Shinco SDP-1720

Portable DVD players are just the ticket for long car trips, hotel visits or stopovers. Shinco's SDP-1720D handles regular DVD movies, CD audio, Kodak Picture CDs, or burnt discs containing MPEG 4, DivX, or MP3 files. Given the proliferation of compressed video files available on the Internet, any tech-savvy buyer is better off going for a model like the 1720D, as the ability to play back myriad video formats makes it much more useful than a straight DVD player.

We found the SDP-1720D was able to play back almost all discs we tested it with, but we experienced some problems with it failing to recognise some DivX discs.

The 7" TFT screen has a 16:9 aspect ratio, which makes it ideal for playing back widescreen movies. During testing, the device managed to run three hours between charges, and it ships with a car adapter so you don't need to pack enough batteries to cover a long road trip. The anti-shock capabilities also mean that it can take quite a shunt on the road before halting playback.

The silver SDP-1720D is a little more polished than the Shinco MDP-1770. Although the two devices have a similar layout, with a top-loading optical drive located next to buttons on the right, the SDP-1720D has a more streamlined case than the MDP-1770. Navigation and menu buttons sit on the right-hand side of the screen, with a pair of small speakers below. The sound output is tinny, but the screen is bright enough to watch movies in well-lit conditions.

The unit features a slightly recessed screen, with a power button on left-hand panel, while the right panel offers volume adjustment, dual headphone sockets (so two people can share the device at once), coaxial audio output and a power connector. There is also an AV-out socket so you can plug the unit into a TV (along with a switch to toggle between the AV and LCD outputs).

The Shinco device was easy to use, worked effectively and performed as expected, with no glitches or flaws during playback. This capable portable DVD player is backed up by a one-year warranty.