1 Macrovision and More Restrictions
RCA DRC600N portable DVD player includes Macrovision copy guard. This feature is incorporated into the player itself. When commanded to do so by the disk, the Macrovision generator alters the video signal by inserting very-high-level pulses in to the vertical blanking interval. It also initially shifts the color-burst phase on some lines of video thoughout the picture. This results in severe video distortion if the player is connected through a VCR. Some monitors are adversely affected even if connected directly. The next feature is regional code restriction which allows the DRC600N to only play DVD's that are encoded for Region 1 or all regions. Both NTSC and PAL DVD's from overseas can be played and displayed on screen if they conform to this regional code restriction. To ensure only the highest-quality viewing experience, this DRC600N can only play factory-stamped DVD's. Copies or home videos recorded onto DVD-R will not play on this machine. Both factory-stamped and recordable CD-R audio compact disks will play. The DRC600N includes remote control, power supply/charger, A/V cables including "S"-video, and a great lithium-ion battery pack. Picture quality and battery capacity are quite good. Unfortunately, despite extensive research, there are no available upgrades available to render this player multi-region and VCR Friendly. That plus its inability to play recordable DVD's makes it a marginal value.
2 Almost a house fire
I've never written anything on Amazon before, but I had to tonight. This DVD player exploded on us to night. We're not sure what happened but it looks like the battery exploded. The entire living room filled with smoke and a small fire started. Our living room arm chair was blackened and smouldering and our oriental rug was burnt, covered with battery acid and burnt straight through to the flooring below. We were about to use the fire extinguishers when I grabbed a large towel and threw the DVD player battery outside on the concrete patio. It continuted to smoulder, smoke and glow. The air in the house was toxic. This was an extremely dangerous situation, which could have caused even more damage and was potentially life threatening. In short, do not buy this DVD player. I plan on contacting RCA tomorrow morning and informing them about this serious situation.
3 great if you get a waranty
This player is amazing, but it seems to have about a 50% success rate. my first one the previous model had everything wrong with it, but this model is amazing. It has a better picutre quality than those made by other companies around the same time, and has a great batery. I fly monthly and use it as my home player, so it is used almost daily, and bumped around continously during travel, and I haven't had a single problem. I have had it almost a year now, and love it.
4 You get what you pay for...
Major factor in purchasing this unit was the price. At a Target clearance last Jan, this baby was a low ~$210 (if I remember correctly). Works well for the price with a lot of features: the s-video out, audio/video in/out, Dolby 5.1, remote, SVCD/VCD/mp3/picture file playback, etc. Had major problems reading DVD's with many chapters in it (ex: HBO season DVD's) but rarely skipped for regular DVD's and SVCD's. Picture quality was decent, audio was fine. Wish you could fast forward/rewind w/o the remote control, though...Battery also takes very long to charge (~6hours).
In a nutshell, it is a decent product, but like another reviewer said: GET AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. My unit died in 9 months, with average use (watch ~3-5 movies a week). RCA warranty offers 100% protection for first 90 days, then a limited warranty for the 9 months after that. I had to pay $50 flat fee for a refurb replacement that will only have another 90 day warranty, period. If the refurb breaks after that, I'm down a portable DVD player. I don't know if this is a bad warranty compared to all portable DVD players, but this indeed has left me with a sour aftertaste. My advice: these portable DVD players will break on you eventually, why not get a cheapo from Bestbuy and invest in an extended warranty? Just my 50 cents.
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5 It's been good for me...
I purchased this player a little more than a year ago. It worked perfectly right out of the box, with a simple interface and and easy to understand user manual. My 12 year old and I used it on a flight, and it was perfect, with excelent sound quality through headphones (though without them, the speakers are almost impossible to hear if theres any background noise) After the trip, I hooked the player up to my TV, and the quality was EXCELLENT! Using the included S-Video adapter and S-Video input on the unit, I ended up with a first rate home DVD player.
In the last year, the player has gone on three road trips and two more flights, without a major problem. .
The bottom line is, I have been more than satisfied with this player. The only reason I find myself back at this sight looking for another one is that the screen was pushed back hard and a hinge broke. But the player still works like brand new. So I am giving my old one to my daughter, and buying a new one for me.
6 this product [is weak]
... I bought this because it was a good price and was given a 5 star rating. It does not play and is falling a part. Don't buy this save yourself the hassle.
7 Jittery Picture, Great Price
I purchased the RCA DRC600N right before embarking on a 12 hour road trip. The player worked fine and the picture quality is great. The compatibility of this unit is excellent, it plays MP3's, VCDS, and DVD's. The only complaint that I have with this unit is that is freezes sometimes as the chapter changes. This problem became so bad that the unit finally wouldn't play any discs. The unit had to be returned to RCA. The only good thing is that the service department at RCA is quick. Within calling RCA a replacement was sent to me within 3 days.
8 DVD Player is Junk
I purchased the RCA Model DRC600N DVD Player and sent it to my Marine son in Kuwait to watch movies. It played three movies and now locks up and skips constantly and is basically unusuable. $450 bucks down the drain. NO MORE SHOPPING ON LINE AT TARGET.
9 Very good quality for the money
Purchased the unit last month,and have used it daily without a problem.Picture quality,and sound are great.Unlike some others I like the multitude of functions avaiable on the remote.Battery life is very good also.My only complaint is that there is not a air/auto power cord available for this unit,thus requiring the purchase of an additional battery.
10 Pretty decent little machine for the price. . .
I have to admit I'm a bit surprised by the quality of this little unit. While the overall build quality might not be as sturdy as the Panasonic units, and the picture may not be perfect, the RCA DRC600N is a pretty good machine.
On the downside, the main gripe I have is that the remote is essential for full functionality of the unit (why they could not have FF/REW and On Screen Display buttons on the machine is beyond me). Also, in widescreen/enhanced mode, when there is a panning shot, the picture tends to shimmer quite a bit (see the opening shot of Rear Window as an example). And the quality control on this product may be a bit shaky (I had to return the first one I bought which would not load any discs).
However, the unit does have quite a few positive features. The most important thing, naturally, is picture and sound. The picture is very good on the RCA, although some artifacting is noticeable in darker scenes when the screen is viewed at a very close distance. The sound over headphones is also quite good. There is a nice dimensionality in its reproduction of 5.1 soundtracks. Can't say the same for the sound produced from the tiny speakers, but I also can't imagine using them very often. The unit has played the few VCD titles that I have and seems to do a good job with discs that are scuffed up a bit (the RCA is the only machine of the three I own that would play one disc that had quite a few scratches). It's very nice to have the widescreen LCD to take advantage of DVDs that are anamorphic (enhanced). Check out the first scene in in which Frodo appears in "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings"; it has an incredible 3-D quality to it with rich, vibrant colors. Battery life seems OK at 3 1/2 hours or so. Thankfully, the DRC600N does not suffer from overheating, a problem which plagued the predecessor, the 5400. Having a digital output and S-Video output makes this unit worthy of home use as well. And the RCA also has an input mode and can be used as a monitor for videos taken on a trip.
If you don't want to spend $ on a Panasonic or Toshiba with similar features, and after all, this is not a high use item for most people, then the RCA is certainly worth a look. However, I would recommend purchasing an extended warranty on this unit (or any portable DVD for that matter). Considering how many things can go wrong when components are miniaturized, and the high cost of repairs these days, adding a Repair Master wty would seem to be a wise investment. For anyone interested in a carrying case for the player, the DRC600N and all its accessories fit nicely into the Case Logic PDVK1.
11 Great DVD Player...Great Value !!!
After reading all of the negative comments I was not sure about this purchase, but because of the price I decided to take a chance on two, one for myself and one for my adult son who travels quite a bit.
These were puchased before Christmas 2002 and both are working perfectly. There is a slight bit of delay with the layer change that is more noticeable than on my home unit, but I also had a Sharp portable that took an extra second or two. Realize that when you're watching a movie and extra second can seem very long. But this is not a defect with the player hanging up...most DVDs have layer changes, and the RCA takes an extra second or two to perform the task.
But for the money this is the best portable DVD player I have purchased so far. Before this unit I've owned a 5", 6" and an 8" that worked great, but was too expensive for me to justify keeping. I sold it and it almost paid for both of the RCAs.
Great Player and a Great Deal!
12 REA THIS BEFORE YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT GETTING THIS PRODUCT.
I got this portable dvd player because it was cheap and looked like it was good quality. It was great when I first got it. The 7" screen is a perfect veiwing size and it was very clear. It charged quick and had nice sound with headphones. Then in the same day I got it I was watching a movie amd it froze. I had read another review that said this had happened but thought this was just a faulty one. So I restarted it which took a while and found my place in the movie again. Then like 30 minutes later it started to skip and froze again. I finally realized what was wrong. It would overheat and just stop working. Even if you waited it wouldn't start again. You have to shut it off and wait for it to cool down or it will do it again in about five minutes or less. RCA has to recheck this and see whats wrong because it has happened to other people. I am returning mine and getting another brand. I am advising you to definitally NOT GET THIS one and choose something else unless you like to restart and wait a while during your movies.
13 RCA Portable DVD Player Model DRC600N
I just purchased the RCA Portable DVD Player 7" Player Model DRC600N brand new at Wal-mart. I was going to go get an Initial Portable one, but it had a smaller screen. And I read so many bad things about the Initial one and some good points with this model. And it was either that one or this one since they were the last on the shelf. The pros to this are: The 7" screen is the perfect viewing size (Any more bigger, and you might as well save your money on a laptop with a built-in DVD player in it). Easy features on the top to change the picture, ff, rw, pause, stop, and everything is marked where the buttons are, even on the side. I accidentally pressed a wrong button as the movie was playing, and it went back to the intro menu, I pressed play and it went directly to the frame where I was viewing.. none of that having to stop and start from the beginning. It's compact like a mini laptop and the size of a book, and not too heavy. The picture is crisp, clear and colorful (Like watching a regular t.v. but mini size. Volume is excellent for the speakers. The batteries ran over 3 1/2 hours long! And I watched 2 movies no problem. No skipping or freezing on me. If your movies skip it might be the DVDs are scratched or have fingerprints on them. I always double check mine and make sure they're clean. The cons are: Took me 2 hours to get it charged up (too long). To go to the menu to change subtitles, viewing size, sound quality, you have to use the remote control buttons (just added bulk accessory I think). Kind of silly to have some buttons to control on the DVD player itself, and the others on a remote control. Wish it included a car adapter, stereo headphones and a carrying case for the player itself. The plastic cover that covers the DVD itself is fine. Haven't noticed flaking off of it. Just treat this baby like it was your very first car. No banging on it, dropping it, or spilling stuff on it, and your investment will last. I rated it a 4 Star.. since it's my 2nd DVD player, and it was better than my first (an external DVD player for my laptop), which was awful! I'm glad I made a good investment in this. If you're a movie buff, this is the one to get. It's not too small, and it's not too big and bulky. It's just right for viewing at home or on the go.
14 Nice, but just say "No"
Since I do a considerable amount of international traveling, I was looking for a portable DVD player to help pass the time on planes and in airports. The RCA DRC600N DVD player looked promising when we purchased it. It was lightweight and had most of the features we were looking for in a portable DVD player, all at a reasonable price. The battery life was exceptional, nearly 4 hours. The picture quality was very good (I fell in love with the 7" screen) and the sound quality (with headphones) was better than expected.
But then, it started to hang-up on the layer changes. At first we thought it was a bad disk, low on power, or a fluke, but after 4 movies of doing the same thing, we began to get frustrated. There is nothing worse than being in the middle of a movie, than having it freeze. Waiting doesn't cure it, we would have to quit the movie, restart the unit, and fast-forward to where we left off. Then it would freeze again. Needless to say, we returned the unit for another one.
The store we bought it from said that they had just received a return on the same unit from another customer with the same problem. We decided to try again, took the new unit home, and found that the paint on the disk door was flaking. We didn't even bother, we took the unit back and will look for something else.
After reading other reviews on this same product, it looks like RCA should pay attention and see what they can do to improve on the freezing problem and initial quality of this unit. They got the features right, now if it would only play disks without stopping in the middle...
15 A Great Machine for a Good Price
I also own the Pioneer PDV-LC10, which cost me about twice as much as this RCA model. While this this machine lacks the other's "cinema mode" (which produces a slightly richer image), it has a good, bright picture which is easily viewable by two or three people. It also has other capabilities which make this a real find, especially at this price. The dimensionality of the stereophonic sound was really quite startling when I first gave it a run-through. Aside from the standard playback capabilities (DVD and CD) this set also plays MP3's and Kodak photodiscs. On the downside, I found that a few of the functions (including scan) are accessable only through the credit card-sized remote. This is not a major complaint, but one does feel a little ridiculous using a remote to control a unit that is sitting on your lap. Enough about that. For the price, this is a really innovative machine. I look forward to RCA's continued involvement in personal DVD technology.
16 A Great Machine for a Good Price
I also own the Pioneer PDV-LC10, which cost me about twice as much as this RCA model. While this this machine lacks the other's "cinema mode" (which produces a slightly richer image), it has a good, bright picture which is easily viewable by two or three people. It also has other capabilities which make this a real find, especially at this price. The dimensionality of the stereophonic sound was really quite startling when I first gave it a run-through. Aside from the standard playback capabilities (DVD and CD) this set also plays MP3's and Kodak photodiscs. On the downside, I found that a few of the functions (including scan) are accessable only through the credit card-sized remote. This is not a major complaint, but one does feel a little ridiculous using a remote to control a unit that is sitting on your lap. Enough about that. For the price, this is a really innovative machine. I look forward to RCA's continued ivolvement in personal DVD technology.
17 Great product, except....
This is a great product, but within less than 24 hours after purchasing it, it starting hanging up while watching movies. Very frustrating when you are really into a movie and it stops for two or three seconds to read the disk. May be returning the player soon.
18 get this one
I think this product is so far amazing. the picture is really clear the sound is great.(expecially with headphones. alittle to loud if on high.) its awesome for traveling. i thought i would have trouble getting into the movies but i can consintrate on it. i thought it would be hard since it is smaller then a tv. its size is good to. not to small. the only thing i dont like is the top were you put the dvds is plastic. thats the only thing. no freezing or anything yet. i recamend you get this one instead of those one's $$ or those $$ perfect price everything.
19 Portable, stylish, functional - no major complaints!
I've wanted a portable DVD player ever since they started making them, but a year or two ago you couldn't touch one for under $..., which seemed excessive. I patiently waited for them to drop to under $..., and once they did, I began researching a purchase. I finally settled on the RCA "Life" DRC600N, and I have no regrets. It's sleek and stylish, with an interesting off-white finish reminiscent of 60's avocado kitchen appliances. The generous seven inch widescreen is more than adequate, and has several display options (you can get bigger screens, but why spend twice as much for something twice as bulky? If a big screen is that important to you, just stay home!) After taking the unit out of the box and plugging it in I popped in Fellowship of the Rings (widescreen, of course) and a pair of headphones, and after about two minutes I forgot I was looking at a portable DVD player and became engrossed in the film. Suddenly, I can't wait for my next major business trip (typically something I dread). How extraordinary is it that in modern times, we can carry our favorite film around with us, not much bigger or heavier than a large hardcover novel? My complaints about the system are few. Some of the controls are only available on the included card-sized remote, but that isn't a major headache, as the important ones can be found on the console. I had a problem at first with movies stopping automatically as though I had hit the stop button, but this seems to have corrected itself. I tend to enjoy high volumes so for some movies I find myself turning the volume up all the way and wishing it were still louder, but the average individual who doesn't have a "deaf wish" will probably find the volume adequate. The battery is bulky (adding about a quarter of the unit's total mass) but hey, such is life. The player easily makes up for these flaws with impressive features, including multi-speed scan and slow motion, zoom and bookmark capability, and more. At $..., (I'd recommend you purchase an extended warranty too, just in case) I don't think you could ask for a better player. A similarly priced Panasonic would probably have a much smaller screen, and honestly, I don't think you'll notice a big difference in the picture quality despite what the salespeople might tell you. All in all, a great (and very handy) little toy!
20 Portable, stylish, functional - no major complaints!
I've wanted a portable DVD player ever since they started making them, but a year or two ago you couldn't touch one for under $1200, which seemed excessive. I patiently waited for them to drop to under $500, and once they did, I began researching a purchase. I finally settled on the RCA "Life" DRC600N, and I have no regrets. It's sleek and stylish, with an interesting off-white finish reminiscent of 60's avocado kitchen appliances. The generous seven inch widescreen is more than adequate, and has several display options (you can get bigger screens, but why spend twice as much for something twice as bulky? If a big screen is that important to you, just stay home!) After taking the unit out of the box and plugging it in I popped in Fellowship of the Rings (widescreen, of course) and a pair of headphones, and after about two minutes I forgot I was looking at a portable DVD player and became engrossed in the film. Suddenly, I can't wait for my next major business trip (typically something I dread). How extraordinary is it that in modern times, we can carry our favorite film around with us, not much bigger or heavier than a large hardcover novel? My complaints about the system are few. Some of the controls are only available on the included card-sized remote, but that isn't a major headache, as the important ones can be found on the console. I had a problem at first with movies stopping automatically as though I had hit the stop button, but this seems to have corrected itself. I tend to enjoy high volumes so for some movies I find myself turning the volume up all the way and wishing it were still louder, but the average individual who doesn't have a deaf wish will probably find the volume adequate. The battery is bulky (adding about a quarter of the unit's total mass) but hey, such is life. The player easily makes up for these flaws with impressive features, including multi-speed scan and slow motion, zoom and bookmark capability, and more. At $499, (I'd recommend you purchase an extended warranty too, just in case) I don't think you could ask for a better player. A similarly priced Panasonic would probably have a much smaller screen, and honestly, I don't think you'll notice a big difference in the picture quality despite what the salespeople might tell you. All in all, a great (and very handy) little toy!
21 RCA DRC600N Portable DVD
This is a great portable DVD player especially when you consider price. Picture is great. Sound is excellent. Well worth the money and I shopped around a great deal.
22 It works great only when it works (not freezes)
The design and appearance of this player attracted me at the first glance. When I tried it its disc compatibility amaized me! However its frozen(ability), especially for DVD discs, makes me so upset that I only have it for one overnight then I returned it. The picture and sound quality is about average for that price range.
