The HT-DB120 merges the basic components of a home theater into one compact and silvery system, delivering simplicity and convenience for people seeking quality home entertainment in a surprisingly affordable package. The HT-DB120 spins DVD-Video, video CD, audio CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) CD, as well as Kodak Picture CD/JPEG CD--great for living-room slideshows of your digital photos; you can even pick one to be the wallpaper for the player's onscreen menu.
The amplifier distributes 40 watts per channel to each of the system's 5 compact satellite speakers (left, center, right, and left/right surround), while the standalone subwoofer packs a potent 50 watts.
All major movie surround signals are decoded and routed to their appropriate speakers: Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II (which generates 5.1 surround from any stereo source, whether movie or music), and DTS 5.1-channel surround sound. The system includes an AM/FM radio tuner with 30 preset memory settings, and a headphone jack for private or late-night listening.
The system's progressive-scan component-video output prepares you for the future, with the ability to use the system in conjunction with a high-definition or HD-ready television. Smooth progressive-scan images are free from even the slightest hint of blurring or distortion, bringing new realism to DVD movies and other selections.
The HT-DB120 also performs 3:2 pulldown detection--an unexpected inclusion at this price. DVD mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24-frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; reverse 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture.
What's in the Box
DVD player/integrated surround amplifier, 5 satellite speakers, a powered subwoofer, AM/FM antennas, a remote control, remote batteries, a user's manual, and all requisite cabling.
1 DVD went bad and the service on this is worse
Works ok with some DVDs. The only reason I bought was for the radio included in but it was not worth the trouble. In 12 months it has spent atleast 2 months getting fixed. The DVD doesnt open and they dont know whats the fix for it. Said they added some lubricant to open but it failed again. Then they changed the laser head dont know why but even that doesnt seem to help
2 Like everything but the voice
Everything seems ok about this, but I cant hear the voice channel very well. I pretty much have to turn it up to 35-40 to be able to hear much voice durring a movie... If I could fix that I'd be plenty happy.
3 Good starter system or for a spare bedroom
Had this setup for a year or so. The sound or audio quality is certainly not going to be mistaken for a "serious" home theater system made of seperate components, but that ought to be obvious from the price tag. It's more than adequate for a starter system, an apartment, or for a bedroom. The volume control at about the 40 setting is enough to start making the neighbors complain, which is good since much higher and the sound starts distorting a bit. The player itself seems of reasonable build quality and I experienced no issues with the player whatsoever during the time I owned it, the speakers and subwoofer seem a bit cheap but they work fine. Setup is pretty easy as the wires have colored plug connectors on one end, just match like colors. Of course the downside to this is that you have to use the lousy speaker wire that comes in the box, since if you bring your own high-gauge wire you won't have the plug to connect it to the player. But of course if you're buying this unit you're likely not going to be out buying expensive Monster Cable for it ;)
All in all, it's does a pretty decent job of what it's intended for, namely being a cheap solution for those with modest needs. It's not going to give you sound quality that would make Mozart weep. But if you're looking for something to get your feet wet in the home theater world without breaking the bank, or want a second or backup system for another room, then it's not a bad choice.
4 DVD part went bust after just 11 months.
Bought it Nov. 2003, broke 9/30/04 and the warranty covers labor for only 90 days. It never worked that well to begin with, some DVD wouldn't work on it, although they worked fine on other players.
5 Great for the Price!!
The quality of this DVD player is absolutely amazing. The progressive scan technology looks great even on a normal TV! The sound quality is unmatched and along with Dolby Digital 5.1 there is two sweets that make this deal amazing. The first is Dolby Pro-Logic 2, which is great for watching TVmovies and other nice programing encoded for this format. It is also GREAT for the GameCube which uses Pro-Logic 2 for surround! The best part of this deal is the DTS support!!! DTS for under $200!!!!! When I turn this DVD player to widescreen and then use the 16:9 aspect ratio on my 32" Flat CRT TV the quality is similar to HDTV!! Make sure when you get it and you are using a 4:3 display to change the setting on the system to tell it that you are using 4:3 otherwise it will default to wide and it will look bad on your TV!! Great buy!
