Magnavox DP100MW8B DVD Player

Let me start off by saying I'm not a television / movie watcher.  I have a handful of movies that I love, and I collect them on every format they're released on (including that new UMD format nobody uses).  I watch DVDs on occasion, mostly old television shows from the 80s, but the occasional film.  I have a 13" analog television (the kind with the two dials, one for UHF and the other for VHF).  Blu-Ray does nothing for me.

I recently downsized my entertainment center, relegating my old VCR/DVD combo unit (and I mean old, one of the first DVD players ever made at nearly $400 if memory serves me) to a CD/MP3 player on the stereo, and after a few months without a DVD player, finally decided to buy one.

Enter the Magnavox DP100MW8B B (catchy name, isn't it?).  It was the least expensive DVD player on the shelf at Wal-Mart, and that meant it was perfect for the once a month usage it would get, if that.

Features
Does anyone really talk about features on a DVD player anymore?  They're all basically the same.  This machine will play DVD discs (region one, which is why I keep my old unit - it's a region zero, plays discs from all over the world), DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD+R, audio CDs / CDRs / CDRWs, and MP3 / picture CDs.  Like I said, the basics that every single unit sold plays in this day and age.

Connections are through either analog audio / video (the kind with red / white / yellow plugs, how I have mine hooked up, through an RF converter to hook into my nearly 20 year old television - see separate review), S-video, and component video.  Some DVD players, even standard (not Blu-Ray) machines output HDMI, but this one does not.  With the separate audio / video outputs, you can send the sound to a stereo amplifier for better audio quality (how I used to have my system setup, now it all routes through the monoural speaker on my set down by the volume knob - yes, I said knob).

There are tons of features I won't get into because they're standard on all DVD systems (including zoom and multi-angle, though I don't think DVDs are even made with multi-angle support anymore, parental controls - which I don't think DVDs even use anymore, and progressive scanning).  Suffice it to say that this unit has the same basic features as one costing three times as much, at a reasonable price.

MP3 / CD playback can be programmed to listen to your tunes in whatever order you want, as well as supporting repeat and random functions, though apparently it prefers constant bitrate MP3s to variable bitrate MP3s.  If you're not sure what format your MP3s are in, and you bought them online from a place like Amazon.com's digital marketplace, it's probably constant.  The unit does support the full range of standard bitrate applications (32kbps to 320kbps).

On-screen displays are simple to navigate even without the manual if you've ever used a DVD player before.  Options and menues are logical and easy to follow.  Subtitles appear to be compatible with normal standards.

The device offers a "Virtual Surround Sound" option, which I can't comment on since I'm routing this device through a monoural speaker system.  Typically, this option inverts the two stereo channels and amplifies the difference between them, giving you the feeling that you're in stadium seating.  Some folks like that, some folks don't.  I'm someone who doesn't like it, so I wouldn't be able to compare it to other models if I tried.

This unit apparently suffers from the slight pause when changing layers in multilayered DVDs, though I haven't seen it yet - the manual states that this is "normal."  Normal for this unit, I assume they meant to say.  Other units I've seen do the same thing, though higher-end units with a larger buffer memory are immune to it.

Contents
The box comes with the basics; the unit, a remote, and a standard red / white / yellow AV cable system.  Note, the remote doesn't come with batteries (two AAs ... they really couldn't throw a set in the box?).

Setup
Setup of this unit is exceptionally simple, literally plug-and-play.  I had the unit up and running in a matter of minutes, even with the RF modulator I had to incorporate in order to setup on my ancient AV system.

Durability
This unit feels flimsy.  Very flimsy.  It's light as a feather (deceptively light given it's size, which itself is pretty small).  The plastic feels eggshell-thin.  I would recommend being very careful about not pushing the tray in when closing the unit, as the tracks feel like they're made of matchsticks.

Ergonomics
The buttons on the front of the unit are microscopic and very close together - the kind you have to gingerly press with your thumbnail.  There is no real display on the unit to speak of, save for power lights.  I actually prefer no onboard display, because bright LED readouts can be distracting in a dark room.  The remote is easy to use, and the bright white buttons, while looking cheap, are easy to see in a darkened room (would be easier if the remote had LED backlighting like some, but I'm still pleased).

Overall
This seems like a great little unit for the price.  I'm not a hardcore DVD fanatic, and all I want / need is a basic unit that plays basic films.  This seems to deliver in spades, and at the price, how could you go wrong?  Given how flimsy this feels, I'd recommend saving your receipt - I saved mine.