Philips Pet320

The first thing we noticed about this portable DVD player is that it’s only slightly larger and heavier than our ancient CD-playing Walkman. The PET320 is not the sexiest-looking object ever created, but it won’t make you look like an A/V freak on your road trip. We particularly appreciated the translucent blue trim on the edges, and the clean, chrome design. We also like everything that Philips throws in for the price: an AC/DC adapter/charger, a cigarette lighter adapter, a carrying case, and even A/V cables for outputting playback to traditional TVs—in other words, this player comes equipped with everything you need.

We tested the PET320 on a plane, a train (well, a subway train), and an automobile. In general, we were pleased with the results. The 3.5-inch digital TFT display is surprisingly sharp and bright, even under the unforgiving florescent lights of the Queens-bound F-train.

Traditional letterboxed DVDs didn’t fare very well on the miniature screen, with the dreaded black bars making the already small screen even smaller. There isn’t a way to change this setting on the PET320, but we suggest traditional full-screen viewing if the DVD offers the option. If you’re thinking of watching epics like 2001: A Space Odyssey or The Lord of the Rings trilogy on the PET320, you may end up with a headache from squinting. On the plus side, DVD compilations of TV shows like Lost and Veronica Mars looked excellent. We even tossed the PET320 into a room full of screaming children, along with a Chicken Little DVD. The result: instant peace and quiet. This player is ideal for backseat entertainment during long car rides.

In addition to DVDs, the PET320 plays CDs, CD-RWs, and MP3/WMA-CDs, so you can bring your music collection with you when you’re traveling. Battery life was short, timing out somewhere between two and three hours—long enough for a movie, but not a car trip across the state.

This unit doesn’t have the more traditional clam-shell design usually found in portable DVD players, but the screen proved to be durable enough to withstand even the most severe beating. A retractable stand props up the PET320 for handsfree viewing, but during tests we found that the optic lens had difficulty reading discs when standing.

Its clear, bright display, along with its ability to read several formats, makes the Philips PET320 a good travel companion for families on the go. However, we recommend saving your letterbox epics for a big (or at least bigger) screen.