in debate as to what to do for christmas presents. i like the idea of making stuff as it's more personal and customized to the individual but i'm not really skilled in anything per se your honor so still brainstorming on that one. last night we went around to bookshops to look at magazines and books for inspiration on things i could make and design inspiration in general. eventually ended up at target and saw something i couldn't refuse--a dvd player for less than $30. my mom doesn't have a dvd player in the living room so this is my gift to the house.

i connected my 5-disc player in the bedroom i'm crashing in but the tv is small and it's not convenient for friends gathering to watch movies. when i want to watch dvds on a bigger screen and be comfortable in the living room, i connect my laptop to the tv and that just gets messy. so i bought the cheap dvd player, connected it, and tested it. works fine. it's small (super light and compact) and takes awhile to load discs but i didn't need anything fancy, just something that plays. the remote is super light too and uses a flat disc battery (like the kind hearing aids and watches use) instead of the typical AAA or AA batteries that remotes usually run on.

the bonus is that the player supposedly can handle other type of discs such as vcd and mp3 discs. not like i ever use those but it's good to know the option is available. the outputs are rca cables and that's all i needed for the tv i was hooking it up to but there is also s-video and component outs. the dvd player is made by trutech and it's on sale through saturday. if you have any tvs lacking a dvd player, go stock up. i think it's also perfect for those that rent furnished rooms. grab a few extras for when the renters break it.