The screen on the MPD720 is a thin-film-transfer (TFT) display that generates clear images without adding unnecessary bulk to the portable player. While you can enjoy movies everywhere you go with the built-in screen, you can connect the player to any television to watch your DVDs on a bigger screen. The MPD720 features both composite and S-ideo connections to link the player to another TV.

The MPD720 plays DVDs and CDs (including discs burned on a computer), as well as VCDs. You can also play MP3s from CD-Rs and CD-RWs, and view digital JPEG photos. The MPD720 features built-in stereo speakers and a headphone jack for private viewing or listening. For even fuller sound, hook the player up to an audio receiver through the digital optical audio connection to experience rich surround sound.

The MPD720 can go anywhere you go. Use it at home by plugging the player into a wall outlet, or run it in the car with the DC power adapter. After watching a movie, the battery can be quickly and easily recharged with the included charger.

Viewed programs are automatically stored on the adjustable 6-hour HDD buffer, from which you can retrieve them, watch them again, transfer them to the hard drive, or simply record them onto a DVD+R/+RW disc. A feature called FlexTime lets you watch the beginning of a program while it's still being recorded. And, with the touch of a button, high-speed archiving will copy a recording from the hard disk to recordable media. Thanks to Instant Replay, you can immediately repeat exciting or memorable TV moments at the press of just one button.

You can also use the HDRW720 like a traditional VCR, burning televised programs directly to disc using helpful VCR Plus+ programming data. A DVD recorder is perfect, of course, for archiving your home videos, and the HDRW720 features a front-panel i.Link digital-video connection for easy DV camcorder hookup, perfect copies, and 2-way camera control.

Recording functions include safe record, one-touch record (OTR), track append, track divide, automatic/manual chapter marker insertion, Smart Chaptering, favorite scene selection, and Selectable Index Pictures.

The HDRW720 is also a first-rate DVDplayer, featuring progressive-scan video outputs, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround sound passthrough, MP3 CD playback (CD-R/CD-RW), and compatibility with most DVD media (including video-mode DVD-R and DVD-RW).

Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the HDRW720 will deliver the full potential of your DVDs. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts.

Top-of-the-line component-video inputs and outputs help minimize digital and line-scan artifacts on compatible advanced televisions, while composite-video, S-video, and RF coaxial video inputs and outputs bring compatibility with nearly any video component and television monitor. Audio inputs consist of 2-channel analog jacks.

Two sets of left/right analog-audio outputs channel audio to Dolby Pro Logic receivers and stereo televisions. Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's digital-audio outputs (1 each of RCA coaxial and Toslink optical) for direct connection to a full-featured audio/video receiver.

Designed for easy use on the road, the MDP-1810 includes a high-capacity rechargeable lithium battery pack, a car power adapter, and an AC power adapter. Its built-in antishock system helps prevent annoying interruptions. It features both built-in stereo speakers and a headphone jack for private listening (headphones not included), as well as a wireless remote control for use across the room, such as when connected to a TV. With the unit connected to an amplifier, you can use it as a karaoke machine (with karaoke discs). It supports multiple audio language tracks and multilingual subtitles, and lets you select from multiple camera angles on DVDs that give you those options. Among its other key features are six-mode picture zoom, four-speed slow motion, fast forward and reverse search, chapter preview ("digest") mode, random play, and repeat play--a feature that's useful for tradeshows or demonstrations.

The MDP-1810 gives you S-video and composite-video output, analog stereo and optical digital (S/PDIF) audio output, and a headphone jack.

Playback features abound, including MP3 CD and JPEG digital image CD and progressive-scan video outputs to deliver seamless, razor-sharp images on high-definition and HD-ready TVs and monitors. The player is capable of writing most video formats, too, depending on the type of blank media you're using: from highly compatible DVD+VR-mode video discs (DVD-Video) to video CD and SVCD (super video CD).

A single blank recordable DVD offers up to 6 hours of recording time (in SLP mode), which is equivalent to the maximum duration of a T-120 VHS videocassette in SLP mode. Unlike your SLP tape, however, your recordable DVDs won't degrade with every viewing, and access to points within the programs is incomparably easier. Moreover, the physical size of a single VHS cassette is about 10 times larger than a DVD disc.

For all DVD recording, each new recording is always placed after previous recordings unless you intent to overwrite it (when using rewritable media). The DVD recorder can automatically divide a recording into chapters by inserting chapter marks at 2- to 15-minute intervals during recording. Editing features include title edit, title naming, title protect, title overwrite, and title erase.

One-touch recording makes it easy to record favorite programs or capture video from external sources, including composite-video, S-video, and IEEE 1394 digital video. The unit's easy-track navigator provides a directory of thumbnail images so you can quickly and easily locate chapters on your DVDs. Unique thumbnails represent segments that you can play or edit.

Before sharing your digital content with others, all discs must first go through a process known as finalization. Once a DVD+R, DVD-R/-RW, CD-R or CD-RW disc has been finalized, it can be played back on other CD or DVD players or on PCs.

The recorder's convenient front-panel DV Link (IEEE 1394) input lets you transfer footage from digital camcorders or PC audio/video programming in their original digital quality.

As a player, the LVW-5005 positions you to enjoy DVD-Video discs in NTSC, PAL, and SECAM formats (depending on your media and your TV/monitor), DVD+VR (compatible with DVD-Video players in most cases), video CD, super VCD, audio CD, MP3 CD (maximum number of recognizable files: 1,000; compression rate: between 32 kbps and 320 kbps), and JPEG CD (maximum number of recognizable pictures: 1,000).

The component-video input (selectable between standard 480i and progressive-scan 480p) separates the color and brightness signals to ensure the highest picture quality. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts.

What's in the Box
DVD player/recorder, remote control, remote batteries, user's manual, an AC power cord, a stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable, and an RF coaxial AV cable.

The D1708 comes with built-in stereo speakers with simulated surround sound, and also features two headphone jacks so two people can watch movies in privacy. It also features a digital output so you can connect to a home theater system and enjoy Dolby Digital and DTS audio when you're at home. The included rechargeable NiMH battery has up to three hours battery life so you can watch even the longest movies and not worry about losing power.

There are two built-in stereo speakers with Virtual surround sound to simulate theater like sound. You can also connect up to two headphones so two people can watch movies in privacy, making the CH-LDV700B great for airplanes or long road trips. The rechargeable battery has a 2.5-hour battery life so you'll be able to watch an entire movie without worrying about losing power.

Connections include optical digital audio out to connect to a speaker system and enjoy fuller audio at home. It also includes multiple video connections, including component video, S-video, and composite video out so you can connect the CH-LDV700B to your home theater and enjoy progressive scan on HD-capable TVs.

Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the XBV442 stands ready to deliver the full potential of your DVDs through its progressive-scan component-video outputs. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts.

Composite- and S-video outputs (select between S-video or component-video outputs) bring compatibility with nearly any television. Other features include 4x and 6x moveable zoom, variable high-speed scan (2x, 4x, 16x, and 100x), parental locks, bookmarking, 20-track CD programming, and repeat and resume play.

The VCR section offers 4 heads (for clear slow-motion and stop-action features) and stereo sound. The deck's 19-micron video heads maintain clarity during recording or playback in EP (extended play) mode, auto digital tracking adjusts for optimal picture settings for every tape you load, and auto clock set maintains the correct time and even adjusts for daylight savings. You can't program the unit to record at specific times, but it does come with a handy Instant Recording button.

For the simplest hookup with your TV, you can use a single RCA composite-video connection to handle both DVD and VCR outputs. If you want a higher-quality connection from the DVD player, you can use a component- or S-video cable to an additional input on your TV (the VCR image requires a composite-video or RF connection with your TV). You can choose between an optical and a coaxial digital-audio output to feed a surround-sound signal to your Dolby Digital- or DTS-decoding audio/video receiver.

If you don't have a surround receiver or 6-channel speaker setup, you can still make every movie night the ultimate experience: the unit simulates surround sound through two speakers (even the stereo speakers on your TV).

The screen on the MPD820 is a thin-film transfer (TFT) display that generates clear images without adding unnecessary bulk to the portable player. While you can enjoy movies everywhere you go with the built-in screen, you also can connect the player to any television to watch your DVDs on a bigger screen. The MPD820 features both composite and S-video connections to link the player to another TV.

The MPD820 plays DVDs and CDs (including discs burned on a computer), as well as VCDs. You can also play MP3s from CD-Rs and CD-RWs, and view digital JPEG photos. The MPD820 features built-in stereo speakers and dual headphone jacks for either private or shared listening. For even fuller sound, hook the player up to an audio receiver through the digital optical audio connection to experience rich surround sound.

The MPD820 can go anywhere you go. Use it at home by plugging the player into a wall outlet, or run it in the car with the DC power adapter. After watching a movie, the battery can be quickly and easily recharged with the included charger.

Use the player to listen to your MP3 CDs and to view slideshows of your most recent or most precious digital photos--perfect for those infrequent visits to mom and dad. A compact remote control affords ready access to the device from up to several feet away, and its brushed-aluminum finish lends an air of refined elegance.

Both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's digital-audio output (through a .125-inch minijack-to-Toslink optical cable, not supplied) for direct connection to a full-featured audio/video receiver. The outputs are switchable as AV inputs, too, in case you want to use the screen as a monitor for a camcorder or video-game device.

The resume feature automatically restarts playback from the point where you last stopped a disc. The model measures a mere 7.4 inches in length and 5.9 inches wide and a mere inch thick (without the battery). Headphones are not included.