Best portable DVD player?

November 3, 2006 3:57 PM

Best portable DVD player to take to the gym?

Yes, I know it's been asked before, but the marketplace moves fast for gadgets. Plus the desires are particular:

1) Video Ipod no good: our old Ipods work fine, plus we don't want to have to buy all new content--we want to take advantage of our existing DVD collection and Netflix subscription.

2) Two audio outputs are desireable so we can watch together on planetrips, etc.

3) Ideally, and critically, it could be clipped to a treadmill or elliptical so it could be watched in the gym while doing cardio without worrying whether it will fall off and break. Third-party clip device recommendations, if such things exist, are appreciated.

4) And, of course, value for the money. It doesn't have to be top of the line, just enough battery power for a 150-minute movie, take DVDs, and have screen visibility at wide enough of an angle so it can be watched by more than one at a time.

Ideas?

posted by commander_cool to shopping (5 comments total)

Regarding 1), as far as I know the iPod plays standard mp4 files and there are many, many software packages out there that can transcode DVDs (or any other type of video source) into suitable low res/low bitrate mp4 files, so it's not like you'd be forced to buy anything from iTunes.

You can probably work around 2) with a standard stereo mini-plug Y/splitter, which ought to work fine for driving two sets of headphones. This assumes that both headphones are relatively efficient and have a moderately high input impedance, and that the audio output stage of the device is not completely wimpy. I think these are relatively safe assumptions in most cases, unless you were trying to use two sets of cans with enormous drivers at abnormally high volume levels, and the device was particularly poorly designed in the output amp area.
posted by Rhomboid at 4:39 PM on November 3, 2006

1) you can rip dvds to ipod format FYI
2) get an audio jack splitter
3) Wouldn't it skip like a mofo with all those vibrations from a treadmill?

Sounds like what you really need a personal media player with a bigger screen.
posted by lovejones at 4:41 PM on November 3, 2006

I'm excited someone else is doing this at the gym! I take a portable DVD player to the gym to use on the elliptical and the treadmill. I love it, but I've never seen anyone else doing it.

The model I use has been discontinued, I believe, but it was the cheapest model Coby made -- about $100. (FYI, though, I've been told the DVD-500 breaks easily). It has two output dealies and holds more than two hours of battery power. I was initially wary of the folding DVD players, because I worried the screen wouldn't swivel back far enough to see on the exercise machine, but it turns out not to be a problem at all -- the screen folds back all the way.

As for holding the DVD player in place, I've found that those clear plastic magazine-holder things work great. My gym has them available, but you can also buy them online.

I've gotten almost evangelical about the DVD-player-at-the-gym thing. It's about a third of the price of a video iPod, the screen is bigger, and you don't have to buy dedicated content. It's really, really increased my enthusiasm for going to the gym.
posted by miriam at 4:52 PM on November 3, 2006

P.S. I've never had a problem with the image shaking, and I really lumber when I run.
posted by miriam at 4:55 PM on November 3, 2006

I got a $94 one (Insignia brand) at Best Buy. It has two headphone inputs and is quite small and light. Does not have a clip-on of the type you mention, though.

Two things I WISH it had: A mute button, and a way to fast-forward and rewind without going back/forward a whole scene.
posted by GaelFC at 7:07 PM on November 3, 2006