While the DCP750 and DCP850 weren't the first portable DVD players to include built-in iPod docks, the Philips brand ensured that they made a bigger splash than earlier models from the likes of iLuv. For 2008, Philips has overhauled the design, opting for...

Portable DVD player includes built-in iPod dock with video playback; 8.5-inch screen; DivX, MPEG4, JPEG, MP3 playback compatibility; SD flash card reader; good remote control; easy-to-use interface for digital media.

Short 2.5-hour battery life; tablet-style design leaves screen unprotected; washed-out screen; buttons aren't very responsive; battery is not user replaceable; iPod video playback is very dark.

The long list of features on the Philips DCP851--including the ability to play DVDs, digital media files, and iPod videos--is overshadowed by its mediocre picture quality and short battery life.

DVD-recorders have lost most of their relevance. Between DVRs and online video services like Hulu, couch potatoes can already record their favorite shows, and archiving seems less and less attractive now that everything is released on DVD or available onl...

Relatively inexpensive; performs basic DVD recordings without a problem; upscales DVD to 1080p; supports most recordable DVD formats, including dual-layer discs.

Mediocre recording quality below the XP level; upscaling performance could be better; no flexible recording feature; does not support DVD-RAM discs; does not include a USB port or SDHC card slot; lack of IR blaster makes it annoying to schedule recordings...

The Toshiba D-R410 handles basic DVD-recorder functions at a budget price, but you can get better features and performance from Panasonic's DMR-EA18K, if you're willing to spend a little more.

The most important question for any standalone Blu-ray player is whether it's better than the Sony PlayStation 3. Let's answer that one right off the bat: Samsung's new BD-P1500 is not. They both cost the same ($400 list), but the PS3 has better image qua...

Relatively inexpensive compared with other standalone units; very good image quality on most Blu-ray Discs; onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and bit stream output for all high-resolution audio formats; Ethernet port for firmware updates; Samsung claims i...

Does not currently support Profile 2.0 or have onboard DTS-HD Master Audio decoding; Blu-ray image quality could be better; DVD playback will disappoint videophiles; no analog multichannel outputs; some annoying operational glitches; operational speed sti...

The Samsung BD-P1500 lacks some features and doesn't perform as well as the PlayStation 3, but its relatively low price makes it a solid option for those few people on a budget who still demand a standalone Blu-ray player.

Sony may be the face of Blu-ray, and Samsung made the first Blu-ray player, but lately Panasonic has been leading the technological race among standalone (non-PlayStation 3) Blu-ray players. Last October, the company released the DMP-BD30K, which was the...

First Profile 2.0-compliant standalone player; excellent image quality on Blu-ray Discs; onboard decoding for all high-resolution soundtrack formats, plus bit stream output; analog multichannel outputs; SDHC card slot can play high-definition AVCHD video....

Expensive compared with the superior PlayStation 3; standard DVD performance is lackluster; operational speed still sluggish compared with PS3.

Excellent soundtrack support and Profile 2.0-compliancy make the Panasonic DMP-BD50 the most recommendable standalone Blu-ray player to date, but the PS3 is still better and cheaper.

Sony has been the public face of Blu-ray since the format's inception, and while most of the focus during the bitter Blu-ray vs. HD DVD format war was on the company's PlayStation 3, Sony has been making standalone Blu-ray players from the start, beginnin...

Relatively inexpensive compared with other standalone units; excellent Blu-ray image quality and very good DVD upscaling; compact size; onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and bit stream output for all high-resolution audio formats; Ethernet port for firmwa...

Not currently compatible with Blu-ray Profile 2.0; recessed USB port can be difficult to access; no onboard DTS-HD Master Audio decoding; quick start option uses power even when player is off.

If you're dead set on a standalone Blu-ray player, the BDP-S350 has a small form factor, solid feature set, and relatively low price--but the PlayStation 3 is still a better value.

As gadget categories go, the portable DVD player is a rather commoditized lot, with plenty of no-name brands available for $100 or less. To rise above the sea of mediocrity, a player needs some distinguishing characteristics: say, a large screen, improved...

Portable DVD player with 8.5-inch collapsible screen; excellent digital file support includes DivX, MPEG4, MP3, WMA, JPEG compatibility; long-life battery; includes AV connectivity wires and car charger.

Battery life, while quite long, is still shorter than advertised; screen hides buttons when folded to tablet position; unintuitive control layout; no remote control; average picture quality; no USB port or flash card reader.

The Panasonic DVD-LS86 delivers some of the longest battery life we've seen in a portable DVD player--though not quite as long as Panasonic claims.

One of the issues we've had with portable DVD players in the past is their size. In exchange for a large screen, most players are also accompanied by an enormous housing. With the Toshiba SD-P71S however, this is not the case. In fact, its compact size is...

Seven-inch screen offers decent picture quality; battery lasted longer than advertised; small, compact form factor; nice remote; JPEG/MP3/WMA playback; includes AV connectivity cables and car charger.

No USB or flash card reader; no DivX support; no swivel screen.

If you don't need an extralarge screen and a lot of extra bells and whistles, the Toshiba SD-P71S is a solid portable DVD player.

When first announced at CES, the Philips BDP7200 grabbed some headlines with its $350 price tag, which was $50 less than the Sony PlayStation 3. Well, a couple of months have passed and apparently Philips couldn't live up to its promise. The BDP7200 is no...

Unique design; can output Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio in bit-stream format; excellent video quality in 1080p/24 mode; Profile 1.1 compliant

No onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio; subpar image quality on Blu-ray Discs in standard 1080p mode; lacks Profile 2.0 support; no Ethernet jack for firmware upgrades.

The BDP7200 has a unique design and is Profile 1.1 compliant, but subpar Blu-ray image quality and the lack of onboard audio decoding options limit its appeal.

When we reviewed Oppo's last DVD player, the DV-980H, we summarized our feelings in the last line of the introduction: "The DV-980H is a top-notch DVD player with excellent enthusiast-friendly features and performance, but with the falling price of HD DVD...

Excellent image quality on DVDs; can upscale to 1080p; plays DVD-Audio and SACD discs over HDMI output; 7.1 analog outputs; USB port for playing DivX, MP3 and JPEG files; excellent aspect-ratio controls and zooming; can be made region-free with a simple h...

Very expensive for a standard-definition disc player; remote is cluttered with buttons; Blu-ray discs look much better than DVDs.

The Oppo DV-983H is pretty much the ultimate standard-def disc player, but its high price means videophiles on a budget can get a better bang for their buck.

Now that Blu-ray has officially triumphed over its HD DVD rival, it's only natural to begin seeing the high-definition disc format begin to become a bit more, well, standardized. Take the Samsung HT-BD2T: It's the first home-theater-in-a-box system in the...

7.1-channel all-in-one home theater system with built-in Blu-ray player; built-in support for latest Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio surround processing; elegant styling, with four tallboy speakers; full-size subwoofer; upscales DVDs to 1080p.

Very expensive; only Blu-ray Profile 1.0 compliant, so it will not play some bonus features on some new discs in 2008; few jacks for connecting external sources; slow disc loading; no auto speaker calibration.

The Samsung HT-BD2T delivers the sort of top-notch video quality you'd expect from the world's first home theater system with built-in Blu-ray--but its high price, average audio quality, and lack of extras make it tough to recommend.