Home > Consumer Reviews > Philips PET1030 10.2-Inch Portable DVD Player with Car Mount Kit

This is my second Phillips Portable DVD Player I have purchased. The last one had a built-in dock for an ipod.

I use this player all the time but mainly while traveling (Camping, Car Trips Etc.) .
I'm a media heavy person so any player I use is going to be tested to it's limits.

First a little about the physical aspects of the player. A solid device, It has been dropped several times and is no worse for the wear. The 10.2" screen is a perfect size, bright and clear, the Swivel Screen is just right, not too sloppy and not too tight. Lots of ports available (SD, USB 2.0, AV in and out, headphone jacks). The SD port IS NOT SDHC compliant.. :-( This means that you are limited to 2Gb SD Cards. I have used an 8Gb, 16Gb and now a 32Gb Flash Drive with no problem. I personally find this the easiest way to watch videos, although, depending on the size of the USB Drive you'll have to be careful not to snag the USB Drive on anything or risk damaging the USB Port.

Battery time is good. I have been able to watch one full length movie thorough the DVD Player with no problem even after months of constant use. A word about batteries in ANY portable devices. Don't believe ANY manufacturer when they give you stated battery life. They give you time in "ideal" conditions. That said I can easily watch three sometimes four full-length movies via the SD/USB port on one charge. This will of course vary on how the videos are encoded. I also practice battery cycling to maximize battery life.

I have used the player to watch movies via the DVD Drive, SD Slot, and USB Port.
I have used the player to review pictures and movies taken by my digital camera.
I also like the ability to output the video to a larger TV (via the provided RCA cable) for a larger audience, This is a great way to share pictures with family and friends.

All in all this is a great player.
It has a pleasing design and is easy to use.
It does what it is supposed to do and does it well, which is about all you can ask.

PROS:
Nice Bright and clear Screen
Good Screen Size
Lots of ports
Good Battery Performance
Very good sound

CONS:
No SDHC Support
Wish the Remote could be stored inside the unit.

I purchased this beautiful DVD player because the specifications state that it will play PAL DVDs out of the box. I called Philips 'Customer Care and they confirmed it does NOT!! It is a very attractive NTSC player. But that is not what I wanted. Light weight for what it is and well designed, easy to work with, but I'm not keeping it.

We decided on this product after we a purchased a similar product that did not work. It is for my grandson who has some limitations due to premature birth. My daughter-in-law says he enjoys it very much especially while traveling. She is very pleased with this product!!

This is the best portable dvd player I have tried. It is a more expensive than other models but certainly lasts longer than the cheaper versions. If deciding to purchase one, definately shop around for price. I purchased this from amazon.com along with the portable bag and it was cheaper than at Best Buy, Circuit City etc.

My player just died after 16 months. Apparently "it wouldn't take a charge anymore." I bought it as Circuit City but they said they couldn't do anything since I didn't purchase an extended warrenty agreement. I called Phillips and they said it was only covered for 1 year and I was past that timeframe. And honestly, it stoppd working about 10 months into it (wouldn' read disks) and the guys at Best Buy fixed for me on the fly...I should have sent it back then! What a rip off!