Watch movies, listen to MP3 CDs, or review camcorder footage--all from one portable device. Initial Technology's IDM-1731 puts a world of entertainment at your fingertips. The built-in seven-inch widescreen TFT (thin-film-transistor) LCD displays favorite movies in their native aspect ratios, and the player's onboard antiskip protection--a surprisingly rare feature in portable DVD players--paves the way for media enjoyment during more active uses.
Watch movies, listen to MP3 CDs, or review camcorder footage--all from one portable device. Initial Technology's IDM-1731 puts a world of entertainment at your fingertips. The built-in seven-inch widescreen TFT (thin-film-transistor) LCD displays favorite movies in their native aspect ratios, and the player's onboard antiskip protection--a surprisingly rare feature in portable DVD players--paves the way for media enjoyment during more active uses.
Connections include a composite-video output (switchable as an input) and a switchable analog audio input/output. A coaxial digital-audio output lets you hook the player up with an audio/video receiver and multichannel speaker system to enjoy immersive DTS or Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround from discs (coaxial digital-audio interconnect not included). The unit gets about 2.5 hours of playback from the supplied rechargeable lithium battery.
What's in the Box
DVD player, full-function remote control, AC adapter, high-capacity rechargeable lithium battery, composite-video interconnect, analog audio interconect, and a user's manual. Spare batteries are available by contacting Initial's customer service; headphones are not included.
1 Not Bad
This being my third attempt at purchasing a dvd player. My first was bought here at amazon.com last year. First was a Mintek. their customer service was awful and after three months of them receiving my old player, mailing me a lower quality player with same freezing issue, amazon gave me my money back. I Have to say their customer service is one of the best!!!
The initial player came free with my cell service from compusa, nice deal. I have had the player three months now and no problems, no freezing, a little noisy motor but my three year old doesn't mind. All in all the picture is really good quality and with a relatively inexpensive pair of noise cancelling headphones you can hear really well on a plane. Sometimes the sound it not as loud as it could be. I would definity recommend this player over any Mintek product!!!!
2 Freezes up
4/30/05 - Bought this one month ago. This model did exactly what other reviewers said it would: it freezes up 2-10 minutes into whatever you're watching. You have to turn off the power in order to "reboot", and then it all happens over again. Tried several different DVD's, and it did the same thing. Worthless, is the best word to describe this product. I guess you truly get what you pay for. Features and accessories were nice, but those don't matter whatsoever when you can't actually watch anything.
3 This item well worth the money
I bought this player over a year ago and it has been one of the best investments! I bought it so my son would have something to watch on the airplane and while we were sitting in the airports. It has been all over the country with us and still works. We even take it in the SUV (even though we have a DVD player in it) so we can watch DVD's in the hotel. You can't go wrong with this one!
4 Great player!
My father bought this player for me as a gift back in November. I have since used it on the plane coming back to Thailand (where it worked for 3 hours before the battery ran out) and have used it every week since at home. The manufacturer says it's not possibly to recharge the battery by plugging it into the wall socket in a different voltage area than in the US(I currently live in Thailand) but I recharge it every week here in Thailand WITHOUT using an adaptor and have never had a problem with it.
It's a great player, nice screen, nice sound (with headphones, pretty bad without headphones) and seems to stand up to wear and tear very well. I've had it for 6 months and no complaints so far.
5 I PURCHASED 2 OF THESE FOR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS
I PURCHASED 2 OF THESE FOR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS. THE 1ST LASTED ABOUT 3 DAYS BEFORE I REPLACED IT. THE 2ND LASTED ABOUT 2 WEEKS BEFORE I REPLACED IT. BOTH WOULD FREEZE AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO READ THE DVD. THE 1ST REPLACEMENT WENT BAD IN 3 MONTHS. THE HINGE BECAME VERY LOOSE AND THE SCREEN STOPPED WORKING. THE SECOND REPLACEMENT WENT BAD IN 2 MONTHS. THE SOUND WOULD ONLY WORK WHEN YOU HAD THE HEADSET ATTACHED AND EVENTUALLY THE SCREEN STOPPED WORKING ALSO. I AM WAITING FOR THE WARRANTY TO REPLACE THEM. THE FACTORY WARRANTY IS FOR 3 MONTHS PARTS AND LABOR. THE REMAINING YEAR WARRANTY IS PARTS ONLY. I AM NOT PLEASED WITH THE PLAYERS BUT I KNEW THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE HIGHEST RATING WHEN I PURCHASED THEM. I DID TRY TO PROTECT MYSELF BY GETTING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THOUGH. MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO GET THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT REPLACES THE UNIT INSTEAD OF JUST OFFERING CREDIT TOWARD YOUR NEXT PURCHASE. MY WARRANTY OFFERS CREDIT AND TO REPLACE THE PLAYERS I WILL HAVE TO PAY EXTRA BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO BUY THEM ON SALE THE FIRST TIME.
6 Skips and freezes
I bought this DVD player a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately I tore off the code to send in with the rebate before using the player. The second movie I viewed on the player skipped all over the place and I couldn't watch the movie. I returned it and wanted a refund but the store wouldn't do it because the URL was not on the box so they exchanged it. However, the second DVD player froze 2/3 through the first movie I viewed. I went back to the store and asked if I could exchange it for a more expensive one of another brand. They refused, saying I couldn't do that without the code on the box. They exchanged it again. In two weeks I am on my third DVD player and hope and pray this one works. I am stuck with it!!!
7 Great product, so long as you don't expect it to play DVDs..
I purchased an Initial IDM-1731 this past holiday for one specific purpose; my fiancee and I had a long holiday road trip planned, and we needed something to shake the monotony of a voyage from southwest Florida to northeast Indiana by automobile. After reading up a bit on the available models in the price range I was comfortable with, I decided on this unit. I understood that others had run into problems with it in the past, but assumed it was just a case of a few bad shipments to specific regions and not a flaw in the product itself. Just as a failsafe, however, I purchased a retail chain's extended warranty plan along with it (to cover any of the long-reaching problems that I'd read this unit was particularly susceptible to) and took it on a short, hour-and-a-half long drive before the big trip... a sort of trial by fire. The IDM-1731 performed with flying colors. The picture quality was outstanding and the limited number of buttons on the unit itself managed to keep its physical appearance uncomplicated without sacrificing too much usability (for instance, we effortlessly changed the aspect ratio from widescreen to fullscreen to avoid stretching the TV-series disc we were watching without the use of the remote control). The screen size felt just right, and though the audio was a little weak and tinny when using the built-in speakers, the various output options made the incorporation of an FM Transmitter a breeze. The inclusion of a car-adapter for unlimited use on the road was a godsend, and a major selling point.
It wasn't until we began our wintery trek and crossed the border between Florida and Georgia that we ran into our first problem with the unit. After what I'd estimate as a total of three hours' worth of use in its lifetime, (including the "test voyage" we'd taken the week before) the unit suddenly froze, mid-scene, in the middle of playback. It wasn't attempting to move between chapters, we didn't hit a bump or even budge it physically. Just a freeze frame of the last scene that had aired and nothing else. We attempted to troubleshoot, powering it down, removing the disc, reinserting and powering up again, but had no luck. The unit would recognize that the lid had closed and bring up a "DISC LOAD" message, but never proceed from that point. The two of us assumed it had overheated (since the base was growing a bit warm) and closed it up for the night. The next morning, I tried again and was met with the same "DISC LOAD" message. We began looking out for another location of the retail chain we'd originally purchased it from. When we reached Chattanooga, Tennessee, (roughly the two-thirds point of our voyage) we spotted one right near the highway, turned off, and exchanged our faulty unit for a brand new one. We climbed back into the car, popped a disc in to ensure the unit would function before we left the parking lot, and were pleased to see the DVD loading without a problem. We left the parking lot secure in the knowledge that our nightmare was over.
An hour and a half later, with about ten minutes remaining in the first disc we'd ever attempted to play in the unit, the screen froze once again. We were having the exact same problem... the disc refused to play again, the "DISC LOAD" screen was staring us down, and we were more than a bit frustrated. Upon arriving in Indianapolis, we returned the unit (and the accompanying, unused, extended warranty) for a full refund. This isn't a mild problem that affects only a few unlucky regions in the United States (as we can attest, thanks to our experience with units from both Florida and Tennessee)... it's a flaw with the unit itself that's left me questioning Initial's credibility as a manufacturer. Don't waste your time with an IDM-1731... you'll spend more time troubleshooting, scratching your head and waiting in line to exchange it than you'll spend actually enjoying movies on the road.
8 Awful experience with two players
I got 2 DVD player and both had problems. The first I received had an annoying "tac-tac-tac" and got really hot. I returned it and I was sent a replacement. The replacement although the same model, was an older one with same estrange features like having to connect the battery with a cable to run the player with it... still this model also had the annoying "tac-tac-tac" so I returned it. Finally I bought the Milata 710V, although a little bigger a much better one
9 I'm on my 9th Initial Portable DVD Player
This is a horrible piece of equipment! I have owned 9 players and also purchased the 2 year free replacement extended warranty (thank goodness). My first lasted 7 months before the screen broke. My second lasted 4 months before it quit playing. My third free replacement broke in 4 days. Every time it was a different defect. Comp USA has replaced so many of these that they no longer offer a free replacement warranty on this machine. Spend a little more to get a good machine! Don't forget to buy the extended warranty...it's worth it!!!
10 Very Good results for low price!
We have had a 5 inch model for a few years and it has the skipping problem every once in a while. We decided we needed another unit due to family issues and wanted to keep in the Initial family. Prior to purchasing the the 7 inch, I contacted Initial customer support and mentioned all the issues that were reported here. We were informed that they had made software modifications that eliminated the skipping and freezing. We were advised to look for newer serial numbers. We have had no issues with our new DVD player. We have found that the motor noise is helped by using Earplugs. All in all you just can't beat the price.
11 ZERO FOR TWO!
I have had 2 of these, first one from Amazon and second from another store. When I turned on the first one and it said "NO DISC" ...tried several DVD's ( that work in the other players in my house) Finally got one to start. It worked for a couple of minutes before the picture and sound started to skip. Started over and it would stay stuck on "LOADING". Returned for credit.
The second one seemed to work better the first day. This is day 2 and I am having the same problems I had with the first one.
Two units- we haven't even watched an entire movie!
I'll be returning another one and looking for a different brand!
12 The greatest little DVD player...ever
I purchased this DVD player over a year ago. We love it. Obviously, convience is the key to how great it is, but it's a great player. I have never had any problems with it. It is tough. We took a 10 hour trip with a two year old...who had to hold it...well needless to say, it took a beating. It's still ticking! It is so easy to use. I love the display...you can actually see! I would definately recommend this item to everyone! The price is right!
13 Great Portable DVD Player
I was apprehensive when I first bought this player because what most people said in the reviews. But I owned this player for over six months and so far so good. I haven't had a problem with it. I take it everywhere and even play it in the car. The battery seems to last more than 2.5 hours that it states. I can almost watch 2 movies on one battery before it goes out. I actually bought an extra battery on ebay. I think it was a great investment. Most name brands go for twice the price. I bought the extended warranty just in case. The screen and sound is clear, but my only grip it that it's sometimes hard to get the DVD out of the player without finger printed the disc or getting it scratched sometimes.
14 don't buy it
Bought as a Christmas gift, worked twice. When you put in a DVD, it didn't go past loading then when you opened the player to take out the DVD it kept spinning...
15 Good Idea- Bad DVD player!!
The first time I put a DVD in this player it said loading 'No Disc' I thought the player was new so I ignored it , but after three days of some disc playing and others not, I sent this disc player back. All total I had this player 8 days.
Cons:
You get 2 pair of headphones, cigarette-lighter adaptor, carry pouch and a credit card sized remote. Free shipping from Amazon, then UPS came back to my house to pick this crap back up to deliver it back to Amazon.
16 Watch your warranty date!
This unit worked great - until exactly one year after I received it. No power, no picture, nada. Unfortunately, it was a Christmas gift, and my dad purchased it in November. Now we're one month outside of the warranty period and I own a $300 paperweight.
17 um how do i hook a gaming system to this thing?
i want to hook up my xbox gamecube or ps2 to this protable dvd player i jut got yesterday. can anyone show me ? a couple of people said you can but didnt say how. someone would be really nice to show me how.
18 Top notch portable dvd player at a low end price
Here it goes, I got my dvd player december 7 2004 and i played 2 movies so far in it and it runs great. even though it has a clunky battery it performs great. this little dvd player comes with almost every thing you need minus head set. I have yet to use the battery source but will soon. futher more the sound plays good in the car but at home its not much to hear. I found that you can brighten or low the light level in the screen wich is good. but when ridding in a car its a lot harder to see the screen in the day.
My recomendations is get a dvd player case for it to keep it safe. also when playing this little bugger keep it in a well ventalated area like near a AC unit so that it doesnt get too hot. I hear that people are saying that it freezes up some times well like any lap top you do need to let air breath under it and round it to keep it from getting too hot. So far i havent found any indacations that this dvd player has those problems yet. Its great for the price and i will be using it a lot durring this holliday and if i should find a problme i will leave it here. Also i did have one problem tho, the shipping use to send this product is not a very good shipper so if you decide to buy this dvd player try getting them to ship with some one els.
19 Initial IDM-1731 Portable DVD Player with 7" LCD
Don't buy this item! As you might expect it is a very low quality item and it has TERRIBLE support. My daughter used it less than 10 hours before the screen froze then it stopped working all together! She is not a brute and takes care of her things, yet this poorly made and non-supported item failed. I called customer support and the best they could offer is a $155.00 replacement. I can buy a new one at AMAZON for $170! It is still within the one year warranty but out of the 90 labor included.
If you do get it as a gift, as she did, always ask the presenter for the receipt or you are out of luck.
DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM!
20 dissapointed
I bought this unit because of the great features and a good price. It would be phenomenal if the screen didn't freeze and skip every few seconds. It's extremely frustrating. Mine is going back after only three days. Hopefully the manufacturer can get it together to fix this flaw. Otherwise it would be absolutely perfect. The picture is great, the sound, the fact that you can view pics or listen to music as well is a big bonus. I should have read reviews first.
21 Very disappointing Product
I purchased the 7" Initial DVD player before reading any reviews on it, now I wish I hadn't been quite so quick to buy a no-name brand. The picture quality is really excellent, but unfortunately I only got 15 second to 5 minutes of viewing in before it would freeze up. After 2 weeks of continually freezing, or refusing to load at all, it's back where I got it and I'm saving for a namebrand. Whatever causes these same problems in all these 1 star reviews is still going on, mine was fresh on the shelf when I bought it in October 2004.
22 Good Machine / Customer Service Stinks
My wife purchase this player in Feb and have used on quite a few trips. At first it worked great and then it started to skip and freeze up. Most recently the power supply went bad. It is almost impossible to get throught to customer service, but when you do they are very good. Overall I am happy the the unit.
23 Portable DVD player to Play in a Hurricane
This DVD Player is great. It plays on a plane with the
battery pack. On the bedroom TV with the hook-ups or a
hotel TV or the in-laws TV. The DVD Player has a nifty
plug in to the cigarette lighter in ANY car so during the
hurricane I could sit in the garage and watch any movie
even though the power was out. Even take it to the library
when my father-in-law stays over to escape and watch a movie
in peace. This thing is great especially with upgraded head
phones that make the sound even better. The remote works nicely
from 5ft. away and has many features to change the picture format, freeze, replay. If your a movie freak you gotta get one.
The only downside is that the player does not play DTS sound, so
if I have concerts or special effects movie DVD's with great DTS sound it won't play the sound. It does however play CD's so you can listen to music.
24 take a trip!
Hello movie fans ! do you like taking trips with your family
but they always fight in the back seat ,well this little baby
is for you.Guarenteed to stop the fighting and start entertaining instead. the initial Idm-1731 portable dvd player with 7" lcd screen
is very great product. it has a great picture ,and sounds great too.
all in all this is a great product. I,ve had mine for a while now
and it still works like the first day i got it.
25 Smaller than you expect
Seven inches is smaller than you expect. The screen is only like three inches wide. And the package is a little larger than expected from the size of the screen.
I know they probably give you the dimensions, but just wanted to let you know that I was surprised.
26 This is the best thing we ever got for our family
This unit is complete. It comes with everything you need! It's a portable DVD player with case and rechargable battery (re-charging unit and car adapter are included). There is a remote control included, but you can operate the machine without the remote control). Plenty sturdy - my 2 year old boy has gotten it open and examined it several times and it still keeps on working perfectly.
It's great to use everywhere you travel! We use this on the plane, in the car and have even brought it into my doc appointments and business meetings to entertain my very intelligent, very curious and very energetic 2 year old boy. We put in Baby Einstein and flip thru "flashcards" together or just let them go auto pilot when my attention has to be elsewhere (ie: the doc office).
It's also a very nice bribe tool. I'll say, "If you're very good at the store, we can watch a movie on the way home". Very effective.
It's a great way to limit a child's tv viewing to just a few minutes while on the go. My son loves when I ask him if he wants to go someplace in the car.
I recommend this item to anyone who has children.
27 This is great so far
Took it travelling, works great, good sharp picture and sound (with earphones). No drawbacks that I can find aside from needing the earphones (hence only 4 stars). Easy for children to use. Glad I got it.
28 Great for what it is...
I got this in May and have used it alot scince then. I find the picture to be good. However the speakers in it are poor. I would just get good external ones.
29 Great value DVD player
Very useful for keeping children paceful during long trips, at a very good price.
30 Great for the price
I have had this DVD player for 3 months, and I use it most days on my 1 hour bus commute home from work.
It works great, convenient to carry around, the quality is good, and overall it has been a pleasant suprise.
I have two technical problems with it, but they are not bad enough to regret choosing this player:
1) Because of the way the battery detaches, it shifts side to side while it is connected. If you shift it to the right while the unit is operating then *POOF* it shuts off. It's particularly annoying since that happens to me once a week or so on the bus.
2) This happened to me twice (different movies) - the machine froze on a frame and would not play about 1 minute of the movie. These disks were not in good shape and were probably scratched there, but I felt the player didn't handle it well.
Overall - It's worth the $200 if you need a portable player.
31 Great little dvd player
I've had this player for nearly six (6) months now and have had no problems whatsoever. I have not experienced the problem that others below have mentioned with this sticking halfway through a disc. We've used it on vacations, at home, hooked up to t.v.s and have been pleased with this product's performance. The only drawback I have found is a slight distortion of the picture when I hook it up to a television, and play using the television screen, on certain movies that are widescreen format.
Overall I would not hesitate to purchase this product. However, it might be wise to purchase an extended service plan.
32 Great Travel DVD
This little devise has been a perfect travel companion for my three year old. We use it in the car, in hotel rooms, on planes, even on a canada train trip. The only drawback is the sound quality- but with headphones it sounds great. I have had it for nearly a year now and with constant use and travel abuse it has stood the test of time and continues to work great - even with my three year old touching the screen and pushing all the buttons. I have seen other dvds considerably more expensive but can't see the justification as this low cost dvd works just as well. If it were lost, stolen or damaged I would buy this same dvd again.
33 Car Trip Lifesaver
We were a little apprehensive about buying this DVD player after reading some of the other reviews. We decided to take a chance, because of the great price. We took an eleven hour car trip with a two year old, and we survived! This DVD player was perfect. We did not store our player in a padded holder, instead we figured out a way to keep the dvd player cool by placing it in front of the air vents. This player never skipped a beat! The only complaint that I have is that I had to watch the same three Dora episodes over and over again. Now I can sing all of the songs in my sleep :)! I would highly recommend this player to anyone on a budget. Just keep the player cool, and I think you will be fine!
34 Works great for me
The only reason I am leavening a review is because I started looking into it for a friend and started reading all the reviews and some made it sound bad.
Now I've owned my Initial 1731 now since Nov03 and it has worked great. Picture is darn good, speakers are nothing great but with headphones it sounds great and in the car I hook up my irock FM signal transmitter (any Radio Shack 29$) and play it over the car speakers and talk about surround sound.
I've had none of the problems that others on here have mentioned. Maybe if you want this to be a work horse DVD player for you. You might want to spend the extra money. But for my money and usage this is a great buy. I gave it only 4 stars out of 5 because it would have to be perfect in everything to get a perfect score. I've never found anything to be flawless. So for me this is about as good a score as I could give it.
Sure the motor makes a little noise when you first start it maybe 5 sec after that I can't hear it unless I turn the volume off. And then you have to be in perfect silence. Headphones are cheap so that little thing doesn't bother me. Plus I've got about 5 pairs that have come with other things that I don't use because they sound bad or are awkward.
With any kind of electronics you have to take care of it for it to last.
35 Piece of Junk
Well, I hope other people have had better luck with this thing then I. I can't watch a whole movie on this thing without it getting "stuck" about every 10 minutes. I'm not talking about beat up DVDs, I mean fresh out of the box brand new DVDs. Not one of them (I've tried roughly 30) will play for more then 10 minutes with out it freezing up.
I've decided to junk this thing and buy a better one.
36 Great Value
We have had ours since Xmas 2003, and have no complaints. It's a great portable dvd player at a great price. My car is not very quiet on the road which makes it a little hard to hear without headphones. My kids came up with the perfect solution if more than one person wants to watch. Buy a car Connecting pack (compact disc cassette adaptor) Hook it up to your DVD player which will allow the volume to come thru your car speakers. It works great!
37 AWESOME player for the price!
This is the best player you can get for under $200! Just make sure you change it to WIDESCREEN mode because by default it's set to 4:3 fullscreen.
Sound quality is excellent with headphones, not so great with the tiny speakers.
I was very happy with the video quality.
I have not had any of the freezing issues. I even heard that newer models have fixed the previous problems, so if you get one with problems then you can always try your luck again. I, for one, have not had a single freeze.
Keep in mind that the "name-brand" models are much more expensive than this, and even then you'd need to spend more money for the 7" screen.
38 The Best
I bought this DVD Player(...) and it is an awesome deal. I used it on a very long car trip from Arizona to Arkansas and it worked perfect. Poor quality but it works just great. I was a bit nervous when I bought it because I heard a lot of bad stuff about it but it is the best one I bought yet. It is 10 times better than even Audiovox DVD players. I highly recomend it.
39 Great Bargain
This is a great little gadget. The 7 inch screen is perfect and the sound is very impressive. My kids watched a movie in the car and no skips even when the road was a bit bumpy. The battery lasted for more than 3 hours. I shopped around for this item and this is the least expensive price I could find for this size of screen. I am very happy with my purchase.
40 Battery connection unreliable
The picture and sound on this unit are decent. However the connection between the player and the battery is not well designed, so the battery can slide a little bit and then the player loses power. This is extremely annoying since you have to start the movie from the beginning again. Unusable, I returned it.
41 3 year old twins use it.....need I say more!
I read all reviews and was very reluctant, but this has turned out to be the best portable dvd ever! We use it in the car EVERY DAY! It has been dropped, banged around, stepped on (lightly), etc....and still works perfectly! I was nervous about the view from an angle (a 3 year old at each side of the car) and it has a WIDE viewing range (I can even see the image when I peek over the screen from the front to see what part they are on in a movie). The remote is fabulous...very easy to use as driving: to pause and point out moose on side of highway or something. We bought a 3 way headphone adapter at radio shack (and 3 $7.00 a set....fabulous working headphones from amazon) and that is great too! The maximum volume on the machine (on its own, without headphones) is a bit low at times, but fine enough when unit is only 3 feet from kids in back seat. Only problem we've had is that the end of the power adapter (adapter that plugs into car lighter) that attaches to the machine, has gotten "yanked a bit" (to put it mildly) and if jiggled when in use, cuts out the power supply. But if the unit is set securly on something this isn't a problem. **over all....I say buy without hesitation....my kids have put this thing TO THE TEST! I should also mention we live on a discontinued dirt road (river bed-ike) and it handles the bumps and jolts without skipping a beat!
42 A Warning!
This product worked great for six months, and then it just stopped working. And let's face it, who wants to send their portable DVD player away to be fixed? Once they break, how much confidence can you have in them?
43 Constantly Freezes Up
I purchased this DVD player as a Christmas gift for my son. It has been a problem since the second movie I put into it. Sometimes it never finishes loading and I have to shut off the power, pull the out the dvd and start over again. Other times it starts and then freezes in the middle of a scene. First few times a light tap on the cover would allow the movie to continue. The problem has gotten progressively worse until it is not worth using the unit. The company felt it was the dvd itself. After I mentioned that it was multiple dvd's and that they didn't freeze in the same place each time, the rep decided to have me return it for them to look at. If they feel that it is a problem with the unit, the best I can expect is that they will cover parts. I still have to pay for the repair. I would not recommend this player at all. Spend the money and get a better brand.
44 It was neat while it worked (1 day)
I bought this for my wife for her birthday (3 days ago). We watched a DVD that night, in the dark and quiet of our house, and it was great! Small screen, yeah, but it was pretty neat anyhow. She watched a DVD in the car the next day, the sound was not loud enough, and the screen was difficult to see in the daylight. Then we got home and turned it on and it said "No Disk". Tried many different disks. No luck.
I returned it yesterday. Bought an audiovox unit (D1710) today.
We first saw the Initial 1731 in Wal-Mart. The guy working there said it best. "Yeah, they are great, when they work. Look at these two. They have done nothing but sit in the display case and they are broken". We should have heeded his advice, but nope.
Save your money. Or buy a different brand. These DO NOT last!!
45 Great Value and Performance for the Price
If you're looking for an inexpensive traveling companion, you should buy this DVD player. The picture is not HDTV quality, but for under $200 you shouldn't expect it. Good quality picture and the sound is ok in a normal environment (headphones are better). You can use your DVD player as a monitor and play movies from some other source also. The battery was advertised for 2 hours play time, but I get 3 hours of use. What made the deal sweeter, is when I opened the box and found 10 free movie rentals from Hollywood Video. That's an additional $40 value. Not a bad deal.
46 best tested
I'm a careful consumer...I try products out and compare features before buying.I want the best product my limited funds can buy.I tried several brands and models under $400 and finally decided on this model. I am very pleased with its performance.Granted the fact that the portable battery is a little ackward but works well...and if you are using strictly with plug in outlet the fact that the rechargable battery pak is removable makes the unit slimmer and more portable than the ones some of my friends have.picture is great and I also think the sound is great ! AND you can't beat the price !
47 Great if you like silent movies
We purchased this player to take on a family vacation for my two children to watch movies while we made a 12 hour drive. We used it several times for approximately 2 weeks prior to leaving and loved it. An hour and a half into the trip we turned it on and there was no sound. No matter what we tried the sound would not come on. The kids were really bummed and it made for a much longer trip for them as they were greatly dissapointed. I refused to try another one from Initial and just got a refund. I am waiting on my Mintek to arrive.
48 Buy a better brand
There is a reason why this unit is so inexpensive compared to the other portable players: it is a cheaply made unit that is not made to last. We bought ours less than two months ago and it does not work anymore. It doesn't show the picture even though we can hear the sound. Also, the battery unit with the power adaptor for the car fell apart in the first month and we had to buy a universal adaptor replacement. Save your money and buy a better brand.
49 Great value but poor warranty
I bot this portable DVD player 6 months ago and it works great, it comes with all accessories that needed. No doubt you would have to pay $500+ for some name brand DVD player like Sony, Panasonic and etc... But last week when I tried to opened it, the hinge broke for no reason, I called the manufaturer and they would replace the part but I have to pay $50 for parts. This is radiculous since I only paid $200 for the player.
I love this unit bit who knows what will break easy later on.
50 Stay Away From Initial
I hate to say it, but the people who have given this item good reviews haven't owned the player long enough. Initial's build quality is very poor- it is a fact that if you buy a product from Initial, it WILL need service. It is only a matter of time, and, unfortunately, not that much time. Now, you have your new DVD player that you were all excited to purchase, but it's worth jack because the screen hinge completely broke and it won't play movies. You now get the unenviable task of contacting Initial's customer support. It's a nightmare! I think their customer service is comprised of a bunch of 8 year olds in a sweat shop in India.
Trust me on this one, go with a proven brand like Sony or Toshiba, and you won't regret your decision if anything ever goes wrong.
51 as described
i'm in the market and researching this. contrary to what one of the reviews here say this DOES have INPUTS. there is a switch in the back. i was really dissapointed before i found out about the inputs seeing this is the cheapest dvd player with inputs. the closest one is the 5.8" audiovox. for about 230. quality of the video isn't the greatest. it seems to have problems showing light scenes, but nearly all of the ones i've seen have the same problem.
52 good unit for the money
Purchased the unit for my grandson. Unit came with all the attachments for home, auto,and battery for plane. The IDM-1731 played dvd, home burned dvd, cd, home burned cd. The picture is ok the speakers are better then the speakers on my more expensive Audiovox D1830 8". I recommend the purchase of the IMD-1731 because unit appears to be good guality for the money.
53 GREAT DVD PLAYER yet...there are problems
One day, I was searching the internet, when I saw this DVD player. I knew I HAD to have it. I saved my money for months. As soon as I got it, I hooked it up, and it played PERFECTLY. The graphics were amazing. I brought it everywhere with me. I had planned to bring it on a plane trip, but when I plugged in the battery and turned it on..... NOTHING. I tried everything, and when nothing worked, we called the factory. We tried what they said, without sucess. They said that if we sent everything back, they would send up an updated model. The model on this page is the one they said they would send. The older model (which I orded 2 months ago, in February) must have been defective (though the amazon price was lower than it was now.
The whole point of this is- this updated model should be better, and the Initial company has excellent customer service, and SEND IN YOUR WARRANTY CARD AS SOON AS YOU RECIEVE THIS PRODUCT.By doing this, you will be better safe than sorry.
54 Good for what it does and what it costs!
We have had this unit for about two weeks, and have just returned from a car trip to Boston, where our daughter used it in the car (with optional headphones), and we used it every night in our hotel room thru the TV set's RCA jacks.
A fully charged battery lasted through one full DVD in the car, and we used it on AC in the hotel room. While the video on the internal screen isn't spectacular, it is usable, while the video thru the TV was perfectly acceptable. Contrary to other reviewers, you can set "bookmarks" to return to specific scenes, however, the menus are not very "user friendly." The remote is handy, however, it would have been nice to be able to shut off all power AND be able to control the volume of the TV.
We have not yet tried using the external DC power cord in the car, but I'm sure that it works as specified.
It will probably save us it's price in DVD rentals, or room charges, when we travel!
55 Total Letdown
I bought one of these units with the hopes of my daughter using it on car trips. I guess I was wrong there. The unit cannot take even the smallest bump without either the picture or the sound going off. Then the unit cannot find its place where it left off. The total DVD has to load again from the beginning. The unit also does not have that good of a picture. Overall I would not waste my money on this unit. I have since returned it for a different brand. I think this is a "ypu get what you pay for" situation.
56 Problem
Although the unit works great, the technical specifications listed are inaccurate. This unit DOES NOT have audio/video inputs. A change in production and engineering has deleted this KEY feature. When contact was made with manufacturer, customer service was even unaware of change. After speaking with engineering it was determined specifications were changed. There is no fix. If you intend on using a portable gaming system (gamecube) to entertain kids on a long trip in a car, this unit is NOT for you! I found out just hours before departing.
57 help with initial idm-1731 portable dvd player.
I'm from italy,and a friend from USA has given me this initial idm-1731 portable dvd player.But it can't read dvd PAL2...so i want to know if there's a way to see PAL2 dvds,it's possible to upgrade its firmware?...tell me what i have to do...please help me..thank you so much, anthony
58 Okay portable - terrible LCD
the LCD is pixelated and poor color rendition ... whites washed out, most scenes strongly blue tinted, greens turn out blue, reds are ugly also
comes with some cables, and large, rechargable battery, but no s-video output cable, and the output jack is not the standard s-video type
59 Portable DVD Player
Don't try to take this portable dvd player on an airplane, bus, or train. Even with a headset, this device has a very loud motor that can be distracting to your neighbor. I kept it b/c the price was not so bad and I like to sit alone on trips anyhow.
60 DVD -R, +R ??
Has anyone tested this model with home burned DVDs?
61 An inexpensive but clunky DVD player
I purchased this dvd player 3 months ago as a partial solution to the boredom that occurs during my almost monthly 3-8 hour flights for my job. It does a ok job at what it does... but not great.
THE GOOD:
Price - This is one of the cheapest 7" models you are going to find anywhere.
Battery life - I've routinely seen battery life of almost 3 hours.
THE BAD:
Screen - its low resolution screen makes watching movies on a flight somewhat harsh as you can easily see the pixels in the screen from lap level.
Speakers - This player's speakers aren't loud enough for a relatively quiet vehicle ride, so using the speakers on a plane is a total no go.
Battery attachment - While the battery life is good as I said above, the placement on the back of the player itself is terrible. It's makes the player clunky and much larger than it needs to be when you attach the battery to the player.
Disc compatibility - It seems to not like some types of DVD-R discs as you have to load them into the unit several times before it wants to read them.
OVERALL:
I'd say it's a 5-6 out of 10. It serves it's purpose adequately, but not outstandingly. It's a good player for the kids or a someone of a budget. Otherwise, I'd spend a bit more ($100 or so) and buy a brand name unit from Toshiba or Panasonic.
62 A winner
I love it. It does everything (plays DVD, MP3, CD and my home videos burned onto CD). You can play everything on a TV with a provided cable and use it in the car.
This is the best price anywhere for this product (which is the same as Mintek and others)
63 Screen broke after 6 uses.
I received the IDM-830 (not this exact model) as a gift and used it about 6 times. It worked very well until the plastic covering the hinge that moves the screen broke on one side. It was still operable (but kind of flimsy) until the plastic covering the second hinge broke. Now the screen doesn't get an image at all. I'm going to send it in for warranty (I've had it a little over 2 months) and I'll update whether they "make it right" or not.
64 Good side view quality -- good value.
I like this suprisingly small DVD player. I viewed them at Walmart (which now has the same price at the store :-) and the Initial allows for a far better lateral view than similarly priced competitor products. Screen size is significantly greater than a 5 inch screen. Plus it has an anti-vibration feature that like-priced competitors don't offer.
Doesn't come with a case :(
Comes with a car adaptor kit.
It is so light I'm going to put it in a carrying case and mount it from the minivan ceiling!
65 cool dvd player
I had mine for a week now and so far so good. the only thing i noticed was when i first put a cd in it. It was a loud loud noise like it was grinding something ,and it was when i took the cd out there was a ring around the cd. what happened was the metal part on the inside where you put the cd was sticking up and grinding into the cd, so i pushed it down bent it down. and ever since that it's been working great. the picture is great. the sound could be a little louder. but so far with the price i got and all of the parts i got with it i am cool with it. i like it.
66 BAD picture problem out of the box
We purchased ours on 3/6/04, out of the box there was a little green dot on the screen that did not go away no matter what we did. We changed and played several discs, but the little green dot in the very same placed remained. We exchanged the unit the same day for the same brand and model, out of the box there was another little green dot in a different space on the screen. We also noticed that when you turned the screen, there was much distortion (important if you have in the car and more than one person is viewing). We returned that unit and replaced it with an RCA (almost double the price). We have only had the RCA one day, but we like it, no picture distortion and defintely not a little green dot to be found>
67 Excellent Quality
When I go on long trips, I set the IDM-1731 on the dashboard so I can watch my favorite DVDs while I drive. I just put on the cruise contol and ease the seat back! This portable DVD Player has never let me down and I highly recommend it.
68 Great little dvd player
Im going to keep it short. First i ordered it 4 days ago and i recieved it to day, That is fast!! The player is great it has a clear screen, good sound so far. Ive been playing it all day and im going to use it for the kids in my new ford f-150. A good buy, Walmart has it for 239.00 I got it for about 35.00 less. I love it, Im a gaget man and this is one cool gaget.
69 A Letdown
When I first saw the Initial IDM-1731 I'd bought for my mother, I was envious. I'd just purchased a little 5-inch GoVideo/Memorex for myself and was impressed with the sharpness and clarity. Now I was looking at a 7-inch screen. Talk about poor timing!
But when I turned it on, the envy left me immediately. The sharpness and clarity was more like that of a VHS. There was no shadow detail and even on widescreen, the image looked stretched. When changed to TV ratio, the perspective was perfect, but you lose half of your screen size. Good enough for mom, probably but I was awful glad I'd gotten the little GoVideo.
No matter which one of these guys you go with, drop by a Radio Shack and pick up a small amplifier. Powered by a tiny battery, you can plug your headphones in and use it on an airplane. If you don't, you won't have the volume to hear over the engines.
And, again, get the 5-inch screen. This and the GoVideo are obviously made by the same company. And why haul around something as heavy as this around when you don't have the benefit of a sharp screen.
70 saved my vacation
Before we left for vacation I purchased the Initial DVD player. It was great both on the plane and at the resort. With the addition of sound reduction headphones the quality and clarity of the sound and picture for an inexpensive DVD was surprisingly good. Even without the headpones we were able to play CD's and DVD's so we could both enjoy our new toy.
71 Small Prouduct... Small Price... AWSOME MACHINE!
For it's small price and sise, this player provides one Hell of a punch. I plan on getting a lot of use out of it. It plays back widescreen formatted DVD's like televisions 40 times it's sise. If you are one person, and want to save a good $6000-$10,000 on a widescreen tv, get yourself this little guy.
Initial must be listening a bit to it's customers;The machine I got is packed with features found on more expennsive larger players. Even watching non- widescreen discs in this thing in FULL mode was a joy. I played one of my first season Lost In Space Dvd's in it in FULL mode, with no problems at all.
I only have one gripe, that being that the battery pack is external, and a bit clumzy. However, I can live with that, as I ran my player for over 4 hours on one charge, and the recharge time was under 90 minutes.
As I said, this small machine delivers a very big bang for the buck. I'll be using this gizmo more often than any other DVD player I own, and including this one, I have 2 others.
Save some wear and tear on your main DVD players, and get this one. You won't be disapointed
72 best portable
this portable dvd player is a must have for long trips. Great for both are travel and road trips.
73 Good
First off, let me say I was a little hesitant to buy this portable because the price was so low compared to top bands such as Sony. I didn't want to spend over $500 and didn't want a screen smaller then 7 inches. I bought this device anyway... Let me tell you it worked a lot better than I expected. The picture is great and the sound is great too if you have headphones on, otherwise it's just ok. As you know it plays DVD/CD/MP3 CD. But a think that made me enjoy this even more was that it plays Video CD's. I would burn concerts onto regular CD's and it would require another computer to play it, but you can play it on this player. The whole thing is great, the only reason I have it a 4/5 would be because the battery life of this and all portables isn't good. The battery only lasts about 3 hours, good enough for one to one and a half movies, but if you're on a 8 hour plane ride there's no outlets like a cigarrete one in a car so you're basically screwed. I'd still recommend this.
74 Great overall value
I got this machine a month ago and have thoroughly enjoyed it. It has played every kind of discs I have thrown at it, from VCDs to DVD+R as well DVD+RW! I have burnt ~1000 songs on to a DVD+RW disc and enjoy the variety while playing in random mode. The screen is bright and beautiful and quite large. It is worth every penny I paid for it on AMAZON.
I wish there were a button which would turn the lcd off, while still keeping the speakers on, so that I could listen to songs on the in-built speakers without running down the batteries. Of course, most people would rather listen to songs on headphones, so they would just close the lid and get the desired effect. So, it is not a real problem.
It also has features for audio/video in/out which can be very useful while viewing recordings from a camcorder or digital camera on a trip.
I would strongly recommend it to people who want the most bang for their buck. Yes, the battery could have been incorporated inside the main compartment, that would have been awesome.
75 Questions about DVD use
Great picture but very low volume; at the highest point it is difficult to hear unless in very close proximity. Is there a way to improve this control?
The manual is very difficult to understand, needs to be simplified in laymen's terms.
76 No problems so far
I wanted to put a quick note out there because of all of the negative reviews that I read about this player (mostly dealing with problems of it freezing up or failing to work). I received mine from Amazon on 2/5/04. Hopefully, the more recently shipped machines have addressed many of the problems that seemed to plague earlier buyers. All I know is that mine has worked flawlessly.
I took it on a plane trip with me for a weeklong visit to Whistler. So far I've watched about 6 movies on it. Mostly with it hooked to an outlet, but did watch one on battery. Still had batterly life left after one movie, but I can't comment on how much of a second I would have been able to watch.
As other reviewers have noted - the player comes with about everything you need - car adapter, RCA cables to attach to a TV, remote control, etc. Unfortunately for me, the TV in the hotel did not have RCA jacks so I was forced to watch movies on the 7" screen. It's definitely not as good as a full size TV, but you kind of forget how small it is as you get involved in the movie.
For what its worth, I'm a recent purchaser that hasn't had any problems with the machine.
77 Great player. "Onboard" zoom mode, anyone?
This player is a very great value. I would have given it five stars if there was some way to adjust the contrast. Dark areas are sometimes difficult to see. The picture is sharp and clear. The player successfully plays DVD+R discs just fine. I have not had any freezing yet, but need to play more movies. Does anyone have a player that has all three modes specified in the manual. The manual states that it has an "onboard" normal, full, and zoom mode. I only have two and my Initial 5820 (a great player) has the three.
78 Great Buy for All Ages
I recently bought this product. The screen is very clear, the sound is great, and it comes with a small remote. The only bad part is that you have to charge the battery for 6 hours, and it only lasts for about 3 hours. Unless you listen to music then it last about 4 hours. I would recommend buying this product.
79 best for the bucks
The picture is excellent and it plays everything including mp3, dvd -R/-RW/+R/+RW using dvdxcopy/dvddecrypter/ulead/myDVd (Sonic). My kids really love this dvd player. I broke the player (my fault) and customer support from initialdvd replaced me a brand new one. Their support is execellent.
80 Good value 2 issues
Overall I am pleased with the product...for the price. Display and picture good and including a car adaptor is another plus. I do have 2 issues. 1. Volume inadequate with and without headphones especially on a flight with engine noise turned all the way up I could hardly hear the movie, and my hearing is fine. I am investing another $100 in noise cancelling headphones 2. Battery life with screen is 2 hours...many movies are slightly above 2 hours and you miss the ending! I have tried all over to fond a second battery OEM Initial with no lock.
81 Don't waste your money on this lemon.
These, as well as the Mintek DVD players were on sale here at Fort Lewis, WA for around $179. Probably half of my platoon bought them to take with us to Iraq. Well, while trying out their new purchase, the players were "locking up" on them, in other words, the movie would stop, the screen would go blue, and when they tried to reboot the DVD, the damn thing would not load. Now I'm talking at least 90% of the Initial and Mintek DVD players purchased turned out to be pieces of junk. There were guys who took their players in to get them exchanged 3 or 4 times before getting their money back and buying a better quality player. Yeah you'll save a couple of bucks over buying a Sony or Toshiba, but in the end, you'll be stuck with a grey plastic door stop and not a DVD player.
82 Beware of older software/firmware...no zoom feature
I've only had this unit for one week so I cannot provide reliability information. Overall, it seems to be a good player and I had no problems playing DVDs, DVD+/-RW, MP3s, CDRs, VCDs, etc. (I did have problem with Sony CDRW media)
The manual mentions three modes available: Normal, Wide, and Zoom (not to be confused with the Zoom mode using the remote
which leaves an icon on the picture). I need the Zoom mode since some of my VCDs are recorded in widescreen mode. There is a lots of black real estate on screen and don't mind pixelation if I zoomed up.
Oddly, my unit only has two modes. I almost accepted that this is just one of those things. I called the company Initial. I was transferred to tech support (surprisingly not located in India :D ). I was told that some of the units have "different software". I asked if a firmware upgrade is available. Nope.
He told me to return unit and get an exchange. This seemed to be bad advice since the replacement could have the same problem.
Fortunately for me I live less than 10 miles from their office in La Verne. I can exchange it there in person. I feel sorry for the customers who cannot do this.
83 Initial Portable DVD player with 7: LCD
I just got this today, the picture is sharp and the sound great. This is well worth the money. I know im taking this on all of my trips. I've seen my friends portable DVD player and this one by far beats all of them. I would reccomened this to all my friends. A great portable DVD for a low price.
84 Good Buy
I was skeptical to buy this but it's worth it if you can get the extended warranty to insure your purchase for 2 years (the manufacturer only gives you 3 months labor and 1 year parts). The one I got works fine and I am impressed with the quality considering it is a generic brand. Apparently some other people got bad units but I guess Initial finally got their act together. Picture is good, sound is ok. You can't expect tiny speakers to sound like a home theater. It comes with everything you need except for the headphones (no big deal). It comes with a battery and charger, DC adapter, AC adapter, and a remote control. In the manual it said that the battery only will last about two hours but when I used it I got nearly four. This unit has been great for me. All in all, only get it with the extended warranty which is only like $30. Great buy for $200.
85 very good product for the money
I purchased this product with the intent of it being used to keep my kids occupied on long trips. This portable dvd player offers a very good deal at a low price. All that is missing to make this complete is a good quality set of earphones and maybe a spare battery.
The display screen is clear and is much nicer than the 5" screens, with the battery attached the screen can open far enough to be comfortably viewed while on your lap or table. The sound quality is on par with a small transistor radio, a good set of headphones will give much improvement. Set-up is easy and trouble free, but the remote control provided is not neccessary unless you plan on hooking up the player to a T.V.
The lithium battery provides an average of 3-3.5 hours of play time with a full charge, with 6 hours needed to charge the battery when needed. A spare battery will cost another $55-$70 dollars depending where you buy. Also included in the accessories is an adapter to run the player on 110 volt power or from a cigarette lighter.
As of date my player has over 50 hours of use with no problems, the only negative I would give is maybe about the sound quality, but overall I have been happy with my purchase.
86 DVD is great value! But beware of customer service
I loved this little player. I spend a lot of time on the road
suttling my daughter around (the life of a divorced dad who
child lives 160 miles away!). My daughter loved it too.
But then, tragically, one day it died.
We closed the top with the unit still on. The unit overheated and melted inside. Shouldn't have done that, but it did.
AN automatic off button MIGHT be nice... but it didn't have
it.
Chearfully, I sent it too Initial for repair. It was out of
the 90 day warrenty, so, it was going to cost 44.99 for repair.
I gave my credit card number. They said it would arrive right
away. THat was... lets see... last November. It is now late
January. After numerous calls and "yes, we will get back to you"
"No, I don't know why it hasn't shipped" etc... the
unit has not arrived.
I think there could be a worse customer service department. I
am saying that because I always want to be conservative
and leave room for an extreme case. But it is hard for
me to envision in my mind what worse customer service would
be like.
The bottom line is: Consider this a disposable unit.
Then think if the low price is really worth it...
87 A great buy
Our family has been using this unit for about a month and we love it. We've used it in the car and around the house. No problems so far with DVDs freezing, skipping, etc. Sure, the picture and sound don't stack up to Sony and Panasonic - but my young children can't tell the difference. For less than $200 bucks, you can't beat it.
88 Don't bother with this DVD player
I thought I would give this model a try because of the low price. When I got it, it didn't work. Specifically, the screen remained black and would not play any video even though the DVD was whirring inside. I explained the situation to Amazon and they are going to cheerfully refund my money, plus shipping charges for the return. Because of the glowing reviews, I am going to buy the Panasonic instead and not waste any more time with this less expensive model.
p.s., Received the Panasonic DVD player today from Amazon (February 3, 2004). Just as the reviews said, it is fantastic. So glad I substituted this Panasonic model for the cheaper brand. Well worth the higher price.
89 excellent value
This is an excellent player. We originally purchased the 5.8 inch model which was also very good, however, the 7 inch screen really does make a difference in viewing. Picture is very sharp, sound is good, quality is solid. You really can't beat the value of this unit. Works great in the car to keep our 2 year old son entertained.
90 bad dvd player!
When I first got this dvd player it was awsome.The very next day when I was using it in the car it froze. It wasn't that surprising because when I was in the store I saw another kid who said it froze to. I tried it again but it kept freezing.
91 this rocks
buy this dvd payer it was the best thing I ever did.
92 One of the best if not the best portable DVD player!!!
I have bought over 4 different DVD player such as RCA, Sony, and Samsung all of these dvd players are okay but they all have a little something bad like a good picture or a good sound. The Initial DVD player has it all, perfect picture and awesome sound. I have had this DVD player for over a month and so far its the best DVD player ive owned. The antiskip protection is great, I was watching a movie while inside a car and we went through alot of bumps and the movie just kept playing like nothing had happened. The remote is really good for when youre hooking it up to your tv. In conclusin I really liked this DVD player and I would advice you to buy this unit, its a must have if you love watching DVD's on the road or anywhere else, its also a really good price.
93 One of the best if not the best portable DVD player!!!
I have bought over 4 different DVD player such as RCA, Sony, and Samsung all of these dvd players are okay but they all have a little something bad like a good picture or a good sound. The Initial DVD player has it all, perfect picture and awesome sound. I have had this DVD player for over a month and so far its the best DVD player ive owned. The antiskip protection is great, I was watching a movie while inside a car and we went through alot of bumps and the movie just kept playing like nothing had happened. The remote is really good for when youre hooking it up to your tv. In conclusin I really liked this DVD player and I would advice you to buy this unit, its a must have if you love watching DVD's on there road or any where else, its also a really good price.
94 initial Portable DVD player
Before christmas a very special friend bought me a portable dvd player which I was a little leary about at first, as I had read reviews on other portables that were not very good. This little player is really a trooper. I have not had any trouble with it getting hot or having any display troubles. The LCD screen is very clear and sharp. This unit is one of the easiest dvd players to use that I have come across.. I have to thank initial for such a fine product. and my buddy for a wonderfull gift..
95 Wish I'd Read the Reviews First
I bought the 5" version of this Initial product and can only say: it looks great and, in theory, is everything I wanted. However, it's a piece of trash. Every DVD froze up on it: very disappointing on Christmas Day. I returned it and got another: same problem. Today I looked up online to find corporate info. for "Initial" to call them & see if there's a problem with the product. I couldn't find the corporation but found plenty of product reviews that indicate these Initial DVD players routinely freeze up. I'm mad about the inconvenience; the company MUST know about this flaw since it seems like the rest of the world has experienced it. I'll trying a different brand.
96 Best electronics purchase I've made in the last year!
Recently purchased this player for a road trip and couldn't be happier. We used it in the car for over 30 hours so far and we're not disappointed at all. Picture quality is excellent, the sound is good and the features are amazing for the price.
The anti-shock feature is outstanding. We had the player resting on our center counsel of our SUV and never had a DVD skip in the entire 30 hours of driving.
Also hooked it up to a hotel TV to watch some movies and had no problems at all. I only wish I could find an extra battery to have around in case we need it.
97 Don't buy Initial
Had problems with the picture going out and the unit just quitting. We were trying to figure out what the problem was instead of just sending it back (at first we thought it was just the car charger). We finally figured out that the part where you plug all the adapters in was loose and called initial. We were just out of our 90 day warranty when we called, and they wouldn't honor it. Found them very rude in the world of customer service.
98 great dvd player
i bought this dvd player with my chirstmas money and i have had it now for two weeks and have not had any problems with it at all. i have watched upwards of 200 movies on it and nothing has ever happend, it has never skipped or freeze up like some of the other reviews say. This is a great dvd player for its cheap price. the only bad thing is that the built in speakers are whimpy, but it is much better with head phones.
99 Reliable
I received this item as a Christmas present. I have taken it out in the car for several hours, used it at home for nearly four hours a day (my TV is almost always otherwise occupied) and found it to look great, sound great, and play everything perfectly.
As it is only a week after the holidays, I have yet to experience any problems, however, the player seems to be working well under heavy daily use. At this point, I am very pleased with the unit and have found it to be a perfect present!
100 Piece of Crap
Bought this on December 18, 2003, on Jauary 2, 2004, the picture went out on it. Waste of money.
