Now here's a neat idea – a portable DVD player that doubles as a digital photo frame. When you're not watching movies, you can stick the DP391B on the mantelpiece and display JPEG photos using the built-in slideshow and nifty transition effects.

The dual functions explain the deck's unusual design and higher price. The 8in screen is at the front and the fold-out battery pack on the back lets you rest it on a table top.

The entire front section opens up to reveal the disc drive, keeping the gorgeous, gloss black frame that surrounds the screen free from clutter, apart from an illuminated menu control on the right.

Connections include a mini USB port that supports MP3, WMA, DivX (including VOD) and, of course JPEG, plus a card reader that takes SD and MMC cards as well as Sony's Memory Sticks.

Battery life is only 3.5hrs, but the 800 x 480-pixel resolution suits DVDs and picture quality is a lot sharper as a result. Bright outdoor scenes demonstrate this best, as you can clearly see the smooth edges, fine detail and lack of banding within colours.

And during dark scenes it's easy to make out what's going on too, thanks to the wide contrast range and low-reflection screen. This really is top-drawer portable picture quality that offers crisp and vibrant JPEGs as a bonus.

It's a shame we can't say the same about the sound quality, as the speakers are predictably tinny, but in every other way the DP391D is a fantastic portable proposition.

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