Panasonic SC-BT200 1000W 7.1 Channel Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Sound System

by Panasonic

Product Details

• Item Weight: 20 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 35 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0021YZ4EK
• Item model number: SC-BT200
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,870 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

From the Manufacturer Manufacturer's Description (June 20, 2009)
In order to truly appreciate the Blu-ray Disc experience, many have to upgrade the audio portion of their system. Recognizing this, Panasonic created their Home Theater Systems. Bundling a Blu-ray Disc player, AV receiver, and speakers, the SC-BT200 makes it easy for you to step up to Blu-ray and to 7.1 channel, 1000-Watt surround sound for incredible home cinema. Easy to set up, the SC-BT200 offers a high quality picture, dynamic and clear sounds, easy operation, advanced networking and connectivity, and plenty more. 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 complete Blu-ray home theater system. Click to enlarge.

Premium Sound Quality
With features like front and center Bamboo Cone Speakers, a Kelton Subwoofer, and a simple setup process, the SC-BT200 delivers 1000 Watts of 7.1 channel sound in a snap. Speakers include:

• Home Theater Mode: Total Output Power of 1000W
• Front: 125W x 2 (1 kHz, 3 ohms, 10% THD)
• Center: 125W (1 kHz, 3 ohms, 10% THD)
• Surround: 125W x 2 (1 kHz, 3 ohms, 10% THD)
• Surround Back: 125W x 2 (1 kHz, 3 ohms, 10% THD)
• Subwoofer: 125W (100 Hz, 3 ohms, 10% THD)

High-Def Audio
Feautures a high definition audio decoder (Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio Essential) to take advantage of the exceptionally high quality 7.1 channel surround sound now integrated in Blu-ray Discs.

View rear connections. Click to enlarge.

A Kelton subwoofer delivers 125 Watts of booming low-end.

All the benefits of Blu-ray plus up-conversion for DVDs.

Universal iPod Dock
Charge your iPod and enjoy your favorite tunes with the SC-BT200's built-in Universal iPod Dock. Enjoy full music and video playback, and view a full title list and on screen display of your iPod's contents.

BD Live and BonusView
Take full advantage of interactive features like downloadable video content, ringtones, games and more. Download additional content from the internet or even chat with friends when watching the same movie.

Format-Friendly
Play back Blu-ray discs, DVDs, and CDs, whether retail or writeable/re-writeable; enjoy your favorite high-def JPEG photos from disc or SD Card, complete with slideshows/transition effects. You can even enjoy AVCHD, MPEG2 and MP3 content from disc or SD Memory Cards.

SD Memory Card
Like all Panasonic Blu-ray players, the SC-BT200 features an SD Memory Card slot that allows the consumer to view and share digital photos, as well as HD video recorded on a SD card.

PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus
The PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus is a high quality image-processing technology that precisely processes each pixel of the Blu-ray Disc video signal in the vertical direction. It reproduces color data with twice the accuracy of conventional systems, resulting in faithful and sharp colors.

4:4:4 Technology
In order to produce the ultimate picture quality, Panasonic's Blu-ray players employ high precision 4:4:4 signal technology, which working in tandem with PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus processes each pixel of the Blu-ray Disc video signal in the horizontal direction, to compliment vertical direction processing. P4HD (Pixel Precision Progressive Processing for HD) is another technology that contributes to the superior picture quality of the Blu-ray players. P4HD processes more than 15 billion pixels per second and applies the optimal processing to every pixel. Panasonic's Blu-ray players further utilize 16-level motion detection to categorize the image motion of each pixel into one of 16 levels; diagonal processing to detect diagonals and correct the pixels accordingly; 1080p up-conversion to up-convert content recorded in the 480i/p or 720p format to 1080p. The Blu-ray players also provide 1080/24p output, thereby reproducing cinema images from a Blu-ray Disc and DVD in their original 24p form with no need for conversion. This allows the user to enjoy cinema images in the same format used in cinema with a 1080/24p compatible TV.

VIERA CAST
VIERA CAST technology is now available in Panasonic's 2009 Blu-ray players. The internet enabled technology lets the consumer access the internet without the need of either an external box or a PC and enjoy entertainment from sites like Amazon VOD, YouTube, Google's Picasa Web Album, Bloomberg and more. The DMP-BD70V also includes an SD Memory card slot and USB slot, so you can view and share both digital still images and HD video recorded with an HD camcorder in the AVCHD format.

VIERA Link
With VIERA Link, you can control your compatible Panasonic DVD recorder, Blu-ray Disc player, home theater sound system and HD camcorder, all with a single remote and helpful on-screen menus. VIERA Link is a function that lets you easily operate various AV devices that are interconnected with your VIERA TV, using only the VIERA remote control. You can choose the connection method--either an HDMI cable or a LAN cable--to match your devices and applications. You don't have to keep switching remotes to operate each device, so there's no more hassle and operation is easier than ever. Networking your devices with VIERA Link adds both convenience and fun to AV entertainment.

What's in the Box
Panasonic SC-BT200 system, Remote control (batteries included), FM antenna, AC power supply cord, two speaker stands, speaker cables, two speaker bases, AM loop antenna, Auto speaker setup microphone

Product Description

HDTV is easy. Home-Theater sound systems used to be hard but Panasonic has made it easier than pie (ready-made pie). Blu-ray extends beyond HDTV in sound. HDTV has 5.1-channel ability but Blu-Ray offers 7.1 channels. The SC-BT200 boasts seven speakers to envelop viewers in a remarkably true-to-life surround sound experience. The front and center channel speakers are made with a bamboo diaphragm which provides a tightly intertwined fiber to deliver greater rigidity and accuracy, resulting in clear reproduction of sounds over a wide frequency range, from massive explosions to metallic clangs. The subwoofer features a Kelton system with a dual diameter structure to deliver a deep powerful bass. The Smart Set-up guide uses the help of GUI navigation to allow users to set up their SC-BT200 home-theater system for optimum performance. The result is being able to stay at home while enjoying a thrilling, incredibly lifelike audio performance that rivals a movie theater. The appeal of Panasonic Blu-ray products goes beyond the breathtaking pictures and sound; the networking functions open the door to new kinds of entertainment fun. The SC-BT200 can connect to the Internet for downloading bonus content available with Blu-ray Discs and for playing Internet games via BD-Live. This connectivity is further enhanced with the addition of VIERA-Cast. VIERA-Cast integrates the Amazon Video-on-Demand (VOD) online movie rental service. The Amazon VOD service joins other content options already available on VIERA-Cast, including videos from You Tube, access to online photos via Picasa Web Albums, financial information from Bloomberg News, as well as local weather updates. The possibilities are virtually endless. It comes with a Universal Dock for iPod, making it easy for iPod users to play their favorite music or video downloads. This system is also Green-friendly. It has a power-save mode to protect the green.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Small Price, Big Sound!, July 9, 2009

By 

Chris Boylan "MrBoylan" (Astoria, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic SC-BT200 1000W 7.1 Channel Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Sound System (Electronics)

It's a crying shame that many people who plunk down their hard earned cash on a flat panel HDTV never bother to add a high quality sound system, or even attach a true high definition 1080i or 1080p source. Some are put off by the added expense, some by the complexity of setting it all up. Panasonic's SC-BT200 Blu-ray Home Theater system addresses all of these issues: it's inexpensive, easy to set up and offers full 1080p high definition Blu-ray playback with matching high definition surround sound. And I didn't even mention the integrated iPod dock or IPTV features! (OK, I did now).

This year's crop of Blu-ray HTiB (home theater in a box) systems from Panasonic, the SC-BT200 and its big brother the SC-BT300 have made big improvements over last year's more basic models, while lowering the cost of admission. The SC-BT200 under review here supports BD-Live (BD-ROM Profile 2.0), and offers excellent DVD upconversion as well as sweet sweet 1080p Blu-ray playback. If you like to get your content online, the built-in VIERA Cast feature allows you to view streaming videos from YouTube or Amazon, online photo albums from Picasa, stock quotes and local weather info. Also, almost unheard of at this price point, the BT200 and BT300 include on-board decoding of all the latest "HD" surround sound codecs, including multi-channel PCM, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio and DTS-HD Master Audio.

And unlike similar systems from Samsung and others, the BT200 and BT300 come with 7.1 channels right out of the box for the most immersive surround experience. We were surprised how good these little speakers and their matching subwoofer sounded, considering how small they are. And in case set-up and calibration seems like too daunting a task, both systems come with color-coded speaker wires of varying length (10 feet for the fronts, 26 feet for the sides, 40 feet for the rears) to make it as easy as possible to connect all the speakers. and once they are all plugged in, you can use the included microphone and auto-calibration software to set all the speaker levels and delays automatically (it's like having a geeky friend come over with his sound meter, but without having to share your beer and pizza with him as payment).

As far as connections go, this really isn't an "A/V receiver," in fact the unit's receiver doesn't have any video inputs other than the integrated iPod dock. But if you have a Wii, PS3, XBox or HD cable or satellite box you can connect the video outputs of these to your TV directly and use one of the BT200's two analog or digital inputs for the sound. This means you can get true 5.1 or 7.1 channel surround sound from your cable, satellite or over the air HD tuners, in addition to the built in CD/DVD/Blu-ray Disc player.

If you like to carry your music and iTunes videos around with you on an iPod, you'll love the integrated iPod dock which pops right out of the center of the BT200 or BT300's faceplate. While you're listening to your iTunes or watching iTunes videos on your big screen (and controlling all the action with the BT200's remote), your iPod is replenishing its internal battery with the built-in charger. As far as iPod compatibility, the BT200 will work with pretty much any iPod other than the shuffle with its non-standard pin outs. The iPhone is not officially certified, but if you put it in "airplane" mode, it will work fine with the BT200.

The system does have some limitations: there's only so loud and so deep you can get with a sub-$500 system, and some of the video processing (including noise reduction) is weaker than in Panasonic's standalone Blu-ray players. But for its price, the BT200 offers an impressive mix of performance, features and convenience. Highly recommended!

BTW, if you want something with a little more power, the SC-BT300 offers slightly higher power output, and larger, more powerful speakers for the front left, right and center channels.

A complete review of the SC-BT200 is available on Big Picture Big Sound (dot com).

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SC-BT200 vs. SC-BT300, December 23, 2009

By 

Michael J. Marziale (Dayton, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Panasonic SC-BT200 1000W 7.1 Channel Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Sound System (Electronics)

SC-BT200
Sound Quality: B+
Blu-Ray: A
DVD: A+
Volume: B+
Features: A-
Setup: B
Ease of Use: A+ (viera link)

SC-BT300
Sound Quality: A+
Blu-Ray: A
DVD: A+
Volume: A+
Features: A-
Setup: B
Ease of Use: A+ (viera link)

Through an odd confluence of events, pricing, and holiday discounts, I have had the good fortune to get a good deal on Panasonic's SC-BT200, then return it for a great deal on the SC-BT300. When I first started looking at HTIB systems, I was considering both of these, and having a hard time deciding on which one to buy. So, I thought I would write up a comparison review for anyone in a similar situation.

First, let me preface this by saying that I was thrilled with both systems. The blu-ray player performs beautifully, you get an amazing amount of volume out of these tiny little speakers, and the sound quality is superb. That being said, based on performance alone, the SC-BT300 is the definitive winner, without question.

The most obvious difference between these two systems are the tall boy left front and right front speakers that come with the SC-BT300. Now as I said before, the speakers that come with the 200 perform very well, and I was quite happy with the sound that I was getting from them. They cannot, however, hold a candle to the superior sound quality produced by the 300's tall boys. The difference is definitely noticeable. This difference is increased by the fact that the 300 comes with a better center speaker (250W) than the 200 does (125W). This difference is self evident as soon as you pickup up each center speaker. The 300's is definitely heavier. Finally, the 300 also comes with a similarly juiced up (250W vs. 125W) subwoofer. This detail is probably somewhat unnecessary, as I got room shaking bass out of the 200's sub, but it is still worth mentioning when comparing the two. The rest of the speakers are, as far as I can tell, exactly identical. They do a good job of providing that beautiful, immersive sound one would expect from a 7.1 system, while still being tiny, easily hidden, and easily mountable.

While I imagine there are likely some internal differences between the two receiver units to accommodate the differences in the speaker setup, they are minimal. From an interface standpoint, the two are exactly the same. Both come with the same power supply, and my DVD's and Blu-Ray's look identical coming through either player. If there is any difference in the receiver, I would say that it is negligible.

Now, the one area that the 200 does have a distinct advantage over the 300 is required space. Make no mistake, the Tall Boy speakers are big, 3' tall with a 10" diameter base. So you will need some room to set these up. If you are in a cramped family room, or a small apartment, you might prefer the 200, simply because it is more compact. And it does still produce excellent sound quality, it's just not as outstanding as the 300. When I originally made my purchase decision, the 300 was also around $75.00 more than the 200, so cost is something to bear in mind as well. Having experienced both, however, I would tell you to go with the 300, and if there is a significant price difference between the two, keep an eye on them and wait for the 300 to go on sale.

Finally, I would like to address some complaints that I have heard about the receivers having a lack of inputs. No, there are no video inputs on the back of the receiver. However, I do not understand why this is an issue. I have a PS1, PS2, PS3, VCR, and Dreamcast all running into my television as normal, then I have the TV connected to the receiver through a digital audio out Toslink connection. The sound comes through my system for all of them. It is unnecessary to running anything else to the receiver, just run it to the TV like you normally would. You shouldn't encounter any problems.

As an aside, it is also worth noting that if you already own a Panasonic TV, the Viera Link systems works extremely well and does a great job of simplifying your life. Just another variable to consider.

So, at the end of the day, which one do I recommend? Hands down the SC-BT300. Consider the 200 if space is really tight, but otherwise you will be happier stepping up to the better system.

Here's a link to the SC-BT300:
Panasonic SC-BT300 1250W 7.1 Channel Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Sound System

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Fantastic!, August 10, 2009

By 

DiabeticMan (Wichita, KS, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Panasonic SC-BT200 1000W 7.1 Channel Blu-ray Disc Home Theater Sound System (Electronics)

I got this baby at the same time I ordered the Panasonic 50g10 plasma television. The sound is incredible, but like some of the other reviewers have said, there are certainly better sound systems, but for the money I have no complaints. I read several expert reviews that gave very positive evaluations and that was it for me. I also heard the sound it produced at couple of retail stores, and that sealed it for me. Of course Blue Ray is awesome, but frankly I think the upconverting on the DVDs are fabulous too. The speakers are really small, which I wanted. Some may prefer the extra power of the BT-300, I thought about it too, but the extra power is not needed for me. If only it were wireless, but at the price on this unit it is more than I anticipated. Really makes having a great television a very enjoyable home theater system. Very easy to unpack and hook up. Highly recommended.