Magnavox DP100MW8B DVD Player

(Note: The Magnavox DP100MW8B DVD Player Reviewed is an updated "A" version - earlier reviews of this DVD player were more than likely reviews of the first version of this product and those reviewers may have encountered different issues.)

Magnavox is a name that's been around for a long time.  The brand name's host of products run the whole spectrum from "Exquisite Electronic Efforts" to "Pathetic Plastic Poop."  And I mean that quite seriously.  So you do have to be careful about what you buy with the Magnavox name.

When my original inexpensive Apex DVD Player failed after years of faithful service, I decided to try the $25 Magnavox DP100MW8B DVD Player from Walmart.  To be quite frank, at $25 I did not expect much.  In matter of fact, I didn't expect it to even power on.

But the Magnavox DP100MW8B DVD Player did power on and did exactly what it was supposed to do - play DVDs.  Nothing special about this unit - it plays DVDs, Audio and MP3 CDs, has Progressive Scan (for better quality images), Slow Motion and Frame Advance, Dolby Digital.  Basically everything my Apex DVD Player did at a fraction of what the Apex originally cost me years ago.  It's quiet and doesn't generate a lot of heat like most "cheap" DVD Players commonly do. (You know the kind I mean, the ones where you eject a DVD after watching a 2 hour movie and the DVD is hot enough to fry an egg on!)

It comes with a remote (you do not get batteries - so make sure you pick up 2 AAs elsewhere), RCA video cables of acceptable length, a power cable of acceptable length, and a fairly detailed Owner's manual.  In matter of fact, Magnavox even goes to the extent of printing basic hookup instructions right on the inner flap of the box.  They're the first thing you see.  It is front loading and although it is not Ultra-Thin, it's small form factor will fit in just about anywhere.  (A lot of the cheaper Durabrand DVD players are ultra-thin, but this form factor is basically rendered useless because they are top-loading DVD players - much like a portable CD player - that require ample overhead space to open and insert/remove DVDs.)  Unlike a lot of cheap DVD players, Magnavox does give you both S-Video output and component outputs.

As others have stated, the player works with DVD-video, DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+RW or DVD+R, and CD-RW or CD-R (for MP3 audio). However, never expect any DVD player to be fully compatible with DVD+R or DVD-R "home burned" DVDs.  Its been my experience that the only reliable player for DVD+/-R discs ... is the DVD burner they were created in.

For $25 - don't expect this DVD player to recognize BlueRay, CD-Interactive Discs (that requires a regular "computer" folks), High Density Audio Discs, or to play DVDs not intended for your country's DVD Region.  Also, don't expect it to play PAL DVDs ... it only plays NTSC.

Some people complained about the front panel buttons being too small and too stiff to push.  Granted, they are tiny.  But then again, these are just conveniences in case you misplaced your remote or were too lazy to replace the batteries in your remote.  :^)  The buttons on my model could be pressed lightly without issue.

The case is roughly the size of a Lean Cuisine TV Dinner box.  All black, plastic housing.  It's very lightweight, so do not expect it to survive in a child's room or a drop on floor.

The only thing I have to groan about this unit is its remote.  And not because Magnavox didn't include batteries (that's trite, most of the batteries manufacturers include "free" are off-brand generics that last only a few days anyway ... if they are not already dead when you open the box.)

To me, Magnavox has always come up short on the design of their remotes and the DP100MW8B DVD Player is no exception.  All of my remotes, whether it be my Scientific Atlanta cable box, CurtisMathes TV, or Apex DVD Player - have the "Select/Enter" button in the middle of the Reverse, Forward, Play, and Stop buttons (which, in Menu Mode, also act as Left/Right, Up/Down buttons).  But not the DP100MW8B DVD Player ... no, menu control is toward the bottom of the remote with a separate set of menu navigation buttons.  Not a major problem, definitely not one to dissuade you from purchasing this DVD player.  But just keep in mind, until you get used to the remote, you'll be hitting STOP (which pauses the entire DVD session) when you really wanted to hit Select/Enter for a DVD menu item.

The Magnavox DP100MW8B DVD Player is an inexpensive $25 DVD player that simply does what it is supposed to do - nothing more or less.

Side Note about "Funai Corporation" that you see on the Magnavox boxes:

A lot of people (I've noticed) are confused by the Funai Corporation and Magnavox names on the DP100MW8B DVD Player's box.  Here's the scoop.  There really isn't a "Magnavox" company anymore.  It's merely a consumer brand name.  The Magnavox products you see on store shelves are actually "Funai Electric" products.  Funai Corporation, Inc. is a sibsidiary of Funai Electric which is a Japanese consumer electronics company that started in 1961. The Funai Corporation was created in the United States back in 1991 to sell Funai brandnames such as Sylvania, Emerson, Magnavox, Symphonic, and Phillips (Phillips televisions).  You'll also find Funai components in Sharp, and Toshiba products; they make cameras for Kodak, and manufacture Lexmark printers (yes, your Dell branded printer is actually a Funai Lexmark printer).  Funai and Magnavox are one and the same.  Funai Electric manufactures the DP100MW8B DVD Player, Funai Corporation markets and distributes the DP100MW8B DVD Player in the United States under the Magnavox name.