All-in-one systems are home cinema’s answer to a takeaway. Sure you could spend ages buying all the ingredients separately and seeing how they taste together, but sometimes all you want to do is buy it, take it home and get stuck right in.

And that sort of convenience is exactly what Panasonic offers with the SC-BT230. Everything you need for a wholesome home cinema diet is packed into one remarkably small box, including the Blu-ray player, 5.1 speakers, amplifier and decoders.

This system uses a set of sturdy compact satellite speakers, small enough to squeeze onto the tightest of spaces on your bookshelf, and it is accompanied by a small passive Kelton subwoofer. The main unit meanwhile is a sleek-looking machine, not a great deal bigger than a regular Panasonic player and styled in a fetching black finish with a few lights to break up the gloom.

The front panel features both an SD card slot and a USB port for your multimedia viewing and listening pleasure. It’ll play DivX HD, MP3 and JPEG from USB storage devices as well as AVCHD, JPEG and MPEG2 (SD Video) from SD, SDHC and SDXC cards. You even get a built-in iPod dock on top, one of the system’s standout features.

The system also comes with a nifty range of networking features, including access to Viera Cast, which brings YouTube, Picasa and Bloomberg to your living room TV. It’s good fun, but the novelty factor wears thin quickly with such limited content - Sony’s BRAVIA Internet Video and Samsung’s Internet@TV have much more longevity.

You can also stream MP3, DivX and JPEG files from DLNA-certified devices on your home network and download BD Live content, either by hooking up the Ethernet connection to your router or buying the DY-WL10 WLAN adapter, which plugs into the USB port on the back. At £80 it’s pricey, but could be a worthwhile purchase for the added convenience. Another optional extra is the SH-FX71 wireless kit for the rear speakers, but that’ll set you back another £100.

Connections are decent, with two optical digital audio inputs the most useful of the bunch, although it’s a shame Panasonic couldn’t stretch to HDMI inputs for external sources at this sort of price. The HDMI output supports the Audio Return Channel feature, which accepts audio signals from your TV while simultaneously sending sound the other way. 

The system is remarkably easy to use thanks to the clear, colourful onscreen displays and foolproof remote. And despite taking a long time to load tricky Blu-ray discs (Terminator Salvation took well over a minute) the BT230 does a fantastic job of displaying them in glorious 1080/24p. The depth, sharpness and colour accuracy of its pictures is a wonder to behold, helped along by a formidable arsenal of picture processing tech, including P4HD, PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus and High Precision 4:4:4 colour.

But things ain’t so rosy on the sonic front. The overall sound is thin and lacking oomph, which prevents it from achieving the required sense of scale for big action sequences. High-pitched sounds seem shrill and explosions lack impact - flaws for which the sub’s inconspicuous performance is mostly to blame. You’ll need to activate H.Bass and turn it to its highest level to get any joy.

It’s not all bad though. Dialogue sounds clear, there’s a decent sense of surround envelopment and the satellites deliver HD audio detail crisply. And music playback is much better than movies, as the shortcomings of the sub aren’t as much of a problem when playing CDs.

Tags: Home Cinema Home Cinema systems Blu-ray players Panasonic Panasonic SC-BT230

Panasonic SC-BT230 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:18:32 +0100

Choosing which free high-definition TV platform to go for can be difficult, but thankfully this 42-inch Panasonic plasma makes the decision a whole lot easier. It’s equipped with both Freeview HD and Freesat HD tuners, which means it’s ready to deliver high-def pictures whether you opt for a dish or rooftop aerial.

It’s also one of Panasonic’s Viera NeoPDP models, boasting self illuminating pixels and a whole host of other clever plasma tech designed to put those LED wannabes back in their place. Meanwhile, 600Hz Sub-Field Drive with Intelligent Frame Creation Pro (phew!) works to deliver smooth motion by analysing the picture and inserting frames to increase the refresh rate.

On the outside the set is nothing special, falling well short of Samsung or Sony’s glamorous sets with its token gloss-black bezel, but rear connectivity is excellent. You get four HDMI inputs (three on the back, one on the side) as well as Component, PC and Scart inputs. On the side is a pair of USB ports which allow you to play music, video and photo files from storage devices and record programmes on an external HDD.

Elsewhere the TX-P42G20B is a typically feature-packed affair. There’s DLNA streaming from networked PCs, access to the Viera Cast web portal, an SD card slot, support for an optional WLAN USB dongle and a wealth of picture adjustments. These include a THX-approved preset and Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) tweaks that a professional engineer can use to calibrate the picture.

Panasonic’s operating system is as slick as ever, using sensibly sequenced menus, clear text and a pleasingly responsive cursor. The remote’s large, clearly-labelled buttons make it a joy to use too. The Freeview HD and network functionality works well without any major glitches, except for some brief stuttering when playing YouTube clips.

It’s also a supreme picture performer. Panasonic’s tried and trusted plasma technology delivers staggeringly good blacks - deep and solid but nuanced at the same time. Clear shadow detail makes the picture clear even during the murkiest movie scenes.

Flick to Freeview HD and you’ll be amazed at the clarity and believability of the images. Detail is pin sharp (helped along by those punchy blacks) but colours are equally superb - strong when they need to be, but consistently natural, particularly where skin tones are concerned. The 600Hz processing also does a great job, enabling smooth movement without any traces of artefacts.

The only thing we’d say is that the image isn’t quite as bright or gob-smackingly sharp as some LED sets, which can make some colourful TV studio sets lose some of their zest, but for movie viewing it’s perfect.

Sonically the Panasonic’s speakers are found wanting with movies, but for everyday TV fare it’s fine. Speech is intelligible and theme tunes are blasted out with the relevant energy.

Tags: Home Cinema Televisions Plasma televisions Freesat Freeview HD Panasonic Panasonic TX-P42G20B

Panasonic TX-P42G20B originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:55:25 +0100

Sony's entry-level Blu-ray system takes all the best bits from the superb BDP-S370 Blu-ray player, fuses them with an AV receiver and chucks them in a box with a set of 5.1 channel speakers - a convenient and cost-effective way of getting a complete high-def home cinema. 

The main unit is a surprisingly dull, boxy affair for a Sony system, but it hides away a wealth of treats. As well as playing Blu-ray discs, it can stream on-demand content through Sony's BRAVIA Internet Video feature. The list of content providers is unsurpassed (BBC iPlayer, Demand Five, LoveFilm, Eurosport, Blip.tv, YouTube, Dailymotion to name but a few), while on the music front you can watch concerts by the Berliner Philharmoniker or listen to the National Public Radio service.

Then there's DLNA media streaming of music, video and photos stored on networked PCs, and those of you with Wi-Fi internet routers can do all this wirelessly - provided you buy the optional USB dongle, which will set you back an extortionate £70.

But the system's coup de gras is its 3D compatibility, a feature that can be added post-purchase by downloading the relevant software update from www.sony.co.uk/support. The HDMI port on the back is specified as v1.4 for that very purpose. You'll need to buy a compatible TV and the necessary Active Shutter glasses of course, but at least you're getting a 3D source at a lower price than Samsung's HT-C6930W.

Power output is rated at 850W in total - more than enough to wake the neighbours - and there's a decent array of connections including two digital audio inputs, but the lack of HDMI inputs for other HD kit is a real shame.

The system's astonishing multimedia support continues through the USB port, which plays DivX, MPEG-1/2/4, WMV9, MP3, WMA, AAC and JPEG from storage devices, while the Gracenote-powered Entertainment Database Browser calls up details and cover art for the disc being played.

Want more? How about a range of sound EQ modes, picture presets and HD audio decoding? You can even add Sony's optional S-Air kit to make the rear speakers wireless.

Set-up is a piece of cake. The system boasts an auto calibration system, complete with a microphone to measure the room acoustics, while the main menu uses Sony's excellent Xross Media Bar. This dual axis menu works beautifully, gliding around the system's myriad functions in style. Boot-up and disc loading times are fast too, making this a very user-friendly system.

The compact satellite speakers are well-built for a one-box system, and that comes through in the clean and powerful sound quality. Avatar's stunning sound design is dynamic and engaging, thanks to the front channels' sharp detail reproduction and the rich, expansive ambience provided by the rear channels. It's all orchestrated with smoothness and expert control, and the lack of harshness in the high frequencies comes as a pleasant surprise.

Dialogue from the centre channel is open and direct, but the passive subwoofer lets the side down. It is boomy and doesn't sit very well with the sats. However, the system's Blu-ray and DVD picture quality is wonderful, boasting sharp detail, effulgent yet natural colours and pleasing depth.

Tags: Home Cinema Blu-ray players Home Cinema systems Sony Sony BDV-E370

Sony BDV-E370 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:16:00 +0100

This entry-level Blu-ray deck has been designed to offer cash-strapped buyers the chance to get crisp high-def pictures without having to sell any vital organs. It does mean that the spec sheet is light on cutting-edge features, such as network media streaming or access to internet content, but sacrifices like this are inevitable when buying a budget Blu-ray deck.

Or are they? Taking a look at a couple of the BDP3100’s closest rivals, Sony’s BDP-S370 and Samsung’s BD-C5300, you’ll find media streaming and web content on both of these players, which cost around the same as the Philips. That means the Philips has its work cut out convincing us that it’s worth the gamble.

It gets off to a good start in the design department. Philips clearly ploughed the money it saved on the above features into the deck’s construction - the bodywork is sturdy and elegant, with curved corners and a stylish gloss-black fascia. A USB port is provided on the front for digital media playback.

On the back is a simple selection of sockets, which lacks multichannel analogue outputs for non-HDMI receivers. However, you will find a second USB port which allows you to keep a 1GB USB storage device attached for BD Live downloads, as there’s no built-in memory. It’s joined by HDMI, Component, Composite, coaxial digital and analogue stereo outputs, as well as an Ethernet port for BD Live. The use of old-fashioned Ethernet is your only way of getting online. There’s no built-in Wi-Fi, and although Philips sells a USB WLAN dongle this deck doesn’t support it.

Multimedia support is decent, if not exactly comprehensive. As well as the usual suspects - DivX Ultra, MP3, WMA, JPEG - it also tackles AVCHD and WMV. Support for the increasingly popular DivX HD and MKV formats would have been nice though.

The BDP3100’s operating system feels like Blu-ray For Dummies. The Home menu sports just three large icons – "Play Disc", "Browse USB" and "Setup" - while the menus use large text and offer helpful explanations of each option. The remote is a success too, sporting a stripped-down and tidily arranged selection of buttons. 

We’re also pleased to report that Philips has sped up disc loading times since its last range. Discs that take some high-end players almost 2 minutes to load are up and running in just 40 seconds.

And while it may not pick out image subtleties as deftly as more expensive players, the BDP3100 does resolve detail with impressive clarity and backs it up with rich colours and revealing contrast. Motion at 24p is generally judder free and there’s a satisfying depth and density to the picture that will satisfy the demands of most displays. DVD upscaling fails to impress though, making SD content look a little soft and jagged around the edges. But sound quality is excellent through a decent receiver.

Tags: Home Cinema Blu-ray players Philips Philips BDP3100

Philips BDP3100 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:01:42 +0100

LG is one of several manufacturers to incorporate Freeview HD technology into its latest range of flatpanel TVs, bringing you a handful of high-definition channels without the need to fork out for an extra box. This 47-inch set uses Full LED technology to produce its razor-sharp HD pictures, and it comes equipped with an astonishing array of features to keep you entertained between World Cup matches.  

The use of LED backlighting right the way across the screen not only benefits the picture but also allows LG to slim its profile down to an incredible 34mm. And like all the sets in the Infinia range, the screen and bezel are just one flat sheet of plastic, which looks incredibly stylish in a modern, minimal way. Within the black bezel is a row of touch-sensitive controls that light up when pressed, and the way the transparent part of the screen overshoots the black bezel is a nice touch.  

Spin a 180 and you’ll find a decent array of sockets. Among them are four HDMI inputs, two sets of Component inputs (one via minijacks), an RGB-capable Scart, optical digital output and PC input. They’re joined by two USB ports that allow you to plug in a flash drive or external HDD and play music, video and photo files, alongside an Ethernet port. Hook that up to your router and you can access LG’s NetCast feature and stream media from networked PCs. The list of supported formats includes DivX HD, AVI, MP3, WMA and JPEG.  

NetCast offers a series of web applications much like Samsung’s Internet@TV, but LG’s content pales in comparison - all you get is YouTube, AccuWeather and Picasa. However, it is very easy to use, and the main menu screen is presented with glorious animated graphics and eye-catching colours.  

Network media streaming is similarly slick, presenting your files and folders with LG’s usual logicality and visual exuberance. It’s also pleasing to discover that day-to-day menu browsing, channel changing and other functions are carried out with rare haste, a good job too as the set-up menu boasts so many advanced picture tweaks and other options it could take days to explore everything. The well laid out remote also plays a big part in the set’s user-friendliness.  

Among these are loads of picture presets, including THX daytime and evening settings and two ISF presets that can be set by a professional. There’s also TruMotion 200Hz, which uses a scanning backlight to eliminate motion blur and flicker, LED local dimming and an Eco mode that automatically dims the backlight in dark surroundings.  

Picture performance is very impressive with the right material. A lot has been made of Freeview HD’s well-timed introduction before the World Cup, so what better way to test the LG’s mettle than with the tournament’s opening ceremony on ITV1 HD? It looks absolutely dazzling from the built-in tuner - the intricately detailed South African costumes look blisteringly sharp and the riotous colours are rendered with the requisite vibrancy and accuracy.  

The LED backlight produces a wide contrast range, with deep black levels and nuanced gradation, and the benefits of local dimming are demonstrated by shots of bright lights in dark surroundings. The very busy picture, filled with crowd shots and lots of small, fast-moving objects, is handled without any traces of motion blur by the TruMotion processing, although there are some twitchy artefacts every now and again.  

Standard-def Freeview performance is poor, with large swathes of block noise and smeary colours, although there aren’t many sets that can make the platform’s notoriously bad broadcasts look good. Of greater concern is the pitiful sound quality from the invisible speakers, which is OK for speech but anything with a bit more oomph, such as TV theme tunes or streamed music, sounds so thin you’d think you were listening to a transistor radio. Never has a separate sound system been so crucial.   

Tags: Home Cinema Televisions LED televisions LG LG 47LE8900 Freeview HD

LG 47LE8900 television originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:11:19 +0100

Samsung’s focus on innovation has earned it more “world firsts” than the Guinness Book of Records. And here’s another one for you – the HT-C6930W is the world’s first 3D Blu-ray home cinema system, bringing you immersive HD pictures and sizzling 7.1-channel sound in a single box.

The system comes with a pair of tallboy front speakers, four surround satellites, a centre speaker and passive subwoofer. They’re driven by a combined Blu-ray player/AV receiver that musters 1330W of audio power and decodes Dolby True HD/DTS HD Master Audio Blu-ray soundtracks.

Samsung supplies a wireless card and receiver unit for the surround speakers, which cuts down the amount of cables you have to conceal – but the surround back pair still have to be connected to the main unit which renders it a bit pointless.

The Blu-ray player section is basically the same as the BD-C6900 standalone deck, which means you get to enjoy its incredible range of features. 3D playback is just the tip of the iceberg – it also links up to the web using a built-in Wi-Fi receiver (802.11b/g/n), allowing you to download BD Live content onto the built-in memory, stream media from PCs and NAS drives or immerse yourself in Samsung’s Internet@TV feature. This includes a wide range of time-killing applications like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LoveFilm and Picasa, which are slick and fun to use at first but the novelty can wear thin after a while.

The entire package is immensely attractive in that inimitable Samsung way, and it’s surprisingly well-built. The main unit’s black finish, touch-sensitive controls and illuminated disc window are a knockout combo, although it’s not a great match for Samsung’s silver-clad UE46C8000 TV.

On the back you get a 3D-compatible HDMI v1.4 output, two HDMI inputs for switching between other HD kit, an optical digital input and an Ethernet port. You even get a connection for the supplied iPod/iPhone cradle. The front offers a USB port that supports DivX (SD and HD), AVI, MKV, WMV HD, MPEG4, MP3, WMA and JPEG – and pleasingly you can stream the same formats using the DLNA-powered AllShare feature, which is a joy to use.

In fact, user-friendliness permeates entire operating system, from the gorgeous onscreen menus to the foolproof remote. There’s even an auto calibration mode that optimises the sound for you using a setup microphone. That said, there’s so much in the box that you should set aside an hour just to put it all together.

Disappointingly Samsung doesn’t supply 3D glasses in the box – these cost around ?60. We slipped on a pair, fired up the 3D Blu-ray of Monsters Vs Aliens and were generally impressed by the 3D effect. The added depth and beautifully-layered visuals suck you in immediately, and the use of frame sequential full HD 3D means the entire screen is bursting with detail.

But as we got accustomed to the 3D image, our wandering eyes noticed some ghosting crosstalk in certain areas of the image, which is rather distracting. However, we have it on good authority that this is down to the TV (in this instance the UE46C8000). Obvious attempts to project objects towards you don’t work either – shifting your focus to view things in the foreground just makes your brain all confused.

Straight-up 2D Blu-ray images are staggeringly sharp and vivid, plus it does a clean and tidy job of upscaling DVDs to 1080p.

The system’s sound quality is good if not great, delivering a suitably sharp, detailed and powerful rendition of HD audio tracks, but the sub is a tad boomy and there’s a lack of finesse and control with top-end frequencies that sets it apart from a dedicated separates system.?

It’s worth noting though that this system boasts Dolby Pro Logic IIz processing, which allows you to move the surround back channels to the front of the room – ideally above the TV – and add a sense of height to the soundstage. It works particularly well with non-directional effects like rain.

Tags: Home Cinema Home Cinema systems 3D Blu-ray players Blu-ray 3D Samsung Samsung Ht-C6930W

Samsung HT-C6930W 3D Blu-ray home cinema system originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:24:00 +0100

Footie fans keen to enjoy the imminent World Cup in glorious high-def are snapping up Freeview HD boxes like old ladies at a cake sale. And there’s a growing number of basic HD receivers to choose from, offering hi-def pictures without the added complication and expense of PVR functionality.

Despite being the cheapest way to get Freeview HD, £150 is still a lot to stump up no matter how much better the picture looks than regular Freeview. As a result, these receivers have to work hard to impress, so how does this one from French brand Metronic fare?

It gets off to a dodgy start in the looks department, sporting a design that would have looked dated in 1990. The casing is a plasticky black affair, with no curves or other concessions to modernity, and the seven-segment red LEDs on the front panel are yucky. But on the plus side, it’s remarkably slim and can be easily hidden.

On the back you get a bog standard array of sockets, including an HDMI port (which provides 1080p, 1080i, 720p and 576p output), an Ethernet socket for future IPTV services like BBC iPlayer, a single RGB Scart and an optical digital audio output. There’s no USB port for digital media playback or software updates though.

Like the external design, the box’s onscreen menus are nothing special. Metronic has gone for a tabbed folder look, which is pleasant enough but confusing in places and seem rudimentary next to the lavish graphics of the Humax HD-FOX T2. The cursor is also quite slow to respond, while the remote’s cumbersome buttons and anti-ergonomic shape don’t make life easy either.

The 7-day EPG packs in a grid of 10 channels, with a few handy options to search for specific shows, but it’s a shame live TV isn’t playing. Also disappointing is the now/next banner superimposed over the TV picture, which only shows the names of the programmes and not a synopsis, even if you press the "i" button again. Given that some boxes even let you search the schedules using this banner, this is very restrictive.

For all its flaws, the Metronic sure delivers a good-looking high-def picture. We took a gander at England’s World Cup warm-up games on ITV1 HD and the clarity of the image is stunning. High-def makes all the difference with sports broadcasts, as you can actually see the detail on each player, and they’re not surrounded by a puffy cloud of mosquito noise - as is the case on ITV1’s dismal SD broadcasts.

Standard-def channels are less impressive of course, but the picture is still of a decent standard - bold, colourful and sharply defined. Noise encroaches onto the picture but much of that is part of the source broadcast itself. Sound is clear and audible too, making this a solid performer.

Tags: Home Cinema Set top boxes Freeview HD Metronic Metronic T2 HD Zapbox

Metronic T2 HD Zapbox receiver originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:00:00 +0100

3D movies like Avatar and Alice In Wonderland have proved to be real cash-cows at the cinema, so it was only natural that 3D technology would find its way into the home. Samsung was quickest off the mark, launching the world’s first 3D Blu-ray player, home cinema system and TVs.

Samsung’s 3D TV range includes an impressive eight models, including six LED sets and two plasmas, but here we’re taking a look at the 46-inch model from top-end Series 8.

Being a Samsung product, design is high on the agenda and the UE46C8000 is so spectacularly gorgeous that you might be tempted to leave your other half and move in with it. Most eye-catching is the silver brushed metal bezel that surrounds the screen, but the new Quad Stand, illuminated Samsung logo and wafer-thin depth of just 23.9mm will have visitors swooning like teenage girls at a Justin Bieber concert.

Due to the set’s unbelievable slimness the connections are mounted sideways on the rear panel, and some of the ports require adapters. But that doesn’t mean that Samsung has skimped on sockets. You get four HDMI v1.4 inputs, all of which support 3D signals, and one of them also offers an Audio Return Channel for sending sound back to a compatible AV receiver. Among the other sockets are component, DVI/PC inputs, optical digital audio output and a common interface slot.

This TV is absolutely crammed with features, leaving us wondering what else Samsung could possibly squeeze into next year’s models. 3D is the star attraction, and it supports any format you throw at it - side-by-side, top & bottom, line-by-line, vertical stripe, checker board and frame sequential (the system used by 3D Blu-ray). However, to enjoy it you’ll need to buy a pair of Samsung’s 3D glasses for around £99 (rechargeable) as they’re not supplied. The TV talks to the glasses from a transmitter built into the screen. 

Cleverly, the set can turn 2D pictures into 3D, so if you fancy seeing what Avatar might look like when it’s launched in proper 3D, then this set can make it happen. On the flip side, it will also display 3D material in 2D by showing only the left eye’s image.

The two USB ports allow you to plug in memory devices and play back most video codecs and containers, including DivX HD, XviD, WMV9, MPEG1/2/4, MKV, AVI, MP4, ASF, 3GPP, VRO and VOB, as well as MP3 and JPEG files. Incredibly you can even plug in an external HDD and add PVR functionality.

The multimedia fun doesn’t stop there. Hook up the set’s Ethernet port to your internet router and you can explore a range of "apps" on Samsung’s superb Internet@TV feature (including YouTube and Twitter) and even make Skype calls. Thanks to the AllShare DLNA feature, it’ll also play music, video and photos from PCs on your home network. It’s a shame there’s no built-in Wi-Fi like Samsung’s 3D Blu-ray player, but wireless connectivity can be added with an optional USB dongle.

Scarily, these are just the highlights of the monumental feature list. It also boasts a Freeview HD tuner, Samsung’s 3D HyperReal Engine - a powerful picture processor with 200Hz and a scanning backlight for smooth motion - and a Smart LED mode that controls and optimises the edge LED backlight. Picture pedants will flip out at the plethora of other image tweaks on board.

With such a wealth of features on board the UE46C8000 is a complicated TV to use, and it’ll take you weeks to get your head round everything. But basic navigation is a breeze, thanks to the gorgeous menu design and terrific remote, which is styled in brushed silver to match the TV.

Picture quality is astounding with any source. 3D pictures, in this case Monsters Vs Aliens on Blu-ray played on Samsung’s BD-C6900 deck, bring the expected wow factor, adding immersive depth and layering to the image. Even through the glasses, the image is bright, vivid and detailed and you’ll be surprised by the quality of 2D to 3D conversion. 

But 3D playback isn’t without problems - despite the inclusion of circuitry designed to reduce the "crosstalk" interference that can blight 3D pictures, there’s still a lot of ghosting and blur that sometimes leaves your eyes unsure of what to focus on.

In every other respect however, picture quality is stunning. 2D Blu-ray pictures and Freeview HD sizzle from the screen with vivid colours and razor-sharp detail, while SD sources scrub up nicely. Blacks could be deeper and there’s some noise in places, but on the whole the Samsung is a sublime picture performer. 

The set boasts a trio of SRS sound modes (TheaterSound, TruSurround and TruDialog) which do a great job with TV fare, but they fail to deliver the requisite bass and surround expansion for movies.

Tags: Home Cinema Televisions LCD televisions 3D televisions 3DTV Samsung Samsung UE46C8000 LED televisions

Samsung UE46C8000 3D television originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:50:12 +0100

Last year Panasonic brought the first Blu-ray recorders with built-in Freesat HD tuners to the UK market, and it’s beaten everyone to the punch again in 2010 with the equivalent Freeview HD models. The DMR-BW780 allows you to pick up razor-sharp HD programmes on BBC HD, ITV1 HD and Channel 4 HD through your rooftop aerial, record them onto the 250GB hard disk and then burn them onto a Blu-ray disc for prosperity.

There are two Freeview HD tuners on board, allowing you to watch one channel and record another simultaneously - a rarity among combi recorders. And because the BW780 records the broadcast bitstream onto the hard-disk without decoding it first, you’re guaranteed the crispest recordings possible. You can then copy them to Blu-ray (or DVD, but not in HD) in their original quality or downgrade them using the built-in H.264 encoder - and such is the quality and efficiency of the MPEG4 compression you can hardly tell the difference. There are five modes to choose from.

However, you can’t just make copies of high-def content willy-nilly. The broadcasters have put in place a system of flags that limit the number of times their programmes can be copied. It’s to safeguard future sales of high-value content on Blu-ray, as well as an attempt to curb piracy.

But Blu-ray burning is just the start of this recorder’s talents. Thanks to the Ethernet port on the back, you can download BD Live content, access a variety of web applications through the Viera Cast portal (including YouTube and Bloomberg) and even access recordings, AVCHD and JPEG files from this machine on other networked Panasonic devices.

In fact, the DMR-BW780 makes a decent digital media hub all round. Not only can you play DivX HD, MP3 and JPEG from USB sticks, but you can also copy MP3 and JPEGs onto the hard disk, turning it into a digital jukebox. It’ll even rip CDs internally and tag them using the built-in Gracenote database. 

All this and we haven’t even mentioned the vast array of editing features, Freeview+ functionality (including Series Link), pause/rewind live TV and generous socketry selection, which includes an HDMI output, two RGB-capable Scarts and optical/coaxial digital audio outputs. The front panel boasts an SD card slot, USB port and DV input.

The unit is a joy to use, with one exception. We love the classy, colourful main menu, the digital TV displays and the ingeniously simple remote, but the EPG is hindered by a big grey box that squashes up the programme grid.

The deck glosses over this minor misstep with top-notch performance. Pictures from the three HD channels look as good as they do on Sky HD or Freesat HD - mesmerisingly sharp, with dazzling colours, deep blacks, and noise-free edges.

Particularly stunning are nature documentaries on BBC HD, which are bursting with texture and painted in such convincing colours that you’ll want to dive into the screen. It’s exactly the same when you record them too.

Don’t forget that the DMR-BW780 is also a very talented Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player, equipped with Panasonic’s PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus to make colours look as accurate as possible.

Tags: Home Cinema Freeview HD PVRs Blu-ray players Panasonic Panasonic DMR-BW780

Panasonic DMR-BW780 Freeview HD Blu-ray recorder originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 26 May 2010 16:06:39 +0100

Look up the word generous in the dictionary and you’ll find a little picture of Samsung’s latest Blu-ray home cinema system, the HT-C6500. It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s one of the most feature-packed one-box systems we’ve ever come across, with a spec sheet that reads like an A to Z of the latest home cinema tricks and gimmicks.  

But let’s start with the basics. In the box you get a main control unit, which combines a Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player with a 1000W receiver, and a set of 5.1 satellite speakers - basically, everything you need to enjoy high-def home cinema (apart from an HD TV of course).  

Dig a little deeper though, and you’ll discover that Blu-ray is just one of many formats this system can play. As well as DVDs and CDs, it supports a long list of digital media codecs and containers, such as DivX HD, MKV, AVI, MPEG4, WMV, MP3, WMA, JPEG and AVCHD.  

What’s more, these files can be played back in a number of ways: from discs, from USB devices (using the front-mounted port) or - and here’s the clever bit - from PCs and NAS drives on your home network using the All Share feature. The system comes with built-in Wi-Fi, and its support for the 802.11n standard means your content can be beamed faster and more reliably than other wireless standards. Built-in Wi-Fi also makes it a lot less hassle to download BD Live content.  

Hooked up to the Web, you can surf Samsung’s Internet@TV service, which brings a bunch of web applications to your TV. Fans of skateboarding ducks and ranting Americans can get their fix on YouTube and then stalk ex-girlfriends on Facebook or Twitter. Other apps like games, TV listings and Google Picasa all provide an entertaining, if transient diversion when you’ve run out of Blu-rays to watch, while forthcoming apps like BBC iPlayer and LOVEFiLM will turn this into a must-have feature. 

The list goes on and on - Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio decoding, 1080/24p output plus a plethora of oddly-named sound effects and DSP modes, including the Smart Sound volume leveller and MP3 Enhancer. There’s also a decent array of sockets - highlights include two HDMI inputs for switching between other high-def kit and an optical digital audio input.  Samsung even throws an iPod/iPhone dock in the box, and if you’re feeling flush you can pick up an £80 SWA-5000 wireless kit for the rear speakers, which includes a receiver and a transmitter card that plugs into the back of the main unit. It won’t eliminate wires altogether, as you still have to connect the rear speakers to the receiver, but at least they’ll be easier to conceal at the back of the room.  

Aesthetically, the HT-C6500 is quintessentially Samsung, with every component covered in gorgeous gloss black from top to bottom. There are also some neat features on the main unit like touch-sensitive controls and an illuminated window above the disc tray that shows the disc spinning.  

The 33cm-high front speakers and dinky rears are equally stylish. Although they boast better build quality than typical one-box fare, there’s still a slight flimsiness about them. The passive sub feels like it might float away at any moment and sports a weird corrugated side panel, but somehow it’s still effortlessly chic.  

Installing the system is a piece of cake thanks to the colour-coded speaker cables and Musical Auto Calibration (MAC), which sets all the channel levels and speaker distances for you using the supplied microphone and built-in test music. The onscreen menus are some of the best we’ve seen, simplifying even potentially tricky procedures like wireless setup, and in action, the system loads Blu-ray discs with astonishing speed (under 30 seconds in some cases).  

We’re also big fans of the HT-C6500’s Blu-ray picture quality, particularly with Avatar in the tray. The reproduction of detail is meticulous, clinical even, revealing Pandora in all its intricate, imaginative splendour. It also scores highly on colour vibrancy, contrast, edge definition and motion tracking.  

These terrific pictures are backed up by solid sound quality. HD audio tracks are dynamic and expansive, plus each of the speakers digs out a respectable amount of sonic detail. Speech from the centre is forthright, easily cutting through busy action scenes, and it’s underpinned by chunky bass from the sub - although it’s a bit boomy and poorly integrated to truly convince.

Tags: Home Cinema Blu-ray players Home Cinema systems Samsung Samsung HT-C6500

Samsung HT-C6500 Blu-ray home cinema system originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 21 May 2010 17:25:44 +0100

If you’re looking to snap up a Blu-ray player and home cinema system in one fell swoop, but your room is too pokey to house a full 5.1 rig then this soundbar solution could be right up your alley. Unlike the majority of soundbars that only handle the audio side of things, the HLB54S comes with a Blu-ray player built right in. That means there are fewer ungainly wires snaking behind your system, as everything has been squeezed into a single unit - decoding, amplification, speakers, player.

Clever and convenient it may be, but LG has missed a trick. Unlike most soundbars it can’t be wall-mounted, which is normally one of a soundbar’s selling points. Yes it’s slim enough, but the awkward section jutting out at the back makes this suitable for a table-top only.

It’s a tragedy because the HLB54S is the sort of soundbar that deserves pride of place on your wall. It’s an absolute stunner, with a glamorous gloss black finish and a row of touch-sensitive buttons that go "ping" when pressed. Lovely.

But the LG’s beauty lies mostly on the inside. This thing is packed with an improbable amount of features, which should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with LG’s standalone Blu-ray decks. It’s BD Live ready, and can connect to the Web via the Ethernet port or the built-in wireless connection. The Wi-Fi adapter supports 802.11b, g and n, the latter ensuring super-fast connection with compatible routers.

That network functionality also allows you to stream movies, music and photos from your PCs and servers (supported formats include MP3, WMA, DivX HD, MKV and JPEG) and stream videos from YouTube. Alternatively you can plug in a USB stick into the front panel and play the same file types from there. No two ways about it, the HLB54S is one of the most versatile digital media hubs we’ve come across.

The feature list doesn’t end there either. It also comes with an iPod dock in the box and a wireless subwoofer, which lets you place it anywhere in the room and eliminates yet another unsightly cable. The soundbar can decode Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio and backs it up with a range of sound modes, while on the video side DVDs can be upscaled to 1080p and 1080/24p Blu-ray output is possible. In fact the only thing missing is built-in memory for BD Live downloads, which means you’ll need to plug in a 1GB USB stick.

The generous array of sockets makes it simple to integrate the LG with your other kit. You get two HDMI inputs that let you play other high-def sources through the speakers, as well as acting as an HDMI switcher for TVs with limited inputs. These are backed up by an optical digital audio input and an analogue minijack for MP3 players.

Like LG’s Blu-ray decks, set-up and operation is a doddle thanks to the fantastic onscreen graphics - even the potentially tricky network configuration is a cinch. The Home menu makes it easy to find the various types of media available and disc loading is ultra quick, taking as little as 30 seconds to fire up some Java heavy discs. On the downside, the cheap-looking remote is overly cluttered.

The HLB54S is a 4.1 system, equipped two front and two surround channels that each receive 70W from the amp, with 150W channelled to the sub. It’s been tuned by Mark Levinson, a guy who knows a thing or two about sound quality, and it seems his tinkering has paid off.

The sound is surprisingly powerful, wonderfully dynamic and packed with detail. Big explosions sound suitably brutal, high-frequencies are usually reproduced without any harshness and dialogue emanates clearly from the front of the soundstage.

The only thing missing is a sense of surround immersion, which very few soundbars can achieve, and although the subwoofer’s output is loud and rumbley, there isn’t a great deal of shape or tautness to its bass tones. But with incredibly sharp and solid Blu-ray picture quality and superb-looking DVD playback, you’ll probably be staring too intently at the screen to notice a few sonic flaws.

Tags: Home Cinema Blu-ray players Soundbars Speakers LG LG HLB54S Blu-ray soundbar

LG HLB54S soundbar speakers originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0100

As one of the only areas of the loudspeaker market making any money, it’s no surprise that Pioneer is dabbling in soundbar technology. These compact, space-saving systems have really caught consumers’ imagination, bringing high-quality home cinema sound to rooms where space is too tight for rear speakers.

Pioneer has shunned the "built-in player" approach a la Samsung, LG and Philips for a straight-up speaker containing front/centre drivers, Dolby True HD decoding and 250W of amplification. It’s partnered by a wireless 100W sub, much to the delight of cablephobes everywhere.

The bar, which is designed to accompany TVs between 32-inch and 37-inch, can be mounted on the wall using the supplied fixings and looks effortlessly stylish with its curved profile, mirrored end panels and tidy display panel. The sub, meanwhile, is improbably small, which is a real bonus if space is tight.

Connections on the back of the bar include two HDMI inputs and one output - allowing you to channel two HD devices to a single input on your TV - plus optical and coaxial digital inputs for other audio sources. A useful selection but it’s measly compared with some rival soundbars, and the lack of a USB port is a shame.

The main unit can decode Dolby True HD bitstreams via HDMI, but not DTS-HD Master Audio. Thankfully it supports LPCM via HDMI too, so if you set your Blu-ray deck to decode DTS-HD MA you can still enjoy its high-res sound quality.

There’s loads of sound modes on board, chief among which is Pioneer’s Front Stage Surround, which aims to replicate the effect of rear speakers from the front of the room. It’s backed up by a bevy of Advanced Surround EQ modes, Auto Level Control (which kills sudden jumps in volume) and Advanced Sound Receiver, which boosts the quality of compressed audio formats like MP3 and WMA.

The system poses no major set-up problems, although it would have been helped immeasurably by an onscreen menu, as the front panel is a bit cryptic. You also get a credit card sized remote, which is beset by fiddly keys and a cluttered layout.

In action, the HTP-SB300 provides a busy, dynamic sound across the front of the room, and blasts out explosions with the sort of force that you simply don’t get from TV speakers. Loud high-frequency effects are sharp and clean, without that horrible harsh sound that you get from cheapo speakers, and the subwoofer is more muscular than expected.

On the downside, Front Stage Surround comes nowhere near the level of immersion or width you get from true rear speakers, even with bread and butter surround material like rain or echoes. In fact, with FSS activated the sound is a lot less comfortable on the ear, particularly with loud metallic sounds, and speech isn’t prominent enough.

Tags: Home Cinema DVD players Soundbars Speakers Pioneer Pioneer HTP-SB300

Pioneer HTP-SB300 soundbar speakers originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:30:00 +0000

It might not boast as many high-def channels as Sky HD or Virgin, but Freesat has provided salvation for thousands of viewers who want HD, but simply can’t afford the steep subscription fees. That is, before Freeview HD reared its head.

The trouble is, viewers who also want to record Freesat channels have only had Panasonic’s ultra-pricey Blu-ray combis and the Humax FOXSAT-HDR to choose from. But thanks to companies like Sagem, Grundig and Goodmans, the Freesat PVR market is widening, which should mean prices will start to drop as a result.

Grundig’s first Freesat PVR boasts a 500GB hard-disk drive, which equates to around 312 hours of standard-def material or 125 hours of HD. Anyone who fills that up either needs to get out more or to work out where the delete button is. Humax’s FOXSAT-HDR only features a 320GB hard-disk, which hands Grundig the size advantage, although it is more expensive. A 320GB version of the Grundig is also available.

Its twin Freesat tuners let you record one channel and watch another or record two channels simultaneously, and the range of Freesat+ features is designed to make recording simple. However, Series Link is clumsily integrated here - you have to set the programme to record in the EPG, then move to a separate recording library menu and find the Series Link option.

Connections include an HDMI output that delivers upscaled SD and native 720p/1080i signals to your TV, Scarts for a TV and recorder, an Ethernet port for accessing on-demand services like BBC iPlayer (which is now available on Freesat) and a USB port that sadly won’t let you play media content.

The smart, straightforward onscreen design is likely to appeal to beginners and experts alike. There’s nothing complex or niggly about the menus - the cursor is responsive, plus submenus and jargon are kept to a minimum. Channel tuning is quick and like most other Freesat boxes you can search for non-Freesat channels, although they’re not added to the EPG.

This programme guide is uncluttered and easy to follow, using the horizontal timeline structure favoured by Sky+, while the superb Library list lets you preview recordings in a small screen at the top (which also shows live TV). Scheduled timer recordings are listed at the bottom, ruling out the need for a separate timer menu.

It’s just a shame that Grundig couldn’t apply the same sense of logic to the remote. The channel change, Library and EPG keys are located right down the bottom, making them awkward to access.

The GUFSDTR500HD produces fantastic picture quality, most obviously with high-def pictures on the BBC HD channel. Detail sharpness, colour depth and edge definition are right on the money, resulting in pictures that’ll make your eyes pop out like a Tex Avery cartoon. Off-air recordings share this pristine quality, with no obvious signs of deterioration from the original broadcast.

Although they lack the same wow factor, SD pictures are also impressive. They’re draped in solid, natural colours with tightly contained edges and crisp detail. There is a pinch of mosquito noise here and there, and some shimmering on fast movement, but it’s well within acceptable limits.

All of which makes the GUFSDTR500HD a decent choice for anyone looking for a way of watching and recording free HD - it’s uncomplicated, attractive and delivers high-def pictures with the required panache. 

Tags: Home Cinema Freesat Grundig PVRs Grundig GUFSDTR500HD

Grundig GUFSDTR500HD Freesat recorder originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:52:16 +0000

Last year’s XDE-500, the first DVD player equipped with Toshiba’s eXtended Detail Enhancement (XDE) technology, certainly took upscaled picture quality to new heights, but a replacement for high-def it was not.

Since then Toshiba has announced plans to launch a Blu-ray player, which means that this follow-up deck can be judged on its own merits and not as a Blu-ray substitute. The other good thing is that the price of the XDE-600 has been dropped to a more affordable level, costing almost half as much as its predecessor.

The feel and look of the XDE-600 is fairly similar to the rest of Toshiba’s current DVD range with its ultra-slim dimensions and snazzy gloss-black styling. Build quality is decidedly lightweight but acceptable for the money and it’s pleasing to see a USB port on the front, which allows you to play DivX, XviD, MP3, WMA and JPEG files.

With its generous array of sockets, the deck should slip into your system with minimal fuss. On the digital side you get an HDMI output as well as optical and coaxial audio outputs, while old-school users can opt for the Scart, Component or Composite video outputs – but none of these offer the benefits of XDE processing.

DVDs can be upscaled to 720p, 1080i or 1080p, and when playing an NTSC disc you can even choose to output at 1080/24p, but as the deck is locked into Region 2 it’s not much use.

XDE isn’t always activated when watching upscaled DVDs – you can toggle through three different modes using the "Pic Mode" button on the remote. Colour Mode tweaks blues and greens to give the picture a brighter and more natural look; Contrast Mode boosts the light/dark balance and makes detail in dark scenes easier to spot; while Sharp Mode improves the clarity of fine detail and edges.

Cleverly, XDE only enhances parts of the picture that need a leg up and leaves the rest alone. And very effective it is too – Colour Mode manages to boost the vibrancy of blue skies and sweeping green fields during The Fellowship Of The Ring without affecting the authenticity of skin tones and other hues.

Meanwhile, the superb Contrast Mode improves the visibility of the swarming goblins during the Mines of Moria sequence, without compromising on cinematic solidity or lessening the sense of dread and tension in this pivotal scene. During brighter scenes, it gives everything a greater sense of three-dimensionality and depth.

But if you simply want to boost detail, then the Sharp Mode does a great job. It emphasises fine textures on facial close-ups and makes scenery detail snap into sharper focus, resulting in beautifully punchy images. And it does all this without adding a hard white line around edges as some picture-sharpening modes are prone to do. In Colour and Contrast modes, this detail sharpening is also applied to the picture alongside the other enhancements.

Tags: Home Cinema DVD players Toshiba Toshiba XDE-600 Toshiba XDE-600

Toshiba XDE-600 DVD player originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:00:00 +0100

If the recession has eaten into your Blu-ray player budget then all is not lost - there are some great-value decks on the market that deliver the high-def basics without making a large dent in your savings. We’ve already looked at the Samsung BD-P1600 and Philips BDP3000, both of which deliver solid features and performance for under £150, and now there’s another one to add to the list - the Sony BDP-S360.

The follow-up to last year’s BDP-S350, the S360 once again offers full 1080p picture quality and support for HD audio but strips away the fancy flourishes found on the step-up S560 announced at IFA. This time round it supports BD Live from the box (the S350 had to be firmware upgraded), so you can vent your spleen over the latest Saw instalment online, or download trailers to your heart’s content.

Understated, minimal looks are the order of the day - a large flap covers the entire fascia, hiding the buttons and disc tray, while a blue light gives it some much needed glitz. Around the back you get a limited selection of sockets, including an HDMI v1.3 port, Component and Composite outputs, plus optical and coaxial digital audio outputs.

Of course, being a budget player the lack of built-in Wi-Fi, multichannel analogue outputs and built-in memory is no surprise. But less forgivable is the Sony’s limited digital media support. The rear-mounted USB port is only for BD Live storage, and it only plays MP3 and JPEG from discs - surprising from the company that brought you the PS3, a device more media-friendly than Max Clifford.

The S360 makes up for it with a fantastic operating system. Dubbed the Xross Media Bar, the main menu presents its options as intersecting horizontal and vertical rows, while the cursor skates around the funky icons and colourful backdrops with pleasing fluidity.

There’s also a quick start mode that boots-up the Sony in 6 seconds, but it comes unstuck when you load a disc, taking close to a minute to fire up Java-heavy platters like Spider-Man 3 when other decks do it in half the time.

Limited features, slow disc loading - it’s a good job this deck’s pictures are up to scratch. Decent detail retrieval gives images that searing sharpness that you expect from Blu-ray, while strong colour saturation injects warmth and vibrancy into the picture, without compromising the accuracy of skin tones.

Noise is kept to a minimum and motion looks generally judder-free with 24Hz output engaged. We won’t deny that you get better picture quality from step-up decks like the Pioneer BDP-LX52 or Panasonic DMP-BD80, but it easily matches other players at this price. The Sony even provides impressive DVD upscaling, with crisp detail, vivid colours and effective suppression of edge jaggies. 

Tags: Home Cinema Blu-ray players Sony Sony BDP-S360 Sony BDP-S360

Sony BDP-S360 Blu-ray player originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:00:00 +0100

When it comes to Blu-ray players, Pioneer always puts performance high on the agenda, an approach that’s made it the darling of the home cinema cognoscenti. All of its decks to date have delivered stunning picture and sound quality, usually accompanied by tank-like build quality and generous connections. If there’s a weakness it’s features - Pioneer’s players lack the envelope-pushing pizzazz of Panasonic or Samsung, but perhaps the BDP-LX52 can redress the balance.

It certainly looks like a tasty proposition on paper. This player, the midrange BDP-320 and entry-level BDP-120 are the lowest-priced Pioneer decks to offer BD Live support, which has previously only been available on the reference BDP-LX91. You also get 1GB of built-in memory for BD Live downloads, which saves you the hassle and cost of plugging a USB flash drive into the back.

And yes, the LX52 is a beautifully built machine, tarted up in Pioneer’s customary gloss-black finish and peppered with ice blue lights and silver flashes on the fascia. At 83mm high it’s the type of important, imposing piece of kit enthusiasts die for, and its build quality is immaculate.

The back panel covers the essential connections but the lack of multichannel analogue outputs is surprising, given that they’ve featured on every Pioneer Blu-ray deck to date. It means you’ll need an HDMI-equipped amp to savour the delights of Dolby True HD or DTS HD Master Audio, although it doesn’t necessarily need to decode these formats - the deck will convert them to LPCM for you.

The Ethernet port provides wired hook-up to the web but we can’t help lamenting the lack of Wi-Fi on a premium player like this, especially as rivals like Sony and LG are about to unleash wireless-capable players. Still, if you can conceal the cable then there’s fun to be had downloading bonus content from the web.

Also disappointing is the uncharacteristically awkward media support. Yes you can play DivX, MP3, WMA, JPEG and AVCHD but only from CDs or DVDs and not USB – the port on the back is used only for adding extra memory if you need it.

Elsewhere on the feature list you’ll find a wealth of detailed picture adjustments and presets for different types of display, plus Pioneer’s Precision Quartz Lock System (PQLS), which eliminates jitter when playing audio through the HDMI output. This is the first player to apply it to multichannel PCM as well as stereo, but it only works with a compatible Pioneer receiver.

The LX52 takes over a minute to load up some Blu-ray discs, which is an age compared with some rivals, but once the film starts you can see why cinephiles hold Pioneer in such high esteem. 1080/24p pictures are so smooth and sharp that we couldn’t take our eyes off the screen, while the deck’s inky blacks and wide ranging contrast gives the image a richness and solidity that most budget players can only dream of.

It also displays admirable deftness with colour, rendering delicate skin tones and strong hues in the same frame without making any of them look unnatural. Noise reduction isn’t flawless, with some grain slipping through the net but you’ll be too dazzled by the deep colours and meticulous detail retrieval to care.

Decoded Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio soundtracks are relayed with plenty of detail and vitality, while the LX52 delivers stereo music with a maturity you normally get from a dedicated CD player, making this a great all-round performer.

Tags: Home Cinema Blu-ray players Pioneer Pioneer BDP-LX52 Pioneer BDP-LX52

Pioneer BDP-LX52 Blu-ray player originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:00:00 +0100

When it comes to LCD TVs, Toshiba is one of the most dependable names in the business. From entry-level up to flagship, it has a canny knack of delivering feature-packed TVs at reasonable prices – and the company’s RV series looks to follow in that fine tradition.

Throwing out some of the luxuries found on the pricier XV and ZV models (Dolby Volume and 200Hz processing for instance), the 37RV635D is designed for tighter budgets, but the appearance of core goodies like the much-lauded Resolution+ processing still makes it a tantalising proposition.

For the uninitiated, Resolution+ is Toshiba’s powerful processing technology, which enhances detail and edge sharpness to make standard definition pictures look more like high-def.

It comes courtesy of a new single-chip processing solution called MetaBrain, which also controls Active Vision II processing and Auto View – the former polishes up contrast, colour, movement and detail while the latter automatically adjusts the backlight according the content and the room lighting.

On the outside, the 37RV635D’s understated black bezel and illuminated Toshiba logo make it an attractive set, and its connections are equally eye-catching. There are four HDMI inputs, three on the back and one on the side, plus Component, PC and two Scart inputs. It’s topped off by a CAM slot for pay TV and a USB port, which can be used to view JPEGs from flash drives.

The set’s 1920 x 1080 resolution is ideal for Blu-ray playback, as is the set’s ability to handle 24p signals. Those who like to tweak the picture to perfection will find lots to play with, including gamma level adjustment and various noise reduction modes.

Toshiba has also worked hard to drive down electricity consumption on its latest TVs, and the Eco Panel used here drinks around 20% less than previous Tosh panels – good news not only for your electricity bill but also for the environment.

One thing we love about Toshiba TVs is their inherent user-friendliness, and the 37RV635D is no exception. The menus have had a revamp this year and look marvellous, with bright colours, smart logos and foolproof architecture, and the remote’s intelligent button layout makes them easy to control.

Onto performance, and the success of this set’s pictures depends largely on whether or not you’ve got Resolution+ turned on. At first we disabled it and high-definition pictures looked decidedly disappointing, lacking that definitive crispness you look for from a 1080p source.

But turn it on and everything snaps into sharper focus – edges are harder and fine detail is punchier. The difference is so dramatic, in fact, that it makes you wonder why Toshiba didn’t just make this the regular picture.

After waving its magic wand over standard-definition Freeview pictures, they look pleasingly crisp. If the source material contains a lot of noise then the processing will emphasise it, but good-quality channels look terrific.

In other areas the Toshiba does a decent job – blacks are good with only a touch of grey mist here and there, colours are rich and realistic, dark scenes are nicely handled and motion is smooth.

Sadly the Toshiba doesn’t defy expectations with audio – energetic action scenes sound as anaemic as we feared they would, lacking the low-frequency oomph needed to get the heart racing. It’s much more at home with less strenuous material like the news or EastEnders, delivering dialogue with a clear, controlled tone.

Tags: Home Cinema Televisions LCD televisions Toshiba Toshiba 37RV635D

Toshiba 37RV635D television originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Philips hasn’t really made an impact in the high-def player market so far but the BDP7300 could put the Dutch manufacturer on the Blu-ray map. It’s a fully-fledged Profile 2.0 affair, which puts BD-Live downloads at your disposal (the quality of which is getting better all the time, by the way) and offers a decent range of other features for a competitive price.

After lifting the BDP7300 from the box, the excellent build quality is immediately apparent – it’s weighty and solidly bolted together, which bodes well for performance. It’s also one of the best-looking Blu-ray players you’re likely to see, not quite up there with Samsung’s latest, but a devilishly good-looking piece of kit all the same. The flat fascia and minimal clutter give it a modern yet classy air.

On the rear panel is a healthy range of connections, the highlight being a set of 5.1-channel analogue outputs. You might find these useful if your AV receiver lacks HDMI, as you can enjoy the benefits of Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio soundtracks (both of which this deck can decode internally). Yes 7.1 outputs would have been better, but for £250 we’re not complaining. Also included is an Ethernet port for BD-Live and firmware updates (wot no Wi-Fi?) plus an HDMI v1.3 port that delivers 1080/24p video and HD audio bitstreams.

On the front panel is a USB port that’ll provide hours of fun for anyone with a sizeable digital media library – plug in a USB flash drive loaded with content and away you go. The superb graphic-led main menu makes it easy to find your content and the player accepts DivX, MP3, WMA and JPEG.

Weirdly, it even supports high-def WMV files, which is a rare talent among Blu-ray players. However, with our test files it would only play the video and not the audio, and with some SD WMV files only the audio could be heard. A firmware fix might solve the issue but it’s a bit of a let down, particularly as there’s no DivX HD or MKV support to make up for it.

But the Philips does boast two other stand-out features – the first is 1GB of built-in memory, which means you don’t need a USB stick to store BD-Live downloads; the other is fast disc loading, which gets even the trickiest Blu-ray discs up and running in around 30 seconds.

In operation the deck is peppered with lovely touches like large playback icons that appear in the middle of the screen then fade away, and a slick, funky setup menu. The remote also sports a comprehensive array of buttons without feeling cluttered, and helpfully emphasises the most-used keys.

The deck’s Blu-ray pictures are imbued with deep, vibrant colours, smooth gradation and no noise to speak of, while detail is as crisp and focused as you’d expect. Diagonal lines are rendered with no unsightly stepping and it keeps judder to a minimum at 24p. Excellent contrast keeps detail clear and visible in dark scenes, putting this player almost on a par with the likes of Panasonic and Pioneer in performance terms.

Upscaled DVD playback is also impressive, benefiting from strong colour and detail presentation, but we’ve seen Blu-ray decks that do it better. As for its sound quality, internally decoded HD audio tracks are detailed and slickly orchestrated, but for the best results pass the raw bitstream to your AV receiver.

Tags: Home Cinema Blu-ray Philips Philips BDP7300

Philips BDP7300 Blu-ray player originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:00:00 +0100

History tells us that one-box home cinema bundles rarely match the quality of a decent separates system, but for sheer convenience they simply can’t be beaten. And when it comes to Blu-ray, convenience and set-up simplicity are even more vital, given the potentially brain-frazzling compatibility issues surrounding Blu-ray’s HD audio formats.

So it’s with that in mind that we say hello to the SC-BT205, one of Panasonic’s latest all-in-one Blu-ray home cinema systems. It comes with a combined Blu-ray player/receiver unit, which serves up 1000W of audio power as well as decoding Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio, plus you get a set of four tallboy speakers, a centre speaker and a passive Kelton subwoofer.

While it’s not the most jaw-dropping system we’ve ever seen, its mirrored fascia injects a touch of high-tech bling and the black finish elsewhere is tasteful enough. What’s less forgivable though is the hollow, plasticky build quality of the main unit and speakers, which is not what you expect at this price.

The main unit’s front panel is a carnival of connectivity. Not only does it boast an SD card slot and a USB port, but there’s also an iPod dock that slides out from the middle of the fascia. With your iPod hooked up you can use the system’s onscreen menus and remote to play your music, videos and photos.

The SD card slot can be used to play AVCHD, SD video (MPEG2) and JPEG files, or you can shove a flash drive into the USB port and enjoy DivX, MP3 and JPEG playback – but there’s no support for WMA, DivX HD or MKV.

The rear panel sadly lacks HDMI inputs but there are two optical digital inputs and an analogue stereo input to cover your other equipment. Among the other sockets are HDMI, Component and Composite video outputs and an input for the FM radio tuner.

If you’re repulsed by the sight of cables then you can even install an optional wireless kit (SH-FX70), which sends surround information wirelessly to a receiver at the back of the room, which in turn is connected to the rear speakers.

And because the system’s Blu-ray deck is a fully-fledged Profile 2.0 affair, you’ll also find an Ethernet port on the back that lets you download bonus movie content, as well as view YouTube clips and Google Picasa photos through the Viera Cast web portal. On the downside, you have to load up an SD card to store BD Live downloads as there’s no built-in memory.

The features don’t stop there – there’s a range of sound modes to play with (including Dolby Pro Logic II) and the system is equipped with the superb UniPhier chip, which uses P4HD processing to pull all the picture strings.

Set-up is a piece of cake thanks to the colour-coded speaker terminals and the Smart Setup mode, which sets all the sound parameters automatically using a microphone and a series of test tones. You also get a top-drawer remote, which boasts perfectly-sized, clearly-labelled buttons.

Just like Panasonic’s superlative DMP-BD60 and BD80 standalone players, the SC-BT205’s picture quality is impeccable. The depth, solidity and unadulterated clarity of the picture is a wonder to behold, making good quality Blu-ray transfers like The Dark Knight or Mamma Mia! look absolutely spellbinding.

It’s also a dab hand on the sonic front, with the speakers’ bamboo cones blasting out Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio tracks with rare relish. It’s miles better than the hard, tainted sound of last year’s SC-BT100 – the sound is richly detailed, smooth and packed with plenty of oomph in the bass department, although the sub does get a little overbearing at times and could do with being a bit punchier. On the whole though, it’s a masterful performance by typical one-box standards.

Tags: Home Cinema Blu-ray Home Cinema systems Panasonic Panasonic SC-BT205

Panasonic SC-BT205 Blu-ray home cinema system originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0100

They’ve had Blu-ray recorders in Japan for donkey's years, but the lack of free HD content in the UK has delayed their introduction here. But the emergence of Freesat - now a year old - has finally made Blu-ray recording a reality for us Brits, and naturally Panasonic is the company to make it happen given its previous pioneering exploits in the Blu-ray and Freesat markets.

The company has launched two Blu-ray/hard-disk combis - the top-end 500GB DMR-BS850 on test here and the 250GB DMR-BS750 - as well as a Freesat-equipped DVD/HDD model. At £1000 the BS850 isn’t cheap, but when you take a look at the vast array of features - many of which you won’t find anywhere else - it’s easy to see where your money is going.

The DMR-BS850 is the first hard-disk combi recorder to feature twin tuners, making it possible to record one channel while watching another, or record two channels while watching a previous recording. If you watch as much TV as we do, this will be music to your ears, and the presence of features like series recording makes it even more convenient to watch and record the programmes you love.

Because it’s equipped with Freesat tuners, you can receive high-definition programmes from BBC HD and ITV HD for free and record them directly onto the hard-disk. To do this, the unit uses a "DR" recording mode, which captures the raw bitstream (as well as subtitles and audio descriptions) rather than decoding it first. That means recorded pictures look identical to the live broadcast and subsequently allow you to make a pristine digital copy on Blu-ray.

That said, you can’t just make HD copies willy nilly. Broadcasters have the ability to flag high-def broadcasts and limit the number of copies that can be made. At present the BBC is flagging its programmes as "Copy Once" while ITV HDs are "Copy Never" although it’s by no means set in stone - there’s talk of BBC HD allowing unlimited copies later this year and ITV HD could have a change of heart. Until then, these restrictions could be a real turn off for people who like to share their favourite shows with family and friends.

When making a Blu-ray copy, the unit’s MPEG4 H.264 encoder can compress the file at a lower bitrate but retain its high-def resolution, which takes up less space on the disc without massively compromising on picture quality.

Although high-def recording is the BS850’s raison d'être, there are many more strings to its bow. It’s also a high-spec Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player, equipped with Panasonic’s lauded P4HD and PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus technology, and it supports a healthy range of multimedia formats, including DivX, MP3, JPEG, AVCHD and SD Video. All of these, except DivX, can be copied to the hard-disk from USB or SD card (but not vice-versa), turning the BS850 into a multimedia hub, and it can even rip CDs and tag them automatically using the pre-installed Gracenote database.

Rear panel connections include HDMI, Component, S-Video and Composite video outputs, Scart input and output, two digital audio outputs and analogue stereo output. The Ethernet connection on the back not only allows you to download BD-Live movie extras but also lets you browse videos on YouTube or photos on Google Picasa through the Viera Cast feature. The Ethernet port will also provide access to the BBC iPlayer when it becomes available on Freesat later this year.

The BS850 isn’t a bad-looking machine around the front, with slim dimensions, a dark mirrored fascia and legible display panel. On the front you’ll find a USB port and SD card slot, a DV input for camcorder dubbing, plus S-Video, Composite and stereo audio inputs, reflecting the designs seen in Panasonic's DVD recorders in the past.

In action the BS850 is wonderfully intuitive, despite its potentially confusing array of functions. Channel tuning is quick and painless, while the onscreen displays like the EPG, Direct Navigator menu (where you find your recordings) and editing screens are straightforward. To cap it all, the button arrangement on the remote is superb.

High-def recordings from BBC HD look impeccable, with the BS850 retaining every last scrap of detail in the original broadcast. Programmes like Bleak House and Reggie Perrin are reproduced with mesmerising depth and clarity, while vivid colours blaze from the screen. HD recordings compressed to HL (the lowest-bitrate high-def recording mode) look sharp and natural, with fewer artefacts than we expected.

And its performance with pre-recorded Blu-ray discs is every bit as impressive as the DMP-BD60 and BD80, offering sharp and clean 1080/24p pictures that clearly benefit from P4HD’s awesome processing power. Even upscaled DVDs look incredible, with natural colour reproduction, remarkable detail retrieval and no edge artefacts to speak of.

The lack of multichannel analogue outputs on the back means you’ll need an AV receiver with HDMI inputs to enjoy Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio tracks from Blu-ray. If you’ve got one, you’re in for a treat – the sound on offer is sharp, dynamic and fulsome. CD and MP3 playback are also hugely enjoyable.

Tags: Home Cinema Blu-ray Panasonic Panasonic DMR-BS850

Panasonic DMR-BS850 Freesat Blu-ray recorder originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0100

If you’re one of those people who thinks home cinema kit should be heard but not seen, then Sharp’s latest AV rack could be right up your street. Stealthily concealed within its stout frame are a DVD player and 2.1-channel speakers, providing a convenient, clutter-free way of bringing home cinema into your living room.

The DVD player is built into the top shelf and the disc slot on the front panel is the only reminder that it’s there. All of the connections are accessed around the back and there’s a generous line-up, including HDMI, Scart, Component, Composite, S-Video outputs and no less than three digital audio inputs.

The left and right subwoofers act as the stand’s legs, while the front stereo speakers are situated just above them on either side. In the box is a reinforced glass top cover (which supports a maximum load of 80kg) and a shelf that supports the rest of your kit.

Despite its alluring piano black finish, which is sympathetic to the vast majority of plasma and LCD sets on the market, the rack is no work of art - the blocky shape and lack of curves make it more imposing than elegant.

Among the system’s surprisingly plentiful features are a couple of sound modes designed to make up for the lack of rear speakers - Dolby Virtual Speaker and Audistry Sound Space - both of which try to fool you into thinking the speakers are further apart than they actually are.

The DVD player has plenty more tricks up its sleeve including support for Dolby Digital and DTS, the usual array of play modes and the ability to upscale pictures to 720p and 1080i, but sadly 1080p is off the menu.

It does, however, allow you to play back MP3, WMA and JPEG files from a USB flash drive connected to the port on the front, as well as DivX from CD-R and CD-RW. The front panel also offers two microphone inputs for any budding Sinatras who want to indulge their passion for karaoke.

The off-the-shelf onscreen menus are rudimentary and uninspired but let you explore them without any hassle. But the remote is dreadful, packed full of tiny, poorly placed buttons, some of which have a second function which you need a Shift key to access.

But once you’ve hit the play button, such concerns are blasted right out of the water by the AN-PR1500H’s awesome sound quality. It handles rambunctious movie soundtracks with the articulacy and assuredness of the best two-channel home cinema systems.

Bass output is so well-rounded and visceral it feels like a physical presence in the room, pumping sudden bangs and crashes into every corner. But the sound is far from lop-sided - superb midrange and treble handling make dialogue and high-pitched effects sound clear and strident alongside the low-end rumble.

Our only complaint is that Dolby Virtual Speaker and Sound Space don’t spread the effects wide enough to convince as a 5.1 substitute - what we’re left with is a very good stereo performance and nothing more, which doesn’t make the most of movie material. Picture quality is solid rather than spectacular, with a little too much noise to compete with a decent dedicated DVD deck. There’s lots to admire though, such as the rich colours and well-rendered detail.

Tags: Home Cinema DVD Home Cinema systems Sharp Sharp AN-PR1500H

Sharp AN-PR1500H home cinema rack originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Back when Blu-ray was just a twinkle in its creator’s eye, there was much talk about BD Live and how it would revolutionise the way we watch movies, but little did we know that there would be an arduous 2-year wait for the idea to come to fruition. But now, we’re finally seeing the first BD Live capable decks come through, and it was Panasonic that got the ball rolling back in July with its brilliant DMP-BD50.

Well now the company has launched a pair of new BD Live machines - the DMP-BD35 and BD55 - even though it seems like only yesterday that we were fawning over the BD50. The deck on test here is the successor to the Profile 1.1 DMP-BD30 launched at the start of 2008, and lacks a couple of features found on the step-up BD55, namely 7.1-channel analogue outputs and advanced audio circuitry.

If you’re not familiar with BD Live (otherwise known as Profile 2.0) let’s recap: it’s a feature that makes it possible to hook a Blu-ray player up to the Internet (using an Ethernet connection) and download bonus content related to the movie you’ve bought on Blu-ray, and access other features such as web chats and online games. Some discs, such as Starship Troopers 3, even let you upload a picture of yourself to the Internet and paste it into the movie. The current BD Live fare is pretty hit and miss, but it does have a lot of potential.

To meet the Profile 2.0 requirements, a player needs to have at least 1GB of memory, either built-in or using removeable media, and the DMP-BD35 gores down the removeable media route with an SD card slot on the front panel. This can be used not only for storing bonus content from the Internet, but also to store "virtual package" data found on some Blu-ray discs and to play back JPEG and AVCHD files.

The rest of the front panel is easy on the eye, with the predictable all-black finish giving the unit the required mass-market appeal, while its 49mm height makes it the world’s slimmest Blu-ray player.

The lack of 5.1 or 7.1-channel outputs makes the deck’s rear panel look deceptively sparse, and means that you’ll definitely need an HDMI-equipped AV receiver if you want to enjoy Dolby True HD or DTS HD Master Audio soundtracks. But apart from that it offers all the sockets you need - there’s an HDMI v1.3 output (which carries 1080/24p pictures, HD audio bitstreams and decoded LPCM audio), the all-important Ethernet port, Component/Composite video outputs, stereo audio and optical digital audio output.

The player is surprisingly open-minded when it comes to format support. Disc-wise, it accepts every recordable DVD format (including RAM) as well as CD-R/-RW and BD-RW/-R and it’ll even play your MP3 and DivX library. Elsewhere there’s support for Deep Colour, x.v.Colour and Viera Link which have limited appeal right now but look good on the spec sheet.

When playing a disc for the first time, what jumps out is the deck’s slickness and effortless usability. All of the onscreen menus are clear and uncomplicated, the remote features big, foolproof buttons and a tidy layout, while the unit boots up Java-heavy discs in a tolerable amount of time (though there’s still a way to go before it reaches DVD speeds).

The DMP-BD35’s high-def picture performance is out of this world, presenting 1080p Blu-ray discs with pin-sharp clarity, smooth edges, vivid colours and deep blacks. It’s by far the best picture performance we’ve seen at this price, and much of the credit for this should go to Panasonic’s P4HD processing, which does a fantastic job of boosting detail and reducing diagonal jaggies, as well as PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus, which improves colour fidelity. Sadly we can’t heap the same praise on the deck’s DVD playback, which is surprisingly soft and noisy.

There are no problems with its sound quality and if your receiver can decode Dolby True HD or DTS HD Master Audio bitstreams then you’re in for a real treat. To hear BonusView commentaries you’ll need to set the deck to decode HD audio to PCM but the quality is still impressive, with the secondary audio sounding clearly audible over the primary track.

Tags: Home Cinema Blu-ray players Panasonic Panasonic DMP-BD35

Panasonic DMP-BD35 Blu-ray player originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Sky’s subscription stranglehold on high-def broadcasting means that many people simply can’t afford to experience HD TV for themselves. But thanks to Freesat – a joint venture between the BBC and ITV which offers over 80 TV and radio channels via satellite, including HD channels from the BBC and ITV – a greater number of people can have access to pin-sharp pictures. You pay a one-off cost for a set-top box (and installation if you don’t already have a dish on your house) and away you go.

There are four standalone Freesat receivers on the market, and the FOXSAT-HD from Humax is one of them. Bear in mind there’s no hard-disk on-board like Sky+ – it’s a standard receiver built for viewing only, but Humax is bringing out a PVR version very soon.

It’s an attractive, if not breathtaking unit, with pleasingly compact dimensions and black styling interspersed with streaks of silver. There’s an information panel in the centre, which displays the current channel number, and a flap on either side, which hide a selection of buttons for up-close menu control.

Around the back the unit offers a useful array of sockets, including an HDMI output which you’ll need to connect to your TV if you want to enjoy high-def pictures. It offers a choice of 1080i or 720p (selectable in the set-up menu), and standard-def Freesat channels can be upscaled to these resolutions.

The HDMI is joined by HD-capable Component output, an RGB-capable Scart and Composite video output, plus a second S-Video/Composite Scart output for hooking up to an external recorder. On the audio side you’ll find an optical digital output, which supports Dolby Digital (used by BBC HD). Rounding up the socket selection is an Ethernet port for accessing IPTV services in the future and a USB port for making software updates.

If you’re paying to have a new dish installed with the Humax then set-up is a breeze – just get the bloke to do it for you. But rigging up an existing dish is also a doddle – it’s just a case of screwing in the cable to the LNB input on the back of the box then running through the initial start-up screen, which asks for your TV aspect ratio, preferred HDMI output resolution and postcode, in order to find the correct regional variations when tuning the channels.

Once that’s done, general operation is a breeze. Most of the praise for this should go to the outstanding on-screen displays, which have a really snazzy, welcoming feel and respond instantly to commands from the remote. And if you’re one of those people that needs to know every little thing about the programme you’re watching, then you’ll love the iPlate info display – it’s packed with a comprehensive range of details, such as the broadcast resolution, available audio tracks and interactive services.

The digital TV viewing experience is very much like that of a Freeview box, as are the features, which include a 7-day EPG, digital text, subtitles, audio description and over-the-air software updates. The EPG is a good one too, presenting the channels in a horizontal timeline layout (like Sky+) and using the same snazzy graphics found elsewhere in the menu system. Programmes can be searched according to their genre.

Another feature that adds to the unit’s appeal is the ability to access the full gamut of free channels available on the Astra satellite (the same ones you get on Sky digital), and not just the Freesat ones.

High-definition picture quality is sensational, particularly with BBC HD – the channel’s mix of wildlife documentaries and beautifully shot period dramas serve as the perfect showcase for the FOXSAT’s skills. Detail is sharp, colours ooze warmth and movement is smooth, making for a top-notch viewing experience.

If only all channels were high-def, then we wouldn’t have to endure the disappointment of having to switch back to standard-definition. But thanks to the HDMI output and decent upscaling, it’s not quite the huge drop in quality we expected, although the quality varies from channel to channel and most of them suffer from a touch of shimmering noise. Sound quality is solid, particularly if you run the optical output through an AV receiver.

Tags: Home Cinema Freesat Humax Humax FOXSAT-HD

Humax FOXSAT-HD Freesat receiver originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:08:56 +0100

Blu-ray pioneer Panasonic scoops another world’s first with the SC-BT100, currently the only Blu-ray system on the market with Profile 1.1 support. That means it’ll play the picture-in-picture commentaries found on certain Blu-ray discs (such as Resident Evil: Extinction).

The beauty of buying a Blu-ray system like this, as opposed to seeking out a player, receiver and speakers separately, is that you don’t have to worry about compatibility with the latest audio formats or matching up HDMI types – everything you need is in the box.

Well almost – Panasonic has only made the SC-BT100 a 3.1-channel system as standard, which means you need to add optional wireless rear speakers (SB-HS100A) to make up a 5.1 or 7.1 channel system (the norm for Blu-ray discs) which bumps the price up to a hefty £1000.

That said, you do get a lot for your money elsewhere. The system blasts out a healthy 1000W of audio power and decodes lossless Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio soundtracks, plus Dolby Digital Plus, DTS HD, Dolby Digital and DTS.

If you don’t fancy forking out for the extra speakers, then Dolby Virtual Speaker will create a pseudo surround soundstage. Conversely, with a 5.1 speaker system you can use Dolby Pro Logic II or DTS Neo:6 to turn two channel sources into multichannel surround.

On the video side, the main unit offers full 1080p output at 24 frames per second, with picture processing handled by Panasonic’s UniPhier chip, which enhances colour, detail and motion and cleans up unwanted artefacts. The system will also upscale DVDs to high-def resolution, so there’s no need to replace your entire movie collection just yet.

Aesthetically the system is a triumph. The main unit sports a delightful all-black finish injected with a few lights and buttons, while the black speakers (which feature cones made of bamboo) and subwoofer are quietly classy.

Connections are plentiful, but the most remarkable are the built-in iPod dock and SD card slot under a flap on the front panel, the latter allowing you to play back JPEG and AVCHD files. The system also plays DivX and MP3 from DVDs and CDs.

Rear sockets include an HDMI v1.3 output with Viera Link (CEC) and Deep Colour support, Component, S-video and Composite outputs, plus optical digital audio input for connecting a Sky box.

Like most Panasonic products, the SC-BT100 is incredibly easy to use. Colour-coded cables make installation a breeze, while the remote has a really intuitive feel – its canny layout and clear labelling leaves you in no doubt about which buttons to press. The onscreen menus are attractive, well-structured and responsive, and in action the unit refuses to stumble over tricky Java menus, making light work of Spider-Man 3.

Accessing the Profile 1.1 features couldn’t be simpler – there are specific buttons on the remote that allow you to turn the secondary picture and audio on and off independently of each other, both of which work smoothly with the PIP commentary on Resident Evil: Extinction.

Hooked up to a 40in Toshiba LCD, the quality of the Panasonic’s 1080/24p picture is phenomenal. There’s a level of clarity and vibrancy that only a few high-end Blu-ray players can beat, delivering detail with pin-point accuracy and drenching the screen in pure, vivid colours. Movement is also generally smooth and dark scenes are competently handled.

Upscaled DVD pictures are also of the highest order, ramping up the resolution with the sort of artefact-free transparency you’d expect from an experienced video practitioner like Panasonic.

Sadly the unit’s sound quality doesn’t live up to its pictures. There’s plenty of power, which makes energetic action scenes sound satisfyingly loud and aggressive, and soundstage is well orchestrated, but the treble sounds too harsh. It’s a criticism that’s also been levelled at recent Panasonic standalone amps and sadly the same is true here.

Tags: Home Cinema Home Cinema systems Blu-ray Panasonic Panasonic SC-BT100

Panasonic SC-BT100 home cinema system originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:00:00 +0100