Review: Sony DVD Walkman

The Propaganda

Released under the Walkman brand, this personal DVD player, or the D-VE7000S if you prefer, is the answer to your boredom.  In the box, you get the tablet player, a speaker dock, an A/C charger and a credit card sized remote.

The Good

Setting up the DVD Walkman is easy – there basically isn’t any. Charging can be done either through the dock, or directly plugged into the player. The back swings open to insert the DVD, you shut it, press play, and you’re away. As well as the remote, there are key functions on the player itself, including menu, play, fast forward and rewind, screen size and a four way toggle for selecting and changing options.

Not only does it take a variety of DVD formats, including recordables and rewriteables and the newly announced DVD+RW dual-layer format, but you can also listen to music and even view pictures on the screen (if they’re jpegs).

The sound either comes through the speaker dock or through headphones. There are two headphone jacks, so there’s the option of amusing two people for the price of one.  The sound itself is 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound and is noticeably great.

The Bad

Whilst the sound in the dock is good, the dock itself is fairly bulky. It would be preferable for the player to have speakers in-built so it’s truly portable. On the other hand, the speaker dock acts as a stand, so you’d lose this…

The main complaint is the screen. At 7" it’s a good size, but it also means the flaws are that much more obvious. There is little definition in faces unless viewed as a close-up, and if you happen to be watching a film like Narnia, getting any sense of depth in a snow scene proves problematic.

The Truth

Despite the screen, this is a good little player. It’s simple to use, which is a must, because it’s going to be bought to pacify kids on car journeys up and down the country. It’s also the only player out there not of a clamshell design, which gives you the feeling of it being more compact.  It’s slightly more expensive than competitors at upwards of £170, but with the versatility of the sound dock or headphones, it’s worth it.

Product page: Sony DVD Walkman