Customer Reviews

Philips HTS3371D/F7 DVD Home Theater with 1080P HDmi Upconversion

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

What a great sound system. Fully capable Dolby Digital ProLogic II surround sound (meaning the speakers can independently play the correct sound on each one depending on the program whether it's a DVD or TV show broad casted in Dolby Digital Surround sound and HDTV.) Put in a Dolby 5.1 surround sound capable DVD or TV show and it sounds like you're sitting in a movie theater. You will hear things in shows you've watched before that you never know were even there. It's amazing, and this unit delivers.

Couple of things you will need - an optical audio cable for premium sound. (RCA's not only won't sound nearly as good but I don't believe they will allow the Dolby Digital 5.1 to work properly.) Also, you'll want to buy a HDMI cable to hook up the unit for DVD playing. The optical cable, assuming your TV or cable box is capable, is a necessity. I used RCA audio cables for a few days before buying an Optical audio cable and the difference is night and day.

Also, the rear speaker wire isn't really long enough to properly mount the two rear speakers where they need to go. I bought an extra roll of speaker wire and lengthened them so that I could mount them up on my walls, running them through the attic, under about six feet of carpet, and to my 46" Samsung 1080p LCD TV, with all of the wires hidden. All of the speakers have a plug on the end so even if they are long enough for your application you'll have to drill a 3/4" hole in the wall to route them through your attic. Or you can just cut the wire, run it through, then splice it all back together.

I'm a beginner at this stuff, first time I've ever done ANY wiring and only the second time I've ran wires through my attic. It took a few hours but it was well worth it. The extra 100 feet of speaker wire only cost me about $10 dollars (didn't use all 100 feet obviously) and an eight foot Optical cable was about $15. An HDMI cable will run you about $40 dollars for a six foot cable. But if you have an HDTV, you MUST use an HDMI cable for the DVD player and you MUST use an Optical cable for the sound. If not, you might as well just stick with your TV speakers you already have.

One thing - Comcast universal remotes do NOT support this unit, which was a big turnoff for me personally. Instead of being able to control everything with a single remote I now have to use the Philips remote just to control the sound. But again, with the absolute superb sound, quality of the entire unit, and ease of install, it is well worth it all.

If I had to describe this unit in one sentence I would say it is sound in HD, just as HDTV is video in HD. I gave it five stars for sure but if I could change anything I would make the "plugs" on the end of the speaker wires removable (for routing through walls,) make it compatible with a Comcast remote, and that's about it. Otherwise, it's very well-priced...a ridiculous value really...you get your moneys worth and then some, very easy to install (unless you're like me and you want ALL of your wires hidden, which requires a bit more labor but is still VERY easy.) I looked into wireless rear speakers and not only are they extremely expensive ($500+ or more) but they interfere with wireless Internet connections and the sound quality is compromised by interference. Wired is the ONLY way to go and Phillips delivers!!

I bought this on the internet, but Model HTS3372 at Wall Market is the same and even better value now. We had trouble understanding what people were saying in movies on our LCD TV, before we bought this. Now we can hear clearly at much lower sound level. The kids can now watch a movie and hear it while we play cards just a few feet away in the kitchen. The remote controls the iPod also so we can skip to the next song if we want. The included DVD player works great. The small speakers make it easy to install without taking over your whole room. The small wire easily slides under the carpet without showing so that you can install the rear speakers. The plug in on the end of the speaker wire can easily be removed with a toothpick and then replaced after you run the wire under the carpet. My wife who is not into such things normally just loves it because it sounds so good and is easy to hear even when turned down low.

I bought this Home Theater because I already had some Philips computer speakers, so I knew this is a good brand in terms of audio electronics performance.

In summary, I can tell you that this system is awesome: it is very loud, and it looks much more pretty than in pictures, both the speakers and the console. There are some nice rounded egdes for the speakers and the bass is bigger than shown in pictures. The speaker cables are long and transparent, so it shouldn't be a problem when setting them up across the room. The iPod docking station works pretty good and the DVD upconversion is a nice feature too.

I bought this mainly because I really like music, so I got this connected to a Creative Labs SB1090 USB Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017QQQAE/ref=ox_ya_oh_product) via an optical TOSLink Cable. The sound is just amazing, with clear sound and a very powerfull, non-distorted bass, which is very important to me.

It is very nice to have the opcion to switch to 5-Channel stereo, so you can listen your MP3s using the 5 speakers.

All my friends and even my dad (which is not into the technology thing) has seen and listen this system and they said they are planning on getting one for themselves.

I really recommend this product to anyone.

I received this stereo/DVD system as a wedding gift and have since hooked it up to my TV and blue ray for awesome surround sound. It is easy to assemble, I am not very good at assembling things and I had everything together in about 30 minutes. This comes with adequate amounts of small wire for my living room (about 20'X25') and is a very versatile product. I plan to run through the ceiling and mount the speakers but haven't gotten around to it. The buttons are really easy to use and although there may be a couple second delay when switching sources, I have noticed that with many electronics that have multiple sources and it doesn't bother me.

THis product's sound is amazing! I have never had it past level 20, and I don't think my house or my ears can take much more than that- I have turned it on pretty loudly and walked outside my house just to see if I can hear it through my walls- I can. It's loud!

Also it's super easy to set up Ipod-either using the deck which charges it, OR just using the aux port. Both worked great for me.

This product is also a great DVD player, no complaints about that. Don't notice too much of a difference between my blu ray player and this on my 42 inch plasma. I used it with both an RCA cable and a HDMI cable. My untrained ears/eyes didn't notice a huge difference between the two. HDMI will give you better audio and video quality. An HDMI cable does NOT come with this set-up.

This is far better than other units I've researched and tested before recently purchasing this locally.
(a great deal at a wholesale club)

I purchased this more for the 5.1 surround abilities than anything else, the best sound for the best price was the deciding factor -- But the extra features made this one of the best purchases I've made since my 70 inch Samsung TV.

The sound quality through optical cable or other connections is just flawless.
It's well beyond the price range I paid or listed here and I replaced an expensive Aiwa system.
This may sound like an ad, (I just read it over, it does) but I was impressed with this units perfectly silent silence, powerful rumbling bass, clear treble and speech, no perceptible distortion even in very loud THX-certified audio-tests, and it really brings my HD media and games to life!

Philips actually improved this model since it was released so be sure to upgrade your firmware.
The update is free and very easy to install, just go to their site and look up the product number.

There are a few things reviewed as negatives that I simply didn't see during either my setup or use:

A - No Independent Subwoofer Volume?
Under Audio Setup - Select Speaker Volume. All speakers including the Subwoofer are adjustable. A White-noise tone is even generated to make adjusting and balancing each speaker easier.

B - iPod Dock - Awful? Other connectivity . . .
I had no problem with this, and it even adapts to a variety of iPod types with an adjustable locking dock to fit them all. You can update your iPod settings, but this works perfectly and even lets you control it. This is also compatible with HDMI-CEC/Anynet that lets all your devices work together. For instance, my TV can put the sound system into standby when it's turned off, or turn on the TV when turned on, and they are from different companies. It also includes an FM radio, which surprised me as much as the incredible sound quality.

C - DivX and 'Windows Media' - Who uses those ?
These are common formats with free converters available. This even supports DivX Ultra which has some of the highest compression and quality. It even converts CD's to MP3's right on the unit.

D - No Headphones?
There is no headphone jack but I never expected one on a Home Theater System. TVs often have that option, but there is not one built-in here. I guess this is important to some but you could never reproduce this quality plugging 2.0 stereo headphones into a 5.1 Home Theater System.

E - No EQ adjustment whatsoever?
There is an Equalizer built right in. There are multiple presets and a special 'night mode' that dynamically adjust for later viewing. In addition every detail from individual speaker volume, audio sync and even speaker delay is adjustable. Just press 'sound' on the remote for easy selection.

I'd recommend this to anyone looking to spend less than $200 for a sound system you won't regret buying or listening to. Even at less than half the maximum rated volume you're either going to have to live in your own house with no neighbors, or they'll wish you did!

Pro's: Everything* Really. The sound quality and features are great and impressive.
Con's: I bought the last one and they didn't have a second one to give as a gift.

* Sheer Audio quality & Subwoofer power may move structures off their foundations at volumes above 30!

Absolutely Five Stars!

When I moved last year I sold my surround sound system which included Cerwin Vega tower speakers with 10 inch woofers in them. Being without a sound system for nearly a year, one could imagine how glad I was to finally have a new one. I was very worried that this little thing might not be powerful enough, with it's small speakers and all, but I trusted the 1000 watt promise and great reviews on this and other similar units and even wondered if despite the great reviews this unit could handle the extremely large living room we have with vaulted ceilings, and the answer is that it's more than capable. Currently renting with the landlord living below us, I've actually had to lower the woofer settings and can't even take the volume up to halfway because I don't want to create any problems. The other night we watched District 9 with the volume close to halfway and the landlord's daughter knocked on our door asking if we could turn it down! The small speakers pack a big punch and won't take up even a tenth of the room my Vegas did. There's also a very reasonable amount of speaker wire and setting up the unit is a breeze with everything being color-coded. The best part of this unit (and the main reason I chose Philips) is the USB port which will allow you to watch downloaded movies directly from it. No more burning DVDs or running cables from my laptop to watch movies from it on my TV. All this for under $200!

This may not be the best out there but it preforms well in my house. I love the iPod dock! You can control it from the remote and that is a plus feature for me cause I love my iPod. It has a great sound for it's price point. I don't actually use it for the dvd feature but I have and it worked beautifully! It's a pretty basic player no to frilly or fancy and it would certainly not be a fitting piece for an audiophile but for the average person its a nice accompaniment to your tv and blu-ray player. The volume can get up there so there is no lack of sound not matter how low I set it. At level 3 I can hear the tv crystal clear. You won't be disappointed with this purchase. It may not be Bose but it works!

This system used proprietary connectors that according to their customer service you are unable to buy anywhere, not even from them. So if you have a living room that is larger than their cables will reach... or if you try to run the cables along the wall you may be out of luck. The only solution (provided by customer care representative) is to splice the wires which voids the warranty. I for one will never buy another philips product after this.

I purchased this home theater at Costco and assumed I got a faulty unit. When you change sources (from auxiliary to DVD) you lose volume control and need to restart the unit. It is also very slow to recognize discs.
I exchanged it for another system and had the exact same problem. Two returned units. What a disappointment.

I was looking for a home theater system for my apartment living room (12'x12') that wasn't hundreds of dollars, and had a receiver that would allow me to adjust individual speakers (especially the sub-woofer), so I wouldn't bother my neighbors. For the price, this system appeared to be a great value, and it didn't disappoint me! The "night" sound setting is very appropriate for an apartment environment, but I still had to crank down the woofer a few ticks to not disturb my neighbors. I am very pleased with the sound quality. The speakers and receiver/DVD-player look handsome, unlike some other speaker systems in this price range. My only complaint is about the method by which the individual speaker volume settings are adjusted. You must switch to DVD mode to access the setup menu (not surprising), but what's annoying is that you cannot adjust individual speakers while a DVD is playing (you CAN adjust the volume of the entire system while the DVD is playing, of course). You must stop the DVD completely (press "Stop" button twice), then the menu item for adjusting the speaker volume becomes enabled and you can proceed with adjusting each speaker volume. Even though the receiver does send "white noise" to the specific speaker that you are adjusting, it would have been more helpful if you could make these adjustments while a DVD was playing (more realistic sound than "white noise"). But this was a very minor annoyance, and almost not worth mentioning, but others may want to know this before purchasing. Once I adjusted each speaker to my liking, I never had to mess with these settings again. So, it was a one-time annoyance. Overall, I am very pleased with this home theater system and I feel it is an excellent value! Thanks, Phillips!