Compras Nikon Bluetooth |
DVD movies look and sound great through the system's 54 MHz/10-bit video decoder, video depth enhancer, progressive-scan video output (for use with high-definition and HD-ready televisions), and Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, and DTS discrete 5.1-channel surround decoding and rendering. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts. This feature can only be appreciated on high-definition and HD-ready TVs.
The speaker set includes four specially designed "tallboy" floorstanding speakers (front and rear left and right) powered by 35 watts each, a 140-watt center-channel speaker (critical for handling most of a movie's dialogue), and a powerful, 150-watt subwoofer optimized for unobtrusive placement. The left/right/surround speakers stand 41 inches tall, a height designed to align them with a television screen for seamless sound/image matching. All speakers are magnetically shielded to protect your TV from distortion induced by the speakers' magnetic fields. A digital-synthesized FM/AM tuner lets you listen to favorite radio stations.
What's in the Box
DVD player/receiver, 4 slim "tallboy" speakers with detachable stands, 1 center-channel speaker, 1 powered subwoofer, and all requisite basic cabling.
Now why does the authorized service centers not know this and why does the customer service personal guarantee you there is not a known defect in the product. I can't tell you.
As for the dvd changer, I have no complain either. It's really nicely designed. Somebody complained it takes 30 seconds to switch DVD, which I dont observe. For me the whole thing takes about 10-15 seconds. You hear the disc changer moves inside, then you 'll see on the screen says reading. It's very reasonable. unless You expect a 2 second switch time.
the overheat noise mentioned by two other reviewers. Sorry man, I don't get any of that either. I leave it on all day long playing mp3, never heard of any unexpected noise or observed any overheat problems. I felt the speakers after a whole day's use, it's not even WARM. The guy who said who only observed this when he played mp3 cds, are you sure it's not the mp3 cd? I noticed, with this system, 128kb mp3 and 192kb mp3 make a huge difference. sound quality from my 192kb mp3 cds is super, while 128kb isn't.
region code, i'm still not sure. I only have one region 2 dvd and it actually played no problem. Although the menu said region 1 only. I'm asking my friend for more asian dvds and will test out later.
One thing I agree with many other users, is the engineering notebook manual, and the remote. Quite some functions are hard to use(let you use under some settings but will give error under others and there's pretty much no way you can find out from the manual). All those fancy functions have this problem. for example, some functions you can only adjust when the disc is NOT playing. Other functions you can only use when SURROUND is turned off. etc. The screen will only give you error message but it doesn't explain why you cant use it. The manual is pretty much useless. But I pretty much figured everything out within one day. So it's not that bad.
Overall, great system, go get it.
The system looks very sleek in my home and the sound is just incredible. The rear speakers play the `echo' or `audience' sound without heavy vocals on the `live' recordings. It is true 5.1 digital sound. My only regret is that it does not play SACD's. Listening to my old CD's all over again is like the first time I ever listened to them. The 5.1 surround brings out sounds I never heard before and makes clear distinction between acoustic and electric guitars, multiple keyboards and backing vocalists. A great CD to test on this system is Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon", but any classical recording sounds like you are in the theater! This is the real deal and I can't recommend it highly enough.
Revision: OOps it's the 690 model that's $. Set it up tonight (no stands) Still pretty sweet.
I agree with many reviews on the web -- manual instructions need major improvement. I don't mind it is being long and intensive however in addition to afore-mentioned problems, few keys aspects of the system are not explained throughly in the manual. For instance, the system allows you to adjust the volume of the speakers, but only when you set the system in particular mode. It would be nice to tell consumer when this function will not work (speaker volume adjustment won't work when you turn on Super surround function, etc).
Many other functions are the same. It will work only if you set things properly. Unfortunately, there are not extra explanations in the manual.
Good sides are many useful convenient functions such as my favorite CSM, which allow you to memorize your customized sound to each disc (up to 30). Those present sound fields are quite surprisingly good as well. I normally hate those preset things, but this system is exception.
Currently, when I play music CD I set Super Surround Movie and choose SFC as per type of music (heavy for rock, etc.). I use Super Surround Music and SFC as per type of music whenever I play my concert DVD. For movie DVD, I always turn off Super Surround function and turn on Digital PL-II, Movie then adjust speakers volume, change the delay time for speaker setting depending on how I position myself in the room. SFC is chosen according to how sound from the movie is edited and recorded. Boy I have been in the heaven thus far.
I am now thinking about upgrade the speaker wires. The factory ones are too small. I will check if I by pass the connection from the stand to speakers directly with bigger wires will make any big different.
If you are having a limited budget, I highly recommend this system. Amazon merchant is great as well. I received my system full three to four days sooner than I anticipated. Make sure to read and UNDERSTAND the manual prior to use. It will only make you feel worth for every pennies spent.
The design is sleek in all ways. Looks great and I have my VCR stacked on top of the player and they still fit in a tiny shelf under my TV (and don't overheat).
It has picture quality controls and auto decoding of Dolby digital, Pro-logic II and DTS and has progressive scan, which is a must if you're in the market for an HDTV, as I am. I did have a problem with the picture having interference if I used ch3 as my input channel on the RF modulator. (Like I said, my TV is ancient.) But changed it to ch4 and that was fixed.
It has tons of features you wouldn't expect on a unit in this price range. Love that it has a 5-disc changer. The universal remote works on my ancient Magnavox TV and of course my Panasonic VCR. I like that it always remembers where you stopped a disc (any type) and automatically resumes there, even if you change modes. So you can stop a DVD, change to AUX/TV/Video, maybe check out a TV show, then go back to DVD and resume, just like a VCR tape does. (My old DVD player didn't do that) (Someone else said it doesn't have a memory. I don't think that person even glanced at the manual! Anyway, if changing to the TV/DVD or AUX modes you just need to press 'P.Memory' then stop or pause before changing modes.)
If you read anyone complaining about the bass on this being weak, don't listen (unless you actually like pulsating fuzz). Anyone with a keen ear for accurately reproduced sound will tell you this system has plenty of punch in the bass department! I don't even set the bass or subwoofer on the highest settings. The sound is spectacular! I'd never heard the highs (or lows) that this system brings out on my old one! The clarity, intensity and separation are awesome! Oh, and you don't need to use heavier speaker wire either. It seems flimsy but it's fine (although I found mine to be on the short side to get around my 12x17 room).
The subwoofer having all the speaker connections and power cord doesn't bother me. There's much less wire clutter behind the TV cabinet. Just note you will be limited to an 8' distance between the DVD player and subwoofer and there's a thick black cord connecting them that you'll have to hide.
The simulated surround sound (S.Snd) superbly sends 2-speaker stereo signals through all 5 speakers so when playing CDs, radio or aux/TV/VCR the sound is amazing (especially CDs and radio!). There are also excellent back speaker enhanced sound placement settings.
The only complaint I have is that Panasonic made the sound settings too complex and could have designed it far more simply. There are too many different sound quality and speaker volume controls that could have been combined into something much simpler. My old system had straightforward volume controls for each speaker. This one combines control of the front left and right as a single balance setting, yet the rest have individual volume controls. Then there's a seating position setting to adjust volumes if you're sitting to one side. I could have just manually controlled that with individual volumes on all speakers but some of these controls don't work in combination with all others, or certain modes,(Really frustrating!)so that's why they have all these seemingly redundant variations of functions (DUMB DESIGNING by our friends at Panasonic!!!). The pre-defined sound quality themes are quick but I'd prefer more control with a graphic equalizer plus adjustable reverb and echo controllers.
Most buttons on the remote (and there are many) have dual functions (using a shift button). The remote and features were clearly designed by tech-heads who over-think things. It's crazy. Keep the manual with the remote- forever. You'll need it! (Although it is missing some information.) Learn the features and try them all out. You will discover a world or pleasure with this system if you do!
I tried those dvd's on my sony dvd player and the discs are perfect. No scratches, no fingerprints, no pixellation and no dust. My l.a. confidential dvd never plays well with the panasonic system, with the sony it is perfect. If someone can tell me why i get this little color squares but the discs are perfect.
This panasonic home theater dvd really disappointed me when i played those discs, and how nows what other dvd's get those little annoying squares and what annoys me the most is that they dont always appear on the same chapter, sometimes not at all and sometimes they do appear.
1 star for the problems, cuz the sound and picture is great but the little squares really tick me off. is there something i can do to stop that from happening?
When asked for replacement unit, I was told that I would have to take it to my local repair center to have a tech look at the unit. This unit is still under warrenty and it is going to take several days for the unit to be repaired. No sound or DVD while this takes place. I will never buy another Panasonic unit again, to bad because this was the best unit I found on the market. Guess next time I'll pay the extra money and get a Sony! At least they care about their customers.
good: cant find a similar stuff for this price.
sound is good, looks fabolous.....
i may return it(just 3 weeks old)....since the overheating may become a big problem in the long run...
My Rating: FRUSTRATING
I bought this unit new in the box from Circuit City for $479 in July 2003.
The Good: Sleek design for a small cabinet volume. Speakers are unobtrusive, they don't hog my living room. Holds 5 DVDs with Progressive Scan capability.
The Bad:
1. If a DVD is playing, then when any other input is selected (such as TV to check sports scores, or FM), the DVD player stops and returns to the main menu! That's right, it has no knowledge of where it was in the movie if you either mistakenly or intentionally change the input.
2. From the remote, it can be put into a mode where no sound comes out when playing a DVD even though the video portion appears on the TV. Selecting FM or turning the unit off then on will force it to output sound, but again, you've lost your place in the movie. When in this silent mode, other buttons on the remote do not, by themselves, force audio output. Perhaps a sequence of button pushes will wake the amplifier up, but I don't have the patience to try sequences.
3. The confusing remote has some buttons whose sole purpose is to control other components (if Panasonic provided codes for your particular units). The AV System button can turn your TV on but it doesn't select the TV input on the SC-HT900. TV/Video can change the video input on your TV, but it doesn't select the TV input on the SC-HT900. Several button functions are shifted. You have to HOLD DOWN the shift button while pressing another button. This is a three handed operation. One hand to hold the remote, one hand for pressing the shift button, and one hand for pressing the desired function. Good luck! The buttons on the remote are discrete, whereas those on the receiver are toggles. The receiver has Disk Skip, on the remote you must press Disk then a number between 1 and 5. The receiver has a Source Select button that toggles between the 7 inputs, the remote has 5 unshifted buttons and 1 shifted button for the same purpose.
4. The amplifier is too weak and fails at normal loudness levels. The volume function is calibrated in dB from -68 to 0. At any level above -22 on my unit, the amplifier will eventually fail while watching a movie or listening to a CD. At -20, this typically takes about 45 minutes before a loud POP is heard through all speakers followed by a severe decrease in volume. After a few seconds, the volume returns to normal. Several minutes later, another POP is heard, and the sequence repeats with the interval becoming shorter between POPs. I assume my unit is defective in this regard, but I haven't wanted to extract the unit from its cabinet to take it in for service. I play movies and CDs at settings -22 and below.
5. The optical digital input on my unit doesn't work. No sound is output, although the front panel light is lit, indicating that the optical input is selected. This input's sampling frequency for Dolby Digital is supposed to automatically switch between 32, 44.1, and 48 KHz rates. I've tried connecting a few optical output devices with two new cables. My SC-HT900 does not output any sound when the optical input is selected. Two other surround systems in my home work fine when connected to the same components with the same cables.
Since it is still under warranty, I'm taking it to a service center to get item 5 corrected if possible. Since it takes more than a half hour for the problem in item 4 to happen, I don't have much hope of getting it fixed. Since the DVD player and receiver are in the same thin unit, and the amplifier is in the subwoofer enclosure, I have to take both units to the shop. If they are not repairable, I'll have to get a new receiver and a new subwoofer. The subwoofer does not appear that it can be driven by an RCA jack or otherwise from a standard surround sound receiver. I wish I had considered the interrelationship and marriage of the DVD/Receiver and the Subwoofer/Amplifier when I bought it.
The system takes about two hours to set up (assembly and placement) but all that moving and effort was worth it. The sound is pretty good with very good bass from the powerful subwoofer/amplifier. It may be a bit confusing for new users to understand the features available to them but most can understand the instructions very easily. Only con I can see right now is the lack of more disc support in the player. DVD+R/W and DVD-RW would have been nice instead of just the Panasonic supported formats of DVD-R and the dying DVD-RAM.
Overall, this is a good system and I'd recommend it. You can't find anything else with the same sound quality and feature set for the price tag of $400. It looks pretty darn spiffy as well.
Now for the system. I bought and installed 16-gauge speaker wire for ~$13 instead of the supplied thin (18-20 gauge?) wire. The larger speaker wire will not fit inside the slots in the supplied speakers, and I widened a few of the plastic slots with a Dremel--your call if you think it worth the trouble to use heavier wire. I did not replace the speaker wire in the upper part of the speaker tower.
The only cable supplied with the HTIB system is a single video composite cable. If you have a fairly new TV, you will get best video performance by purchasing one set of component video cables for the HTIB-to-TV (spent $24 locally, but noted afterwards you can get a component cable set for ~$15 on Amazon). I also used one set (~$7) of RCA audio cables (L/R) for TV audio out to HTIB TV audio in. I also used another set ($7) of RCA audio cables for VCR audio out to HTIB VCR audio in. Finally, I used the supplied video cable between my VCR and the TV (old VCR did not have S-Video or component plugs).
Other reviewers are correct about the operator's manual (tediously written by audio engineers) and the little buttons on the remote. Take some time to walk yourself through the features. DO follow the recommendation to select 16:9 output of the HTIB during "Quick Setup," if your TV can handle the input. My Sony has selectable "enhanced 16:9."
Sound quality was excellent in my 15'X18' living room. I will have to live with the system a while to see what audio settings I prefer among the presets (Music, Movie, Panarama) and the PL II presets. There are lots of options to balance speaker outputs and adjust for "non-optimal" speaker placement (real rooms shared with spouses are not a blank sheet of paper for speaker placement!). The woofer has 4 presets--I preferred the heaviest of the settings (4). There are several different tone presets (hall, disco (?), live, clear, flat, heavy, etc.). The radio tuner is surprisingly good, with better FM reception than the Denon system I replaced. The features in the manual under DVD viewing are probably much more extensive than I will ever use--and are probably the most confusing for the rookie. Time will tell whether I will ever use them.
Despite the false start, I am pleased with Amazon's customer service, price and responsiveness. Looking forward to getting the most from this system.
The system was a breeze to set up and delighted me straight away. For the money, this truly is superb.
I think the build quality could be better on the main unit. It feels a little flimsy so I will be especially gentle to it.
Bottom line, despite the negative points, I am delighted that I didnt buy the Sony. It would have been a choice of fashion over function and I have a better system for choosing the Panasonic. Maybe I'll get used to the looks. Who knows. Love is blind.
And just 1 final complaint to the manufacturers about all of the systems I looked at. Why do none of them have optical out? I will have to keep my CD player just to copy stuff on to my MiniDisc walkman!
So, why 4 stars and not 5? Well, not attractive, unclear manual, feels a bit poorly built. But I'll forgive a whole lot for what it does do well. Picture and sound are just great. I was grinning for ages.
Buy now and you wont be dissapointed. Especially at the price.
The subwoofer is perfect for the system - it adds rich base without sounding like one of those "installed by a teenager" car systems you hear so much of today, and it doesn't take up the entire floor to do it. We couldn't reach full volume before the system was too loud for comfort. 12dB on the dial was enough to drown out any attempts at normal conversation. The surround sound is phenomenal (Matrix Reloaded played Progressive Scan Component Out was our baseline movie).
The manual is a bit tedious. I'm pretty technically inclined, and this was a bit of a challenge for me. The fact that the remote has a Shift-key says a lot. Plan to spend some time mastering this thing.
Bottom line: If you're looking for a chest-cavity shaking, hip hop dance club thumping system, buy discreet components. If you're looking for an attractive, affordable, incredibly clean sounding system with very high quality components, this is definitely the system for you. Easily 5 stars for this price.
It is a known fact Panasonic DVD players are among the best in the business. Many more expensive DVD players(costing considerably more than this system) made by other brands use Panasonic internals for their players.
All DVD players must contain an MPEG decoder. In addition, progressive scan DVDs must contain a special device called a deinterlacer. Interlaced video frames are sent to a television in two pieces, by first drawing all of the odd lines, then the even ones. The deinterlacer essentially doubles each frame of video(producing a very defined picture) by filling in missing information. That is the true meaning of "progressive scan." This is the basis for HDTV, and be aware that your (Projector,TV,LCD) must be able to display HDTV or progressive to take advantage of this great feature. As with any other product, deinterlacers vary in quality and must be able to handle various film encodings. Panasonic uses top notch internal hardware to perform the deinterlacing(DCDi) and decoding. The results are spectacular!
Don't expect the bass to blow your ears out - no system at or near this pricepoint will. The subwoofer is powered but yet conservative (but more than other systems in its class). Don't buy this unit to play at maximum volume. System can be cranked up to loud but not extreme voulme. Sound will be more than enough for rooms <250 sq ft. I would say the same thing about the expensive Bose. The true measure of a system is not how it plays at maximum voulme, but rather the accuracy and clarity of the sound.
This unit also makes a great system for listening to FM Radio, CD/R etc. Unit supports many types of Discs. Music seems rich and pleasing, in some cases exceeding much more expensive units.
The speaker stands will save you the cost of buying wall mounts. This system has a plethora of features that are stated in the manual. For example, there are multiple surround modes, seating placement adjustments and digital input capability. Unfortunately the owners manual is written like an engineering course lab manual - so it may take the non- technical some time to learn all of the arcane features. Also, you should purchase at least a 16 gauge spool of speaker wire - do not use the doorbell wire that is supplied with the unit.
Overall I will give this unit 5 stars, because it is priced very well with respect to its competition (Sony Dream system 990) and it exceeds that and other products in its class in terms of quality and features. On the other hand, if you desire a very loud, extreme bass systems - don't consider a home theatre in a box. Purchase a component receiver/amp with large poweful speakers. And of course, a Panasonic progressive DVD player for the best video!
Con:
1. Speaker cables are as thin as a couple strands of hair & you cannot upgrade because it's hidden in speaker stand
2. Sound quality is really [bad]. You'll have to crank it upto near max level to hear anything (I've tried it on over 20 DVDs, CDs, VCDs)
3. The bass is a JOKE. Can't believe they call it a woofer.
4. Although they claim it plays CD-R, I've tried a few and they all skip or causes errors. Those CD-Rs play fine on my Toshiba DVD player.
All in all, this system looks nice but it's not worth spending over [money amount]for. The sound is so weak that you'll do better with nice TV's build-in speakers (I know 'cuz my Sony Trusound speakers sound way better than this system). I'm taking mine back to circuit city for a refund.
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