Our family with 2 kids will be travelling for 3 weeks this summer (2 in Greece and 1 in Swizerland)and I am planning to bring a portable DVD player for the kids for all the plane trips, layovers etc. (coming from Los Angeles.) Anyone have tips on good, light equipment, and suggestions on how to handle the problem that most of these players' batteries only run 2-3 hours then need to be charged! Thanks.

Can you buy a back-up battery? That way you'll have 2 for the long plane ride.

I have an awesome Panasonic that has an extra battery you can buy that is almost as expensive as the player itself, but it lasts 12 hours that way. I think it is the L50 or some such thing. I will have to look. I actually charged the battery in our rental car with a dc to ac converter. All cars in the world have the same cigarette lighter voltage.

I have a 7 inch screen which is perfect. Don't get a 5 inch screen. It is too small if you use any widescreen programing. 7 or 8 or 9 inch is great. My Panasonic also has 2 headphone jacks so they can both listen.

Not sure.. I'll have to do more research, but I was under the impression that you charge the player when battery runs low and don't necessarily change the battery. Perhaps somebody is familiar with these types of electronics.

We also have a (expensive) backup battery. Also, per my son & husband, you need good-quality headphones to muffle the noise of the plane engines. So while the original "package" of the DVD player, in its carrying case, is relatively compact, when you add the extra battery and headphones, it takes up a bit of room. My requirement on the one trip that we brought this was that I was not carrying it. On our upcoming trip, our son can bring the DVD player, but HE has to carry it throughout the entire trip!

Sorry, it is the LS50.