Customer Reviews

Toshiba SD-P101S 10.2-Inch Portable DVD Player

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

 

 

I was looking forward to getting my Toshiba SD-P101S as I thought it would make a good replacement for my aging SD-P1000. I had figured in the eight years since the SD-P1000 was made, Toshiba would have enhanced and improved upon their portable DVD players.

I was wrong.

It seems as though Toshiba went backwards in terms of features and quality. I'm quite disappointed with this machine.

The good points (give me a few seconds to think of one or two): OK...the screen can be turned from side to side. Also, unlike the older machine, you can do things like fast forward without having to use the remote control. This new machine can also play many disc formats and can handle memory cards for picture viewing.

The bad points (lots to list): While the screen is listed as having a 800x480 resolution, the picture is not as sharp and clear as the older SD-P1000 (and that has a *tiny* screen). The screen has problems towards the bottom. It's hard to describe in words, but it's kind of the same light/dark discoloration you get from an LCD screen when it's got pressure
being put on it. I'd say it's a manufacturing defect, but one I imagine might be inherent to this type of device.

The sound of the external speakers is rather flat and the maximum volume is not very loud (forget about trying to hear this thing if you are in situation where you'd want a portable DVD player). It has two headphone jacks and the volume through them isn't too bad.

The older machine has both component video and S Video outputs. The SD-P101S has neither. What's more, the remote control sensor is on the cover/screen, not the front of the unit. So you need to have the screen open to use the remote control. As a result, this machine cannot really double as a regular player. (Again, a bit more forethought by the
manufacturer would have made its functionality that much better.)

The SD-P101S is also extremely LOUD when it accesses the disc. The first time I used it I thought it was broken. It sounded like gears grinding. I wouldn't recommend using this if people are trying to sleep.

To conclude, this machine seems to be a "Made in China" OEM player that Toshiba merely put its name on. The older SD-P1000 looks to have been developed by Toshiba in house (its "made in Japan" notation would support this theory). I've seen region 2 machines sold here in Japan by other manufacturers with the same design and specs.

For the price, I think you might be able to do better elsewhere. After writing this review, I think I might just get my SD-P1000 serviced and send this one back.

This dvd player works fine. The problem is if you want a spare battery you have to buy a battery pack (toshiba & their dealer do not have a description of this) for $169. They are not avail. until Nov. 2008. For the price of a spare battery you might as well buy two DVD players or buy a different brand.

I bought a Toshiba SD-P101S DVD player for about a month. I am VERY happy with it. It met all my expectations. My top requirement was high and clear resolution.

I had bought and returned three other portable DVD players (Panasonic, Audiovox, Phillips) because they did not have good resolution. Their displays were worse than the Mintek portable DVD players that I bought a few years ago. I did try a Toshiba's 9" portable DVD player. I also returned it because it had the same resolution spec as the Panasonic's, Audiovox etc.

I also tried a Sony model- the display was as good as the 10.2' Toshiba model. However, the Sony model (8 inch display) did not look sleek - very much like a child toy.

SD-P101S is not perfect. There are other features i would like to see in this model. But it is the best value for my requirements.

This is certainly NOT Toshiba's best work. Several times the screen went to "blocks" then when it resumed with the clear picture it was like watching an old Japanese over-dub movie were the voice doesn't match the lip movements. More times than I can count I have had to shut the machine down and re-start it because it won't read the disk.
Bottom line: it doesn't operate up to current industry standards, you can get better than this machine.

The player was easy to set up. My wife and I took a trip to Disney World. Three of our grand children went with us. The size of the player screen was perfect for viewing. The operational features was easy to control while the vehicle was in motion.

The battery pack would not charge. I discovered that
3 1/2 months after the purchase (first time I tried
to use it with a battery after the purchase).
The warranty is only 3 months. Should have
checked that before buying.

This unit has a very large screen with good picture and sound quality. I found it a bit heavy due to the rechargable battery. It's great for table top viewing but was bulky in the car. We had it installed between the front seats of a minivan (on the little table between the seats) and we were constantly butting elbows on it. It has two headphone jacks so both kids in the back can listen without disturbing the adults in front. Overall I was happy with the unit itself, but didn't have good luck with durability. While under manufacturers waranty the power button broke. It would only stay on if you held the slide button in the ON position. As soon as you let go, it would shut off. It was replaced since it was still under waranty. Less than two years after purchasing, the unit will no longer read discs. It just keeps saying "loading" and after several minutes will sometimes say "disc error". I tried cleaning the laser lens but it didn't fix the problem.

I had this DVD player for 1 year now and it performs better then the previous 10 inch model I had. The picture is great and the battery life is amazing for a 10 inch screen. I tested it a few times and the battery lasted 5 hours and 15 min. The downside is the player is a little heavy due to the increased battery life but I think its worth the trade off. I tried other 10 inch models and the battery died after 3 hrs 20 min. If you can get it for under $200 its well worth it for the great picture and battery life. I do not even use the remote control and I have no issues with navigating around. It's a very good plug and play electronic appliance.

We think this is a terrific portable DVD player. It does make a bit of noise when the DVD is spinning up, but that doesn't seem to affect its functionality at all. The picture is great, and the extra size is what we wanted. We didn't want to feel we were watching on such a tiny screen, and this one has a nice big screen. The only issue we had is that the case Amazon recommended (a Targus case) DID NOT fit the DVD player, so we had to send it back. I assumed (not a good idea, I know) that if it was recommended together, they would work together, but I checked and the DVD player is a 10.2 inch (and it's a bit bigger with the battery pack attached) and the case is a 10-inch. Duh!

My daughter loves the DVD. It's a step up in quality compared to her previous one.