Initial IDM-1731 Portable DVD Player with 7-Inch LCD

by Initial Technology

Product Details

Product Manual [15.08mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000C83IH
• Item model number: IDM-1731
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (166 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,493 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 20, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

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.

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.

Product Description

INITIAL INITIAL IDM-1731 7'' PORTABLE DVD PLAYER Model: idm1731 Display: 7" LCD Playback Formats: DVD-Video, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3 CD Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Multi-Angle Viewing: Yes Frame Advance: Yes Still/Freeze Frame: Yes Battery: Rechargeable lithium Battery Life: 2.5 hours Audio: 2 built-in speakers Video Outputs: 1 (minijack .125-inch composite-video) Surround-Sound Output: Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 In the Box: DVD player, full-function remote control, AC adapter, high-capacity rechargeable lithium battery, composite-video interconnect, analog audio interconect, user's manual

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

498 of 504 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars So far, so good, September 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Initial IDM-1731 Portable DVD Player with 7-Inch LCD (Electronics)

I purchased this product only 1 week ago, with some hesitation based upon reviews. However, all reviews of this type of produce were luke-warm at best, no matter what the price of the product. It seemed that approximately 30% of people who purchased any portable DVD had some problem, requiring return/replacement. Also, most factory warranties are similarly anemic. I normally purchase online for the discount, but chose to purchase this product locally (same as online price), so that I could have more personilzed service if necessary. Also, I normally do not purchase the extended warranty through the store, but for this product, I did because of the potential for problems (and the poor manufacturer warranty of 1yr parts / 3 mos labor). The first thing that I noticed is that everything I needed was in the box - including DC adapter, video cables (unlike some more expensive models - and these things are expensive to buy separately). The unit had a good feel to it, and the screen hinge felt solid, not flimsy like some. My biggest complaint so far, is that the screen does not fold all the way flat (almost), which is pretty important if you will be hanging it off the back of a seat in the mini-van. The battery is a bit awckward, being a rather bulky separate piece that attaches to the back of the unit (limiting screen opening angle), with a wire plugging into the same port as the AC adapter, but you get used to it. With the battery pack attached, the screen only opens up a bit beyond 90 degrees. The picture is sharp, and the colors very good, with an excellent wide viewing angle - even in the sun. In the store, the difference between the model several hundred dollars more expensive was negligible (and the sound better). Unlike other reviews, I found sound quality to be good (for portable), and was clearly able to hear it in the car over the background noise (if you are looking for theater sound without headphones, don't buy portable). With headphones, the sound is outstanding. The battery has lasted longer than the advertised 2.5 hours even after mutliple charges, and I have been able to watch 2 movies before recharge. It attaches very easily to my home TV, and works nicely in that capacity. (unfortunately, my 2 year old thinks that it is now his - "MINE!" - ugh ) I have been using the unit constantly since it's purchase to find any problems while still in the 30-day return period. Overall, I am pleasantly surprised, but did not give 5 stars due to inability of screen to fold flat, and unit's features which are only available with using included remote (both which are acceptable IMHO). Most problems I have seen in reviews have occurred immediately, a few more approximately 6 months out - hence the extended warranty purchase. I have recorded a few MPEGs from the internet onto VCD, and it has played them without any trouble whatsoever. Good luck.

UPDATE: 11/27/2003
Still using the player nearly daily. Working great! Very pleased with investment.

187 of 192 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleased with my purchase, September 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Initial IDM-1731 Portable DVD Player with 7-Inch LCD (Electronics)

I purchased this player prior to a 8-hour car trip with my 10 year-old son. The player worked great! When we got back home, I hooked the player up to the TV in my bedroom and am pleased with the quality of the sound and video. Another bonus that I did not realize when I bought the player is that it also accepts audio and video input. Though the documentation that comes with the player does not describe how to do it, I hooked the player up to my son's Gamecube and it worked fine. So next time we take a long car trip the Gamecube is coming too! Some minor nits:
1) The included documentation is mediocre and could be more complete
2) The power connection to the DVD player needs to be securely seated; on a couple of instances it jostled out which is annoying in the middle of a movie

149 of 155 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars does what you need it to do at a great price, September 30, 2003

By 

Daniel J. Shearer (Pensacola, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Initial IDM-1731 Portable DVD Player with 7-Inch LCD (Electronics)

i did extensive research on portable dvd players. Being a toshiba and panasonic fan, I didn't look much into the Initial brand until I saw the prices of similar players. i compared the picture quality of the Initial with the toshiba sd-p1200 and was quite suprised to see that the Initial hung in there with the Toshiba, and at almost 1/2 the price!! Plus, you get all the necessary cables needed to go on long trips (this is why I wanted a portable dvd player) The sound quality through the speakers is ok, although the toshiba sound isn't any better. When you use headphones, the sound is terrific. Plus, this player has an anti-shock system similar to that found in cd players, so it won't skip in the car or when you child drops it a dozen times. If you want a nice size player (7 inches is plenty big enough for portable) that plays dvd's/cd's, this is by far the best bang for your buck. I only gave it 4 stars because it doesn't come with all the frills of the higher end players, such as progressive scan, numerous menu options, and the battery pack isn't the best, but it certainly isn't the worst either. I saw no justification on spending 200-300$ more on the higer end players. They're not that much better.