Sony DVP-FX1021 10.2" Portable DVD Player

10.2" widescreen LCD * plays DVD-Video, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW and Video CD * plays CD, audio CD-R & CD-RW, and MP3 CD-R & CD-RW * plays digital picture CDs (JPEG) * 7-hour rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack *

Sony's stylish, slender DVP-FX1021 packs a 10.2-inch widescreen TFT liquid-crystal display under its aluminum hood, giving you an appealing way to turn downtime into prime time. The DVP-FX1021's lithium-ion battery is designed to hold out for a whopping 7 full hours (with contrast set to minimum and using headphones instead of speakers), enough for 2 epic films to last you through most or all of that transcontinental flight.

You can charge it in the car using its DC car charger, or use the supplied AC/DC power adapter to charge or watch from a hotel room. You can also hook it up to a TV in the hotel or at home using the unit's minijack S-video and composite-video outputs (cable included).

The player's 16:9 aspect ratio matches that of your favorite feature films. It has built-in stereo speakers, and it plays CDs, too--leave the screen down, plug your headphones in, and crank it up (but not too loud). You can even ask a friend to join you: the player sports 2 headphone jacks. Use the DVP-FX1021 to listen to your MP3 CDs and, with JPEG-encoded CD-Rs and CD-RWs, view slideshows of your most recent or most popular digital photos--perfect for those infrequent visits to distant relations.

Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's digital-audio output (through a .125-inch minijack-to-Toslink optical cable, not supplied) for direct connection to a full-featured audio/video receiver. The outputs are switchable as AV inputs, too, in case you want to use the screen as a monitor for a camcorder or video-game device.

The resume feature automatically restarts playback from the point where you last stopped a disc, and a compact remote control affords ready access to the device from up to several feet away. Headphones are not included.

What's in the Box
DVD player, remote control (RM-D163A), 2 AA batteries, one 7.4V lithium-ion battery (NP-FX1021), an RCA-to-minijack analog audio/composite-video interconnect, a car charger (DCC-FX101), an AC/DC adapter (AC-FX101), and a user's manual.

1 I'm sure it's high quality cause it's Sony but seems pricey
$700. Uh, why not just spend that on a notebook computer from dell or hp and get a 15" screen, 40GB harddrive, and all the other added capability of a computer. Then you can play games and burn cd's and dvd's as well for about the same amount of money. The only thing better about the dvd player vs the notebook is it probably has a slightly longer battery life and is better in terms of portability...lighter and smaller form.

2 Very close to perfect
I got this player because it was the only high end player that I could find that supported +R and +RW formats which I use on my computer when converting home video. The screen is very nice and the battery life should be excellent. There are two problems with it that I can see from a user point of view. Neither is a showstopper but they are surprising misses from a company with Sony's experience.

One is that the remote gives you no way to adjust the volume. You have to use the volume on the side of the machine. You also need the remote to fast forward thru part of the DVD. The unit has a chapter skip button but on fast forward.

Second, it is almost impossible to tell when the battery is done charging. The charging indication is displayed on a small LCD panal on the front edge of the machine. It is almost unreadable unless the light is very strong. It is a pain to figure out what the charge is on the battery and if it is done or not.

If you are looking for a good, large screen portable DVD player with good battery life, this is a good choice but a few poor design decisions keep it from being a great choice.

3 Excellent
I've seen this portable DVD player at The Good Guys. I looked at the size of the screen, it's like 10 inches (25.4cm) in diagonal size, it also has up to 7 hours of battery life, the other portable DVD players can only last up to about 3 hours, that's enough to watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I know most DVD players you can view JPEG picture CDs and listen to MP3 music. This equipment can be a portable entertainment system. But that's too expensive, it cost $800.