294 of 301 people found the following review helpful:
Great on the go Portable DVD/CD/JPEG/MPEG Player
I had been looking at the previous Sony model that had over 300 reviews and CNET had it as their choice in the portable DVD products in the 7"-10" screen sizes.
I am very please with the latest Sony model, what has changed is they made the screen an inch larger and placed touch buttons on the newer model. This FX 930 looks more modern, sleek although it is a...
149 of 167 people found the following review helpful:
Not a big improvement over the FX820
Pro:
long battery life
louder/better speakers than the FX820
Con:
loud noises when the drive is seeking
larger screen is not always better
This is a good unit but not great. The screen being 9 inches is one inch bigger than the FX820 which is 8 inches. However the resolution is the same on both units so the image is...
This review is from: Sony DVP-FX930 9-Inch Portable DVD Player, Black (Electronics)
I had been looking at the previous Sony model that had over 300 reviews and CNET had it as their choice in the portable DVD products in the 7"-10" screen sizes.
I am very please with the latest Sony model, what has changed is they made the screen an inch larger and placed touch buttons on the newer model. This FX 930 looks more modern, sleek although it is a little larger.
I am very pleased as I have played various DVD's, using full and normal settings that you can select for wide or standard screen formats. I have played many CD's from the actual artists to my own made CD's at home and played music files from my PC and taken along photos like a photo album when I want to share or have those close to me with me so to speak when traveling.
Sound is fine for the little speakers but 99% of the time I use really good headphones and you get two jacks so you can share when sitting with someone on a plane, train, or in the car as long as you are not driving. Had to toss that in! ;)
It is not too heavy compared to many, certainly much less than a laptop and still small enough screen size to know you are not luggin around a laptop. Battery life is standard, I have it run out yet but have not been on pure battery for 6 hours yet either. I try to have it plugged in most of the time during use and for the car you get a car charger included in the box.
Being it is smaller it makes it more mobile for your travels whether local or abroad.
I have been using this item non-stop almost without any issues. Could it be improved, yes, almost any product can be and as with any electronics they seem to improve with almost each iteration.
With this said, you can save $30-$40 by buying the previous model. It is an inch smaller but the screen resolution is the same and many of the features are almost identical.
Take it for a test drive and remember you've got 30 days to test it and if it is not what you like or expect, return it and try another, but choices on these products are quite limited since many use their PSP, iPhone, or iPods to watch movies/videos etc.
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This review is from: Sony DVP-FX930 9-Inch Portable DVD Player, Black (Electronics)
PROS:
1) High quality 800 x 480 Resolution
2) Six Hour Battery
3) Nice Full Function Remote Control
4) 180 Swivel and Flip Screen
5) Advanced Soft Touch Keys
CONS:
None that I can find!
It is well made and the picture quality is amazing for a portable device, but it doesn't surprise me since it is a Sony. The 9" screen is much bigger than my last DVD player and it makes it easier to watch movies on a long car trip. Looking at this Sony, it is Obvious the resolution is much better! 800 x 480 Resolution shows every tiny detail in the movie. I had another brand DVD player that was not that old, and it was very noisy, at best gave me only 2 hours of battery and it's since quit working. This Sony is build so well I have a feeling it will last for a long time. I think one (of the Many) of my favorite features is the "Advanced Soft Touch Keys" where you just slide your finger over the volume bar and it raises or lowers the volume, or you can tap the plus or minus sign to go up and down by one number. All the major controls are at the bottom of the screen right were it's easiest to get to, and they all are the soft touch buttons. I even LOVE the fact that they made the finish to look very stylish BUT it resists fingerprints, smudges and minor scratches! (Very smart whoever designed this!) I actually am thinking of going back to Target where I purchased this, and buying another one for our other car. I might even get a few of these for Christmas gifts, I love it that much. So, if you want a super high quality Nine inch, high resolution screen, Portable DVD player.. you Must buy this Sony DVP-FX930. Oh, and one very important thing.. this player runs whisper quiet but you can move it all around and upside down and it never skips a beat! Sony even designed the removable / rechargeable 6 hour Lithium-Ion battery super thin, so it keeps this player compact and very portable. Also it charges fully in about 6 hours! Sony also supplies a very nice Car charger along with the nice A/C charger. The full function remote comes ready with batteries included, and it's well designed similar to a TV remote for ease of use.
I highly recommed this Sony DVD player!
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This review is from: Sony DVP-FX930 9-Inch Portable DVD Player, Black (Electronics)
Purchased this from Best Buy at a cost of $189 plus tax. The reviews I've read on here are accurate so i'll just mention a couple of things i didn't see in the other reviews:
In the Box: DVD unit, remote with battery, Car charger, assorted paperwork and some kind of TV-lookin...cable...gee-goggery with 5 prongs. (Prediction: You will shove these in a drawer somewhere and when you finally have the opportunity to use them six months down the road (if ever), you'll look in vain for a few hours before speeding off to the big box store in a cloud of exhaust and profanity to try to buy replacements. Your kids will find them when they're fighting over your stuff after you die.)
Yes, beautiful screen with great detail and color.
Yes, somewhat noisy when the unit is searching the disc.
The menu button on the unit is somewhat small and cumbersome-recommend using the remote to change screen settings.
Bonus: Regarding the power cord-my old Panasonic had an actual small brick style 2 piece cord. This cord is one piece, much more compact and easier to travel with-and no brick. Surprisingly this made a difference.
Good speakers. Quality audio from about 5 feet away with volume setting of only 7 out of 20 without the headphones. (20 is LOUD! very nice) That's rare for the portables I've seen.
Nice small footprint even with the battery attached. Not over heavy for a nine inch.
Wow the remote is responsive. (remote battery included in box)
That's my take. Hope it helps someone.
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This review is from: Sony DVP-FX930 9-Inch Portable DVD Player, Black (Electronics)
For the family looking to put a DVD player in the back of the minivan, or in children's hands, there are less expensive alternatives that are probably a bit more rugged. Look to brands like Coby, Toshiba, Audiovox, Philips, and the lower end Panasonic players.
For the person looking for unparalleled portable picture quality, this is the awesome, outstanding player. It will work just great in the minivan, in fact the fold flat feature with the right hanging on the headrest case is a fantastic combo. But in their hands, on their laps, kids will likely destroy this player's hinge.
The reason for this recommendation, Sony's hinge is a bit fragile compared to all the other players. There is a single pivot point on this player, little hands getting frustrated twisting the screen will likely turn the screen the wrong direction or push too hard and break the hinge. All the other players have dual hinge points that are much harder to break. An older person - teenager, adult - will have a lot less trouble and will likely never break this hinge.
The great about this player:
The dimensions are about the same size as netbooks, in fact a netbook carrying case is the perfect case for this player. Set this down next to an Acer Aspire One, its hard to tell the difference. The Sony is thicker, the Aspire One is wider. They are about the same weight.
The screen, oh the sumptuous, gorgeous, screen. I have owned three other portable players starting about 10 years ago for my first (three Panasonics). I have never seen a better screen on a portable player than this one. Those extra lines of resolution, almost double the vertical lines, pays off huge. DVD's are crisp and sharp, detail is amazing. Watching side by side with any other player; this player is like the difference between standard def television and high def. No, this is not a high def screen, it simply packs in more pixels and more resolution to show off what a DVD has inherently.
Almost all players give you, color and brightness controls. The Sony goes way farther, backlight brightness, contrast, and hue. I can actually come close to calibrating this monitor.
Viewing angle is pretty incredible. Left to right of the screen, well near 170 degrees with absolutely no compromise in picture quality. Vertical viewing angle is a lot narrower (but infinitely wider than most LCD's I've seen) maybe 45 degrees off axis. It is very easy to adjust the screen for perfect viewing.
The speakers are very clear. For normal listening in a quiet room, the volume goes up to 20, 4 is perfectly loud. This is no home theater, its an inexpensive portable player, so high fedlity is not expected. Considering those constraints the player sounds really good.
It plays everything. DVD's with full face labels. DVD-R, DVD+R. And most importantly, DVD+R DL, or dual layer. Portable players have a lot of difficulty with dual layer DVD's. Commercial discs play perfectly. CD's, yes. MP3 and JPG discs, yes. DiVX, NO. That is about the only format it doesn't play.
Disc load time - very quick. Much quicker than my Panasonic players. On par with my standard full size DVD players.
The remote control is very nice for portable size. There are two IR sensors for the remote - on the screen and on the main body. I was able to pretty much point the remote anywhere near the machine and it worked.
A bonus - this player will accept video input. That's hugely rare in this business. So you could potentially feed an iPod or iPhone into this. In addition to the proper cable out for your iPod; you will need three female / female RCA adapters (I don't believe anyone sells an iPod video / audio out cable that is mini connectors on both ends). This is the type of connector, (Female to Female 3-RCA Coupler). The other option, you could use a 3.5mm male jack on both ends cable, and use the player as iPod speakers. That would work very nicely for audio only (Cables To Go - 21062 - 6ft 3.5mm M/M Stereo Audio Cable (Black)).
There are: Two 3.5mm headphone jacks. Video and Audio line out jacks. 9.5V DC input. Power on slide switch. Hold switch so the power doesn't turn on or off accidently.
The Mediocre:
The video controls are touch sensitive surfaces just below the screen (in the photograph, the band is just below the Sony logo on the screen), and there is a four direction toggle / nub with a press in to accept, for navigating menus. They are touch sensitive surfaces, not capacitance (thank goodness). That means you can touch the button with a fingernail, a press does not require a damp fingertip.
The screen hinge design. Already mentioned, but this hinge just begs to be broken. The screen hinges all the way back so that the player lays almost flat, with the DVD player part open and the screen above it, like a book. If you tilt the screen up to about 90 degrees, the screen can be rotated 180 degrees clockwise. So the screen now faces backwards from the DVD player. Turn the player around 180 degrees to face the screen, and the screen angle can be pushed back all the way to the player. The player now looks like one of those PC tablet computers. Its complicated to explain, and it does, after some learning, allow you to put the screen about any direction you want it. With all that twisting and turning, the hinge still feels fragile. Its also easy to accidently touch one of the control buttons while you are doing all this movement.
The bad:
The disc and laser transports make a lot of noise. When you first load a disc, the spin up sound is louder than I expected. None of my Panasonic player ever made this much wind up noise. The laser head starts searching for the lead in track, and it makes a strange, not 100% pleasant sound moving. Once the movie is playing, the sound level goes down to normal levels.
There is no S-Video, HDMI, or Component video output possible. Then again, S-Video connections on televisions are getting rare these days. And the DVD format resolution is on S-Video high; way below HDMI or Component standards, so Sony would have had to build in an upconversion processor at great cost; and for what? The rare time this is connect to a television. Still, somebody needs to make an HDMI out portable player to connect up in hotel rooms (Hyatt Place and many Holiday Inns now have these simple connections).
This beast is heavy. Its not the battery - in fact the battery is fairly light weight. It is much heavier than anything Panasonic. I made the choice to trade off the weight and slightly shorter battery life for a gorgeous picture. You'll have to decide what is important to you.
Battery life - this is neither good nor bad. Sony reports 6 hours. Nobody will ever get that many hours out of a full charge in the real world. That 6 hours is at the lowest backlight setting and the lowest contrast setting; with headphones. This player will easily show two movies with battery to spare. After two moveis, best to do something different for a while anyway. Recharge time is long, 6 hours from fully dead battery.
One wonderful thing about this battery - it is the bottom portion of the player, nice and flat. There's no wart sticking out the back or the bottom.
In the box - the player with battery, a remote control with battery, A/C adapter (which is 110-220V input, so it will work in Europe), a 12V cigarette lighter adapter, and A/V composite video / audio adapter. There is no carrying case in the box.
All things considered, the image quality, the battery life, and the screen size sold me on this player versus everything else available. Just hope you never have to buy a replacement battery, it alone is the almost the same price as a whole new player.
This review is posted under all five colors available for the DVP-FX930 Sony Player. There is no difference between these models, save the body color. It comes in Blue (the model I own), Pink, Red, White, and Black.
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This review is from: Sony DVP-FX930 9-Inch Portable DVD Player, Black (Electronics)
I am very pleased with this sony product. I am usually biased toward Panasonic (quality and price) but was not impressed with any of the offerings from them. I went to best buy and looked at all their portable dvd players and did extensive research online as well. I quickly realized that the market for portable dvd players is a small one, resulting in few quality options. The majority of positive reviews on this model as well as the high ratings for it's previous model were enough for me to give it a shot.
When I first got it, I tested it with Pixar's Rattatouille. I was really impressed with the quality of the picture. It was really clear and colors were well represented. There was no noticable pixalation holding the player at a comfortable distance. I then watched The Dark Knight and was again pleased with the quality. Dark scenes lose a little but that is expected on such a small screen. Some reviewer made the comment that it was a bigger screen with the same resolution as the previous model, reducing overall quality. I don't see this as a problem and appreciate the larger screen in the car. I can hang it between the two front seats and it is plenty large for all those in the back seat to see.
Didn't originally see the value of soft-touch keys but now like the fact that my 3 year old daughter isn't tempted to touch them as she is with traditional buttons. Keys are very resonsive and remote is great addition. Works well from any angle.
I highly recommend this product to anyone who realizes they are buying a 9-inch portable dvd player and not a 50 inch flat screen. If your expectations are appropriate, you will not be disappointed.
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This review is from: Sony DVP-FX930 9-Inch Portable DVD Player, Black (Electronics)
Pro:
long battery life
louder/better speakers than the FX820
Con:
loud noises when the drive is seeking
larger screen is not always better
This is a good unit but not great. The screen being 9 inches is one inch bigger than the FX820 which is 8 inches. However the resolution is the same on both units so the image is actually more pixel-ated in a bigger screen. Please consider this before buying.
Good Luck.
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This review is from: Sony DVP-FX930 9-Inch Portable DVD Player, Black (Electronics)
I recently bought the FX-930. I was really surprised with the excellent quality of the image!! It's the best I've seen among portable DVDs. Sound is excellent (even when using the speakers). Most important thing, it supports 110-240V so that you can use it all over the world. Great device!!
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This review is from: Sony DVP-FX930 9-Inch Portable DVD Player, Black (Electronics)
This is my first DVD player that I purchased for entertaining my granddaughter on an airplane ride. I was drawn by the 9" screen, the 6 hour battery life, and the Sony name. While there are abundant choices, most offer smaller screens and names I don't recognize. Furthermore, 2 hour battery life seems to be the norm. Nevertheless, I wasn't overwhelmed by this model.
The screen resolution and quality is good, but not great. (I couldn't imagine viewing anything on a smaller screen.) Furthermore, I expected better speaker quality from Sony (and this price range.) The 180 degree pivoting screen was deceiving, as it only pivots to one side. Logically, I don't understand this, as 90 degrees to each side makes more sense. However, the 6 hour battery life seems accurate - although it also requires a 6 hour charge.
Overall, I'd buy it again as it was invaluable for entertaining the granddaughter on the long flight. However, if you aren't in a hurry, it would pay to wait for the price to drop.
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This review is from: Sony DVP-FX930 9-Inch Portable DVD Player, Black (Electronics)
I'm a mother of two (6&3 yrs) who travel a few times a year. I tried the coloring books and activities in the car, but it just didn't work. I broke down and bought this dvd player. I love it. I plays for about the six hours listed. The sound projects toward where the screen is facing so while the kids are watching it my husband and I can talk. I got the carrying case on Amazon that straps it in between seats, perfect. Plays my home dvds perfectly and endless Scooby Doo for the kids. Worth every penny.
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This review is from: Sony DVP-FX930 9-Inch Portable DVD Player, Black (Electronics)
The FX930 is excellent in most respects except for one big problem... it would not load or play many of my DVD's and would not play-through others (stopping wherever the slightest flaw in the DVD was detected). Most of my DVD's are store bought and in excellent condition, so I assumed that this had to be a bad unit and ordered a replacement. Same story with the replacement - no improvement. The same DVD's played perfectly on my old Audiovox and, oddly enough on a Sony FX820 which was replaced by the FX930. I am giving this product the lowest rating because you cannot enjoy it's features unless it will first load and read DVD's.
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