Customer Reviews

RCA DRC600N Portable DVD Player with 7" LCD Display

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I purchased this player brand new from WalMart for 399.00 when it first came out. The very first disk I put in would not play. It just made awful noises. I took it back to WalMart and exchanged for another. This one was also very noisy, but did play (for only a month). I contacted Thompson (RCA) and was told to send entire unit in for repair. Two months later I got a replacement unit back, however they neglected to send me a battery. I was told that I should have never sent the battery in even though I was asked to send the entire unit. After a week or so I finally got to someone high enough in the company to send me a battery.

Unfortunately, reading DVD's was hit and miss with this unit. A lot of the time I couldn't get disks to read, or they would work until half way through the movie and then I'd just get a blue screen. About four months ago the battery was recalled. I got the new battery and after using three times with the new battery the unit won't even power up anymore. I highly recommend staying away from this unit.