to take more car trips this summer. The more ...

Pros: Great price, wonderful widescreen, diversity
Cons: Power adapter insufficiency, General Function issues, does it really play MP3s?

My first idea, while shopping for a dependable portable DVD player was to buy name brand. Unfortunately, Best Buy was out of all of their players, and I was in a crunch. Planning a cross country trip with my three year old son in an airplane and...

Pros: Convenient size, controls are easy to use, solid battery life.
Cons: Only fast forwards to next track "zoom" feature causes grainy picture

I really enjoy using the Initial portable DVD player for my long plane trips, makes them go a lot fa ...

Pros: Great Price, good picture quality, full accessory bundle.
Cons: No S-video output, requires proprietary battery pack . Video output could be brighter.

When I decided to buy a portable DVD player, I planned on spending no more than $600.00 hoping to get at least a 5 inch screen and MP3 playback capability. Sony, Panasonic and RCA were the brands I first considered. All had players within this price...

Pros: 5.8" screen is very crisp. Remote (software) zoom is beautiful. Unbelievable headphone sound!
Cons: Battery\Charger poor design integration. Unit (hardware) zoom is weak at best.

I spent a lot of time going over the various models on the market. Since I had a first generation Panasonic portable DVD I was a bit spoiled to the quality and clarity that particular model, and although the Initial\Mintek (5.8" version) is a budget ...

Pros: Price, Comes with all you need for home and on road
Cons: Directions could be better. Sound speaker could be better

I was looking for a low price DVD player for the kids when I thought about a portable player. I got ...

Pros: Clear Picture, easy to use.Well designed.
Cons: The sound could be a little better from the speakers.

This is a fantastic Portable DVD player. A great value for the money.It works wonderfully delivering a clear crisp picture and great sound through headphones . Compared to its competition i would say the Initial 5820 delivers great quality for the price .

Pros: VERY DURABLE AND LOTS OF CONNECTIONS,SHARP PICTURE.
Cons: SOUND BUT WHO USES THE BUILT IN SPEAKERS ANYWAY

MY WIFE AND I GOT THE 5820 FREE FROM CIRCUIT CITY WHEN WE BOUGHT OUR BIG SCREEN TV AND HAVE HAD NOT ONE BIT OF TROUBLE WITH IT THE 2 YEARS WE HAVE HAD IT. IT HAS BEEN FROM THE EAST COAST TO THE WEST COAST 4 TIMES ITS BEEN KNOCKED OFF THE DINING ROOM TABLE I HAVE EVEN LET MY BROTHER IN LAW USE IT 2 TIMES FOR VACATIONS AND I USE IT FOR WORK ABOUT 3 TIMES A WEEK EVERY WEEK WE ARE VERY HAPPY WITH IT

Pros: Great screen clarity.
Cons: Even at for just $200 I expect it to at least work!

I recently purchased the Initial 5820 unit from Circuit City - and all I can say is, you get what you pay for. The unit was less than $200 dollars, but it was in no way a value for the money.

To tell the truth, I purchased two of these units. When I took the first one home and tried to use it on several DVDs, I couldn't get it to even boot up the main menu. If you like staring a blue screens - this unit is for you!

I returned the unit (thinking it was only defective) and then took the second one home. This one was even more perversely flexible - it would/wouldn't/would/wouldn't work in 10 different ways. I could get it to start the move - but then it would start to groan like my kids taking out the garbage - then then lock up (time after time).

I did alot of research and purchased this model based on a few preliminary reviews I read and trying it at the store. The screen is no longer working just 2 weeks after the warrenty ran out. The retailer no longer sells it. It seemed like a great buy up until that point.

Not playing many DVD's Maybe I have a bumb unit, will return and test another unit. The price is good others don't appear to have any problems playing various dvd's. Error message no disk

Good picture size for traveling. It is light and compact. I like the car adapter for the kids in the back seat.