Panasonic SC-HT70 5-DVD Home Theater System

by Panasonic

Product Details

Product Manual [3.08mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 43 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005BICX
• Item model number: SC-HT70
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #218,745 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

For the ultimate in home theater convenience and flexibility, Panasonic has introduced a "system in a box" featuring a five-disc DVD changer and built-in Dolby Digital decoding. The SC-HT70 is great for any home theater environment, but compact enough for use in smaller rooms as well. This brings the "movie theater" experience to the living rooms or dens of even those with limited space.

Since everything needed for surround sound entertainment is included (just add TV), setup is simple. The "all in one" concept also ensures all the components are acoustically matched for optimum performance.

Boasting strong amplifiers to power the set's six included speakers, the system will let the soundtracks from movies and concert videos envelope you, fostering deeper emotional involvement in whatever program you're watching. Because one of those speakers is a subwoofer, this system can deliver the full benefits of 5.1-channel surround from DVDs or digital satellite broadcasts encoded in Dolby Digital.

The system can also generate six different listening environments with Sound Field Control. Options include Arena, Live, and Club, and any of the six can add a distinct flavor or mood to the audio.

The five-disc DVD changer--which can also play standard audio CDs--lets you store and enjoy your favorite movies at the touch of a button. Able to provide an evening's worth of film viewing or musical entertainment with no hassle, the changer is also ideal for the increasing number of multiple-DVD sets. A variety of playback options, including random play (disc or tray), repeat play (disc or track), and chapter programming let you customize your listening or viewing. Speedy access time helps minimize the lull between discs.

The system boasts great visual appeal with its silver front panel and rich-looking silver speakers designed to accent just about any room. The SC-HT70 combines the amplifier and DVD changer in one chassis.

Sound is delivered through a two-way center-channel speaker and four equal-sized satellite units, all of which can be placed anywhere in the room. Also included is a newly redesigned, freestanding subwoofer. This speaker, which includes a four-step level control, is smaller, sleeker, and more compact than earlier models, yet boasts the same powerful output.

Besides Sound Field Control, the system uses digital signal processing to optimize the sound for the primary listening area. An included universal remote control operates all receiver and DVD functions as well as most brands of TVs and satellite receivers.

The SC-HT70 pumps out a total of 240 watts of power to the six Dolby Digital channels.

Product Description

The SC-HT70 system is great for any home theater environment, but is compact enough for use in smaller rooms. This allows even those with limited space to bring the "movie theater" experience into their living room or den. Also, since everything needed for surround sound entertainment is included, set-up is simple. The "all in one" concept also ensures all the components are acoustically matched for optimum performance. Capable of delivering stunning surround sound, the SC-HT70 is equipped with a built-in 5-disc DVD/CD changer and a Dolby Digital processor. Sound is delivered through a two-way center speaker and four satellite units, all of which can be placed anywhere in the room. Also included is a newly redesigned, freestanding subwoofer. This speaker, which includes a four-step level control, is small, sleek and compact, yet boasts the same powerful output. Besides Sound Field Control, the system uses digital signal processing to optimize the sound for the primary listening area. An included universal remote control operates all receiver and DVD functions as well as most brands of TVs and satellite receivers. Boasting robust amplifiers to power the six included speakers, this system will envelope viewers in movie soundtracks. Because one of those speakers is a subwoofer, this system can deliver the full benefits of 5.1-channel surround from DVDs or digital satellite broadcasts encoded in Dolby Digital. The SC-HT70 pumps out 240 watts of power to the six Dolby Digital channels. The five-disc DVD changer - which can also play audio CDs - let users store and enjoy favorite movies at the touch of a button. Able to provide an evening's worth of film viewing or musical entertainment with no hassle, the changer is also ideal for the increasing number of multiple-disc DVD sets. A variety of play options, including random play (disc/tray), repeat play (disc/track) and chapter programming let users customize the experience.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great system for the price but some MP3 limitations., May 16, 2002

By 

Tim Ackley (Holt, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Panasonic SC-HT70 5-DVD Home Theater System (Electronics)

I bought this system Xmas 2001. ... There a few "nagging items" I'd of like done differently but overall I'm very pleased.

THE GOOD
1) Sounds great! The subwoofer & (5) satellite speakers are nice looking & compact. And the output is plenty for our 12' x 16' room.
2) Plays virtually ALL TYPES of CD's perfectly. I use DVD, CD-audio, CD-R & CD-RW with MP3s. I've encountered no skipping problems.
3) I plugged my existing CD changer & my HiFi VCR into it's RCA jacks. These components were integrated well.
4) 5.1 Dolby Digital DVD output.
5) DVD playback features are adequate. Picture quality is perfect (of course - it's digital).

THE BAD
1) No DVD zoom or similar features I've seen on other players. Not a real big deal to me...
2) No built-in DTS decoder. Again not a big deal to me as Dolby digital kicks!
3) It takes approx 5 sec to "read" a disc before any playback can begin.
4) There is no text display for MP3 files & the unit doesn't "chapter" folders the way some units I've seen will. For instance if you have individual albums in separate folders, you can't "chapter" from folder-to-folder. This unit only skips tracks although you can type in a "go-to" track #.

THE UGLY
1) Very slow disc changes. I timed it at about 12 sec. Almost best to consider it a single disc player.
2) MP3 playback seems to be limited to a MAXIMUM of 160 kbps encoding rate. This is annoying to me as I have many recordings at 192+ kbps and this unit will jump/skip at high bit-rates.
3) The unit tends to get hot seemingly due to it's "Energy Star" compliance that cycles the fan ON/OFF. I actually returned the 1st unit I'd purchased thinking the fan wasn't working. After getting the 2nd one and watching the fan, I realized it cycles. Take heed and install in a ventilated area with good air flow!

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glad I Waited !, August 4, 2001

By 

Mark Osborne (Brisbane Queensland Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Panasonic SC-HT70 5-DVD Home Theater System (Electronics)

The only reason I didn't purchase the scht-80 is because it wouldn't read audio CD-R's. I waited for the the scht-70 and have had it for a week, its a fantastic compact system with the same features as the scht-80 plus the ability to play CD-R's. DTS support is a bit confusing because some advertising I read says it supports DTS however in the manual it states it doesn't, and I have not had any DVD's with DTS to test it. Its not a problem as the Dolby Digital sound is amazing considering the size of the speakers. There is not much difference in the SFC (Sound Field Control) settings as a reviewer of the scht-80 found and the speakers are still hard wired but with plenty of length to get to the back of the room. Overall a terrific system that I would recommend to anyone, well done Panasonic.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful piece, October 28, 2001

By 

Camcorder Fan (Waukesha, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Panasonic SC-HT70 5-DVD Home Theater System (Electronics)

This is an excellent piece as long as u have a pretty smaller living room. The speakers are just 30W and are not all that powerful enough to deliver through out the hall though the clarity of the sound is great.Leaving the power of the speakers aside it has got all the positive points - MP3 plays with zero defect. The looks are lovely and relatively occupies lesser space and easy to connect and handle. I would suggest this piece for guys who do not love loud sound or with a smaller place to set.