Portable DVD Player
Encyclopedia
Portable DVD Player is the name given to any portable device whose primary function is the playing of DVD
s.
screen attached to them. The most common PDP screen size is 7 inches (17.8 cm), although some are as large as 10 to 12 in (25.4 to 30.5 cm). Some have swivel-screens that rotate 180 degrees & fold flat. Portable DVD players generally have connections for additional screens and a car lighter plug.
Some PDPs now have iPod
docks, USB and SD Card slots built in. Some can play videos in other formats such as MP4, DivX
, JPEG
and PNG either from CD's, flash memory cards or external hard disks. Also some DVD players include a USB video recorder.
Wireless connections (bluetooth
and/or wifi
) are useful to manage (play/record) content wirelessly from or to other devices (i.e. cell phones).
Previous models of portable DVD players had AV inputs for external game consoles, now some selected models have built-in emulators for internal game console action.
Future players will likely have far higher built-in screen resolutions, especially in order to support the newer Blu-Ray format.
There are many major companies making PDPs, among them Panasonic, Pioneer, etc.
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s.
History
Portable DVD players were created in order to aid the ability to watch DVDs away from home. They were created in 1998, first introduced by Panasonic. They are practical for on the go use, and many perform secondary functions such as playing music from audio CDs and displaying images from digital cameras or camcorders.Design
Most PDPs have an LCD or LEDLEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
screen attached to them. The most common PDP screen size is 7 inches (17.8 cm), although some are as large as 10 to 12 in (25.4 to 30.5 cm). Some have swivel-screens that rotate 180 degrees & fold flat. Portable DVD players generally have connections for additional screens and a car lighter plug.
Some PDPs now have iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
docks, USB and SD Card slots built in. Some can play videos in other formats such as MP4, DivX
DivX
DivX is a brand name of products created by DivX, Inc. , including the DivX Codec which has become popular due to its ability to compress lengthy video segments into small sizes while maintaining relatively high visual quality.There are two DivX codecs; the regular MPEG-4 Part 2 DivX codec and the...
, JPEG
JPEG
In computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
and PNG either from CD's, flash memory cards or external hard disks. Also some DVD players include a USB video recorder.
Wireless connections (bluetooth
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks with high levels of security...
and/or wifi
WIFI
WIFI is a radio station broadcasting a brokered format. Licensed to Florence, New Jersey, USA, the station is currently operated by Florence Broadcasting Partners, LLC.This station was previously owned by Real Life Broadcasting...
) are useful to manage (play/record) content wirelessly from or to other devices (i.e. cell phones).
Previous models of portable DVD players had AV inputs for external game consoles, now some selected models have built-in emulators for internal game console action.
Price range
Prices of portable DVD players vary, usually retailing for about $80–300.00 USD. When first released, portable DVD players used to retail for over $1,000 and were once manufactured in Japan.Criticism
A growing complaint among PDP users is that the closer you get to a PDP's screen, the worse the image becomes, this is because the current industry standard for built-in LCD resolution on PDP's is usually only 480x234. The highest built-in LCD screen res. offered on current "high-end" players is still only 800x480.Future players will likely have far higher built-in screen resolutions, especially in order to support the newer Blu-Ray format.
There are many major companies making PDPs, among them Panasonic, Pioneer, etc.
See also
- Digital televisionDigital televisionDigital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
- In car entertainmentIn car entertainmentIn-Car Entertainment, , is a collection of hardware devices installed into automobiles, or other forms of transportation, to provide audio and/or audio/visual entertainment, as well as automotive navigation systems...
- Portable television set
- Television setTelevision setA television set is a device that combines a tuner, display, and speakers for the purpose of viewing television. Television sets became a popular consumer product after the Second World War, using vacuum tubes and cathode ray tube displays...
External links
- Portable DVD Players info from CNetCNETCNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...