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351 of 355 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm amazed..., May 16, 2008
This review is from: Sony DVP-FX820 8-Inch Portable DVD Player, Black (Electronics)
I did a lot of research before choosing the Sony DVP-FX820 and what sold me were all the great reviews (thanks everyone!) I was leaning toward a player with a larger screen, but I trusted what I read about the picture quality of this unit... and I have to say, I received it today and I am amazed. It's much better than I expected! This little dvd player has a better picture than my HD TV! And although the speaker sound is a little hollow (no real base) the volume more than makes up for it... I've heard other players- or should I say I've tried to hear other players- the volume is wonderful on this one, the sound totally acceptable via the speakers and the sound is incredible when I use my 10 yr old Sony Studio Monitor headset.
While I was shopping around, I was a bit concerned about what would happen to my full screen DVDs on this widescreen unit. I read about other units that really stretched the image out so that it looked bad. When I tested this unit, I first saw this approx 5" x 4" image and thought, boy that's weird... it was still ok but I didn't understand it until I read the manual. You can change the format from "Normal" (which is that box that's narrower than the screen), or it can be changed to Full. The Full screen mode doesn't look bad at all. Everyone looks slightly heavier but not distorted... I flipped back and forth between the modes several times to see if I could really see the difference, and it wasn't bad at all- nothing looked distorted.
The battery is nearly the size of the base of the unit but it is very slim and hardly adds thickness to the until (I had read on other untils how the battery was a real detractor- but not with this unit.)
The remote is just the right size- it's big enough where you wouldn't lose it too easily but it's smaller than a normal tv/dvd remote. I didn't want one of those credit card sized ones! And it couldn't be easier to use.
I started out wanting a 10" screen but I changed my mind based on the reviews- and I'm very happy I went with the 8". After I thought about it, I realized that I didn't want to feel like I was carrying around a laptop- I already have a laptop and so why even bother spending $ on a portable DVD player? :)
I highly recommend this Sony unless your heart is really set on a larger one. I now think this size is perfect.
So anyway, I was very happy with the unit before I plugged in my headset. With my headset, this player blows me away- I'm amazed at the quality. And now I've got to look for a case that's worthy of it. :)
UPDATE... I found a great case worthy of this DVD player!! I purchased the Targus DVD001 13 Portable DVD Player Case from Amazon. It is good quality, nicely padded and fits not only the player, but also my large headphones which do fold and all the accessories. It holds a lot of DVDs if you take them out of their cases but I don't like to do that, so it only holds about 4 if you keep the DVDs in their plastic cases. This is my own issue with the case. But I love it and would recommend it to everyone. Oh, it also has a strap that staps across the DVD player to keep it snug and also a divider attached by velcro to separate the dvd player from the accessories you pack with it. Great Bag!
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118 of 123 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good upgrade from Sony DVP-FX810, April 16, 2008
This review is from: Sony DVP-FX820 8-Inch Portable DVD Player, Black (Electronics)
Have owned the original Sony DVP-FX810 and that was a good player too. I sold that and bought this one. The resolution is about twice as high as the original. Just bought this but I can tell you the screen really shines compared to every other DVD player (portable) that I've seen. I'm sure more players will have the high resolution soon. The volume is also much louder than the original.
The battery is supposed to last 6 hours at lowest brightness. With my old one which is basically this I did manage 5 hours at medium brightness so two movies should work fine before the low battery symbol shows. I wanted the red one but the sonystyle at Metreon had everyone except the red but the blue is nice too. Highly recommended.
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104 of 109 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
If it's all about the picture, July 6, 2008
This review is from: Sony DVP-FX820 8-Inch Portable DVD Player, Black (Electronics)
When shopping at Best Buy for a portable DVD player, I tried a Toshiba, the Panasonic LS86 and asked about a Sony. My salesperson, who was knowledgeable, steered me away from the Sony, saying he didn't like it because it has a "glossy screen." So I tried the current Toshiba 9" and the Panasonic LS86, touted for its 13 hour battery life. I selected the LS86 because it has better blacks, meaning the Toshiba had a more washed out picture. I took the LS86 home and while learning how to use it I was pleased at the degree of control you have. (Yes, this will soon be a review of the DVP-FX820 - I returned the LS86 and got an FX820 - but first a little more about the Panasonic.) With the LS86 you have great control: you can control the brightness of the subtitles, you can reposition them, you have several factory presets for picture and one user picture preset, there are degrees of noise reduction available, a number of audio settings to control the tone of the sound and its stereo spread. It seemed great except for one thing: the picture was slightly disappointing. Text was awfully chunky. The edges of things looked rough. In a word, it had a lot of aliasing.
I went on line to read some reviews of the LS86. I'd read reviews prior to shopping but, somehow, hadn't found any for the current Sony player, the DVP-FX820. On my second internet visit I found the Sony right away. When I learned it has much greater resolution, I packed up the LS86, went back to the store and exchanged.
The DVP-FX820 has lots more pixels and that makes for a lots better picture. It has less control over those pixels, but as nice as adjustments are, they don't compensate for a poorer image. So, in my mind, the Sony is better.
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The downside of the FX820: this model has a fair amount of edge enhancement, or sharpening. And there's no way to control it. I'm not going to describe what it looks like, because if you own one of these units and edge enhancement is below your radar, why point it out.
What about the glossy screen the salesperson mentioned? When he said "glossy screen," I imagined that the screen itself was shiny. What he was referring to is the fact that the screen is surrounded by a shiny black plastic bezel. A matte finish would be less distracting, but the shiny plastic should not be a deal breaker.
The contrast of the default LCD settings: I had to work a little with the "Backlight" and "Contrast" settings to keep the blacks from being crushed. Otherwise, things like someone's head of black hair might lose their detail.
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Summary: A good solid unit with a consumer-oriented design philosophy. The controls are basic and fairly simple to operate. The picture seems to be the best in its price range. The audio, through headphones, is fine.
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