Audiovox DV1680 - Great low-cost portable DVD player
Written: Nov 30 '01
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Pros: Excellent picture quality, low cost, slim design (relatively speaking)
Cons: Somewhat hefty
The Bottom Line: Great "starter" portable unit. Good picture quality with a low cost. Plays VCD/SVCD/MP3 CDs/Audio CDs/DVD discs.
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| drait's Full Review: Audiovox DV1680 6.8 in. Portable DVD Player |
I purchased the DV1680 for my significant other to take with her to her kid's extracurricular activities. I gave it a quick one-over before giving it up though :)
First off, every website and review mentions that it's a "slim" design. Even the box says this. While it *IS* slimmer than the previous model (DV1500) it's still at least 1.25" thick. Not as slim as some of the offerings from Panasonic or Sony. Secondly, the newer design is definitely lighter than its predecessor but it's still at least 3lbs. with the battery pack. It may "feel" heavy but it's kind of a good weight so it doesn't shift much if you place it on a dash or center console. One of the nice things Audiovox did was to add a rubberized layer to the underside of the player. It helps to give it some grip on slippery surfaces.
The new credit-card sized remote is excellent, even though it's missing volumne controls. The other review on the DV1680 stated that the remote took 2-AAs, which was the previous model (DV1500) so I think that may be a misleading review.
The picture quality is great. The 6.8" screen is 4:3 format, which may not be ideal for some movies (specifically widescreen 16:9s) but it does have settings to switch between 4:3 P/S, 4:3 L/B, and 16:9. I didn't notice any visual artifacts or anything of that nature while watching movies.
The unit does get a little warm, but not as warm as the previous model. It also features a 3-in-1 A/V cable which allows you to connect the unit to a TV for output or any video device for input. Using the DV1680 as a screen for the PS2 or Xbox on the road is nice :). You'll need some RCA female-to-female connectors between the cables, but other than that, the direction of data is controlled by a small switch on the side.
Built-in optical output is another nice feature that most of the high-end portables offer. It even comes with an optical cable to help you get connected to your DD5.1/DTS receiver.
The unit includes both an A/C and D/C adapter, both which charge the lithium ion battery and power the unit. The new battery supposedly offers 3.5 hours of playback time, but it's all dependant on brightness, sound level, etc. I haven't used it long enough in one sitting to actually find out how much juice it has.
Overall, I'd highly recommend this unit to anyone looking for a cheaper portable player with high-end features. It's not as slim or lightweight as some of the $700+ models, but it's more compact than the previous DV1500, and looks much nicer.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 450 @ Target
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Epinions.com ID:
drait
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Reviews written: 3
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