Customer Reviews

Panasonic SC-BT230 5.1 Surround Sound System

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Panasonic's SC-BT230 is a vertitable jack-of-all-trades: this thing plays CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray Discs, but it also has a built-in iPod dock which is compatible with iPod, iPod Touch and iPhone for playback of music, photos *and* videos through your home theater system and TV. But wait, there's more! It also includes built-in amplification, five speakers and a subwoofer for discrete 5.1 channel surround sound, has on-board decoding of the latest audio codecs (DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD, etc.), does a nice job upconverting DVDs to 1080p resolution, streams Netflix, Amazon VOD and YouTube, and has a built-in FM tuner.

If you want to use it with a cable or satellite box, a TV's built in ATSC tuner or a gaming system, then just plug it into one of the unit's two fiberoptic digital inputs (for full 5.1 channel compatibility) or use the one analog stereo input. Set-up is pretty simple: the speaker wires are all included and all are terminated in proprietary, color-coded connectors that plug into the back of the main unit. I would have liked to see matching colors on the other ends of the cables as well as on the rear, center and surround channel speakers themselves, but hey, you can't have everything (I mean... where would you put it?). At least the speaker wires are labeled "+" and "-" so you won't be plugging in the speakers out of phase from each other (which can have a nasty effect on the sound). The only other cable you'll need is HDMI (not included) which connects the system to your HDTV. A composite video connection is also available for hooking the unit up to older analog TVs (though you'll only get standard def output this way). With the HDMI cable connected, set-up was a breeze as the TV and HTiB system communicated via VIERA Link (more on that later) to automatically set the screen shape (16:9) and resolution (1080p).

For a $399 packaged system (available even cheaper on Amazon) that includes a built-in Blu-ray player, the sound quality was much better than I expected. The bass is solid, if not really extended and there was very little thumpiness or boom. The tiny little center speaker actually does a pretty good job reproducing dialog and the main front and surround speakers (which are identical to each other, slightly smaller than the center speaker) can put out a surprisingly high volume level. "Avatar" on Blu-ray was a sonic and visual splendor with this system hooked up to a 46-inch VIERA 1080p HDTV. The spoken word was easily audible (whether in English or Na'vi), and the explosions and gun fire produced a deep rumble that actually made our floor shake a little bit. The built-in FM tuner was a bit thin-sounding with only average reception but for casual radio listening, it gets the job done.

Where the system has some flaws is in its actual operation, particularly if you start taking advantage of multiple inputs. Navigating iPod content, for example, is pretty tricky. Inserting the iPod into its dock and hitting the "iPod" button on the remote is simple enough, bringing up a music menu which lists things like playlists and artist selections on the big screen. The unit's remote can be used to navigate through the songs and other content on your iPod. But to get to the higher level iPod menu (where photos and videos are also available), you need to know to hit the "sub-menu" button on the remote. And if you do want to view iPod videos, then you need to hook up a separate composite video cable (included) to your TV. Also, selecting from the other inputs (other than Blu-ray) can be a chore. There is a little "Radio/Ext In" button on the remote that cycles through the available inputs. But it's slow to lock on incoming signals and the text that appears on the LCD readout on the front of the unit is fairly cryptic -- "DIG-IN-1" -- huh? You can also bring up a list of available inputs on the TV screen, but again, this option is not that easy to find.

And if you hook the unit up to a newer TV (from Panasonic or even other brands) with the HDMI cable, then the HDMI-CEC feature (called "VIERA Link" on the Panasonic) can be both a boon and a curse. HDMI-CEC can allow you to operate the functions of the HTiB from a TV's remote control (which is handy) but it also makes certain choices for you about how everything in the system should work together. For the most part, this is helpful (like when you insert a Blu-ray Disc and VIERA Link automatically switches the TV to the correct input) but in some cases, it's annoying, like if you want to listen to music on your iPod, and then you turn off the TV, it shuts down the receiver automatically. Doh. This can be disabled (or behavior modified) in either the HTiB or TV's set-up menu, but unsophisticated users might not be able to figure out what's going on.

Boot-up and loading speeds are a bit slower than we're used to seeing on current generation standalone Blu-ray players, but certainly faster than the early players. Also, a firmware update that we performed took longer than expected (maybe 15 minutes?) with very little indication of what was going on, other than a green flashing light and "SRD" on the display.

Network set-up for us via a wired cable was a breeze (sorry, no built-in WiFi). The player was able to get a dynamic address and DNS info set up automatically. Our very first connections to YouTube and Netflix went through without a hitch and soon we were streaming HD movies from Netflix for free (well, free with a Netflix DVD or Blu-ray rental plan that is). The "VIERA Cast" button on the remote goes right to the IPTV features (Netflix, YouTube, etc.) so those should be easy enough for people to find.

For a pretty small investment, this little HTiB system offers an excellent upgrade to a TV's built-in speakers, while also feeding your HDTV with some fine 1080p HD material on Blu-ray Disc as well as a number of web-based streaming options. Pandora internet music streaming is not available yet but should be coming in a future firmware upgrade. The operational idiosyncrasies are easy enough to get used to, once you figure them out. All in all, it's an excellent choice for a full-featured but inexpensive little home theater system.

The Panasonic SC-B230 is a decent product I have had this for about a week and put it through some paces. However my actual rating for this would be a 3 1/2 but since I cant seem to rate a half star here and the features of the unit I will give it the extra for the 4 star rating. You have a nice Blue Ray player which is backward compatible like the rest (DVD, CD etc) From the box to the Quick Guide to the User Manual, set up is easy and there are plenty of diagrams for those who are instructionally challenged (ie "instructions?? we dont need no instructions...I got a picture).

Set up is easy the wire and the input of the speaker are color coordinated. In fact the Speaker input to the unit is color coordinated preventing you from plugging the wrong speaker in the wrong slot. You really have to try to plug the rear to the front and vice verse. This is a plus and a minus - in my opinion. The idiot proofing great, however the end is a plug that is specific to the unit so if you need extra wire for a big room or you plan on using a larger gauge wire like a monster wire plan to cut and splice. Once everything is setup there is an on screen guide for a quick setup to hold your hand through it. If you wish to alter some things you can do easily through the menus. You can also boot sound to the sub and the rears from the menus.

When I opened the box and pulled everything out I look at the speakers and thought "There is no freakin way". They are small. How small? The center speaker is the largest, not counting the sub, is about an inch smaller than a 32oz Powerade on its side. The sub is about as long and wide as a shoe box and is about 3 inches taller than the same Powerade bottle. Doubtful and hesitant I hooked them up inserted Blue Ray version of Avatar. DAMN...I guess there was a freakin way. The sound is awesome, full and rich with just the right amount of bass. You may have to tweek the db levels to your liking (see above)but the sound is great for those little suckers. It is a 1000 watt system so if your planning of shaking and vibrating every window in the house it's not going to do it. If you want a good home theater experience, this will do it and for a nice price. It's not $1000 + system so don't expect it. It is worth the value though.

It has the option of connecting to your home network via a network cable or a USB adapter ( adapter sold separately (DY-WL10 $95 on Amazon)not sure if other USB Wireless adapters will work I haven't experimented that yet). I love this option You can access your Netflicks Instant Que if you have an account with them. Various customizable weather forecasts,You Tube, Vera Cast,etc. The system has the ability for the rear speakers to "wireless". This is semi-true. You have to purchase an additional piece of equipment (SH-FX71 Wireless Transmitter / Receiver, about $95 on Amazon) the rear speakers plug in to it so they are, for lack of a better term "Wirelessly wired??" The unit had the most up to date Firmware on it out of the box and the IPod/ITouch/Iphone docking is AWESOME. When the IPod option is selected you get an on screen menu choices and options, very slick. As an added bonus you can also insert an SD card and view contents on screen. Pretty cool. On top of this there is a built in FM Radio that works pretty well and you can have the system use just the front speakers or all of them, this is set up in the menu options ( see above)

So what are the cons - they are what I call minor major issues. Little things that, to me mean a lot. The remote. There is not an option for an Open / Close on it. There are four buttons for TV control, Power, Input and volume Up / Down. No big deal..wrong big deal. Unless its a Panasonic TV they are useless and as far as I can tell you cant change that. The power button, Vol Up / Down and the Open/Close buttons are on top of the unit. Personally I would like them else where. I powered it on and off several time accidentally setting it up. The equalizer has some preset settings and that's it. You cant adjust to your own liking or tweek them. They are what they are.

In a nut shell you get an SD Slot, USB Port for Wireless Network, a Wired Network Port (LAN) an HDMI Out, Composite Out, Composite In Right and Left, FM Port (small wire antenna included), 2 Digital Audio (optic) in. The Pros out weigh the cons so you see why I leaned to the 4 star it's a good system for the price. Movies, Xbox/360, PS/2/3 etc sound great. You get what you pay for but in this case I say you get a little more. I hope this helps in you decision whether for or against. didn't intend for it to be this lengthy but I wanted to inform as much as possible.

I received this item about 4 days ago. I absolutely love the sound. Watched some of Star Wars Episode III and the sound is incredible. Just like being in the theater. However, one of the reasons I purchased this item is that Panasonic's website lists it as having Pandora. This is not true as of the time I am writing this review. I wrote Panasonic about this and was told that there is no exact date yet when Pandora will be online. Also, for those of you interested in the twitter that it supposedly comes with. No twitter either. As for the youtube, that's pretty cool. Netflix is sort of lame, as you only get access to the instant queue and no recommendations. We have a PS3 with Netflix and the Netflix service on that seems to be more advanced.

Also, on Panasonic's website, it lists this model as having a 3.5 mm jack so you can use your MP3 player. Not true. The back of the unit has a composite audio in. Which I wasn't that upset about since I have a converter but still...

As for the ARC, you need an ARC supported TV for it to actually carry sound from the TV to the unit via an HDMI cable (this is listed on Panasonic's website). I didn't realize that when I bought it so now I have to get an optical cable. Not a huge loss.

I did consider returning the unit based on the above but am so pleased with the sound, however, that I am keeping it.

UPDATE

Not sure why I didn't notice this before but there is no dedicated button for subtitles on the remote. Also, there's no headphone jack. To listen to a blue ray through headphones, we have to mute the system and listen through our tv.

UPDATE 6/09/10

Pandora is here now with full functionality - ability to add stations right from your TV- and Twitter soon to follow. For sports fans, Fox Sports is coming soon and there's also tagesschau german news channel--in german.

I've owned a few of these $300 DVD home theater systems in the past. I've always noted how they sound like 5 little speakers and a sub. You get the highs and the clunky lows but the middle is always funky. When I plugged up this system and closed my eyes, the front speaker set and sub sounded like one cohesive unit. It sounded so nice, smooth, and complete. I'm totally happy with this system.

I replaced a 650 watt Onkyo system with this unit. While the Onkyo had less watts, the subwoofer was powered and was twice and large and heavy as the Pansonic Sub. The Onkyo's speakers were bigger and heavier as well. I was surprised that this Panny sounded as good as it did considering it is so much smaller than the Onkyo.
I guess those extra watts make a difference even though the speakers are tiny.

I had some problems setting this up initially where I was not getting sound from the DVD/BD and only from the TV. I changed one of the settings in the menu and it fixed everything. There was nothing in the manual that really guided me to check this, it was more trial and error.

Blu Ray movies are crisp and clear, sound is very good for the price and size. One word of caution if doing the firmware upgrade. I upgraded to the most recent version which took a long time, then the system went blank, I got a flashing green power light and the display read W OPE. It was like this for over 30 minutes, I unplugged the unit and plugged back in but still got the blinking green light and same message. The unit would not respond to any commands.

I left the unit like this and after some time, it turned off on its own. I powered it up and it was fine. Apparantly it was still in firmware upgrade mode all that time.

Update 12/11.
still works fine..the unit is a bit slow (not the bluray player portion) it can take up to 30 seconds for me to get sound when everything is turned on. Also, a bit annoyed that not all the APPS are still availabe through viera cast. Some of the apps that said COMING SOON when I got this unit a long time ago still say COMING SOON. Overall still pleased, mainly with the sound quality, it is slow and cumbersome at times to go between inputs but still pleased.

I am one that usually does not write reviews, but i was so impressed with this little unit I had to! Clearly this little home theater gives you a big sound out of very small speakers at an unbelievable price! The trick to this home theater system is setting it up properly. All HTIB factory settings are very flat sounding.Anyone that complains that this unit is not loud enough probably didn't take the time to set it up. Make sure you turn the speaker levels and the subwoofer up. The center speaker is very loud and clear so you may want to turn it down a bit. I turn the built in EQ to heavy sometimes I change this setting depending on what I am listening to, power bass on, center focus on. In the menu setup I changed the rear speaker setting to have constant sound coming to the rear speakers. Surround settings I set to standard so if you are watching a blue ray or DVD or direct tv it will encode the best possible signal. I sampled Avatar and Batman on blue ray and was blown away with the action scenes!This unit does a nice job upscaling regular DVD to a better picture quality as well. I am not telling you that this is the top of the line piece of equipment, but for the money this unit hands down beats its competition and should satisfy most regular home listeners.

I heard a similar Panasonic system at Sears. Found it on Amazon for $[...] bucks less than anywhere else and free shipping. The speakers are not Yamahas, which I have owned, but are excellent for being so small. Would not hesitate to recommend it to a friend. My 13 year old grandson watched Iron Man 2 on the blue ray player and was wowed by the surround sound.

After setting up this unit I used it for a couple of days and it worked great for the price. I then got smart and went online and saw that there was a firmware upgrade. I installed the upgrade and after about 30 minutes it finished and all seemed fine. Then I started noticing that at random the unit would shut off as I was watching TV. There is nothing in the manual that addresses this issue. So I though I will call technical support. Good Luck. I have yet to find a telephone number or email address to ask this question. I am happy with the unit but wish I had never performed the upgrade.

This is my first review of a product, but since I relied on other user reviews for this unit, wanted to add my thoughts.I am experienced in home theater, and have put together many audio/video systems. My last install was a dedicated home theater, with front projector, custom 96-inch screen, Magnepan speakers and multiple amplifiers...obviously I didn't expect that kind of performance from this system, and you shouldn't either. I installed this with and on-wall flat screen, and was VERY pleasantly surprised...just keep in mind that this is a very inexpensive all-in-one.

First off, if you are looking to purchase this, understand that at this price point ($220-300), there is little competition. The Samsungs have spaceship-looking speakers that don't mix with most decors. The Sony units are nice, but don't pack the features this unit does.

We love this Panasonic, but it does have it's shortcomings;

Pros-Small form factor, bamboo drivers in satellites sound better than competitor's, Ipod dock, Feature-packed for this price-point. Some flexibility for future upgrades (wireless internet/extra rear surrounds, etc.)No 3-D...this is a plus, since it would add alot to the price, and nobody wants to wear those nausea inducing $100 glasses every time they watch a show. (We audio/video geeks are dorky enough...we don't need no stinking glasses)

Cons-Sub is compact, but boomy-single-note type and there is NO adjustment for the crossover point. This is a SERIOUS omission on Panasonic's part! It would not add much to the cost of producing, and could help to seemlessly blend the speaker's audio output. Remote is a cluttered mess and not backlit. Instruction manual needs to be re-written for humans. THE WORST design flaw is the propietary speaker inputs. You will HAVE to splice wire for all but the smallest rooms, (PLEASE use wire nuts and at least 18-gauge speaker wire...the lower number speaker wire gauge/ the thicker. The thicker-the better) Okay, now this may be nit-picking, but could Panasonic not use bright silver on their speaker logos...it would make many-a-wife happier.)

My suggestions to Panasonic;
Ditch the speaker inputs, lose the passive sub & add a powered subwoofer, contract Logitech to build your remotes, add VUDU and Hulu to your internet lineup and you'd have a winner that your competitors couldn't touch. Granted, it would cost more, but I'd pay it...and I bet alot of other people would too.

BUT...this is a blazing deal... for the price of mid-level Blu-ray player, you get the player, receiver, decent-sounding 5.1 speaker system and internet apps.!!!

I am extremely happy with this purchase. I bought the smaller unit to save some money since I also bought a new plasma TV to pair it with. I felt like I was settling for less and was a bit uneasy. The speakers are very small - and I was even more wary about replacing my old receiver and speakers after opening the box. But the sound is stunning for such a small set. I've been using the sound system for a week, but only paired it with my new Panny plasma TV three days ago. Its a great system.

I also bought the wireless adapter and have used Viera cast through both the TV and the BT230. Streaming through the BT230 is better quality and watching Netflix on my 50 inch screen is fabulous. It shows a very crisp and smooth picture. Regular DVDs (even lesser quality anime discs) look very, very good.

I'm blown away. Granted, I upgraded from a 32 inch LCD TV to a 50 inch plasma - so much of my awe and wonder is picture size alone. But the whole package makes for a great set-up. No regrets at all.