It's what the Harman Kardon DVD 101 seemed to be made for--pure pleasure without ever having to utter a word.

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Unique Features - Okay, I may be off my rocker with an opening like that, but when I first set eyes on the DVD 101 from Harman Kardon, I thought it was a very attractive mid-level player. The classy chassis combines a sleek, sexy, silver case with an upper faceplate made of smoked black acrylic that is very modern and purposeful, which allows the Harman Kardon to fit nicely into home theater setups. This player would be just as much at home next to a 50-inch high definition plasma display as it would be connected to a 32-inch standard definition TV. The centrally located disc tray is flanked on the right by a stylish tray ejection button and a host of useful controls including a dimmer to change the white LED to display full or half brightness (or turn it off completely). In a dark theater environment, this feature is worth its weight in gold. Another handy button turns on a test pattern to adjust display parameters such as color, brightness, contrast and tint. Both of these convenience functions are a welcome addition.

Harman Kardon has engineered the DVD 101 to play a multitude of discs using a 3/2 progressive scan pull-down for improved video and a Wolfson 24-bit/192kHz D/A converter for radiant 5.1 and 6.1 audio playback. By connecting the player to a digital processor or receiver, both 5.1 and 6.1 digital surround sound in Dolby Digital or DTS can be enjoyed. The price of the DVD 101 is just above an entry level player so the typical buyer may not have an outboard digital processor. Therefore, if a surround sound system is not connected, the DVD 101 allows for down mixing of analog audio to stereo speaker configurations to open up the joys of home theater to all enthusiasts.

Installation/Setup/Ease of Use - My experience with the DVD 101 began with the introduction of video to my monitor by way of Monster Cable component interconnects. Additionally, audio signals were sent to my receiver using a Kimber Kable digital coax cable. Once the player was installed, I navigated through the well-designed menu system to set up the player for my system's needs. I have experienced many flawed graphical interfaces in the past and was overjoyed with the simple and easy to read menu system included in this player. Harman Kardon's concept of an intuitive user interface is especially easy to navigate which is a bonus for new users or the not so technically savvy person. Rather than a special switch or button on the faceplate, the DVD 101 requires manually setting the video output from interlaced to progressive scan when using component connectors through the menu system. Some manufacturers elect to place a switch on the faceplate to choose progressive scan, but the elegant design of the Hannan Kardon would be compromised by adding knick-knacks for controlling functions seldom accessed.

Final Take - Beginners will appreciate the quick setup and ease of use. From the sealed cardboard box to movie enjoyment took me only a few minutes and was clear-cut. The Harman Kardon comes with one of the most comprehensive manuals I've ever read, with all the features explained well and clear drawings included to visually demonstrate a multitude of installations. Equally easy to read is the front LED panel and information display. The white letters and numbers on the faceplate are large enough to read from across the room and have indicator lights to provide detailed information like disc type, playback mode and progressive scan function.

The remote control is approximately 7-inches long, but feels compact. It is in charge of an abundant amount of functions, but that is not to say it is difficult to use. On the contrary, the remote is ergonomically designed, backlit and has a great look and feel.

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