If you want to watch DVD movies on the move, there are an ever-increasing number of ways but the most cost-effective remains a portable DVD player.

Our quick take

The LG DP271 isn't the most sophisticated DVD player on the market but at a budget price, it's an entry-level device that delivers reasonable quality at a realistic price.

LG DP271 Portable DVD player - 3.0 / 5

FORAGAINST
  • Cheap
  • plenty of extras
  • Cheap
  • doesn't support a wide range of formats

The LG DP271 has been designed to be an entry-level model and with a price of just £100 (inc. VAT), it offers great value for money. It makes no attempts at being anything other than a no-frills device.

The device has a fold out and twist screen, which is great if you want to stand it on a table on a train, as it can support itself. Or if you want to attach it to the back of a car seat to amuse the children, it's equally as usable.

Controls are basic, but this makes it easy to use by even the smallest member of your family. It has a 7-inch screen that delivers a resolution of 480 x 234 pixels. DVD playback quality is decent for the price but sound quality is poor from the built-in speakers.

Along with a mains charger it also ships with a cigarette lighter charger so it can be used in the car. When it came to battery life, LG claims you'll get close to 3.5 hours from a full charge. We came close to this, with 3 hours and 15 minutes being the longest it ran for.

The DP271 supports DivX, MP3, JPEG and WMA files but we had trouble getting anything to play from a USB memory stick plugged in. Burning files to DVD and playing them this way proved more successful.

To recap

If you're looking to simply play DVDs this player is fine but anything more complicated and you'll find this a poor buy