Compared with some so-called portable DVD players, the Philips PET 821 is very compact and amazingly light (940g), with an attractive, flip-up cover that's not too dissimilar to a Mac laptop.

The nitty gritty of this aggressively priced combi is quietly impressive, with a built-in Freeview tuner, a DV input at the front and the ability to record on dual-layered DVDs.

Standing apart from the design crowd, Lite-On has produced a deck that actually looks more like a high-tech games console than a DVD recorder. A regular DVD recorder still lurks inside

Panasonic was first to launch a portable DVD player in the UK, and has a great pedigree in the market. The DVD-LX97 is the flagship model in its latest range and its features list reads like a glossary of AV technology.

Despite the large 10-inch LCD screen size, the Mustek MP100 is a bit of a lightweight, weighing in at an extremely portable 1,230g. Sadly, it's not the only area where this portable DVD player is a bit on the light side.

The easiest way to record digital TV is with a hard-drive recorder, but those are geared towards people who record hours of TV without necessarily keeping anything long term

The high-definition double act of Blu-ray and HD DVD may be looming large on the horizon, but rumours about the imminent demise of bog-standard DVD appear to be highly exaggerated.

The DVD recorder battleground is becoming increasingly fearsome. LG's retro-looking DR175 gets the ball rolling nicely with an RGB-enabled digibox-friendly Scart and progressive scan capable component video sockets

With all singing, all dancing DVD recorders eating into their sales, stand alone DVD players need to work a little bit harder to earn your cash. The LG DNX190UH does just that.

Most portable DVD players are the flip-top type with a folding screen, but the Xoro HSD 7500 uses a flat 'tablet' construction and a slot- loading disc drive and comes with Freeview built-in.

No longer the toy of old, portable DVD prices have plummeted, and specifications have improved dramatically. The Shinco SDP-1250 portable could be seen as the end result of this process - and what a result it is

Tune into this 7-inch portable DVD player with a digital TV tuner

You've got to hand it to Panasonic, the Japanese manufacturer is currently at the top of its game when it comes to producing DVD/HDD recorders. The secret to its success is simple...

Lite-On's budget recorder makes you want to get your eyes tested. We're not talking about a problem with the picture (not yet, anyway), or a ridiculously low price that makes you look twice (although £100 is very competitive)

It's getting harder to spot budget DVD recorders. This LG offering is very smartly attired in a black case ( it also comes in silver), with an inscrutable fascia. It looks like it would cost far more than the £150 or so you can pick it up for

That might also go some way towards explaining why the DVT407 is a bit chunkier than your average portable DVD player too, since it has to incorporate what is a unique feature in this product category

The DMR-EZ25, with its distinctive sloping front panel, is the first model of Panasonic's new range to combine the advantages of a digital tuner and upscaling (720p/1080i) HDMI output