Improvements in technology over the past years have meant that all the cumbersome devices we have around the home have now been shrunk down to a conveniently portable size. This is especially true of DVD players which are particularly useful now that they come in portable form, especially if you are going on a long trip or holiday and to have children that you need to keep entertained. Portable DVD players are ready equipped with a small plasma screen, some even with a remote control. As with any other piece of electronic equipment you will inevitably encounter problems which requires that the DVD player undergoes some repairs. You will be pleased to hear that you don't need any expertise in electronics in order to undertake the work yourself and with sensible use of a few household items your DVD player should be up and running again in no time.

Start by performing the most obvious task and clean the DVD disc itself. It may be easy to assume that the DVD player is to blame when a film doesn't play directly but you would be surprised at how many perceived faults can be fixed by simply cleaning the disc. Check the back of the disc for prominent scratches, dirt or even fingerprints. These will clearly all prevent your disc from playing correctly as the DVD player will not be able to read the information properly. You can buy DVD cleaner kits or if you don't have one to hand and any damage to the back of the disc looks fairly superficial or minimal then simply use a soft cloth. You should begin at the very edge and then slowly and carefully work your way to the middle of the disc.

If the disc appears fine or any cleaning that you have done hasn't improved matters then next step you need to take is to check the picture settings on the portable DVD player. If it appears that the picture on the screen is at all distorted or stretched prominently in one direction then all you may have to do is adjust the settings depending on the type of film that you are watching. It could be the case that the screen is set up for wide screen films where the film you are viewing is based viewed in full screen format, or vica versa. If a DVD disc is stuck in the portable player then eject it manually. A common problem occurs where the disc has warped slightly or there may be a sticker peeling off which has caused the door to jam. If you close the screen and turn the DVD player upside down then you should be able to find the manya eject hole. This can be done by unwinding a paper clip and pushing it into the hole.

If the problem appears to be an internal one then it could be a good idea to buy a DVD cleaning disc. This will help to get rid of any grim or dirt off the lens of the DVD player laser. If you use your DVD player frequently and regularly change the disc then there will inevitably be a build up of dirt which will prevent the laser being as effective at reading information from the disc.

Finally, check the batteries to make sure that they have not run out. Remember that batteries for portable DVD players will only last around 3 hours. If the battery lasts significantly less than this time it could be time to replace the DVD player itself.