One of the best on the market today

WHAT'S TO LOVE:
- This player produces an absolutely gorgeous picture. As of this review (August 2007) it is hands-down the nicest I've ever seen on a consumer-grade portable DVD player.
- The swivel screen greatly enhances versatility and ergonomics, making this player easy to use anytime, anywhere. IMO any portable player without a swivel (or flip) screen is no longer worth a second glance.
- The USB port is an undeniably cool feature, whether you use it to view movies and photos off flash media or just to charge your cellphone.
- The very stable mechanism and laser pickup enable this player to be used in a moving vehicle without fear of wrecking the machine or interrupting viewing every time you bump over a seam or patch in the road. And, it plays just fine when held at any angle. This is not as trivial as it may seem . . . I've seen several top-brand players that are just way too finicky and delicate to even merit being called "portable".
- The lithium Ion battery pack is absolutely the only kind of power source to have on a portable electronic device. Yet surprisingly, many manufacturers still put out portable players powered by the much inferior (and cheaper) NiMH and even NiCad technologies.
- Front-edge duplicate controls not only make it more convenient to use the machine with the screen swiveled 180 and down-flat, but also to use it as a straight CD player with the screen/lid closed.
WHAT'S NOT SO MUCH TO LOVE:
- The plastic housing features a glossy finish and a white lid/LCD cover. I thought shiny plastic died with Disco, but now it seems it's come back to haunt us. Glossy black plastic is totally impractical for portable electronics gear because it highlights all the unavoidable finger smudges, dust, and surface scratches. Prepare to spend a lot of time cleaning it. The glossy white panel will likely start to become scuffed and dirty-looking before long.
- LG chose to make their battery attach to the bottom protruding rearward and downward at about a 30 degree angle. This makes the machine both deeper AND thicker -- not good on a unit that at 1.5" is already one of the porkiest on the market in 2007. If you're a business traveler who craves a svelte, briefcase-friendly player, this definitely ain't it.
- If you set the player on a table without the battery attached and then tilt the screen to a normal viewing angle, the player will promptly tip over backward. I cannot see any valid reason for this machine's odd center of gravity other than that perhaps LG wants to force everyone to have their battery connected whenever they use the player. (A way to speed up additional purchases?)
- The manual could definitely have been written better. Some of the grammar and syntax are so bizarre that I actually cannot figure out just what LG does or does not want me to do. Fortunately this player is intuitive and user-friendly enough that you can probably get by without understanding most of the manual anyway -- at least if you're in the under-30 crowd.
FINAL VERDICT: A SOLID BUY
Despite the issues I bought one and am happy with it. This machine is definitely an excellent choice for those who want superior performance and good value. BTW, this player is sold as the DP771 only in the USA. In Canada the model to look for is the LPA-837. Elsewhere, check your national LG website for their current 7" DVD player model number (and bear in mind that features may vary slightly from one country to another.)