In this article, we have reviewed the best portable DVD player for elderly. If you are in a hurry, the table below gives a quick snapshot or you can scroll down for detailed reviews.
Contents
Movies, TV shows and music is probably a necessity in the modern-day world. Come to think of it, who does not enjoy a good movie or a fun series after a long day of work? Wouldn’t you like to go through the video recording of a special day of your loved one on a Sunday morning?
For elderly people, movies and TV shows keep them occupied and often make them feel a tad less lonely. It is sometimes an avenue for them to revisit the classics from their childhood or a video recording of their child’s graduation ceremony.
The big difference between a kid and a senior person, in this case, is that a kid can keep on watching a movie for hours on, let’s say, a Sony DVD player sitting on a chair or play games on Wii, running around and feel no discomfort, whereas for an elderly person it can be really difficult (due to different physical conditions) to sit at one place beyond a few minutes/ hours.
This is where a portable DVD player/ headrest DVD player can serve as a perfect way to enjoy your favorite movie, TV show, video recording, music, workout DVD, or Tai chi DVD. You can sit on a recliner, lie down on your bed or curl up on your sofa at your convenience.
You are no longer required to sit at one place to enjoy a full movie. Plus this ensures the kids in the house can watch their favorite cartoon show, while you can enjoy your half-finished movie in the comfort of your own room. And if you plug in your headphone, you can have a completely private experience of watching your favorite content.
There are multiple portable CD players/ DVD players available/ MP3 players in the market and each of them come with a host of features. However, while purchasing a portable DVD player for elderly people, you need to take into account a few factors before selecting the product.
You may also like Best E-Readers for Seniors
What To Consider Before Buying a Portable DVD for the Elderly
Weight: While purchasing a portable DVD player, the first and foremost important thing to look out for is how portable the device is. Most of us carry the player with us when we are traveling and hence it is extremely important to pick a player which is easy to carry
Battery backup: If you are a frequent traveler, it is always advised to choose a player which offers good battery backup. While some offer battery (mainly rechargeable lithium battery) backup in the range of 2500-3500 mAh, there are options that go up to 5000 mAh or above.
However, normally that increases the weight a little. All the players offer multiple ways of charging the player (via AC adapter/ car charger), so pick one carefully that meets your requirement. Do remember that most likely, you won’t get the playback time claimed on the product information page
Screen size and resolution: It is always advisable to get a screen with high resolution, as that enhances the picture quality. We recommend not to choose a screen which is very small, especially if you are purchasing it for an elderly person. We have listed a few options in different screen sizes and budgets, do consider the factor carefully before you make a selection
Protection for eyes: While choosing a player for elderly people, one important consideration to have would be to check if the player comes with a feature that doesn’t fatigue the eye with long playtime. The issue is
common to senior people and can put them off if they don’t find it comfortable to look at for long hours (consider their viewing habits)
Sound quality: Some devices tend to have weak speakers which pose a challenge when you are watching your favorite movie in a room with all your family members. Do check the quality of the speakers. A couple of powerful stereo speakers is important to have as a part of the player.
Disc formats supported: Think about your collection of video discs before making the buying decision. For example, if you prefer high definition movies and own a host of blue ray DVD discs, do check if the player supports blue-ray discs (because a number of them don’t) – a portable blue ray player would the perfect product for you. Similarly look for availability/ compatibility with different types of storage devices, memory cards, CDs, USB ports, HDMI cables, etc.
You may also like Best Cell Phones for Seniors with Dementia
Warranty: This is yet another important parameter that may tend to overlook. Do consider the ones offering a longer warranty period favorably, as it is likely to save further costs in case of any technical issues.
Ease of use: While purchasing a portable DVD player for elderly people, do take into account the factor of ease of use. Most elderly people can be less tech-savvy, thereby can get turned off if the OS/ remote control is complicated.
Certain additional functionalities can often enhance the user experience (for example, auto-resume from last playing point, both horizontal and vertical swiveling screen, etc.). Finally do also consider the fact that apart from the elder people in the family, it can be useful for other members as well (for example, the kids). Hence go for a product that is well built.
Budget: Finally, you need to decide how much you are ready to invest in a portable DVD player (you might have other modes of entertainment available already with you) and how much time you plan to spend watching movies/ listening to music on the system. Obviously, something that is a tad pricier can offer you better features and reliability.
You may also like Best Device for the Elderly to Listen to Audiobooks
1. ieGeek Portable DVD Player 12.5″
If you are looking for a DVD player which is truly portable – equally convenient to watch at home or carry when you are traveling, the ieGeek Portable DVD player can be just the thing.
Features and benefits:
- HD Screen- The ieGeek portable DVD player sports a brighter HD LCD Eye-protective Screen, allowing you to watch movies clearly from any direction. The screen protects elderly people’s eyesight as well as prevents the eyes from getting fatigued (to an extent) with long hours of viewing
- Swivel-Screen, 270°X180°- The 12.5″ 270°X180° swivel screen ensures that the DVD player can be attached to the car headrest mount so that your co-riders can watch their favorite movies during the long tiring car trips. And even at home, when you use this DVD player, you can get place it anywhere and watch from almost every oblique angle, making it very convenient to use.
- Imported Movement- No matter which region you are from there is no need to worry. This DVD player features Region-Free: from region1 to region6.
3 Optional Charging Modes- The ieGeek portable DVD player sports a built-in 2500 mAh rechargeable Li-Polymer battery, which can help you use it for up to 5 hours. It also comes with an additional 1.8m AC adapter and also a car charger which makes it extremely convenient to use – anytime and anywhere. - SYNC Screen Playing- 1. The player comes with an AV to RAC cable that allows it to connect to a TV for you to play your favorite movies on a big screen at your place. 2. Two identical DVD players can also be connected by an AV to AV cable so that you can play the same movie on two players at the same time.
- Multimedia support- The ieGeek portable DVD player supports multiple input media which includes DVD, CD, MP3, MPEG, AVI, VOB and can directly play your favorite movies/ music from USB and SD cards.
- Loop Playing- The ieGeek portable DVD player is capable of playing DVDs in a loop. When you watch a video or listen to a song, just enable the repeat function, and it would play your files on a loop according to your selection.
- Resume Function- ieGeek portable DVD player comes with an enable last-memory function. This allows the player to remember where you stopped last time when it’s turned off. Simply power it on again and it will start over from the break-point. Saves time and hassle to start right where you left off. It is perfectly designed for ease of use.
- Game Mode- The best part- it is especially apt for the kid in you.
Why should you buy it?
If you are looking for a DVD player that is easy to use, travel-friendly and lightweight, the ieGeek portable has been built just for you. The screen resolution is extremely good at this range and the kids and seniors at your home would love it.
2. Pyle 17.9″ Portable DVD Player with 15.6 Inch Screen
This is a DVD player with a slightly larger screen that gives you an amplified experience while watching your favorite movie. The Pyle 17.9″ DVD player is worth your penny and comes with some great features.
Features and benefits:
- Wireless mobile entertainment: The DVD player comes with a built-in 2400 mAh rechargeable battery, making it ideal for flight trips or road trips. It includes a feature-rich remote control for ease of operation. The remote control required 2 ‘AAA’ batteries. The batteries are not included with the product.
- Personalized entertainment on the go: The Pyle portable DVD player sports a High Definition screen and is a media player that supports most of your favorite audio, image, and video files from your computer’s media collection; and of course from a CD or DVD.
- Simple to operate: The portable DVD player comes with a space-saving foldable HD monitor, swivel adjustable screen, as well as a useful button control center. You would have a top-loading DVD drive.
- Digital Audio and video multimedia entertainment: The mobile DVD player comes with a USB flash memory Plus SD memory stick (which supports a memory card up to 32 GB), as well as dual stereo speakers. You can definitely plug in your headphone jack and listen to the audio/ video privately, anytime you want.
Why should you buy it?
If you are looking for a portable DVD player with a great display and audio quality, this is the product for you. It has great battery backup and can make your trips entertaining.
You may also like Best Video Calling Device For Elderly
3. SunPinPortable DVD Player 17.9″
If you are looking for a robust product from the house of a leading portable home entertainment unit manufacturer, the SUNPIN portable DVD player is just for you.
Features and benefits:
- Unique Design & Exquisite craftsmanship- The DVD players sports an elegant appearance and 15.6 inches 1280*800 HD screen to ensure a quality viewing experience for every orientation. The product is not built from any recycled screens or materials, offering you complete peace of mind. Built-in dual stereo speakers pave the way for a crystal clear sound. Simple operation of the system easy handling for both kids and the elderly. The brand SUNPIN has a history of over 15 years of R&D experiences in the field of audio & video technologies
- Durable and Safe Battery- As opposed to most other portable DVD players at this range, SUNPIN portable DVD player comes with a whopping built-in durable 5000mAh Li-polymer rechargeable battery that ensures up to 6 hours of actual playtime. The SunPin DVD player also includes a certificated AC power adapter and a high-quality car charger in the package.
- Ideal entertainment unit for Your Family- An ideal companion for your seniors for their personal entertainment. A simple operating system lets this portable DVD player be used easily by kids and the elderly alike. In addition, one can sync movies on large screens with the included AV cable. The product supports AV-In/Out/Aux Out Function.
- Multifunction- Anti-Shock function covers the disc reading system, which in turn ensures that you are not interrupted while using the CD/ DCVD disc. The resume playing feature makes it extremely easy for you to continue watching from where you left off last time. More humanized functions like slow-motion playback, repeat, rotate, zoom, subtitle can be performed on this mini player with considerable ease.
Why should you buy it?
This product also sports a high definition moderately large screen at this range. It is also backed by the brand name of a company that has spent more than 15 years in related R&D, manufacturing and sales. This is what makes it a strong option when you are looking for a portable DVD player for the elderly.
4. DBPOWER 12″ Portable DVD Player
If you are looking for a reliable budget DVD player with decent specifications, the DBPOWER 12″ portable DVD player is a worthy competitor.
Features and benefits:
- Large HD LCD screen: The DBPOWER Portable DVD player sports a 1024 * 600P high-resolution LCD screen to offer a crystal clear viewing experience. Compared with the smaller screens offered by the competitors at this range, the 10-inch LCD display greatly reduces visual fatigue, especially for elders where fatigue due to long viewing hours is a regular phenomenon. It is also convenient for several people to watch movies at the same time, as the 270° rotation and 180° flip function gives you the perfect viewing angle and easy positioning in any room
- 5 Hour Battery life and Anti-shock feature: A potent 2500mAh Rechargeable battery ensures playing for 5 hours. It comes with a car charger that ensures the DVD player can be used longer when you are traveling, so it works as a good car DVD player too. The anti-shock function protects the disc and minimizes video interruptions caused by shaking
- Supports a large variety of input media: the DBPOWER DVD player supports CD, DVD, VCD, SVCD (not blue ray discs). Completely region-free, it comes with an option to support a maximum of 32 GB via USB and SD cards while being capable of playing MP3, WMA, MPEG2, AVI, DIVX, JPEG, etc.
- Other features include connectivity to larger screens, combining of two players to play the same content, and a function that lets you resume from where you left off.
Why should you buy it?
If you are looking for a product on a tight budget, the DBPOWER portable DVD player can offer you a host of functions. You might find almost everything that you can look for in a budget DVD player. Do give this player a thought when you are shortlisting your products for final purchase.
You may also like Best Laptops for the Elderly
Conclusion
There are almost hundreds of players (both generic and good quality) available on a number of e-commerce websites and we have just presented a few of them. If you are looking for a product that offers good value for money, we suggest you look at Pyle portable DVD player.
It offers great features in its range and should suffice as a great portable DVD player for elderly people. If, however, you are looking for a product with a smaller screen, you can try ieGeek Portable player or DBPOWER portable player – both are very highly recommended.
The DBPOWER 12" Portable DVD Player with 5-Hour Rechargeable Battery, 10" Swivel Display Screen and SD/USB Port, with 1.8m Car Charger, Power Adaptor and Car Headrest Mount, Region Free (Black) offers great value and features at a very reasonable price point.
Team HelpandWellness would love to hear from you! Do drop your comments and suggestions below.