It's possible that unless you've visited online shopping website firebox.com, you won't have heard of Shinco before. But don't let that put you off because this gorgeous piece of portable kit could be yours for a reasonable £300.
The SDP-1250 looks like one of those ultra tiny laptop computers, thanks to its rectangular 10.2-inch screen. The silver exterior sports an attractive two-tone effect: the lid has a brushed metal appearance and the main body of the player has a smooth matt finish, trimmed with shiny chrome-effect buttons.
The generously proportioned 10.2-inch TFT LCD screen has a quoted native resolution of 800x480. Next to the disc tray are controls for DVD menus, while the playback controls and infrared receiver are located on the front edge of the deck.
Connectivity is excellent, catering for everything except hi-def: S-video output, AV in/out, component video/- progressive scan output, a memory card slot for SD/MMC/Memory Stick formats and an USB port. There are also two headphone jacks and an electrical digital output.
Pleasingly, both DiVX and XviD files are supported and the usual playback options are present: frame advance, repeat, shuffle, random, slow motion and a x4 zoom. You can even reduce the screen size down to a quarter if you want (although we can't think why you would!). Brightness and colour adjustments are provided, as well as the option to choose between wide, letterbox and pan and scan display settings.
There are numerous options for the audio setup. An equaliser offers seven settings such as rock and pop, while the 3D processing menu houses virtual surround plus seven reverb modes.
Performance
The SDP-1250's images are a revelation. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride provided a stern test for both the colour and black levels, but the Shinco switched between extremes without difficulty. Even with the riotously bright Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the colours remained well saturated and vibrant without being garish.
Detail posed no obvious problems either, with the woodland scenes in Corpse Bride well rendered. In fact, an almost jaw dropping amount of detail could be picked out in the darker scenes of the movie, such as when Victor walks around the lobby of Victoria's parents' house before their wedding.
In fact, our only grumble comes in the sound department. As usual with portable DVD players, sound from the onboard speakers is poor, some might say weedy. But if you plug in the supplied headphones, and the audio quality (and volume) jumps markedly. The soundstage becomes well rounded and robust. It's also capable of delivering a fair amount of wallop, so it's best not to have it on full volume.
The rechargeable battery offers two and a half hours of playback, which should be okay for most films. Overall, the Shinco SDP-1250 is an impressive machine. It's attractively styled, offers almost unbeatable connectivity and provides some of the best pictures we've watched on a portable DVD player. And at £300, it's a steal. Nicola Veness
