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Step 1
Allow a new battery on a portable DVD player to completely charge before using it. A portable DVD player's battery is usually a rechargeable lithium model, and as such it will develop a memory that greatly depends on how much it is filled to capacity the first time it is charged. Filling the battery to full capacity before using the portable DVD player will significantly prolong its life, while the battery will only last half as long as it would otherwise if you were to charge it to 50 percent of its full capacity.
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Step 2
Drain the portable DVD player's battery completely before charging it up again. This also relates to the idea of a battery's memory, because if a battery is charged before it has been completely drained of power, it will have a slightly shorter life than it did when you first charged it. Subsequent charges and not allowing the battery to drain will further shorten its life, until the battery cannot hold a charge that is useful to the portable DVD player.
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Step 3
Avoid charging the portable DVD player's battery to any point less than full power. This is also related to a rechargeable battery's memory, as charging a battery to less than its full power will cause the battery to develop a shorter charge. Recharging the battery fully allows it to keep its original memory of how much of a charge to hold, and it prolongs the battery's life.
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Step 4
Keep the battery safe from power surges. A power surge can overload a portable DVD player's battery or severely reduce its memory capacity, among other harmful results. Invest in a surge protector for your portable DVD player, preferably one that lets you plug in other devices while charging it, and use it for other electronic items you want to protect from a power surge (see Resources below).
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Step 5
Use another video screen instead of the portable screen with which your portable DVD player is equipped. The screen of a portable DVD player is a huge drain on the battery's life, so connect your portable DVD player to another television or monitor while using it in order to prolong the battery's life, not to mention your enjoyment of the movie.
