We have had a few of the cheap portable DVDs for our kids to use on airplane or car trips, and they have not delivered.  This time, we decided to get a name brand DVD player, and see how different things might be.  This Sony model did not disappoint, and it was a bargain, too - $149 (no tax, no shipping) from Amazon, before Christmas.  My 13-year-old son and his three siblings all gave it a thumbs-up.