How To Shop For Portable DVD Players

If you're always on the go, traveling or taking long road trips with the children, portable DVD players are likely one of the most important accessories to take along for the ride.  The convenience of being able to watch movies anytime, anywhere is a huge benefit.  If you are taking a long flight, experiencing delays on a commuter train or just want to keep the children entertained in the backseat during a road trip, portable DVD players are more than convenient - they are a sanity saver.

Before looking at portable DVD players, take the time to create a realistic budget.  Most units range from $100.00 and up to several hundred dollars.  If you know that there is an occasion coming up and you may want to purchase a unit, consider placing it on layaway at your local retail store.  A layaway program typically consists of 10% down and convenient monthly payments until the balance is paid.  At that time, the layaway ends and you take the product home.  It's fully paid and you own a brand new portable DVD player.  This is especially helpful if you don't have the cash on hand to pay for the unit all at once, but still want to secure the purchase.  If you have the cash to pay upfront, that's great.  If not, try layaway as opposed to charging the purchase on a credit card.  With interest, you will likely end up spending a lot more in the long run unless you pay the balance off over a few months.

Now that you know how much you can spend, start looking at portable DVD players and their features.  When making any type of investment in a product, you will want to check out the warranty.  Most quality units offer 1 year labor and up to 3 years for replacement parts.  Always be sure to save the original receipt, along with the warranty information.  Portable DVD players offer a variety of screen sizes, so be sure to select one that is convenient for travel, easy to see and offers good quality images.  Another important feature is that most portable DVD players offer the capability of both music and video playback, which means you can insert a music CD or movie on DVD and either can be enjoyed in a single unit.

With most portable DVD players, weight is not going to be an issue.  They are designed to be lightweight because they are portable and the manufacturer expects that you plan to travel with the unit.  But, some products are more lightweight than others, so shop around until you find one that isn't going to add a lot of extra bulk and weight to your travel bag.