Customer Reviews

Panasonic DMP-B100 8.9-Inch Screen Portable Blu-ray Disc Player

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The DMP-B100 is a solid portable Blu-ray player with very good picture quality when playing back Blu-ray Discs and DVDs, however it is missing something so basic that it's almost hard to believe: a video output. Every portable DVD and Blu-ray player we have used or tested in the past - even the super-cheap ones - has included a video output: this allows you to hook your player up to a TV or projector and enjoy movies on a larger screen. Not really essential when you're in a plane, train or automobile, but certainly a nice feature when you reach your destination (e.g., hotel, home or vacation home). When people pay this much for a portable disc player, I think they expect more versatility out of it than use just as a standalone portable player.

The player is also lacking Panasonic's "VIERA Cast" feature for online networking and content streaming (YouTube, Pandora, Netflix, etc.). Again, not that essential in a portable player, but if anyone is considering this as their primary player, then the networking features would have been nice. Panasonic's first generation portable player did include VIERA Cast and an HDMI output, as does their step-up model, the DMP-B500. The B500 even includes built-in WiFi so you can enjoy Netflix streaming, Pandora, YouTube or Amazon Video-on-demand from anywhere you can get a WiFi connection.

The LCD screen itself is not a full resolution 1080p screen (or even 720p), but at this small screen size (just shy of 9 inches diagonal), that resolution would be overkill. For DVD and Blu-ray playback, the picture is bright, colorful and detailed - better than any portable DVD player we've used. Audio quality of the built-in speakers is fair, but to hear every last detail, you'll probably want to use the headphone jack hooked up to a set of powered speakers or headphones.

In terms of loading times, the player is pretty perky. A little slow to load DVDs (28 seconds), but a standard Blu-ray Disc loads in just about 16 seconds and a BD-JAVA Disc (Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl) loads in about 20 seconds. This is actually faster than most home Blu-ray players. Battery life is pretty good too. With an overnight charge, the battery lasted about 183 minutes which is long enough to watch most movies (even most Kevin Costner movies). You'll get a warning about 8-9 minutes before shut down that the battery is running low.

Judged solely on its own merits: audio and video quality, speed of operation, reliability and portability, the DMP-B100 is a fun unit and a solid performer. If you've started building up a collection of Blu-ray Discs, this player will allow you to play them, as well as CDs and DVDs, virtually anywhere. But omitting a video output from the player is a pretty major flaw for those who want to experience the benefits of Blu-ray on a larger screen. We'd recommend spending more to get the B500 instead.

Our detailed review is available at Big Picture Big Sound (dot com).

Amazon is now selling this unit for $179-199. Sure it has no video outputs, comparable units with them are $350. If you want a portable Blu-ray player with wi-fi + video outputs you are looking at $500 (IPAD and netbook territory). I already have a PS3 and a sony stand alone blu-ray so I could care less about the video output. I am using this for traveling or personal viewing so it fits my needs just great. At $179 I bought two of them, one is a gift.

The unit works great. Have played new releases with zero problems. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is due to the lack of a pause button on the unit. You have to use the remote to pause the player during playback.

Just for clarification on the actual screen resolution, with a screen size of 8.9 inches the human eye cannot discern the difference between this units output and 1080p. So it really is a non-issue.

If all you need is a personal blu-ray player, this is a great unit currently selling almost at portable DVD player pricing.

Bought this player for non-tech savvy older parents so they can show off their pictures from SD cards and picture CD's. Simple to use, no frills, straight up player of discs and SD cards. All BD features and extras can be used on this unit. Screen resolution is excellent for Blu-Ray, DVD, and JPEGs. You can definitely see the difference in resolution compared to a regular Sony or Toshiba portable DVD. Quick response menu and loading of discs and SD cards. Dual hinged screen is a great design over a clamshell because you can position it any way you want. Useful on a plane or if you are going to hang it in a car. Comes with car power adapter. Quiet motor. Easy to use function buttons on unit. Remote not necessary to use unit.
Few gripes though, when looking at fotos there is no zoom feature. The speakers aren't loud. No HDMI or video out. The remote is complicated with many buttons. One earphone jack. Firmware can only be updated by downloading to a PC and burning to a disc.

I did not pay attention to all the other features before I bought, but now I wish I had. I was only interested that it could play blu-ray/dvds and was portable which was the only thing I had wanted it for. I've been watching this and many other blu-ray players for some time now. I've been watching the price. This is the cheapest price I've seen it. $180 or so... The blu-ray quality is amazing. I love the free-style too so I can switch or move the screen if their is a glare. :) comes in handy :) The sd card slot is available. This is what I didn't know it had. I haven't used this feature yet. The playback works ok, except I don't really use it that much. The screen is really big. :) 4 hours of battery which is enough to watch 2 long movies or 3 short ones. It also plays cds but I have only tested blu-rays and dvds on it so far. so I guess this is to be continued....

I received this Panasonic portable Blu Ray (and mutli-purpose disc) player. After purchasing I watched one of my many favorite movies but on Blu Ray and it looks as it does when you see it on your big screen, at home! I am a big movie fanatic so I love and enjoy watching movies anywhere! I currently own a sister portable dvd player with very few similarities, but this Blu Ray player can not be compared to at all. Overall, this product is definitely worth owning if you love movies, portablility, incredible HD on the go and knowing that you don't have to rely on your HD-TV to watch movies. Portability has its pro's and con's and when the pro's come in, that's when its worth every dime!

I purchased this unit for my son and long car drives. It has a very impressive picture quality especially when playing a blu ray disc. The sound is much better than our last portable player. Only lacking a video output and we would like a slightly larger screen. What we do like is the dynamic picture quality which makes each video more "rich" in texture and color. A good little unit all around for the price.

nice screen and remote - plus how the screen moves forward is a very nice option! Only thing that I thought that the Blue-Ray player had or should have was an HDMI output to connect to a flat screen/plasma t.v. and that would have been the icing on the cake!! Other than that, it's a great player!

This portable Blu-Ray player was exactly what I was looking for and wanted. No video/audio out jacks, no problem. I wanted a PORTABLE Blu-Ray player for a great price and that is exactly what I found. No high-definition screen? You could have fooled me. At 8.9" how would you know anyway? Great picture quality and a great price. I didn't want to spend $750 or more for a portable Blu-Ray player and I don't see the need to.

My kids have DVD players and I thought it would be a good idea to buy one for us adults. We were going on a month long trip to Florida, and I thought it would be a good idea to keep one of us entertained. Well, it was a great size, not too big, not too small, and the picture clarity is great. Of course, it's slightly better with Blu-Ray than standard DVD's. It's runs fast and is fairly easy to use. I don't think the battery lasts 2 hours, but it's enough to get through an hour long TV show, and it warns you well in advance when the battery is low. There's only two cons about it: 1. Most of the controls, including very important ones like pause, are on the remote control, not on the player, and 2. There is no output button, so you can't use it as a Blu-Ray player for your TV. That was not a big deal for me, though, because I don't have a high-def TV at home. I still use it, even when I'm not traveling, because it's great for watching Blu-Ray DVD's or movies my husband and kids aren't interested in. It was a little expensive but not as much as a brand new entertainment center and high-def TV, and I think it was definitely worth the price.

I thought I was taking a Big chance purchasing this player. I have not been disappointed. The unit is easy to operate, and the picture is outstanding! It plays all formats. I also like the remote; it`s handy when I`m laying back in my desk chair. The price was right. If you are looking for a portable Blu-ray be sure to check this one out!