Everything is amazing and nobody is happy

I ordered this Philips 9" LCD iPod/DVD/SD video player from Amazon a few days back for $99 and I'm astounded by how good it is considering the Amazon reviews. Right now, it has three and a half stars average and all the featured reviews are negative.

I had an earlier iteration of this, a 7" DVD player with a iPod slot that only fit two specific older iPod models. It worked great for the past year or two on road trips and plane trips, but the battery was so-so, the video screen was low quality, the picture quality was too bright and contrasty, and the iPod controls through the unit were buggy (I never could get widescreen video to play properly). It had a speaker but it was very small and very quiet and the whole thing was a clamshell design held by a flimsy hinge.

The new model is pretty incredible. The screen is much better in terms of picture quality. At 9" it is approaching laptop size. The battery is lithium ion and appears to be much better so far. The controls are nice and easy to use, widescreen video gloriously fills the picture. The new model has stereo speakers that do a decent, if tinny job. It fits not just older iPods but also most every new model including iPod touch, classic, and nanos. The iPhone will work, but it's just barely too tall to shut the dock door and hide it completely. The stand on the back works great and the unit itself has a large substantial feel that is close to the personal video players you sometimes get on planes for an extra charge. I can't wait to take it on my next plane trip for viewing movies and TV.

I say this all not because anyone at Philips paid me to (they didn't), but because the negative reviews for the unit rank so high in Amazon I doubt too many people have bought it. The whole thing reminds me of Louis CK's famous bit last year about people being ungrateful about technology advances. This new model is ten times better than the old one but you'd never know it from the reviews. I also can't believe this is only $99. It even comes with its own neoprene case!

I gladly give this five freakin' stars.