Samsung DVD-L100

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25 reviews

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CNET Editors' Review

The good: Large, 16:9 screen; display reverses for car mounting; dual headphone jacks; nice, protective carrying case; Memory Stick slot.

The bad: So-so battery life; hefty power adapter; no LCD aspect-ratio controls.

The bottom line: The L100 may not be the most compact portable DVD player, but it has a big, 10-inch display that will play well in cars.

Review: Samsung's DVD-L100 sports the biggest screen--10 inches diagonally--currently available in a portable DVD player. A screen that large has its advantages and disadvantages, and those looking to save weight in their bloated laptop bags should probably choose another model. However, if you want a deck to mount in your family car, like the idea of having a decent-sized screen for on-the-go viewing, and don't mind carrying a big player, the L100 is an appealing choice.Samsung's DVD-L100 sports the biggest screen--10 inches diagonally--currently available in a portable DVD player. A screen that large has its advantages and ... Expand full review
Samsung's DVD-L100 sports the biggest screen--10 inches diagonally--currently available in a portable DVD player. A screen that large has its advantages and disadvantages, and those looking to save weight in their bloated laptop bags should probably choose another model. However, if you want a deck to mount in your family car, like the idea of having a decent-sized screen for on-the-go viewing, and don't mind carrying a big player, the L100 is an appealing choice.Samsung's DVD-L100 sports the biggest screen--10 inches diagonally--currently available in a portable DVD player. A screen that large has its advantages and disadvantages, and those looking to save weight in their bloated laptop bags should probably choose another model. However, if you want a deck to mount in your family car, like the idea of having a decent-sized screen for on-the-go viewing, and don't mind carrying a big player, the L100 is an appealing choice.

Design
More than any other portable, the $999 (list) DVD-L100 resembles a small laptop computer. In fact, when it went through the X-ray machine at the airport, security flagged it as a notebook. Laptops--but not DVD players--must be taken out of your bag before going through the screening machine. After we informed the security personnel that it was a DVD player, one of them said, "It's that Samsung with the 10-inch screen, isn't it?"

Indeed, it was--all three pounds of it with the battery pack attached. That's a bit heavier than many smaller portable models but the same weight as the Toshiba SD-P2000. The player itself is fairly trim despite its large screen, but we had a bigger gripe with the power adapter: It's high-tech and looks cool, but it took up too much room in our carry-on bag. We also wished that Samsung included a car-lighter power adapter.

Available controls are conveniently arranged, allowing for easy access to all standard DVD functions except for the setup menu, which must be activated via the credit-card-style remote. We had no complaints about that remote, but if you lose it, you won't be able to get into the setup menu--a bummer.

One note about the detachable battery back: It's fairly compact and clips onto the back of the L100 without adding much bulk. Samsung sells a larger battery that offers substantially more juice but adds extra weight to the unit.

Features
The DVD-L100 has a fairly ample feature set, including a Memory Stick slot; two headphone jacks so that you can watch a movie with the person sitting next to you; plus the standard zoom and angle-change features during playback. On the sound front, you'll find a dialogue-boost option (a.k.a. dynamic compensation) as well as a faux-surround mode.

The L100 doesn't have much in the way of picture-tweaking capabilities; you can adjust the brightness level, but that's about it. There's also no way to change aspect ratio on the 16:9 LCD, so if you watch content that isn't enhanced for wide-screen sets--such as the DVD of the TV show Get a Life that we used--everyone appears short and fat.

As noted, in case you're interested in mounting the unit to the underside of a kitchen cabinet or to the roof of your SUV, you can display video upside down at the touch of a button. Samsung doesn't supply the optional mounting kit, which will run you an extra $125 to $200 when installed by a professional. Hide Review

Average User Rating

3.5 stars out of 25 user reviews

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star: 6
  • 4 star: 11
  • 3 star: 5
  • 2 star: 3
  • 1 star: 0

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Most Helpful User Review

2.0 stars 5 of 5 users found this review helpful

"Samsung DVD L200 great for cars" By

Pros I compared the Samsung DVD L200 to Toshiba spd2500. The Toshiba has better technical specs, but suffered from an inability to flip the screen over for mounting on a car ceiling.Also, the Samsung had better side to side off axis viewing. The Toshiba seemed

Cons The L200 only has a 800x 600 pixel screen and limited picture settings (contrast, brightness, etc), and non progressive scanning. However, it is perfect for my intended role: as a roof mounted DVD player to keep the kids entertained on the way to vegas.

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