The Axion AXN-6042 has a 4.2 LCD-TFT display is embedded directly on the front of the monitor.  Below, are four navigation buttons used to turn up, down, left, and right.  Located below the navigation buttons are the Setup, Previous, Play, Next, and Menu buttons.  On the two bottom corners, are built-in stereo speakers for those moments you are alone at the office.  Though it’s a DVD player, its main advantage is its size, and ability to be stored in your bag or oversized pocket.

VIDEO:

The Axion AXN6042’s video display is a TFT LCD screen with a fairly sharp picture.  Its 4.2” widescreen gives you a full cinematic experience in the palm of your hands. Despite the lack of anti-aliasing, the color and brightness of the LCD display seems to bring the characters to life.  In Blade, and Batman Begins, we were surprised with the definition of characters.  From a far, it’s extremely sharp, however, looking closer you start to see the picture start to become blurred. 

We found the anti-shock, and anti-vibration was extremely effective.  We used it on the train going to work, and the bumps on the ride caused very little skipping.   

SOUND:

In comparison with other portable DVD players, the built-in speakers on the AXN-6042 can be slightly improved, however, for the priced, they serve its purpose.  The system carries capabilities for Dolby Digital sound, however, it’s not present in the speakers on the system.  On another level, Dolby Digital kicks into high gear when you connect it to headphones.  If I had to compare the speaker sound quality of the AXN-6042, I would compare the speakers to a box filled with 20 walkman speakers.  The muffled sound greatly disappointed the enjoyment of my testing. 

ERGONOMICS:

When we compared the AXN-6042 to other portable DVD players, for its convenience, the AXN-6042 shined the most.  The AXN-6042 is small enough to easily stash in your bag, or oversized pocket.  You can easily pull it out and watch it on the train, bus, or any commuter vehicle.  With its fabulous battery life, you can sit (or stand) for hours before your battery dies, though a battery monitor would be helpful to see the battery life.  Another flaw we found was the positioning of the TFT LCD screen.  In its positioning, the screen can easily be damaged if its not carefully cared for.  We would have preferred possibly a lid to cover the front, or a carrying case to your player in. 

The AXN-6042 also comes with a nifty kickstand which you can prop on your desktop at the office, or on your desk at home.  The convenience of placing it on a stand, hands free is something we thought was very useful. 

NAVIGATION:

The buttons on the AXN-6042 are clearly and solidly laid out.  The setup button leads to different menus, including setting the color display, and sound level.  There is also a section to enter a password to password protect your system.  Why?  I have no clue!  To use the setup buttons, you will have to use the up/down, left/right, buttons above it.  It was somewhat confusing to go through the navigation of the setup section.  I would mistakenly press up when I REALLY wanted to press left. 

EXTRAS:

A couple of the extras we found interesting was:

1.  AV Outputs available to use your portable DVD player as a main player.

2.  Convenience of carrying a portable DVD player in your pocket.

Overall, for the price, it’s a convenient device to take on the go.  Its strong battery life, solid video, and Dolby Digital capabilities give you 2 full length movie experiences without it dying while you are on your commute going home.  We’re giving the Axion AXN-6042 - 4 out of 5.