I own several portable DVD players, but wanted one with TV reception to use in the car. When the price of the ED8850B Duo Box Pro dropped $30, it seemed like a good deal, so I picked it up. This is a pretty standard DVD player, with a 7″ screen. Picture quality is good, and colors appear vibrant. The battery is internal, so the unit is compact, and has a low profile. Rated battery life is only 2.5 hours, so expect to actually get about 2 hours. Average at best.
The cover flips up, but does not swivel. The controls are pretty standard, and are easy to use, with nice positive clicking buttons. One big plus is that the volume level gets quite loud, impressive considering the unit has just a couple of small speakers. As is fairly typical, the sound is mostly treble, with just a hint of bass. There is an SD card slot, so you can play MP3 files, or view image files. When viewing photos, the unit automatically goes into a slideshow mode. Image quality is similar to most DVD players, too saturated, inaccurate colors, and not very sharp. Landscape photos look less compressed than those in portrait mode. The larger the files, the slower the images scroll.
Many DVD players have issues with playing material recorded on DVDR’s. This player appears to have problems reading some Fuji and Dynex brand DVDR’s. These discs were finalized, and playable on other recorders, but the Envizen could not read them. Most DVDR’s by Sony, Memorex, Maxell, and Amazon Basics were found to be readable.
Overall the DVD player rates a solid B, but the results using the TV component were a major disappointment, although this is not necessarily the fault of the equipment. A short antenna with a magnetized base is plugged into the player, and if there is something metal around, you can attach the antenna to it, and hopefully improve your reception. Using the auto scan to search for channels, there are apparently about 16 channels in my area. Unfortunately less than half of them have a strong enough signal to be received reliably, and of those, maybe three or four, have programming that is of interest to me. In the car, attaching the antenna to the vehicle’s metal frame, improves the signal reception slightly, but there are still many stations that do not come very well. I was hoping that this unit would have better reception than an Axion AXN-8701, but the results were pretty similar, which probably means the strength of the signals in my areas is not that great. You might want to test out the reception in your area, before you buy this.
The player comes with an AC power adapter cord, car power adapter cord, remote controller and a cheapie nylon carrying case. The remote control is pretty convenient to use, and you don’t have to jam down hard on the buttons. The buttons are spaced far apart enough, so unless you have really big fingers, you don’t have to worry about pressing the wrong button. There are some functions included that I find very handy, including Volume + and -, Mute, and Subtitle. For some reason the Menu button does not seem to work, although pressing the Exit button usually accomplishes the same function. The carrying case has adjustable straps, and is designed to be hung on the seat headrest. This rig works, but it is a pretty shaky setup that I don’t intend on using. The car adapter cord is only about 3′ long. If the only 12V outlet you have is at the driver’s console, the cord may not be long enough to reach the DVD player when hanging on the headrest.
On the plus side, the Duo Box Pro is compact, lightweight, and has a decent picture, which makes it great to take on trips. Had I paid full price, I probably would have returned it, as the TV reception is poor in my area. It’s not a glowing recommendation, but without good TV reception, the total package is average at best, particularly at the regular price. If you remove the TV factor, there are many better DVD players available for the same money.
The Envizen Digital Duo Box Pro is the new and improved version of the successful Duo Box. It is still the only entertainment system that allows you to watch TV, play DVDs, enjoy slideshow digital photos, and listen to music all on one device. However, the Duo Box Pro has a unique built-in internal battery that makes the device even more compact and portable than before. You can take this lightweight device with you traveling, on the airplane, to your office, or anywhere you want some entertainment. With the built-in ATSC digital tuner, the Duo lets you watch all available digital channels. Its portability and versatility, along with the vivid 7-Inch screen, makes the Duo the only portable multimedia device you’ll need to own. The Duo is a portable digital TV that also supports all your favorite forms of entertainment. You can watch movies and your favorite sitcoms, hook up your favorite video game consoles, or even listen to music and share photos with friends, all on one device.. read more.
