Audiovox DV1680 6.8 in. Portable DVD Player

This is more of a comparison between the Panasonic DVDL75 ($730ish) and the Audiovox DV1680 ($500ish).

The Search
On my search to purchase a portable DVD player, I decided to go to fry's electronics and buy a couple to test them out for a month. The first one I purchased was the Audiovox DV 1680. This model cost 700ish at the time. It was the first portable DVD player I had ever bought and everything was new to me. After owning the Audiovox for a month, I decided to return it (grudgingly) and buy the panasonic 7 inch DVD L75. This model cost me $1300 at the time. Then I returned it and decided to buy it online for $630. The screen advertises 7 inches, but they don't thell you it's the diagonal measurement of the screen. So here's the pros and cons.

By the way this review is more for people who know the advantages of owning a portable DVD player and are trying to decide on which one is best. If you want to read about how cool these are (amazingly cool) then read almost any other review on portable DVD players.

Audiovox pros
1.Price is a little cheaper.
Compared to the DVD L75 you could find an audiovox cheaper.
2.You can switch from output to input using the same cables.
The panasonic requires a male to male converter or cables with a male end and female end.
3.You can format the screen to fit a television.
The panasonic will not format a widescreen to television. It will only squish the picture which makes the people look taller and awkward.
4. It comes with an fiber optic cable with in/out features.
This allows you to use it with your computer, or in the future when we start using more fiber optics in conjunction with television inputs.
5. Tougher casing.
The casing on the audiovox is more dense than the panasonic. I'm always afraid if I drop my panasonic it will fall apart, and it dents easily, whereas when I owned the Audiovox I knew it could take a beating and not get a scratch.

Panasonic Pros.
1. Lightweight.
This is about 1.5lbs which is extremely lighter than the audiovox which is around 5lbs.
2. More reliable
Often when viewing the audiovox: it would suddenly stop, freeze, It wouldn't read the DVD correctly and it would overheat. The Panasonic has never skipped on me (even during turbulance in the airplane or on the dash riding down a bumpy road, and it has never frozen up on me.
3. Battery power
The audiovox battery only lasts about 2 hours. This is only enough time to watch one movie, and if you're taking an airplane flight where you have enough time to flip open your dvd player, chances are you're gonna need at least 5 hours of battery time which the Panasonic provides. It advertises 4.5 hour battery, but mine usually lasts 5 hours.
4. Battery/DVD player weight
Again the lightweight panasonic compared to the audiovox. The Panasonic weighs about 3lbs when the battery is attatched. The audiovox seems to weigh as much as a brick. When the battery is added it weighs about 8lbs.
5. Viewing Size.
The viewing size seems like an inch more on the sides compared to the audiovox, it's not too much of a difference, but when you start watching the movies you will notice the small difference in size makes a big difference in viewing the experience.

Conclusion
If you are considering buying a portable DVD player for in home use more than traveling use I suggest the Audiovox, because you can change the viewing format for Television, whereas you cannot with the panasonic. If you only plan to use it once a month for travel, then it is a nice piece, but if it's going to spend most of it's time at home chose the audiovox.

If you are buying a portable DVD player to bring to work, travel or use in the car, then I suggest you buy the panasonic. The panasonic is lighter, has a larger viewing screen, the battery lasts longer, and it virtually never skips. Why not pay the extra $100-$250 for a higher quality DVD player if you're never going to buy another one?

BTW both are easy to operate.

I hope this helps you with your Porable DVD purchase

-oneazn2nv