Taking long trips can be quite boring if one gets on a plane and accepts the entertainment (if any) that is provided. Certainly there are those that like to chat with their neighbor but listening to other people talk can be tiring in and of itself. Trains can be quite boring because the options are either very limited or non-existent. What if you are not interested in the movie offered on the plane or, even worse, what if the video player is broken?

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I have found that the best way to ensure that a long trip is rarely boring is to bring a good quality portable DVD player and several movies and possibly some educational programs with me to play on this unit. How does one go about identifying the most cost-effective DVD player? What is truly the best value for the money. Your ability to assess your own needs as well as determine which players have these features for the best price will determine how effective you are at this task.

Savvy consumers want to know what factors go into the price of a DVD player and, more importantly, am I willing to pay the price to get this feature. There is no question that Blu-ray is head and shoulders above the competition when it comes to picture quality. It is also true that a Blu-ray unit may cost several times what a standard DVD player runs. Not only is this unit pricier, but the Blu-ray disks themselves are more expensive than their counterparts resulting in your paying the price for this feature again and again. Finally, Blu-ray disks cannot be played on a standard machine making compatibility an issue when visiting relatives across the country.

In the “battle of the screens” the larger the screen the easier the image is to watch – in general. For this reason if you desire is to get a unit with a screen larger than the more common 7 to 8 inch variety, you will pay a definite premium compared to a similar, smaller model. In addition, compatibility with formats may be important if you have multiple media types such as mp3, mpeg, wav, and other formats. If you do, be sure that this is one of the features you look for in the unit you will eventually purchase. Finally, nothing is worse that your battery going dead in the middle of a thriller. Battery life should be on the list of criteria particularly if there is extended travel in your future.

Now that we have considered the type of portable DVD unit, what can be more important than the content you are viewing? Of course, movies are the natural first choice. Like all of us, I tend to have my personal favorites such as Shawshank Redemption, and Apollo 13 that I bring these with me on every trip. It is important to note here that there are so many other options to the feature length movie. If you have children, you will naturally be bringing episodes of Barney or Little Einstein, but what about your learning?

I have found a wide variety of educational programming designed to stimulate my intellect as I am being entertained. PBS has available complete DVD sets related to everything from the Civil War to our National Parks to genetics. Many of these programs are available in multi-DVD sets and can provide thought-provoking content sufficient to encompass a fifteen hour train ride provided you have the battery power to sustain your player over this period. If you and your wife are interested in swing dancing, why not pick up a few DVDs on the Lindy Hop?

You don’t necessarily have to purchase these DVDs either. Many shops, such as InMotion, are based in the airports and permit you to rent a DVD at one airport, view it, and drop it off when you reach your final airport. What could be more convenient than that? Of course, you pay a premium for the convenience of this service as well.

To summarize, the DVD provides the traveler with a way to be entertained and educated at the same time. The smart consumer will consider the features that are needed versus those that are nice to have as they decide which is the most cost-effective unit to purchase. Once purchased, what you play is an important and personal choice that depends on the individual taste of user. The number and variety of programs available are increasing exponentially, and cater to every taste whether you are a movie buff that likes to watch As Good As It Gets, to someone interested in learning effective Brazilian Jiu Jitsu techniques, to someone just interested in being entertained by old Three Stooges movies.

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