Panasonic SC-HT800V Progressive Scan DVD/VCR Home Theater System Review
November 2nd, 2009
Panasonic SC-HT800V Progressive Scan DVD/VCR Home Theater System Review from Tor Slettnes. Super Value and Super Sound, I have owned the SC-HT810V for four days now, after a month-long decision making process. That’s the same as this model, with a little more output power, and with table stands for the speakers. The only reason I got that model rather than the 800V was that I stumbled across it at Fry’s Electronics for $249 — cheaper than the HT800V, anywhere! Otherwise, I don’t really care for output power that much, the 800V has plenty to fill up even larger rooms.
Compared with some of the other models I looked at, these are its strengths:
* Compact, includes DVD, VCR and FM/AM Radio in one small unit.
* Plays a multitude of disc formats (incl. DVD-A, VCD, and Panasonic/Microsoft proprietary HighMAT discs). (Compare to the Zenith XBS344 and XBS245, which only play DVD Video and CD Audio).
* The sound quality and surround effects are, ahem, awesome. Now I just wish more DVDs (including children’s, cartoons, etc) had surround sound.
A few things that did not quite appeal to me:
* No digital audio (5.1) input. (Unlike the Zenith, or the Philips LX3750W wireless theatre). This means that I cannot get surround sound input from my Comcast HDTV converter. (But who watches TV these days anyway?)
* With the DVD progressive scan enabled, thin lines, text, etc flicker a bit. It turns out that my Panasonic (CRT) HDTV in some ways does a better job of de-interlacing the standard (480i) signal (whether through component or composite cables) than the unit does, despite the D->A->D->A conversion.
* Operating the unit (+ the remote) is a bit cumbersome. For instance, to switch to the external sound input, you need to press the DVD/VCR toggle button to VCR mode, change to channel 2, then press CH- (channel down). This is only the sound – you also need to switch your TV to the appropriate input source. Basically, you need a good universal remote control – be sure to get one with plenty of macro capability, such as the One For All/RadioShack Kameleon. And because the DVD/VCR button is a toggle, you first need to press the FM/AM button, then DVD/VCR, after which it always comes back in VCR mode. (OTOH, if you don’t have an external input source such as a digital cable box, you can get by quite easily using this unit’s built-in TV tuner).
That said, with a good universal remote, this unit is a real, real good buy, especially considering Panasonic’s attention to durability and quality. You will not be disappointed.
One thing to be aware of is that unlike most others, the subwoofer is the only speaker that is directly connected to the unit (via a 4m = ~13ft cable); the other speakers is wired to the subwoofer. The subwoofer requires external power.
To check price or purchase Panasonic SC-HT800V Progressive Scan DVD/VCR Home Theater System.
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Posted in DVD Home Theater | Tags: Cd Audio, Comcast, Composite Cables, Crt Hdtv, Disc Formats, Dvd Progressive Scan, Dvd Vcr, Fry S Electronics, Hdtv Converter, Home Theater System, Input Source, Mode Change, Panasonic Hdtv, Panasonic Vcr, Philips Lx3750w, Sound Input, Thin Lines, Toggle Button, Vcr Review, Zenith Xbs344
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