[WTS] Panasonic Home Theatre Sytem
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CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Steve Guttenberg
Reviewed on 8/5/03 Updated on: 10/8/04 Release date: 4/15/03
Panasonic's new "slim is in" theater package, the SC-HT900 (listed at $500), will appeal strongly to style-conscious buyers. The slinky tower speakers and the pancake-thin receiver/five-disc DVD changer maintain the lean theme. The system boasts a fairly heavyweight feature lineup, including progressive-scan video output and DVD-Audio capability. While sound quality is the HT900's most ordinary aspect, it's actually better than that of the similar Panasonic SC-ST1, which costs twice as much.
Design of Panasonic SC-HT900
Panasonic clearly meant the system's silver, plastic finish to complement that of similarly styled plasma and flat-screen TVs. Each 42-inch-tall tower, or tallboy, has three separate parts: a weighted circular base, a stand, and a slender column speaker. The relatively squat, 9.75-inch-wide center also comes with a small stand. Wall-mounting is another option with any or all of the speakers. Wiring and assembly consumed an hour of our time. The subwoofer is the bulkiest component, measuring 6.5 inches wide, 17.5 inches high, and 16.75 inches deep.
At first glance, you'd never guess the 2.5-inch-tall receiver could possibly house a five-disc changer, but the unit's 17-inch depth is a major clue. We could quibble about the tiny, black buttons and their barely legible labels, but we didn't have any problems over the long run. The nifty-looking remote tested our dexterity at times, but it's no worse than average.
Features of Panasonic SC-HT900
The receiver/carousel changer can hold five DVDs and offers the usual selection of Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS, and DTS Neo:6 surround-processing modes. It also plays DVD-Audio discs, but it lacks bass and treble controls. You can, however, tweak the subwoofer level from the remote.
The HT900's speakers and subwoofer bear more than a passing resemblance to those of Panasonic's $1,000 kit, the ST1. The four towers each use a single 2.5-inch woofer and a tweeter of unspecified size. The center bears the same complement, plus a duplicate woofer. The sub has a 6.75-inch driver and houses the system's six power amplifiers. The front- and rear-channel amps are rated at 35 watts each, the center receives a strangely disproportionate 140 watts, and the sub's amp pumps out 150 watts.
All our MP3 discs played, and the HT900 always displayed complete file information. The changer also readily handled DVD-Rs, DVD-RWs, DVD+Rs, DVD+RWs, and DVD-RAMs of all kinds.
The connectivity suite will satisfy basic needs. You get three sets of stereo inputs; one line output; one optical digital input; and composite, S-Video, and progressive-scan component outputs.
Performance of Panasonic SC-HT900
Our home-theater trials ran the gamut from straightforward drama DVDs such as The Godfather to the more-challenging, recently released Phone Booth. The latter film's gritty urban feel and creative multichannel mix fully exercised the HT900. The sound was quite detailed, but it never broke free of the towers--we were always aware of the speakers' locations. The HT900 did best at low to moderate volume levels; cranking them up had a hardening effect.
Can the HT900 rock out? It sounded passable on White Stripes' mellower tunes, such as "In the Cold, Cold Night," but it turned spitty on our favorite track, "Ball and Biscuit." Meg's thumping drum kit kicked with conviction, but the beanpole speakers couldn't muster enough energy for Jack's vocals and thrashing guitar licks. So we lowered the volume and explored Linda Ronstadt's big-band-inspired What's New DVD-Audio disc. That came across much better--so sweetly we had to remind ourselves we were listening to a $500 kit.
After listening to both the HT900 and the ST1, we preferred the lower-priced HT900. The two systems' speaker packages are almost identical, but the HT900's is a bit more powerful. Maybe that's why it sounds a little bigger and fuller; it certainly gave Radiohead's Amnesiac CD more texture and space. The HT900's superiority is due in part to its center speaker, which isn't as wimpy as the ST1's ultrathin one. Both kits will perform best in rooms smaller than 250 square feet.
Reviews from Amazon
Feature Packed with great sound, September 8, 2003
Reviewer: Lenny (Albany, NY United States) - See all my reviews
Very attractive system with many features. Progressive scan DVD player looks great on my projector, thanks to the high end video circuitry in the 5 Disc DVD changer. Sound is very clear and accurately reproduced though the six speakers. Movie dialogue comes through very naturally. Does a fine job at decoding Dolby Surround. Movie "bass" effects are clear and pronounced through the active subwoofer. I've tested this system in store next to an expensive Bose and the quality is more or less comparable.
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
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!
The Dream System At A Fair Price!, April 20, 2004
Reviewer: Martin A Hogan "Marty From SF" (San Francisco, CA.) - See all my reviews
I really searched around and cannot believe this system sells for under $500, much less $400. It took me less than two hours to completely set up the system and it was step-by-step easy! The tower system is attractive and I did not need to buy extra `stands' or `wall mounts'. The central speaker is small but delivers s high-powered sound. The subwoofer is powerful as well and has four levels of intensity - I like heavy bass, but set mine at level 3. The actual DVD/CD receiver is very slim and easy to maneuver. I had some trouble setting up my TV with the unit's somewhat complicated remote, but finally figured it out after several runs. You are able to adjust the sound to nine positions, depending on where you re sitting. You don't have to be front and center.
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.
Reviewed by: Steve Guttenberg
Reviewed on 8/5/03 Updated on: 10/8/04 Release date: 4/15/03
Panasonic's new "slim is in" theater package, the SC-HT900 (listed at $500), will appeal strongly to style-conscious buyers. The slinky tower speakers and the pancake-thin receiver/five-disc DVD changer maintain the lean theme. The system boasts a fairly heavyweight feature lineup, including progressive-scan video output and DVD-Audio capability. While sound quality is the HT900's most ordinary aspect, it's actually better than that of the similar Panasonic SC-ST1, which costs twice as much.
Design of Panasonic SC-HT900
Panasonic clearly meant the system's silver, plastic finish to complement that of similarly styled plasma and flat-screen TVs. Each 42-inch-tall tower, or tallboy, has three separate parts: a weighted circular base, a stand, and a slender column speaker. The relatively squat, 9.75-inch-wide center also comes with a small stand. Wall-mounting is another option with any or all of the speakers. Wiring and assembly consumed an hour of our time. The subwoofer is the bulkiest component, measuring 6.5 inches wide, 17.5 inches high, and 16.75 inches deep.
At first glance, you'd never guess the 2.5-inch-tall receiver could possibly house a five-disc changer, but the unit's 17-inch depth is a major clue. We could quibble about the tiny, black buttons and their barely legible labels, but we didn't have any problems over the long run. The nifty-looking remote tested our dexterity at times, but it's no worse than average.
Features of Panasonic SC-HT900
The receiver/carousel changer can hold five DVDs and offers the usual selection of Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS, and DTS Neo:6 surround-processing modes. It also plays DVD-Audio discs, but it lacks bass and treble controls. You can, however, tweak the subwoofer level from the remote.
The HT900's speakers and subwoofer bear more than a passing resemblance to those of Panasonic's $1,000 kit, the ST1. The four towers each use a single 2.5-inch woofer and a tweeter of unspecified size. The center bears the same complement, plus a duplicate woofer. The sub has a 6.75-inch driver and houses the system's six power amplifiers. The front- and rear-channel amps are rated at 35 watts each, the center receives a strangely disproportionate 140 watts, and the sub's amp pumps out 150 watts.
All our MP3 discs played, and the HT900 always displayed complete file information. The changer also readily handled DVD-Rs, DVD-RWs, DVD+Rs, DVD+RWs, and DVD-RAMs of all kinds.
The connectivity suite will satisfy basic needs. You get three sets of stereo inputs; one line output; one optical digital input; and composite, S-Video, and progressive-scan component outputs.
Performance of Panasonic SC-HT900
Our home-theater trials ran the gamut from straightforward drama DVDs such as The Godfather to the more-challenging, recently released Phone Booth. The latter film's gritty urban feel and creative multichannel mix fully exercised the HT900. The sound was quite detailed, but it never broke free of the towers--we were always aware of the speakers' locations. The HT900 did best at low to moderate volume levels; cranking them up had a hardening effect.
Can the HT900 rock out? It sounded passable on White Stripes' mellower tunes, such as "In the Cold, Cold Night," but it turned spitty on our favorite track, "Ball and Biscuit." Meg's thumping drum kit kicked with conviction, but the beanpole speakers couldn't muster enough energy for Jack's vocals and thrashing guitar licks. So we lowered the volume and explored Linda Ronstadt's big-band-inspired What's New DVD-Audio disc. That came across much better--so sweetly we had to remind ourselves we were listening to a $500 kit.
After listening to both the HT900 and the ST1, we preferred the lower-priced HT900. The two systems' speaker packages are almost identical, but the HT900's is a bit more powerful. Maybe that's why it sounds a little bigger and fuller; it certainly gave Radiohead's Amnesiac CD more texture and space. The HT900's superiority is due in part to its center speaker, which isn't as wimpy as the ST1's ultrathin one. Both kits will perform best in rooms smaller than 250 square feet.
Reviews from Amazon
Feature Packed with great sound, September 8, 2003
Reviewer: Lenny (Albany, NY United States) - See all my reviews
Very attractive system with many features. Progressive scan DVD player looks great on my projector, thanks to the high end video circuitry in the 5 Disc DVD changer. Sound is very clear and accurately reproduced though the six speakers. Movie dialogue comes through very naturally. Does a fine job at decoding Dolby Surround. Movie "bass" effects are clear and pronounced through the active subwoofer. I've tested this system in store next to an expensive Bose and the quality is more or less comparable.
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
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!
The Dream System At A Fair Price!, April 20, 2004
Reviewer: Martin A Hogan "Marty From SF" (San Francisco, CA.) - See all my reviews
I really searched around and cannot believe this system sells for under $500, much less $400. It took me less than two hours to completely set up the system and it was step-by-step easy! The tower system is attractive and I did not need to buy extra `stands' or `wall mounts'. The central speaker is small but delivers s high-powered sound. The subwoofer is powerful as well and has four levels of intensity - I like heavy bass, but set mine at level 3. The actual DVD/CD receiver is very slim and easy to maneuver. I had some trouble setting up my TV with the unit's somewhat complicated remote, but finally figured it out after several runs. You are able to adjust the sound to nine positions, depending on where you re sitting. You don't have to be front and center.
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.
I'll give priority to people who willing to take both my items...cos i need money
Hearing Music using MiniHifi while watching movie using the HTIB.
I am sure u will be satisfied and quite sure not many speakers in this price range can even get near in term of both sound quality and features
Pls Pmed me your offer... cos i planned to close thread end of this month
Give your offer for combo deal, HIFI only or HTIB only also can la...
I will consider....
Best offer will get the item...
Pls dont wait to give me your offer.. if u are interested in my items
Hearing Music using MiniHifi while watching movie using the HTIB.
I am sure u will be satisfied and quite sure not many speakers in this price range can even get near in term of both sound quality and features
Pls Pmed me your offer... cos i planned to close thread end of this month
Give your offer for combo deal, HIFI only or HTIB only also can la...
I will consider....
Best offer will get the item...
Pls dont wait to give me your offer.. if u are interested in my items
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bro both item..rm1500,want to make it clear,the system and mini hifi..?tq..
- Joined
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both cd lens working fine?
pls pm me best price for both
by the way,where is your location?
tq
pls pm me best price for both
by the way,where is your location?
tq
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