Customer Reviews

Toshiba SD-P1400 7-Inch Portable DVD Player

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

When I decided I wanted to buy a portable DVD player, I did months of research to find the best player at an affordable price. This Toshiba model ranked high overall, especially compared to other models selling for a higher price. I haven't had any problems so far, it plays both DVD+R and DVD-R discs, no problems with video or audio. I've also played a PAL DVD from Europe on it with no problem. (For those who don't know, in the US/Canada, TV shows and movies are all in NTSC format, while most of the rest of the world uses PAL format. Unless you have a converter, you can't show a PAL format video on your tv. But not a problem with this portable player! Also, I believe this is a regionless player. Also a bonus if you have any foreign dvds to watch!)

I use my player daily at work to listen to DVDs, CDs and MP3 CDs and even after well over a year, I have yet to have a problem. I've found it to be a durable machine, despite all the bumps and knocks it has taken. I've read other reviews that said the volume levels weren't loud enough. Through the speakers that may be true, but with a $10 pair of headphones from Walmart the volume was more than adequate, even on a plane. The dual headphone jacks are handy when you have 2 people who want to watch, the screen is bright and clear, and it's lightweight enough to put in a backpack or carry on. The battery life is great, charges up in a couple of hours and it lasts for 5 - 6 hours. It was a real lifesaver during the last 4 hurricanes here in Florida. If you're in the market for an affordable, dependable machine, this is the one to buy.

I bought this dvd player few weeks back and last weekend was true test for it. We had a long trip to LA and had very good experience with it. Here are the good things and not so good things about it so far.

Goods

1) Very good battery time. The battery has been lasting for quite long. I did not check the actual usage time, but it lasted on and off two one hour dvd and had charge left. I bought a power inverter for the car so that I can keep the battery charged.

2) Very clear and sharp picture.

3) I like the color combination and general style of the player. My 21 month old daughter likes the sharp color and design.

4) Plays mp3 ! The interface to play mp3 cds is great and quite intuitive.

5) Have not tried yet, but plays dvd-rw/r. Which is a big plus since lots of my daughters tv shows are burned on dvds.

Not so good:

1) Sound from speaker is poor. But then again you probably already knew that from other posts. However, the sound for headphone is also poor. I connected output from headphone to car stereo and often I had to really crank up the volume on car stereo and the dvd player to get decent volume.

2) It seems to be tempermental with older dvd and vcd/cd. A few of the dvds I tried to play were borrowed from public library. Those were a bit scratched. Sometimes the player played them fine and sometimes it just refused to play at all. It also for some reason still unknown refuses to play my original Matrix dvd. So in general it has problems reading DVD sometimes.

3) Does not play SACD, dvd+rw/r

4) Does not come with carrying case. Most other companies bundle a carrying case, but not this one. I bought one from walmart for 15$ which seems to be ok if not great. I wish they would suppply a carrying case for it in future that will truly fit it.

We bought this DVD player primarily to entertain our (toddler) son on long family vacations, but we didn't feel that spending $500+ dollars for a "top of the line" one was worth it. For the price ($250) this DVD player did the job. The battery lasts for the promised 3 hours sometimes more and recharges quickly. The screen is nice and clear and big enough. The speakers, as it's been pointed out aren't that great, they kind of remind me of an old transistor radio, no matter what setting you put them on (what do you expect for 2" speakers). But the sound is excellent through headphones (I've used $60 noise cancelling headphones and $5 off the rack at Target headphones and both provided excellent sound). The DVD player plays both prerecorded DVDs (even the Lion King that someone else said they had a problem with) as well as the DVD-R's that I've burned on my home computer. As it's been pointed out, the spindle is kinda loud during fast forward or chapter skipping, but who really cares, I'd rather have a noisy spindle than lug a 10 pound quiet DVD player around the airport? Haven't had any problems with skipping or restarting even though it's been bumped around a bit (we are talking about toddler use remember). We haven't used the remote yet as the player is usually within arms reach, nor have I hooked it up to another TV or audio device. My first thought when pulling it out of the box was that it didn't seem very sturdy but it's small, easy to trasport, and durable. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I haven't used all of the functions. For a basic unit this one seems to stand up to the toddler test!

I picked this dvd player up at a best buy about a week ago, and I have to say i was somewhat impressed with it.
First lets discuss the screen. This screen is very high quality for the money you pay because Toshiba has made laptops for many years and has experience im making lcd screens like this one. The picture quality is very sharp and can be fine tuned to your taste.
Next are the speakers. Many people conclude that these speakers are very low quality and too quite to use. While i would not deem them worthless, i would agree that they are very quiet and have no bass. But again there is a reason for this. Portable dvd players are made to be just that-portable. For something to be portable, it has to be small and for something to be small, it has to have small components. The reason for lack of sound quality and volume is that these speakers are small to make the dvd player small nand portable. As for me, this is not a problem as my family in the car would not appreciate hearing my movies and i would be using headphones anyway.
The dvd player itself seems to be very dependable, although it is somewhat noisy (again, headphones would keep this from being a problem too you as they would cover up the noise). Also, you have to make sure the disc as all the way on the spindle, as sometimes only two of the three push-pin thingys are holding the disc in place and it pops out when you start up the dvd player.
From what i've seen, the battery is compitant, although it is hard to review that because i have not actually used it for all three hours and timed it and i have only charged it once. Also, this player comes with all the cables you would need to hook it up to a tv/vcr or to get power too it. The remote is comveniantly small and has all the controls you would need, save the volume control because that is a little wheel thingy that you turn to adjust the volume.
Really the only complaints i have with this dvd player are minor-low sound quality,somewhat noisy spindle, and a few other things. At first i was planning on getting the polaroid but decided this one was worth the extra 50$ or so, and i am glad i made that decision after reading some of the reviews on the polaroid. Toshiba is a much more reliable brand with lots of experience in this type of electronic device.I would definately recoment this dvd player over any of the other ones in its class. Feel free to email me at Litdbo@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

I recently purchased this player from Best Buy. The good things about it: Slim design, easy to use, very good picture and just the overall look of the player. Bad things: bad speakers and easily lost battery cover. As for the speakers, another reviewer said they're bad because it's portable and they can't make great speakers for such things. Check out the sound on some of the tiny Sangean digital radios you can buy here on Amazon; remarkable sound quality and the speakers are even smaller than the SD-P1400! In the end, I think you'll do yourself a big favor by going with the Audiovox D1501: fantastic sound and picture; a bit more bulky but you can save yourself over $100.00. And a FULL 12 month warranty on both parts and labor.

I picked this model up after having tried the 8" Polaroid portable. The Polaroid picture quality was terrible and the unit itself seemed very cheaply made. I returned that one and bought the Toshiba. I couldn't be happier with it. The picture quality is excellent and it has a wide viewing angle. Subtitles are easily readable (a major problem I had with the Polaroid). Colors are vibrant. Whites tend to be glaringly white, though, even with the brightness turned down. Blacks are solid. The 7" screen is the perfect size for me. It's big enough to not cause undue eye strain, but small enough to enable the unit to be truly portable -- it's not much larger than a standard DVD keepcase. The sound from the speakers on the unit itself is just barely adequate -- and that's being generous. The unit's internal speakers are pretty lousy. To truly have a pleasant movie watching experience, headphones are a must. The sound from the headphones is as good as the sound from any quality TV. Another plus for the Toshiba is that it has dual headphone jacks built-in. With two kids, it's perfect for my family's long driving vacations. Another big plus is that it comes with a car adapter. (That was also a major selling point of the Polaroid for me.) I've tried the unit with just the battery and was able to make it through a 2 1/2 hour movie plus a 20-minute featurette without getting a low-battery indicator. I have not, as of yet, tried to see just how long the battery will last. (Toshiba claims 3 hours.) With the car adapter, I don't really have the need to use the battery much. Aside from the poor internal speakers, the only other minor complaint I have is that the motor is pretty loud when you first put a disc in, or as you advance between menus or use the chapter skip. Once you start a movie and just let it play, the noise is reduced to a small hum which is only noticeable when using headphones if you intently listen for it. Another positive: the player seems to take bumps/vibrations from traveling in a car with ease. I have not experienced any skipping/stopping of the disc while watching a movie in the car. (Another issue I had with the Polaroid.)

All-in-all, the Toshiba is a great portable DVD player with a quality picture and sound (when using headphones), and comes complete with a car adapter for less than $300. (I paid $250 for mine.) I would highly recommend this player. I had read reviews of the "off-brand" players from Mintek, Cyberhome, Apex, etc., which were generally positive, but my experience with the Polaroid player has convinced me to stick with only the big name DVD player manufacturers -- Toshiba, Panasonic, Sony, etc. -- when buying a portable. To me, the Toshiba SD-P1400 has the best combination of quality and price.

Reviewing after 30 days of home/mobile use.
Cons: My three disappointments with the SDP1400 are: 1) No A/V Line-in...so, no gaming on this one. 2) Lack of Forward and Reverse control on the unit itself. There is one on the remote, though. 3) MP3 playback is bad...file gets broken into multiple segments when playing causing a noticeable skip.
Pros: 1) A/V out and PCM out 2) 2 Headphone jacks 3) Car power adapter included (and works). 4) JPEG viewer is a nice to have.
Overall: Superior picture quality (if not the best)...whites tend to be extra-whiter. Sound is clear and loud from the in-built speakers. No skipping when used in the car. Battery seems to be good and lasts for about 2 hrs on full charge. Styling is slightly better than average. If not the best, its overall good value for $284.

I did a great deal of research about portable DVD players of all brands before settling on the Toshiba SD-P1400. I had a price ceiling of about $300, and this model seemed to offer a good deal of features, a fine picture, and a sturdy body for the price. I've had the model for over a month now and I'm very happy with it. Spouse and I used it on a cross country road trip without a single problem.
PROS:
Bright picture easily adjustable to taste.
Strong case, doesn't feel cheap of flimsy.

Reliable Car Adapter!! This apparently is rare w/ other brands according to what I've read.
Battery lasted over 3.5 hours.

CON:
Disc a bit noisy while spinning/playing
The rubber stopper that covers the battery port for when you use AC/DC power is tiny and easily lost. In fact, I lost mine.

Relatively minor complaints to be sure!

If you're looking for a good 7" portable player for a good price, this is probably the best way to go. The picture quality is nice and the extras (i.e. cables, car adapter) make it a great value. Unfortunately, like other reviewers, I also found the drive to be a little noisy and the speakers are fairly poor (Hint: consider picking up an audio cassette adapter for car-trips).

For travelers, combine with a nice set of noise-canceling headphones and you have a decent little theater for those long flights. I also do recommend the CyberHome CH-ACB 02 case for this model. It's big enough to carry the player, remote, and charger, but small enough to only take up a little room in your carry-on.

I purchased this unit mid July with the thought that I would pay a little more for a well known, reliable name brand portable DVD player. Well this has not been the case. First of all, the design is bad. The lid covering the DVD is made very cheaply. The volume is not loud enough with a single headphone connected, let alone trying to use 2. Also using the battery increases the overall size and weight. This thing also runs very hot. Too hot to keep on your lap.

All of the above I can live with, but when the screen started dying on me, well that really did it for me. I originally purchased this for my daughter to use on long car trips. So since July, we have used it maybe a handful of times. Well the first 2 trips, the unit was great. However, after that, the display would start showing random horizontal lines then die after running anywhere from 15 - 30 minutes, like clockwork. It would then recover after letting it sit for 5 minutes off. But try to tell your 4 year old that they have to stop watching Arthur because the unit has to reset. That does not work, especially while driving on the highway where you are unable to stop.

So I would strongly recommend looking for another brand.