Mini Home Theater

Description

VIZIO's 2.1 Home Theater Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer delivers home theater audio in a sleek soundbar design perfect for 32" HDTVs and larger. With a wireless subwoofer that fits anywhere in your home theater. This advanced surround sound system completes the Home Theater experience, including Dolby Digital, SRS StudioSound HD and SRS TruVolume.

Features

• Universal 2.1 soundbar with wireless subwoofer adds home theater audio to any HDTV
• Wireless subwoofer uses Wireless HD Audio 2.4 GHz so you can place it anywhere in your home theater
• Premium sound with Dolby Digital, SRS StudioSound HDTM and SRS TruVolumeTM
• Easy setup with one cable from TV to Soundbar, and auto-syncs with wireless subwoofer
• Built-in stand swivels for tabletop or wall mount

Description

If you want to make the most out of your HD entertainment, the LHB535 Network Blu-ray Home Theater System more than delivers. Instant streaming movies, shows and music direct from your Wi-Fi connection to your TV. Full HD video and superior audio performance with Blu-ray. Crystal-clear, dazzling sound from state-of-the-art speakers. It's the total package.

Features

• Integrated WiFi Connectivity
• NetCast™ Entertainment Access
• Blu-ray and DVD disc playback
• 2 HDMI Inputs
• Silk Dome Speaker Technology

Reviews

Great features and the sound quality is good if you can't hear the ultrasonic noise

by Rouslan Dimitrov from London, UK on 2010-08-29
After reading the other reviews I was very skeptical about this particular HTIB, so I went to a store determined to get a good set for about $500. Here I focus mostly on the sound quality because that is what matters most to me. I compared:Onkyo 5300 $500 Yamaha 593BL $500 LG LHB535 $400 + Bluray and all the other hightech pluses.and they perform in that order. The Onkyo sounds very clear and is a winner. This Yamaha comes with the plastic speakers (unlike the 693) and it sounds just a bit better than the LG, but both have a somewhat flat and resonating sound at mid-frequencies. The reason why I picked the LG is very simple - it sounds just a bit worse, but it's quite feature rich and modern. I find that Pandora (its online radio) matches my tastes really well and I use it very often early in the morning during breakfast.Electronically, the whole unit is efficient due to its impulse driven power supply and power amplifiers. It has USB and LAN connections and is a third the size of the others I mentioned. I just feel glad I bought a piece of modern technology, really. The Onkyo and the Yamaha come with classical class AB amplifiers and normal 50Hz transformers and thus are heavy and output a lot of heat. I know that is meaningless to most people, but everyone is idiosyncratic in a way :)Update: I saw many complaints about the high pitched sound coming out of the center and right speakers. Yes, it is there in the January 2010 built and though subtle (ie cannot be heard in a store), it is noticeable in between songs. I returned mine and got one made in June 2010. It works flawlessly so far.

LG LHB535 Blu-ray HTIB

by Okevino from on 2010-07-12
I received this with my 50" plasma TV. After using both for over a month here are my thoughts. I have my Dish Network PVR run to the blu-ray play on hdmi 1. The first thing I noticed, as did everyone else who watched/listened to it (through the PVR on hdmi #1) was the popping noises. They were quite loud and startling. It seemed as thought hey were going to damage the speakers they were so loud. It does not pop on dvd/blu-ray playback. Maybe it is a problem with the PVR or the blu-ray player I do not know.The included wireless network was able to easily connect to our home network with just a few keystrokes. Using the network was slower through the blu-ray player than with the LG TV (same widgets and options). It even updated itself quickly and with my permission.Overall I would not recommend this HTIB to anyone I know. The sound from the speakers is somewhere between ok and bad. The satellites and sub don't seem to compliment each other at all. All of the sound options were less than desirable. I do not recommend this set unless it is cheap or you are given it for free.

Excellent system for the price.

by DeAd MiKe from Brooklyn, NY on 2010-07-06
At the time of my current purchase (yes, current purchase - I'll explain that later), the unit is $420 and is worth every penny. For that price, you get a very good Blu-ray player, decent speakers (I'll get to that later too), and the ability to do all kinds of streaming to the device using either an Ethernet cable or the device's built in Wireless N certified antenna. The main reason I wanted this particular unit was two-fold. One, it is the only decent Home Theater System that has built-in DivX HD support, which means that it has the ability to play pretty much all types of media (MKV, AVI, DivX, MP4, MPG, etc...) off of a USB or from your home server. This was crucial. This device also just so happened to match the design of my LG 42LH40 1080p 120hz LCD HDTV (seen here: http://www.amazon.com/LG-42LH40-42-Inch-1080p-120Hz/dp/B001VJHWTQ - AMAZING television as soon as you turn off the 'TruMotion' feature). So, this Home Theater System matched my needs.This was my first Blu-ray player, but I didn't even really get it for that. I mainly wanted to be able to stream all kinds of media to something in my living room that could also playback my DVDs and eventual Blu-rays. My Xbox 360 can handle all of my media, but that's in the bedroom. I needed something decent for the living room, and something to take advantage of my beautiful TV. So, after getting this system, I tried some Blu-rays out - and WOW! I've since bought over 20 titles on Blu-ray. The picture and sound is amazing - but I'll get to that later!I've mentioned "current purchase" and "first purchase" in this review so let me explain that. This device originally had a manufacturing defect which caused a loud high pitch whistle sound (sounded like a tea kettle) to emit from the front right, rear right, and sometimes the center speaker. I was the first to document this online, and I did it on the Amazon message board on this very page. I also replied to several reviewers on this and the page for the LG LHB335 device. Others mentioned this problem on various websites (I'm not going to plug them here in my review), so trust me, this was a big problem. On top of that, I was in constant contact with the head of LG's Quality Assurance team. After talking to him about the issue, he admitted it existed and promised to find a fix. I grew impatient and saw the price for this device drop (around $80 from what I originally purchased it for) so I decided to return it and thought I would re-buy it at a cheaper price once he assured me a fix was found. Well, a fix was found. I re-purchased the device and it's working flawlessly. The devices with the issue were manufactured January 2010. The fixed ones are April 2010 and later. I'm sure there are some January 2010 devices that didn't have the whistle, but I couldn't confirm that. If anyone has a January 2010 device with no whistle sound out of the right speakers, please let me know!So, back to the review. There have been some firmware updates lately that added some new features (MLB TV and Napster), so make sure the first thing you do when you get the device is to update the firmware. It's also good to do a factory reset the first time you do that just in case (me and at least one other person have noticed a bug that was solved when we did that - but it's possible that the bug would have been fixed with the firmware update that was released a few days after that - I don't know). It's also a good idea to go into the speaker settings and adjust the speaker distance (the amount of feet between each speaker and your usual listening position). Now, this device came with rather short speaker wires (probably the shortest out of any Home Theater System I've ever purchased). This was solved with less than $10 and a quick trip to Radio Shack. I'm glad the speaker connections aren't proprietary like some other manufacturer's models out there. Let's get to the sound.The sound is pretty impressive. It's possible that the people complaining about the sound are doing it for two reasons. For one, maybe they used the short speaker wires and thus, their speakers are too close together. Mine are pretty far apart from each other, so I have no sound problems. For two, it's possible that they left the default 2-channel sound output set to Natural (or was it Natural Plus?). For two-channel stereo audio, I didn't like this very much. Changing it to 'PL II Movie' made two-channel stereo audio sound NICE. I have 0 complaints about regular stereo audio anymore. By default, the receiver is properly set to output 5.1 channel audio with the 'Bypass' setting. This means that the receiver does no artificial mixing of 5.1 channel sound. It outputs it exactly as it is given it. This is the right way to do it. The receiver will also remember your settings for 5.1 channel and 2 channel, so don't worry about having to manually switch it to Bypass for 5.1 and to PL II Movie for 2 channel. Go to something that is 2 channel (like the FM radio, or a DVD menu), change the sound output to PL II Movie once, and never worry about adjusting the sound output again (unless you are strictly listening to CDs or MP3s and then you will have various different music outputs to choose from). So, due to changing the stereo output and having the speakers at a nice distance, I really love the sound output of this system. I did notice that the bass was a little low by default so I increased the sub-woofer volume to 3 and it sounded really good. I tried changing it to 6 at first but that was WAY too much bass for me. 3 was a perfect level.Hooking the system up to my Wireless N network was a breeze. To make matters easier, I set my SSID to 'broadcast' so the Wireless N device inside the device would pick up my network, I put in the password once, and it was a go. I then disabled the broadcast of my SSID, turned the unit off, turned it back on, and it automatically re-connected without a problem. It remembers your password and automatically logs you in to your network so you never have to worry about that again. Good. Clicking on Homelink, I was greeted to my wireless network. I saw the CIFS network login for the PC, and the one for my Windows 7 Homegroup (which is the one I wanted to use). Before it would connect to my PC via the Windows Media Player server (the Windows 7 Homegroup), I had to go into the Homegroup settings in my Windows 7 PC, click on 'All Networks,' and make sure the device (which is listed as 'Unknown Device') was set to ALLOW. Once done, I was inside my PC's video library. 14GB 1080p MKV files streamed flawlessly over my wireless connection where my device was 50 feet from my router. The only time I would run in to a problem was when I would try to fast-forward a large file. I'm not sure if this is because of the device, or my wireless network, so I won't blame the device. However, fast-forwarding a file when played on a USB (and naturally, off of a Blu-ray disc and a DVD) worked fine. So the issue was definitely wireless related. It's probably too much to ask to be able to fast-forward such a large file over WiFi, but I don't care as long as it PLAYS the file fine. It does. You can pause it all you want and it will resume instantly as soon as you press play. This was all I wanted. In addition, since fast-forwarding large files doesn't work, I've noticed that you can press 'Info' and skip directly to the time that you want, which works just as well if not better than fast-forwarding.The player had no problem playing files off of each of my USB sticks, but there was one thing I noticed. If the USB external hard drive was formatted to NTFS, I could just plug it in and the device would pick it up right away. If the USB flash drive was formatted to FAT32, I would have to turn the device off and turn it back on for it to recognize it. It may be because of my particular USB flash drive, or it may be because it is FAT32 and not NTFS. Either way, not really a big deal. As long as I can play all file types off of FAT32 and NTFS, I'm happy.YouTube, Pandora, VuDu - all worked fine. I don't have a Netflix account (yet) but I'm sure that works fine as Netflix is the feature they promote the most (a sticker for it is on the device itself, and in the box, and on the box). If you open up VuDu, make sure to go into the options and check out the overscan settings and make sure it is appropriate to your HDTV so nothing is cut off. YouTube works well, it seems to stream videos at whatever their default resolution is (whether it is 360p, 480p, 720p, 1080p). You can log in to your YouTube account so I'm sure that if you have your account to display HD video by default, that it would do that on this device. I don't really care to find out since I have a PC for YouTube. I just wanted to see if it worked. It does. It will store your YouTube history and not present you with an option to clear it, though. Doing a factory restore will clear your history (among other things) in the event that you reaaaaaaaally need to clear your history.Let's talk Blu-ray. When I first got the device, I had a little problem with some movies when playing them at 24 frames per second (which you will want to enable as long as you have a 120hz/240hz LCD, or Plasma HDTV) but that was promptly fixed with a firmware update a week after I e-mailed LG about the problem (apparently, their whole line of this year's Blu-ray players were affected so I'm sure I was not the only one contacting them about it) and I have not had a problem since. If you don't know why you would want to set it to 24hz instead of 60hz - to make a long story short, it will play the movie at the proper framerate because film is recorded at 24 frames per second. Don't worry, it WILL know when you are playing something that should be in 24 frames per second (Blu-ray) or 29.97 (DVD) and play things at the proper frame rate as long as you have 24hz selected. If you have 60hz selected, everything will play at 60hz. So, once again, do 24hz if your HDTV is above 60hz (like 120hz or 240hz). If not, don't worry about it.Lower resolution movies (DVDs and movies off of the USB) looked a little 'off' to me, at first. That is, until I went into the options as a movie was playing and set the output to 'Movie' from the 'Standard' output. This made everything look perfect to my nicely calibrated HDTV. The 'Standard' output makes things a little too bright and sharp for my setup. So, if you're dissatisfied with the picture quality (or you just want to see if it can get even better), go ahead and switch it from 'Standard' to 'Movie.' They also let you adjust the settings yourself (such as brightness, contrast, sharpness, digital noise reduction), but I'm perfectly happy with 'Movie' so I didn't need to do that. When in 'Movie' setting, upscaled DVDs look perfect (when watching 'Underworld' - I would have thought it was a Blu-ray if I didn't know any better - it looked and sounded that good). It also upscales lower-resolution files off of the USB beautifully (better than any previous DVD player, my Xbox 360, or my very expensive PC/monitor). So, I'm totally satisfied with the picture quality. A solid 5/5 (when in 'Movie' setting).DVDs (and movies off of the USB) load instantly. Blu-rays can take anywhere from 5 to 15 seconds to load, depending on the movie. This seems to be normal. Apparently certain discs are very Java-extensive (like 'The Dark Knight' which may take 15 seconds) so they take a little longer than regular discs (like 'The Fifth Element which only takes around 5 seconds). Playing a movie off of my home network takes about 5 seconds to load, no matter the file size.I noticed some people describing the menus as sluggish. While this was true of the old firmware, it's definitely not true of the current one. The menus move just as fast as any menu.Also, since I have an LG HDTV, hooking this device up to it via HDMI eliminates the need for my HDTV's remote (it has since gone into a drawer). The remote that came with this device (which is very nice, comfortable, and offers lots of buttons for all kinds of different things) can turn on the TV, change inputs if you need, and do some other things. It can't do everything, so make sure your LG HDTV is set up properly, then hide the remote once you get this since you won't really need it again.This device has TWO HDMI inputs and one output. This is more than enough for me. I have the cable box as one input, and since it has a built in Blu-ray player, the HDMI output handles that since the receiver doesn't need another HDMI input to handle Blu-ray. I tested out my Xbox 360 in the second HDMI input and that works just perfectly too. The device will remember your last input, so if you leave it on HDMI 1 and power it off, it will return to HDMI 1 when you power it back on. This is how it should be (some other manufacturers don't do this for some bizarre reason).It's very easy to work, especially when everything is working properly. I haven't tested out the iPod dock yet (since I don't own an iPod or an iPhone), but it plays MP3s off of my phone and standalone MP3 player just fine. The FM (and AM) radio work fine as well. The system can be pretty loud. I normally keep it on 10 for regular cable viewing (15 if it's a movie where I want to really enjoy the loud sound). So, don't worry about the system not being loud enough. On my old unit, I noticed a lot of pops when changing channels, or when the bass got too loud, or whatever. On the new one, I haven't come across this yet - so either I am lucky enough to have not come across it again or LG has fixed that along with the whistle sound.All in all, this was a very buggy product at first, but NOW it is working properly, so I will give it a 4. It would be a solid 5 if those problems never existed in the first place. I would have given it a 3 or less if I were still running in to some problems. But, everything is working as expected, so I really have no complaints other than my time being wasted in the past with researching the whistle sound and sending it in to LG for repair, or back to Amazon for a replacement, and everything else. I would also like to point out that Amazon was very generous to me in regards to replacing and returning this item several times. I'm up and running now with no problems and my movies look and sound perfect, so I'm willing to forgive LG for the bugs and wasted time.

Got a great otherwise I would not recommend!

by Borqueztony from on 2010-07-04
I got this unit with a package deal and the price was awesome. The unit it's self is great, the surround speakers are just ok, the Sub Woofer just sucks. What I did was get a another 12 sub with it's own amp and run the receivers sub out line into a high pass filter then into the the sub input. This made the system 100 times better. I does pop and crackle every now and then, a bug LG really needs to work out. My recommendation is to pass on this system unless you get a really good deal, then make the fix I stated above.

LG LHB535

by Jeremy Jones from HENDERSONVILLE, NC, US on 2010-07-04
I have to say that I am really enjoying my new blueray home theater system. Overall its a great product. The only thing that I can say that didnt impress me was the quality of the front speakers. I replaced them with some small cabinet speakers from Blue and Yellow because after I set it all up, I began to understand what other people meant when they stated that the speakers made everyone sound like they had a cold or had a tinlike sound. If youre in the market for a good entry level combo, the LHB535 is the ticket.

Description

VIZIO's 5.1 Surround Sound Home Theater with Wireless Subwoofer completes your home theater with a sleek design that's perfect for 40" HDTVs and larger. This premium surround sound system with integrated front and center channels, two satellite speakers and wireless subwoofer supports Dolby Digital, DTS, SRS CircleCinema HDTM and SRS TruVolumeTM

Features

• Universal 5.1 soundbar with wireless subwoofer turns any HDTV into a full surround sound home theater
• Wireless subwoofer uses Wireless HD Audio 2.4 GHz so you can place it anywhere in your home theater
• Premium sound with Dolby Digital, DTS, SRS CircleCinema HDTM and SRS TruVolumeTM
• Dolby Digital, DTS, SRS CircleCinema HDTM and SRS TruVolumeTM audio processing for immersive surround sound quality
• Easy setup with one cable from TV to Soundbar, and auto-syncs with wireless subwoofer

Description

LG's NetCast Interface lets you easily access a vast array of internet content. This model comes with two tower speakers.

Features

• NetCast Entertainment Access Delivers access to Netflix Instant Streaming and Pandora Internet Radio, BD-Live to access real-time extras
• Blu-ray Disc Playback Pure HD audio, video performance with Full HD 1080p, uncompressed audio technologies, BD-Live access to real-time extras
• Pure HD Audio Performance Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and dts-HD Advanced Digital Audio Out technologies
• Tower Full Size Speakers deliver broader spectrum of audio sound
• Two HDMI Inputs Deliver convenience and all-digital quality for connecting to your high-def sources such as cable boxes and game systems

Reviews

Lots of features, easy to use / install and great sound for the money

by Russell from So Cal on 2010-08-27
I'm very happy with this purchase. I was looking originally at sound bars with a Blu Ray player that also would access Netflix. The reviews for the Samsung where poor. I was told that LG makes good Blue Ray players, and HTIB systems. We looked them up and found this one that had wireless rear speakers and sub woofer. WiFi built in for network access, and lots of online features including Netflix.Installation was very easy, color coded wires for the speakers, the wireless sub woofer and rear speakers connected as soon as they had power. I have a WiFi network, blue tooth devices, and wireless home phones, none caused a problem. The rear speakers are 18ft away from the TV, still sound great and have no interference.Getting the HTIB on the network was a breeze too. Even the Blue ray player updates is easy, it auto checks for me and asks to download and install.I love this system, and for only $630 from amazon it's even better.Note that wireless speakers still need an amp, so they plug into a device about the size of an external hard drive, that acts as the wireless receiver and the power (amp) for the speakers. Some people get confused about wireless speakers, they are just not wired to the base/player.

Very Happy

by Justin From Chicago from on 2010-08-07
This system is great, sounds very good with movies and music. Setup was very easy, the only thing that stalled the setup was that four screws that go with the tall boy speakers were missing.(oh well, not a big deal)I was able to easily hook up a xbox 360 and direcTv box to this without trouble. Also make sure you have an extra HDMI cable cause you will need it, if your not going to go with HDMI it comes with component cable. The Ipod dock works great and the blue ray is awesome. The Netflix, youtube, pandora ect. are awesome! Check out cnet for reviews they are very good.(as of 8/6/2010 they don't have a review for this) One other thing wireless speakers are not really wireless but if comes with a box the size of a wii and that's how it becomes "wireless". It saves running wires to the back of your room and trying to hide them, trust me its really not the big deal that some people are making it out to be. It sounds great and you won't regret buying it. Lastly buy if from amazon and not the other companies because amazon will take care you of you if something goes wrong. If you bought this item and need any help or question just comment and I'll get back to you ASAP.

LG LHB975 Review

by NC from on 2010-07-12
LG did a good job in the design and features of the HTIB. Pros: I've been waiting for this system to come out for the last 5 months. Installation was a breeze, had the system running in less than 5 minutes. The sound is acceptable for the average person, but I am more of an audiphile. The lack of sound settings such as Bass, Treble limits me in tailoring the sound I want. The sub is a good "woofer" but lacks in the sub sonic capabilities of a true "sub woofer". I've hooked my cable set top thru the HDMI input, but when adjusting any of the sound effects or volume, the graphics do not appear on the TV. The graphics do appear when using FM or watching Netcast. Documentation is given a "B" because of the english grammer and poor discussion of "sound effects". I had wanted to re-program my Charter Cable remote to work the system, but was only able to get the "DVD" portion to work, volume control still has to be used with original remote.

Wireless system is a joke!

by Kevinp from Mansfield, TX on 2010-06-19
When it worked, it worked great. Sound was better than I expected. But the wireless system was extremely flaky. It worked for several days and then it would quit. Tried to remate for over an hour, gave up, exchanged unit for a new one. Next unit right out of the box would not connect to wireless speakers. After many attempts I go it to work but a couple days passed and my rented movie went in, corn was popped, but no rear or sub could be heard. Tried and tried but had to watch the movie without my speakers working. The next day it went back in the box and shipped off for a refund. Planet73 gave a refund but would not refund shipping either direction so I was out about $100.00 in shipping fees.

Works great, now that Netflix streams

by DJH66 from South USA on 2010-06-12
Got this right after it was available in May 2010 (should have waited a month and saved $110). Works great with easy set up. The wireless subwoofer and "wireless" rear speakers just worked. I didn't need to do any special set up. It is true the rear speakers aren't truly wireless but I researched before hand and knew what I was getting. Even though they are attached to the wireless unit by wires, it got them to the rear of my room where I could hide the wires. Subwoofer is great, just plug it in anywhere. The picture quality is great and I think the sound is great but I have to admit I'm not really an audiofile. Some have said they wish you could customize the audio settings more. I'm doing fine with the presets. Blu ray disk load quickly. I have the unit hard wired to my network so I can't comment on how well the wireless hookup to internet works. But wired like mine is outstanding. I can stream Netflix movies and Youtube and play any file on my home network (music, photos, movies). Pandora is great for music. Frankly I haven't even set up the FM radio because between my home network and Pandora I have all the music choices I could want. I ran optical audio cable back from TV and play my TV sound back through LG speakers, really nice to have this feature. Have my Xbox 360 going through the LG so I can take advantage of the speakers. Very happy with my purchase.So what don't I like. For a while I couldn't get Netflix to stream. I made sure I updated the firmware. I also called Netflix (who's call center was VERY helpful) they told me what ports I needed to open on my router. It still didn't work. On LG's website I found a thread where it appeared many of the LG's were having the same problem. Finally there was an answer, I had to go into settings and reset the unit to factory settings. After turning it off and restarting the unit everything streamed fine. I don't know if this would be a problem to someone setting it up now with updated firmware. The only other thing that would be nice for a unit in this price range, would be for the remote to have a keyboard on the back like some are now providing.If you're looking to upgrade to Blu Ray and want to get surround sound, I would recommend this unit, especially now that the price has come down.

Description

The VisionTek CANDYBOARD is a mini keyboard, with a 2.4GHz frequency USB dongle, that looks just slightly bigger than a candy bar. It features 69 keys, a "capacitive-sensing" touchpad that's "comparable to a real notebook touchpad," gaming oriented navigation keys designed to "be used as joystick controls," 26 LEDs to use in low-light environments and windows media compatibility.

Features

• Innovative Touchpad Forget the mouse our innovative design lets you use the touch pad in the horiziontal or vertical position.
• Rechargeable Li-ion Battery Advanced Battery technology allows for faster charge times, longer usage and greater standby times.
• Control your home theater unit from the comfort of your couch. A complete Qwerty backlit keyboard allows you to navigate menus, or websites from up to 30 feet away.
• Works with WindowsTM, PS3TM, XBOX 360TM, Mac, and Linux

Description

A wireless dream from Sony’s DAV-FX100W Wireless DVD Dream System2 allows you to place the component speakers and subwoofer in your living room without the visibility of hanging stereo wires. The DAV-FX100W features a 5 disc DVD/CD/SA-CD changer6, 1000 Watts total system power5 handling and a sleek, silver aluminum finish sure to compliment your favorite room in the house.

Features

• Complete home theater system with 5-disc DVD changer and integrated AM/FM receiver
• Wireless DIAT system to rear speakers ensures pure audio reproduction without deterioration
• Provides 1000 watts of total power (143 watts per channel, 285-watt subwoofer)
• 2 composite in, 1 composite out, 1 S-Video out, 1 component out, 1 HDMI out, 1 coaxial audio in, 1 optical audio in
• Compatible with DVD movie, CD audio, SACD, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-R/RW, and VCD discs; MP3 and JPEG

Reviews

Looks good .... BUT....

by R.K. from Orange Co. Calif on 2007-07-28
As with the other reviews, I bought it for it's design and wireless rear speakers feature, and it's a Sony, so it must be good! Ha!The CD/DVD player is in fact the worst I've ever seen, and I've had a few over the years. I would much rather have a single disk system that works well, instead of this 5 disk system that gets 'lost in space'... It's extremely s.l.o.w and frustrating to use. I've owned this unit for over a year and my wife still won't touch it, as she see's the frustration I go through everytime I use the CD/DVD player (or try to anyway). The sound is only middle of the road ... not worth what I paid.Sorry Sony ... never again, there's too many other units on the market !

Basically junk

by Magoo from Bainbridge Island, WA on 2006-12-26
I bought this system a year ago, a family gift for Xmas. Christmas Eve this year, it swallowed a rented DVD and wouldn't let it go until I attacked it with screwdrivers. Now it seems to work again, but I'm going to dump it in the trash anyway.Basically, it's a piece of junk: 1. The sound is like it's coming up from a pool of mud. 2. The DVD player is slo-o-o-ow, and the control over DVD playing poor. My $69 Toshiba DVD player is worlds better mechanically. 3. The whole system is made up of proprietary components, so if you decide on a new amp/receiver/DVD player, you're out of luck. The speakers have to go too. Maybe it's all for the best.Mine is out the door tomorrow morning. I'm only afraid this may be a discontinued model, and no one will have the chance to benefit from this opinion.

I can't believe they call this junk "Sony"

by Mark from on 2006-09-21
I have had this system for 9 monthis now, and I am sure this is the worst piece of AV equipment I have ever owned. Sony is usually known for quality products, but it this case I am afraid they rested on their laurels and delivered a poorly designed and poorly manufactured piece of equipment to the market.The worst part is that I have had numerous problems with it. Occasionaly it fails to recognize CD/DVD inserted after you turn it off and back on. On other occasions it completely locks up. The first time it happened I had to call Sony customer support and find out the secret combination of buttons to press to unlock it. Now, after about 9 months of use, it has taken on a habit of completely shutting down with a message "PROTECT UNPLUG". The only way to bring it back to life is to unplug it and plug it back in after a few minutes. There is nothing wrong with my electric wiring -- I have checked, and the system is plugged into a fairly expensive surge protector/power conditioner. I am not sure whether to go through the trouble of fixing it -- at this point it's just not worth it because of all the other things I despise about this system.First off, CDs and DVDs take forever to load. To insert a disk one has to press an "Eject" button and then listen carefully for about two minutes while the system rearranges itself and lets you finally insert the disk. If you missed your chance -- tough luck, start all over. Second, it is a royal pain to use -- any configuration apart from the basic settings is as convoluted as it can possbly be. On screen menus, a standard on most systems, now do not exist, and the manual is a joke. Third, the FM radio is awful. I went out and spent money on an expensive FM antenna -- still, my cheap clock radio gets better reception. Fourth, there are other annoying little things about this system which are too numerous to list in this review.Finally, I don't share people's opinion that the sound is all that great. It's average. Out-of-the-box it is way too heavy on bass. The wireless feature is nice -- I admit, and that was the reason I bought it. But I would not buy it again (or probably another piece of Sony equipment) in a million years now. I could live with wires running around my room, or even just a two-speaker system rather than deal with this piece of junk. Shame on Sony for slapping their name on this lemon.

good speakers, many inputs/outputs, poor controls, slow changer....

by FTP from Silicon Valley, CA on 2006-07-01
SPEAKERS: The speakers have good sounding quality, especially the bass module. The system has a bass boost feature (and they really mean BOOST) that would rage any ghetto parties you may happen to throw. Mid-range frequencies are decent, but high-end is only ok sounding. Rear speakers seems decent, but sometimes weak, though you can change that by experimenting with combinations of DTS sound settings and speaker range/ distance in the menu. Sony's proprietary wires make connections easy, but if you ever need a replacement, it would really be a hassle to get one or splice one yourself. To summarize the speakers: Pros: wireless rear speakers, great bass module, adjustable stands for the speakers Cons: proprietary wires, just-ok high end frequencies, rear speakers need customizing for better soundCD/DVD PLAYER: Loading a disc is really not intuitive and really slow - I have changers that are 5 years older and they change much faster than this one! Also, the changer can NOT accept commands while a disc is starting up/ initializing. Unlike Sony's, most players will queue your commands so that they are executed as soon as the disc has started up. For instance, say you load up a disc and want to skip to track #3 right away; the Sony changer will not accept commands until AFTER the disc has started up, which usually takes 8 seconds. My other changers, which are 5 years older, will accept commands and initialize in half the time! 8 seconds may not seem like a lot, but when you use the player every day, you'll find it to be quite annoying. Pro's: HDMI output, optical audio input Con's: slow changer, slow disc start up, poor command queuingREMOTE: The worst feature of the system! The remote is really non-intuitive and lots of features need to be accessed via an on-screen menu, which means you need to turn on your TV just to customize your music selection. It provides buttons for rarely used features, while has none for useful, common functions like shuffle, disc selection, memory selection, etc. Whoever designed the remote functionality is mentally deranged! Pro's: slim & clean profile; controls basic functions of TV Con's: non-intuitive interface, lots of features need accessing via a TV menu, no buttons for useful common functions, buttons for rarely used features; this remote SUCKS!Overall, I got this system because of its decent sound and wireless rear speakers. I can tolerate the ridiculous remote because I have a much better one which I can program the functions. Also, I have a secondary changer just for CD's so that I don't have to use the changer's convoluted menu system. If wireless rear speakers and inputs/ outputs are not important to you, then this system is not the right fit and overpriced.

Broken within hours. JUNK!

by Chris B. Wallace from Atlanta, GA on 2006-06-28
I ordered this item after reading the positive reviews here. BIG MISTAKE. Upon setting everything up, it all worked great for about two hours... then the dreaded "UNPLUG/PROTECT" screen came up. Now it won't turn on but for a few moments before returning to protect mode. (and no, it's not a short in the wires or overheating... it protects even when stone cold, and with no speakers plugged in) I called sony and they say it is a short in the box. So now my two options are to unhook everything, repack EXACTLY the way it came to me and reship back to the online store I bought it from (with enormous hastle and expense) or take the receiver in to a sony authorized service center (which happens to be across town, and only open monday-friday, 9-5pm. So much for being convenient). This thing is brand new and already needs repairs!!On top of that, even out of the box, NONE of the video inputs worked. Audio was fine, but video was dead as a doornail, right from the start.And even on top of the fact that this machine CAME broken... it sucks even when it works right! The DVDs take forever to load, and it comes with HDMI out, but NO HDMI IN! So if you're an HDMI user, I hope you have multiple HDMI inputs on your television... one for your cable box, one for this crappy system.This is a piece of junk. For the love of god, don't waste your money.

Description

With the Frisby FS-6200 Wireless 5.1 Home Theater , your home music options have never been better! The Frisby FS-6200 optimizes wireless high frequency RF technology to achieve the best quality in-home audio experience possible. The system includes a center channel and 4 tower satellite speakers and produces rich bass, powerful midrange and crystal clear highs. The system is Dolby Digital DTS AC-3 5.1 ready with HQ BASS technology for intense low frequency response. Powerful 5000 Watt PMPO amplified subwoofer with ported wood enclosure consists of high gloss front panel piano finish and full magnetic shielding. Frisby FS-6200 is a very high end surround sound system and worth every penny and has convenience to delivery to your home, you won't be disappointed!Professional sound performance and powerful sound quality powered with 5000 Watt PMPO subwoofer and 5 channel amplified satellite speakers. With 4 AUX LINE-IN, you can directly connect this surround sound system to your TV, MP3 Players, Game Consoles, CD, DVD player or any COMPUTER or a LAPTOP without any additional equipment. Both speakers and the subwoofer are magnetically shielded, no need to worry about the screen nearby.Infrared remote control and front panel control keys. The remote control has Power, Mute, DVD 5.1, Stereo, Aux 1, Aux 2, 5.1 Channel, 2.1 Channel, Tach Switch, Reset, and Volume, Treble, Bass controls. Safety protection by adding power fuse to the woofer. Extra fuse is also included with the system. HQ BASS technology. Sensational audio effect. High Gloss Piano Finish Front Panels on both woofer and speakers and Wooden case for whole set. Dolby Digital, Dolby DTS, AC-3 5.1 Ready. The system is complete, comes with power cord and all audio cables.

Features

• Wireless Rear Speakers (with wired option)
• Dolby Digital, Dolby DTS, AC-3 5.1 Ready
• High Gloss Piano Finish Front Panels on both woofer and speakers and Wooden case for whole set
• Connect to directly connect this surround sound system to your TV, MP3 Players, Game Consoles, CD, DVD player or any COMPUTER or a LAPTOP
• HQ BASS technology. Sensational audio effect

Reviews

Not True Surround Sound!

by Pamela Hirsch from Falls Church, Virginia, US on 2010-08-19
This system is so inadequate! There is no digital output/input or HDMI connector! All the speakers work, but it is not decoded for surround sound! I have looked at other receivers and they are $200-400.00 in order to make this system be true surround sound. Do not buy this system! Save your money and spend more on an adequate system with a compatible receiver!

Pile of junk

by A. Myers from PRESCOTT VALLEY, AZ, US on 2009-12-31
This Thing is not worth the money! The sound is terrible. It say's its for HDTV but there is no HDMI jack. we did not recieve any of the wiring or a reciever. We would be losing out on probably more then a hundred bucks to return it. Make sure to read all return polocys before you spend your hard earned cash. I eneded up going to radio shack and spending 30 more bucks to purchase speaker wire and RCA hookups. The wireless back speakers do not work at all. the signal was so weak from the wireless reciever that you could not hear them. I am very dissapointed with this product. :(

Terrible quality speakers Do not buy

by K. Yoder from on 2009-12-28
These speakers are not worth the money. I hooked them up and even at max volume my tv speakers were louder and sounded better than this system. For this price you could buy a nice sony or samsung setup that actually has digital inputs and outputs with hdmi. I am in the process of returning these.

Description

The TF11 is perfectly suited as an ideal enclosure to house a heavily deployed Home Theatre PC ready to cope with heavy processing demand. Even with such a high level of processing capacity the unit is enclosed within a chassis measuring in it at only 435mm x 118mm x 394mm (WxDxH). Constructed around the premium aluminum extruded structures of the TF line with an exceptionally strong steel base and drive cages to ensure that well built systems can survive the extreme hardships of express shipping companies. All of this beautifully designed enclosure mounted upon four entirely aluminum extruded feet. Fitting into the superb TF design structure for perfect integration within the rest of the TF series family product the style cannot be beaten. Integrating the Acryl front panel discretely hiding the front I/O ports we have created a consistent, simple yet functional design that will enhance your living room and any existing AV setups without upsetting the balance. The TF11 has a depth that will allow it to slide into most audio racks without creating an eyesore. The TF11 is made to fit up to 6 hard drives making it a great machine for storage capacity.The TF11 allows up to 7 expansion cards, a full ATX power supply, any size ATX motherboard, six hard drives, a full size CDROM. The TF11 is capable of housing all the hardware that a high end media center requires. The power unit TF HTPC enclosure creates a strong powerful yet stylish foundation for your HTPC environment. From this foundation you can customize your HTPC setup however you want. Color: Black Dimensions:435mm x 118mm x 394mm Material - Panel: Front Panel - 10mm thick aluminum extrusion Material - Chassis: Pressed 1.5mm SECC Steel Side Panels: Extruded aluminum Front I/O Card Reader:CF, MS, SD, XD, Front I/O Connectors: 2x USB, 1x Firewire/1394 Front panel Audio: 3.5mm Input and Output Expansion Slots: 7 Motherboard Support: ATX ITX

Features

• CPU: Intel Core i5 661 3.33ghz 4MB Dual-Core
• Hard Drives: 8 Terabyte (5 x 2TB) LP Raid 5 Stripe for Security (Hard Drive Configuration) plus one solid state primary boot hard drive
• Memory: 8 Gigabyte Crucial Ballistix Ram 4 x 2GB DDR3
• Optical Drive: LG Blu-Ray Reader & 10x Writer / DVD-RW DL Combo Drive + TotalMedia Theatre 3 Platinum
• Keyboard & Mouse: Logitech Wireless Media Center Keyboard and Mouse Combo

Description

Frustrated with wires everywhere and the incapability to broadcast your technology in more than one location? Want to avoid the expense of purchasing two satellite receivers? This item is a solution to this problem and a true technological breakthrough. The GigaXtreme 3000 allows you to easily broadcast your DVDs, DSS, CDs, MP3s, Satellite, PC, gaming console, streaming video and more to any TV or stereo in your home, without running any wires! Send the signal through walls, floors and ceilings from up to three 300 feet away (clear line of sight) to multiple rooms (and even outside) without buying costly satellite receivers. The GX3000 2.4 GHz audio/video sender installs and configures in just minutes. There are no limitations to what you can do with the GX3000.

Features

• Transmits sound and pictures from any existing A/V components
• Designed for quick and easy installation
• Complete kit in box
• Both PAL and NTSC compatible
• 2.4 GHz signal penetrates walls, floors and ceilings with a maximum range of 300 feet (clear line of sight) (ideal range of 100 feet)

Reviews

Sounds like a good idea

by Gerard Thiel from Iowa on 2008-12-09
These seem to work really well unless you happen to be using a wireless network router. The unit snaps, crackles and pops and generally gives a poor picture quality. I've tried all the four channels without any relief.

Poor transmittion quality

by lhalo from on 2008-08-04
This product wouldn't transmit clear quality sound from one to the other. It produced static noise on every channel at less than 100 feet. I ended up donating this product because the seller wouldn't take it back, and he/she me referred to the manufacturer (who couldn't find a working solution).

Waste of money

by D. Ray from on 2008-07-17
Fantastic idea with zero functionality. Interference from every device in the house that uses RF. Don't even try to use in a house with a wireless router, much less cordless telephones.

Garbage

by Rudy Sandoval from on 2008-04-05
This is the worst thing I have seen in my life. The signial is weak and it does not do all that is listed. I could do better with coffee cans and some Kite string.Save you money.Thank you Rudy

Don't bother

by K. Fitzgerald from Ohio, USA on 2008-01-17
I bought this transmitter receiver to watch cable in a room with no line access. I placed the receiver about 15 feet away from the cable box and transmitter, and it still did not work. The best reception I got was by holding the receiver above my head as close to the door as possible - not practical for everyday use. In addition, answering the phone caused more static, a "flipping" screen, and crackling sound. Basically, if you do not have a wireless network or a cordless phone, and have direct line of sight between the units, this unit will probably work for you. I don't know anyone that falls in this category...

Description

Dynamic & Clear 7.1ch Surround Sound Reproduction: Kelton Subwoofer and Bamboo Cone Speakers Optimum Theater Setting for Everyone Smart Setup Stand-by Power: 0.2W and Saving Active Power Consumption Eco IdeasIn order to truly appreciate the high quality images of Blu-ray Disc, the sound performance needs to be upgraded to match the images. Until now, it was difficult to fully enjoy Blu-ray Disc sounds because you had to install and correctly set up the speakers.But with Panasonic, this is no longer a problem. Panasonic Home Theater Systems handle all the complicated settings automatically with just a few clicks.Along with other features such as high quality picture, dynamic and clear sounds, easy operation, advanced networking and connectivity, Panasonic Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Systems give you everything you need to experience all the emotional impact of a movie in your own home.A full-scale Blu-ray theater is created by combining this Blu-ray Disc player, AV receiver, and speakers.Home Theater Receiver Home Theater Mode: Total Output Power of 1000W Front: 125W x 2 (1kHz, 3 ohms, 10% THD) Center: 125W (1kHz, 3 ohms, 10% THD) Surround: 125W x 2 (1kHz, 3 ohms, 10% THD) Surround Back: 125W x 2 (1kHz, 3 ohms, 10% THD) Subwoofer: 125W (100Hz, 3 ohms, 10% THD) Home Theater Mode: Total Output Power of 520W Front: 65W x 2 (120Hz 20kHz, 3 ohms, 1 % THD) Center: 65W (120Hz 20kHz, 3 ohms, 1 % THD) Surround: 65W x 2 (120Hz 20kHz, 3 ohms, 1 % THD) Surround Back: 65W x 2 (120Hz 20kHz, 3 ohms, 1% THD) Subwoofer: 65W (45Hz 120Hz, 3 ohms, 1 % THD) [Blu-ray Disc Features] Video Features PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus High Precision 4:4:4 P4HD (Pixel Precision Progressive Processing for HD) 1080/24p Playback Deep Color

Features

• Panasonic; Theater

Reviews

Good surround sound home theater system

by Miguel Carvajal from Santa Rosa, CA on 2010-04-25
We purchased this system from Costco after the Onkyo system we ordered from Amazon.com arrived damaged. I have to emphasize that this is a poor substitute for the Onkyo system in many ways; however, for the last 9 months it has provided us with good playback of BDs and its sound quality is quite good.To begin, the speaker cable connection system of the SC-BT203 is fool-proof. Each speaker cable is color-coded and the location for each speaker is clearly outlined on the colorful setup card it comes with. This same speaker cable system is also the undoing of the whole system: the connection is proprietary and, if one cable or speaker fails, I'm assuming you will have to replace the entire unit. Hasn't happened yet and we hope it won't happen for a long while.Second, the speakers are very small in size, but the sound each one generates is quite adequate for our 400 sq ft family room environment. The subwoofer in particular makes the whole room shake at the right times.Third, we are avid movie watchers and we've discovered that, after watching 2 or 3 movies on Blu-ray disc in a row, the system tends to freeze. I know it's not overheating because the cabinet we have it in is completely open. Maybe its memory gets full or it gets too hot inside. Either way, as long as we let it rest for a few hours it works fine again. This does not happen when we play regular DVDs.Last, because the amplifier unit comes bundled up with the Blu-ray disc player, if one or the other goes bad, the entire system will have to be sent out for repair or be entirely replaced.PROS: -Good price -Very good surround sound -Easy to setup, speaker hookup super-easyCONS: -No iPod adapter included -One single unit -Proprietary speaker connections

Poor Panasonic service after the sale

by Mark Holm from on 2010-02-10
We purchased a Panasonic SC-BT203 Blue-ray home theater system from Costco Saturday January 30, 2010. The packaging was not damaged, and there were no indications it had been previously opened. The packaging excluded all speaker cables, and the connectors in the back of the unit are a proprietary design.We contacted Panasonic, and they ran us through a series of requirements, including faxing the register tape along with the serial number and other details. We went through this process completely twice, because they said they had no record of our service ticket, even though we read it back to them.We had Costco Valet service (which we highly recommend) try to contact them and that failed. We will never buy another Panasonic product again. The price of replacement cables on a piece part basis from Panasonic for the 7 missing cables is almost 80% of the cost of the original package.If you get a complete package, I'm sure the quality is good, but if you have a problem like this, service is non-existent. At this point we have a $460 paperweight. Panasonic SC-BT203 1000W 7.1 Channel Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Sound System