LG DP9821P

Good – Overall, the LG DP9821P holds up well in terms of performance. The price at the time was probably too much but then again, the choice in Divx players/Mpeg-4 was quite limited & for those people looking to watch all their computer downloads on a portable machine, it was a pleasant luxery rather than having to lug around the Lap-top. The button's layout on the front was great. The 'Play' button even has a distinct feel to it for recognition in complete darkness which I found to be very very handy. I hate pressing 'Stop' or 'Fast Forward' on other models which is troublesome. The machine also has a smart 'Pause' function when you close the screen, conserving battery life which another great feature. The carry bag is fantastic. Importantly it doesnt look cheap & it does the job well. The quality of the carry bag was a great indicator as to the quality as I wasnt sure what I was buying at first. The 'Volume' control is a great 'wheel/slider-type' compared to other brands 'button-type' which can be clumsy as some models require you to press the button each time you want to increase it rather than leaving your finger on it (& I thought this was a digital world). The wheel/slider volume control isnt something that you would consider about before making a choice but believe me, it is a tiny feature that has a huge impact as the volume is something that a person would use very very often & take very much for granted. The cover of the player made the machine look some-what 'uncool'. I personally didnt mind too much because the features made-up for the 'drab' design choice. The battery life of the machine at approx 3.5 hrs isnt spectacular but you expect more from a good brand. The price at $499 rrp must be an early price for Divx-players at the time. I managed to get it a little cheaper.