I feel my money was well spent on this DVD player. It may not be the top of the line model, but it has certainly earned its keep in our household.

The screen is a little hard to see at certain angles, but this can be recitfied by adjusting it back and forth. I have even taken the unit to work with me on slow days to watch with about 5 of us gathered around the screen. The speakers on the unit are reasonable and small portable speakers can be attached with ease too.

This DVD player can be hooked up to a full sized T.V. set if desired and in this application has great video and audio output. Cables for most newer sets are conveniantly included. The tiny remote control makes it just as convenient as a conventional player.

The battery life seems to be about 3 hours most of the time (just enough to watch your favorite movie and see a few of its special features.) It is perfect for toting along with your favorite movies anywhere you might end up.


Great Player for the Price!   September 15, 2003
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

I was initially going to buy a more expensive DVD player at CC but was so impressed by this model (which was rebated for a good price) I bought it instead (two of them actually).

The picture quality is good (hint make sure you go into setup and set the 'TV' display to wide screen, at least when watching wide format shows - makes a difference in quality on LCD).

IMO the 5.8" screen is ideal in the fact that this player is no bigger than a normal CD player. As long as the player is close to you that size is pretty good. It works well if no more than a couple of people are watching it.

The sound is also good (given the size) and is loud compared to other DVD players. (Another hint - change the equalizer setting to live, etc. to get louder sound).

I can also play SVCD and DVD+R disks in the player although this appears to be undocumented. This is good news if you have computer with a CD/DVD burner.

My only real complaint is with the battery pack design. Instead of attaching neatly onto the bottom of the player like some models, it is 'hung' on along the back and plugged into to the players power connector. This is kind of minor but I would have prefered a more integrated design. A larger complaint related to this is the battery cannot be charged at the same time the DVD is in use. I would have rated the player 5 stars except for this.

Also, it has a red light that illuminates when the power switch is turned off. I've noticed this in other low end players like Mintek. What is the purpose of this function? It seems pointless and irritating to me.

One other minor complaint is most functions can only be accessed with the included remote control. This is also common to a lot of players. It seems like they could at least use the joystick to navigate the setup menus and such.

For the right price this is a very good player and is highly recommended.


Good portable DVD player, great price.   August 27, 2003
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

The Initial DVD-5820 is my first portable DVD player. Actually, it's my first DVD player(if you can believe that), so I don't know what to measure this unit against. However, from what I can see from this product thus far, it's very good. I, like many others, had bought this unit based on the reviews. I was at first a little weary about purchasing it because I have never heard of the Initial brand. However, the reviews were good and the price was right so I went for it. I'm glad I got this unit because once I got it hooked up and started playing my first few DVDs, I was quite impressed.

First off, when I got this unit out of the box I was amazed at how small it was. I would say the measurements around are about the size of a portable CD player but it is too thick to be size of one.

When I opened it up the 5.8" screen looked quite small but when you start watch DVDs, the picture is so crisp and clear you forget how small the screen is. With the screen being the size it is, you can't really entertain your friends but can think of anything you watch on it as being your own private screening.

I was also fascinated by the sound quality. It's actually better than my labtop's. But the sound gets even more remarkable when you hook up some headphones to the player. I'm not exaggerating, you sound like you are at a movie theater. You get to hear the Dolby Digital Sound or DTS in all their glory.

This product also has the great features that a normal size DVD player would have. It plays DVDs, CDs, DVD-Rs, CD-Rs, etc. with ease. I haven't had any problems with that.

I just have a few gripes about this unit but they are minor.
My first one is that the DVD to TV output is horrible. If you plan on using this unit for your main or home based DVD player you will be disappointed. If you are lucky you will be able to find a movie that you can watch clearly on both the player and the TV but most do not. I have had many movies that played excellently on the DVD player but horribly on the TV. Where they showed beautifully on the player, they showed distorted and fuzzy on the TV screen.

The last two gripes are that the rechargeable battery life(if fully charged) is much too short, around 2 hours or so. If you plan on watching one of those long, 3-5 hour movies, you better plug the unit in instead of depending on the battery.
Also, I wish the remote had a power button(to turn the unit on and off) and a volume button.

Like I said earlier, these gripes are minor. If you decided to buy this unit you will not be disappointed. It's solidly made with great features and an even greater price. You can't go wrong here.


Repairing Can be IMPOSSIBLE!   July 2, 2003
 7 out of 9 found this review helpful

This DVD player started out wonderful, until it got used frequently. The attachable battery wire is short and must be bent to reach the port in the player. After disconecting the battery to charge on the charger (it cannot be charged while attached to player) and replacing to play a movie, the wire coating began to split and the battery will not work all the time. A replacement battery can be purchased at another store for 50 bucks, but its wire is the same.

I decided to use the wall adapter and car adapter to lengthen the life of the battery wire, and now the port to plug in the adapter has moved. The DVD player will not remain on, the slightest movement of the plug is enough to stop the machine. If the battery is plugged in (both the battery and powersupply cords use the same port) it has an even worse problem because of the short wire it pulls on the port and keeps the machine from coming on at all.

When I went back to the store for help in repairs I was told the purchase was over 90 days and I would have to contact the manufacturer. (It's been four months since purchase.) I am still looking for a way to contact Initial. I have not been successful.

Be careful if you purchase this item. If it breaks you may be getting a really expensive paperweight!


DVDs on the Move   July 30, 2003
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I bought this gadget for my nephew. The idea was to give him something to entertain him in the back seat while his parents drove. I put it together to make sure everything worked and fell in love with the idea of a personal DVD player.

First, the screen is miniscule (5.8 inches) but the picture is quite clear. You can watch the screen as it is or hook it up to a television. Perfect for a hotel room if you don't want to put up with the same tired old satellite movies. Good entertainment for long flights without the airline ads. And if I'm late at the office I can prop it up on some books and enjoy some different backgound noise (yeah, I used to do my homework with the radio on, also). Let's not mention sitting out in the yard swing catching up on Campion and fighting off mosquitoes.

I've owned it for about a month now without problems. We'll have to wait and see what is going to happen when the warranty gives out. (Remember state law sometimes gives you more warranty protection than the manufacturer promises.)

For the person who couldn't find contact information for Initial Technology, Inc, there's a web site with an 800 number and address on the net. The physical address is on the packaging.