This Philips iPod Video Dock caught my eye awhile back, and when it went on sale I picked one up to check out. Officially the Philips DCP851/37, I can't recommend it for it's name. It does have some interesting features though, including video output support for Apple's latest iPods. I can confirm that it works well with my iPod Touch 1st gen and my 4th gen iPod Nano. The package includes an AC power supply, 12v Car adapter, an audio/video cable for outputting it's content to your TV, a remote control, and a simply slipcover case. It's got an 8.5" diagonal 16:9 screen showing 480 x 234 pixel resolution.
This portable dock will:
Play DVD, DVD+/-R and DVD+/-RW, (S)VCD, DivX® & MPEG4 movies.
View movies and photos via the SD/MMC card reader.
It allows you to:
Enjoy your digital photos from iPod, photo CD or memory card.
Play slide shows, single photos or thumbnails.
Pan, zoom or rotate photos.
Play slide shows, single photos or thumbnails.
Pan, zoom or rotate photos.
It promises up to 2.5 hours of playback with a built-in LI-Polymer battery. Good enough for one movie. Not that impressive, but expected for the large LCD screen and built in amp/speakers. The included power adapters will charge it and your iPod, as well as let you use it in your car or hooked up to your TV for DVD play for as long as you want.
The body is a glossy black, which unfortunately is a fingerprint magnet. The top edge has a DVD door release slider, Monitor, Source, and ON/OFF buttons. The right side has a iPod Eject slider which reveals the pop-out iPod tray. The included remote control stores nicely in this tray. The left side has TWO headphone jacks, great if you've got two kids sharing a movie in the back seat. You'll also find the volume dial, AV in, AV out, the SD/MMC slot which does support SDHC cards, and the 9vDC charge/power input. The front has Menu, Play/Pause, Next Track, Previous Track, and a center direction pad with OK in the center. Stereo speakers are under the perforated grid of the front lower half. There is a pop-out kickstand and the DVD door on the back. 
At roughly 2.9lbs it's an easy carry. The big screen is easy to see at all but the steepest angles. Mine comes in handy on trips, as well as being the only working DVD player I have in my house when the power goes out. The added media features and it's capacity to charge my iPod Touch or Nano when plugged in make it very useful in deed.You can find this player at many stores including a white version at BestBuy.
Selling at MSRP $179, it can be found for as low as $115 or so. I recently saw one on my local Target's clearance rack for under $100.
I'm happy with my purchase. I Guess that means I recommend it.
4D
Posts
How are you mounting this in the car?
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't come with a mounting strap, but does come with a 12v car adapter. I stick mine in a case that was made for portable DVD players, and it has straps to hang over the headrest of the front seat.
ReplyDeletei just bought this and i need it for a trip w/ my 3 year old so can u use any case?
ReplyDeleteYou are going to need to be clever. It's flat, and the DVD tray pops out from the back. You'll have to see what's available and see how your seats and center consol are designed. Leave is at my house for week and I'll design and install a mount for it, but no single solution will work for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI own the white version and I like it except for the fact that you can't adjust the volume from the remote, and I can't find ANY portable DVD player bag that mounts it. And a 3 year old can't be trusted to hold onto a DVD player on the road. The problem with mounting is a serious one. I haven't been able to rig it to mount in our van at all. Frustrating.
ReplyDeleteThis part is for the PET722 but it might work for the headrest. Not sure how much bigger this unit is than that one. http://philipsparts.fox-international.com/PhilipsConsumerPartDetail.aspx?part=996510020569
ReplyDeleteWow! I never thought that philips is creating its own version of iPod. I can see that it has a very stylish design. I wonder how good it is. I wish I can try this one.
ReplyDelete