Posted June 12, 2008
DVD players seem designed to start breaking down just after the warranty runs out, gradually getting more and more finicky about not wanting to play even slightly scratched discs (or just about every disc you get from Netflix or your local video store). The new Philips DVP1120/37 Compact Progressive-Scan DVD Player surely won’t last forever, but it’s priced so low you won’t be as enraged when it eventually conks out. It’s sleekly designed and incredibly small—about the size of a big hardcover book (its longest edge is just under ten inches and it weighs under two pounds)—which is great if you’ve already got too many big, boxy components piled up near your TV. It doubles as a music player (it can play CDs and MP3s) and a digital photo viewer (if you’ve got JPEGs burned on a disc, now you can view them as a slideshow on your TV), and includes a simple remote.
$34.99 at Best Buy.com.