Samsung DVD-F1080 DVD Player ~ Compact Design with Full Features

I just moved to a new apartment, and my old DVD player was starting to act funny, so I didn't even bother to move it, deciding it was time for a new one. My apartment has space considerations, and I wanted something small and basic. I was shopping at Best Buy and noticed this cute, uniquely-shaped DVD player for a great price of $99. Best of all, this little baby has everything I wanted, and much more. Here's the scoop:

~ Product Description

The Samsung DVD-F1080 DVD Player has a compact footprint, measuring about 9 1/2" square, although the corners are rounded. And it is only 2" in height. It has a sleek, black finish. Although this Samsung model has a slim design, it packs a lot of punch when it comes to features.

Taken from the manufacturer's description:

- 1080p Unconversion. Connected to an HDTV, you can watch standard DVDs at an upconverted rate of 1080p, meaning you’ll get an image that is high-definition quality.

- Advanced 14-Bit Video DAC. Enhanced dynamic contrast and sharper details. 14-bit video digital-to-analog conversion with high-speed 108 MHz video processing increases the image’s resolution so that it’s as close to the original DVD source as possible. You’ll experience more life-like pictures and amazing color quality.

- Multi-Format. This model allows for DivX content downloaded from the Internet, and also videos saved in the MPEG-4 format. It also plays DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3, WMA, VCD, SVCD, JPEG, and formatted discs.

- Dolby Digital. Dolby Digital 5.1 surround decoding - channels of audio are distributed to assigned speakers in a home theater sound system. The end result is that you are surrounded with audio from your DVD, making the listening experience just as gripping as the visual.

- HDMI Output. With the HDMI output, you can use one cable to connect your high definition components (including a television), and the TOSlink cable allows you to connect your digital audio. You also get connectivity through a component video output, composite video output, and coaxial digital audio outputs.

- Multi-Progressive Scan Output. The slightest blurs and distortions are now a thing of the past thanks to progressive scan. It scans individual picture lines in sequence rather than alternately giving you maximum image clarity and more realism. Progressive scan pushes the limits of standard resolution and provides a more film-like image that takes watching DVDs to another level.

The controls on the Samsung DVD-F1080 are located on the top of the unit, and are touch-sensitive. Simply touch for Standby/On, Skip/Search (Reverse), Stop, Play/Pause, Skip/Search (Forward), Open/Close.

Of course you get a remote with this, which controls all the features of this DVD player. Some of the extra options available on the remote include:

- Zoom (enlarges the DVD picture)
- INFO button (Displays the current disc mode)
- Audio (to access various audio functions on a disc)
- EZ View (the aspect ratio of a picture can be adjusted according to the screen size of your TV)

~ My Experience

Okay, first of all I'm technically challenged, and I fear trying to hook things like this up. I took the salesperson's advice and purchased an HDMI-HDMI cable, meaning I just had that one cable to hook up from the DVD player to my TV. It was a snap to hook up! I had no problem whatsoever, and I'm clueless when it comes to these things. But that HDMI cable was an additional purchase - it is not included with the DVD player. The basic cables necessary for hookup are included with the DVD player however. The owner's manual includes all hookup instructions. I do not use any special audio hookups. I just have the DVD player connected to my HDTV, and I'm using the speakers from the TV as my only audio.

I love the slim, compact design of this DVD player. When you press the Open/Close button on the unit, or the Open/Close button on the remote, the disc tray comes out from in front of the player. Nothing pops up from the top - meaning the 2-inch height is all you need should you have this placed on a shelf or whatever. Although you do need a little room there on the top to access the control buttons on the unit.

To play a disc, place the disc in the tray, close the tray, and press play. There you go - enjoy! Since I do have an HDTV, I'm finding the quality of the movies from the Samsung DVD-F1080 to be excellent! Very clear, sharp, and the color is fantastic. I can actually see a difference in quality from my old DVD player that was not upconverting. The remote controls are easy to use and very intuitive. I've had no problems using this DVD player or watching movies. The sound quality seems just fine, considering I'm only using my TV's audio speakers. I don't have remote speakers set up, so I can't comment on any enhanced audio that might be available through that option. This plays audio CD's, but again, the sound comes from my TV's speakers.

There are some features I haven't bothered to use, as my needs are basic - just watching DVD's mostly. But I'm glad I have the additional features should the need arise in the future.

One thing to note, and my only "complaint," is that a battery for the remote should have been included with the DVD player, but wasn't. I had to call Samsung, and they sent me one within a week. In the meantime I just used the controls on the DVD player unit itself.

~ Final Thoughts

The Samsung DVD-F1080 has a stylish, very compact design, yet is a powerhouse of features. If you need a compact DVD player that upconverts to HD, I highly recommend this affordable model from Samsung. I would give this 5 stars except for the missing remote battery.