What alternatives to TV exist for viewing DVDs?

November 17, 2005 6:55 AM

What alternatives to TV exist for viewing DVDs?

I do not have nor want a television. I would however like to view DVDs occassionally, probably about once a week. I have been looking for alternatives setups to the old TV/DVD.

My Requirements are as follows :

Screen -
Big enough for two people to view. An average laptop screen size would be fine, but a portable dvd player screen would be too small.

Sound -
Audible is fine.

Price -
Cheap if possible.

Portability -
Ideally would be easily be able to view in 2 rooms without moving too much equipment.

I have a good pc, but no dvd drive and a CRT monitor. I dont want to have to move the pc to watch a DVD, but neither do I want to sit alone at a desk to watch a movie. Two people on a couch is the ideal.
I would have no use for a laptop apart from watching DVDs and so would not be willing to spend as much as would probably be required.
A projecter/pc/dvd player solution will also be too expensive.
I have no expertise with electronic/computer hardware and so would like to avoid any/too much work of this kind.
Is there another way that I have not thought of or is there reason to re-consider some of the options I have discounted. Again a TV is not an option.

Any suggestions?

posted by kenaman to Technology (25 answers total)

Portable DVD player.

Lots to choose from priced as low as $150 +/-.
posted by SoftSummerBreeze at 6:58 AM on November 17, 2005

Why don't you want a TV? It's just a big screen, which sounds like what you're looking for.
posted by chrismear at 7:10 AM on November 17, 2005

not at the cheap end of the scale but a mate of mine just ditched his telly for one of the new 20" imacs. It's amazing. Not that I'm trying to turn this into an iAdvert but it's the first time I've seen anyone replace their TV, dvd player, video recorder and hifi with what is essentially a 20" TFT with a computer stuffed inside.

I'm actually considering buying a cheap Dell and hooking a flatscreen and eyetv up to it for the living room.
posted by twistedonion at 7:16 AM on November 17, 2005

Umm... "a TV is not an option"? It's pretty much the ONLY option, given what you've asked. Do you have something against television manufacturers? I can see having something against the big networks, given the large amount of tripe that they throw at the general public, but just because you own a TV doesn't mean that you have to get cable. Since a portable DVD player is too small, and a laptop is too expensive, a TV is pretty much the only option left.
posted by antifuse at 7:22 AM on November 17, 2005

"Portable" combos will go up to 15 inches. These LCD TV/DVD combos will set you back $500.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 7:24 AM on November 17, 2005

Buy a big flat screen monitor for your PC (17"-19" at least).
posted by dial-tone at 7:24 AM on November 17, 2005

kenaman, where do you live? Are you, perhaps, in the United Kingdom, where the mere ownership of a television set renders you liable for the BBC tax?
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:31 AM on November 17, 2005

What antifuse said, given your list of requirements.

I actually have small tv/dvd combo that I got at a warehouse store (like Costco) over the summer for around $125. Just because you have a tv doesn't mean you have to use it for anything other than DVD watching. Also, the one that I have is small and lightweight enough (really!) that you could stow it away in a closet or unused cabinet if you don't want it visible when you aren't using it. When you take it out to use it, all you'd have to find is one outlet, since the dvd and tv are combined.
posted by AlisonM at 7:40 AM on November 17, 2005

Buy a cheap monitor, speakers, tv tuner box, DVD player, and a wheeled cart. You could probably get all that for under $250 if you looked around and bought used. Or you could replace the tv tuner box and dvd player with a cheap used pc. The latter option would probably yield a better picture. That said, you could probably buy a nice new TV for around $200.
posted by malp at 7:40 AM on November 17, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks for all the responses so far. I have not had a tv for a few years now as I watched FAR too much when I did have it and I know I would probably return to my bad habits again.

Anyway maybe you are right that a laptop is the only option. While I didn't know what you would all suggest I imagined someone suggesting a dvd drive for the pc and some sort of wireless monitor which would allow me to watch films amnywhere in the house.


/on preview - Faint - I am in Ireland and would have to pay a licence and resist the temptation of 4 free to view terrestial chanels,
posted by kenaman at 7:41 AM on November 17, 2005

Actually, I don't think it does, as long as you can make it reasonably convincing that you don't use the TV as a TV receiver; you'll want to look up the exact wording though.

If that doesn't work, you could always rip out the tuner since you're not using that anyway. I doubt they could count it as a TV then.
posted by fvw at 7:43 AM on November 17, 2005

Yeah, RE: TVs in the UK, they obviously don't advertise this widely, but you can call the licensing authority and tell them that you're not using your TV for watching broadcast channels. The system just doesn't really seem set up for people who genuinely don't want to watch TV though.
posted by atrazine at 7:50 AM on November 17, 2005

You can always buy a cheap projector and some long cables. Then watch your movies on your wall or something.
posted by Atreides at 7:50 AM on November 17, 2005

I have a television, a really nice big one, but don't watch TV with it. If you don't have cable, just don't hook up the antenna. I too am a TV junkie when it's around, but because I don't have an antenna to hook up to even network tv, I watch zero, zip, zilch but DVDs.
posted by pazazygeek at 7:52 AM on November 17, 2005

Response by poster: In Ireland the TV licence slogan is 'If you have a TV you must have a TV licence'. I had to show the licence guy into my living room to convince him.

Maybe fvw's suggestion of taking out the tuner would be best - though it seems like a stupid thing to do and I will still be hit for the €155 annual licence fee.
posted by kenaman at 7:58 AM on November 17, 2005

The easiest solution if you don't want to get a television, is to buy a computer monitor with a composite input, and a DVD player (these usually have a composite output). I have an old old CRT composite monitor hooked up to a DVD player that I watch while exercising. No TV, no tuner, just DVD goodness!

I'm pretty sure these are still produced, but if you can't find one new, you might try your local used PC equipment store.
posted by SteveInMaine at 8:19 AM on November 17, 2005

A dell laptop for about £350 if you get it through a business seems ideal to me
posted by twistedonion at 8:24 AM on November 17, 2005

Froogle UK lists tons of computer monitors with a composite input, so they're still being produced. If you want to save some money, though, you still might want to seek out an older, CRT monitor.
posted by SteveInMaine at 8:26 AM on November 17, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks again for the responses. I needed confirmation that there was not some alternative that I had not considered and now I have that. Cheers
posted by kenaman at 8:43 AM on November 17, 2005

kenaman, get a cheap DVD player with s-video out and an equally cheap LCD monitor (not television) with s-video in.
posted by substrate at 8:54 AM on November 17, 2005

The projector and screen option requires total (or almost total) darkness to get a quality picture.
posted by johoney at 9:23 AM on November 17, 2005

I think that a laptop is going to be the simplest, if not the cheapest, solution (though you may be able to get a deal on an older laptop that'll work for playing DVDs). It would have a screen, DVD drive, and screen in one unit designed for portability, whereas getting a monitor with composite/s-video in involves moving at least three pieces of equipment (DVD player, monitor, and speakers).
posted by Godbert at 9:37 AM on November 17, 2005

Response by poster: ...get a cheap DVD player with s-video out and an equally cheap LCD monitor (not television) with s-video in.

substrate - I had looked previously as linking a computer monitor with a DVD player and not thought that it was possible, but I will certainly check out your suggestion.
posted by kenaman at 9:52 AM on November 17, 2005

I regularly use an InFocus projector and a tiny portable DVD player (S-video cable) to show DVDs in my classroom. There’s a pull-down screen, but no way to shut the room curtains. With the overhead lights out, there’s plenty of light to read or draw (it’s a drawing class), and the projected images are still gorgeous (and huge). The player has a nice remote, and the sound is perfectly adequate, tho’ nowhere near “theater” quality, of course. (Wouldn't take much to patch the audio into something nicer.) The whole kit (except the screen, natch) fits in a brief case and sets up in a minute. Makes me wonder why I bought my big clunker of an HDTV, which we only use to view DVDs; can’t STAND broadcast TV...
posted by dpcoffin at 11:53 AM on November 17, 2005

Dunno what’s wrong with that link; here it is again:
http://www.projected.co.uk/projectors.htm
posted by dpcoffin at 11:55 AM on November 17, 2005