Toshiba SDP1500 8 in. Portable DVD Player

I was enticed by a sale coupon from Costco Online to buy this product, thinking it would be great for long car trips for the kiddo. I was pleased with the features and enhancements that came on the unit, but when I turned it on, I was immediately disappointed with the picture quality. As another reviewer noted, my Dell computer has much better resolution and detail. Then I tried turning the volume up and couldn't get it past a comfortable quiet environment level. I tried the headphones, thinking that would give better results, but again I couldn't get it past easy listening in a quiet room. It might work ok late at night, but on a noisy plane or car (when you would be most likely to want to use it), I don't think it would rise above the background level. I spent a lot of time with the manual and the Toshiba website trying to see if I was missing something, but finally contacted Toshiba support after I struck out. I described the problem and asked them if it was normal, and they put me on hold for quite a while. When they came back, they said someone would be in touch after they researched the issue. About a week later I got a call from them saying they were issuing a pickup tag, with specific instructions on how to pack it and mark it for a refund. I said I didn't want a refund, but a working unit. They only do refunds, though, and that takes 6 - 8 weeks. I got in touch with Costco and they were happy to help out, so I returned the unit to my local store and got a full refund on the spot.

I had intended to reorder the unit, thinking that Toshiba must have thought there was a problem if they were sending a shipment tag. But I was in Portland Airport recently and the DVD rental kiosk had the Toshiba, so I cranked the volume on it, and it was just as poor as the one I returned. I cancelled my plans to try the Toshiba again. I'll just use my (bulkier but better) laptop until the quality/price of this technology improves. Meanwhile, if you are interested in a portable DVD unit right now, I would not recommend this product.