Danny Phillips Reviews Archive

News from Danny Phillips

Results 1 to 11 of 11.

Toshiba XDE-600 DVD player
1080p upscaling, and then some 20 October 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
XDE processing, USB port, price

The Bad
Non-XDE pictures

Verdict
A terrific upscaling DVD deck that uses XDE picture processing to devastating effect - just make sure you keep it turned on

Price
£70
Sony BDP-S360 Blu-ray player
Get the Blu-ray basics from this budget deck 13 October 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Rich detailed pictures, BD Live, operating system

The Bad
Limited media support, no USB media playback, clunky disc loading

Verdict
A basic but likeable entry-level Blu-ray player, although the similarly-priced Samsung gives you more for your money

Price
£200
Pioneer BDP-LX52 Blu-ray player
High-def decadence from the enthusiast’s favourite 9 October 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Picture and sound quality, build quality

The Bad
Slow disc loading, won’t play media from USB, no Wi-Fi or multichannel outputs

Verdict
Although it lacks Wi-Fi, multichannel outputs and USB media playback, the LX52’s sublime picture and sound performance justifies the cost

Price
£500
Toshiba 37RV635D television
Does Resolution+ save the day? 25 August 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Resolution+-assisted pictures, connections, operating system

The Bad
HD pictures without Resolution+, sound from on-board speakers

Verdict
Decent features, plentiful connections and a reasonable price tag make this worth a look, but keep Resolution+ turned on for the best pictures

Price
£600
Philips BDP7300 Blu-ray player
Philips goes Blu 5 August 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
Quick disc loading, built-in memory, picture and build quality

The Bad
No Wi-Fi, unreliable WMV playback

Verdict
Not quite talented enough to topple Panasonic or Samsung, but pleasing build quality and convenient features make this worth considering

Price
£250
Panasonic SC-BT205 Blu-ray home cinema system
Budget one-box Blu-ray system? 10 July 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Sound and picture quality, features

The Bad
Build quality, no support for DivX HD, MKV or WMA, expensive

Verdict
Superb performance and attractive features make up for the lightweight build quality, but this system still feels a touch overpriced

Price
£683.99
Panasonic DMR-BS850 Freesat Blu-ray recorder
Pray silence for the UK's first Blu-ray recorder 4 June 2009 9:00 GMT

The Good
Astounding feature list, versatility and ease of use, compressed high-def recordings, Blu-ray pictures, bitstream recording

The Bad
Can’t copy to USB, limited Freesat high-def content, copy restrictions on HD content, price

Verdict
The DMR-BS850 is the grand daddy of digital recorders - historic, groundbreaking and downright brilliant

Price
£1000
Sharp AN-PR1500H home cinema rack
Sharp makes a stand for simple home cinema 23 October 2008 12:00 GMT

The Good
Sound quality, sturdy build quality, easy assembly, convenient solution

The Bad
Confined soundstage, blocky design, remote, no 1080p upscaling

Verdict
A clever home cinema solution with great sound quality and a decent range of features, though it’s no match for full 5.1

Price
£600
Panasonic DMP-BD35 Blu-ray player
Panasonic brings BD Live at an affordable price 15 October 2008 12:00 GMT

The Good
Picture quality, ease of use, BD Live support

The Bad
Disappointing DVD playback

Verdict
A feature-packed Blu-ray player that delivers excellent performance and handles like a dream, making it great value for money

Price
£300
Humax FOXSAT-HD Freesat receiver
Get free high-def with this user-friendly receiver 15 September 2008 14:08 GMT

The Good
Operating system, high-def pictures, non-Freesat mode, connections

The Bad
Noisy SD pictures

Verdict
A smart, hassle-free box that gets you high-def channels for a one-off payment, with a magnificent operating system and decent pictures

Price
£159 (+£80 installation)
Panasonic SC-BT100 home cinema system
Blu-ray without the bother 18 August 2008 12:00 GMT

The Good
Picture quality, features, looks, ease of use, Profile 1.1

The Bad
Sound quality, expensive, rear speakers are extra

Verdict
The SC-BT100 offers amazing pictures, generous features and Profile 1.1 is a real bonus, but disappointing sound quality and the prohibitive price let the side down

Price
£700 (for 3.1 configuration)