What's the best portable DVD player for a technophobe with bad eyesight and arthritis?
March 2, 2012 10:43 AM Subscribe
My dad has been saying he wants a portable DVD player because my mother and sister "watch HGTV incessantly and he never gets a chance to watch the kind of things he likes to watch". Dad has a hard time learning how to use technical equipment (he has yet to learn to operate their DVD player) so simple mechanisms are desired, his eyesight isn't that good anymore, and he has a fairly severe case of rheumatoid arthritis so he'll need something that doesn't have tiny or hard-to-maneuver switches and buttons. Also I'd like something budget friendly (i.e., under $200). What do you recommend, movie lovers of MeFi?
Maybe just a second TV?
posted by jon1270 at 10:54 AM on March 2, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by jon1270 at 10:54 AM on March 2, 2012 [3 favorites]
Or, take him to the store and let him play with different devices.
posted by jon1270 at 10:54 AM on March 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by jon1270 at 10:54 AM on March 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
Kindle Fire + Netflix/Hulu+/Amazon VoD would be pretty great for just random video watching
posted by Oktober at 10:57 AM on March 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Oktober at 10:57 AM on March 2, 2012 [2 favorites]
As much as I love my iPad, I wouldn't think an iPad + Netflix or a laptop would be good for this situation. Too much interface and upkeep and fiddling. If all he wants to do is watch DVDs, I'd think any of the models with big simple buttons would be fine. If it were my Dad, I'd probably try putting something like this one in front of him. Pop in DVD, press big play button and let him go.
posted by ninjakins at 10:58 AM on March 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by ninjakins at 10:58 AM on March 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
I like the Kindle Fire+ idea, but if he really wants a portable DVD player, they exist, are cheap, and are much easier to use than a regular DVD player, mostly because they are plug-n-play.
On preview, what ninjakins said.
posted by jabberjaw at 11:00 AM on March 2, 2012
On preview, what ninjakins said.
posted by jabberjaw at 11:00 AM on March 2, 2012
Does he need the portability and battery operation? The screens are small. Well, if you get one, consider one with an SD slot to play movies and stills that you could supply.
A different choice would be a second TV with a built in DVD player. Much larger screen and also a full TV. Insert DVD and it plays, eject and it stops of course.
posted by caclwmr4 at 11:02 AM on March 2, 2012
A different choice would be a second TV with a built in DVD player. Much larger screen and also a full TV. Insert DVD and it plays, eject and it stops of course.
posted by caclwmr4 at 11:02 AM on March 2, 2012
Kindle Fire + Netflix/Hulu+/Amazon VoD
Not in Canada. Netflix is the only one of those brands that has crossed the northern border yet.
I'd buy one of the purpose built DVD players. Future Shop has a bunch, for example.
posted by bonehead at 11:03 AM on March 2, 2012
Not in Canada. Netflix is the only one of those brands that has crossed the northern border yet.
I'd buy one of the purpose built DVD players. Future Shop has a bunch, for example.
posted by bonehead at 11:03 AM on March 2, 2012
Response by poster: My dad has no computer skills at all. He can't even seem to figure out how to surf the net. Think *really simple* mechanisms.
They actually do have three TVs in the house already, but one is in the basement and Dad has difficulty with stairs, and the third is put away in the crawl space because they don't have any need or space for it. I am sure my mother would very much object to having to find space and a console for a third TV. And if they put it in, say, their bedroom which is the only place I can think of to put it, they'd run into more problems when Dad wanted to watch a movie and Mum wanted to go to sleep. A portable player would be best. He'll be able to sit comfortably in his leather recliner in the family room and watch and listen.
posted by orange swan at 11:12 AM on March 2, 2012
They actually do have three TVs in the house already, but one is in the basement and Dad has difficulty with stairs, and the third is put away in the crawl space because they don't have any need or space for it. I am sure my mother would very much object to having to find space and a console for a third TV. And if they put it in, say, their bedroom which is the only place I can think of to put it, they'd run into more problems when Dad wanted to watch a movie and Mum wanted to go to sleep. A portable player would be best. He'll be able to sit comfortably in his leather recliner in the family room and watch and listen.
posted by orange swan at 11:12 AM on March 2, 2012
Tablet recommendations are laughably off base here.
Your dad would enjoy something like this, even though the second screen is superfluous. Now I don't have personal experience with that particular device, so I can't speak for the buttons, but it seems manageable.
This Sony model is a little bulkier, but looks like it has better buttons up front.
I'm assuming you don't mind that they're refurbished. I've bought refurb stuff from geeks.com and always been happy with it in the past.
posted by O9scar at 11:31 AM on March 2, 2012
Your dad would enjoy something like this, even though the second screen is superfluous. Now I don't have personal experience with that particular device, so I can't speak for the buttons, but it seems manageable.
This Sony model is a little bulkier, but looks like it has better buttons up front.
I'm assuming you don't mind that they're refurbished. I've bought refurb stuff from geeks.com and always been happy with it in the past.
posted by O9scar at 11:31 AM on March 2, 2012
We have a portable DVD player from Target, similar to this. It is incredibly simple to use. Pop the DVD in, push play. That's it. Ours came with extra cords for charging via car's cigarette lighter, etc. You could just grab those and get rid of them so your dad has nothing but the player and the power cord to deal with.
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:38 AM on March 2, 2012
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:38 AM on March 2, 2012
I had an Insignia from Best Buy for years, but they don't offer the same model any more. The screen was pretty small, but the operation was extremely simple and the remote had huge buttons. It was very lightweight, so holding it in my lap for watching was comfortable. It had headphone jacks, which I never used, and it survived a couple short drops to the floor.
Unlike tablets or any other device which does things in additional playing DVDs, there's nothing to the operation. You open the box, plug the thing in, open the carriage and put the DVD in. The menu on the DVD launches immediately and that's that.
Even if Ask.Me does not have a model-specific recommendation for you, I think any of the portable DVD players would probably work, especially since many are designed for kids to use in cars. Big buttons, failsafe operation, that sort of thing.
posted by crush-onastick at 11:39 AM on March 2, 2012
Unlike tablets or any other device which does things in additional playing DVDs, there's nothing to the operation. You open the box, plug the thing in, open the carriage and put the DVD in. The menu on the DVD launches immediately and that's that.
Even if Ask.Me does not have a model-specific recommendation for you, I think any of the portable DVD players would probably work, especially since many are designed for kids to use in cars. Big buttons, failsafe operation, that sort of thing.
posted by crush-onastick at 11:39 AM on March 2, 2012
Seconding BlahLaLa's suggestion. My son has one similar to this and it's the simplest thing in the world -- just hit the play button and you're good to go. The buttons aren't so much buttons as spots you barely have to touch to cause the function and the power switch is easy as pie. He takes it to daycare frequently and I've caught infants using the thing so it can't be too hard to figure out...
posted by youandiandaflame at 11:44 AM on March 2, 2012
posted by youandiandaflame at 11:44 AM on March 2, 2012
We've got the Phillips O9scar linked to for our 6 year son. Super easy peasy to use, and it, like most other portable players, have the connections to hook up to a tv.
posted by ducktape at 12:31 PM on March 2, 2012
posted by ducktape at 12:31 PM on March 2, 2012
We have the same Sony model that 09scar linked to. It's pretty simple and doesn't weigh very much (especially without the battery attached). 9" doesn't sound like much screen these days, but it is plenty when the player is sitting in your lap.
posted by puritycontrol at 12:36 PM on March 2, 2012
posted by puritycontrol at 12:36 PM on March 2, 2012
Portable DVD players are super cheap, way less than $200. You can get a Sony one for $70 at Amazon. An iPad would be a lot more useful though.
posted by w0mbat at 1:03 PM on March 2, 2012
posted by w0mbat at 1:03 PM on March 2, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by chickenmagazine at 10:51 AM on March 2, 2012 [1 favorite]