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The most helpful favorable review
The most helpful critical review
101 of 102 people found the following review helpful:
Good,,for htib
NOTE: I HAVE ADDED ADDENDUMS TO THIS REVIEW, MAKE SURE AND READ THE COMMENTS
A search of the internet will quickly reveal many in the audiophile community bashing "home theater in a box" (htib) systems like this, and many of their entirely valid criticisms of such systems apply to this unit, but it has a lot of redeeming qualities too that make me overall convinced...
Published 20 months ago by someguy
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45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
Great quality, but not user friendly
SC-BT100 surround sound & blu-ray review
As far as watching a movie, the SC-BT100 is top notch, and I highly recommend it for it's quality. But there are many things I would change about it, mostly user-friendly issues:
1. It shows a green glow around the volume knob on the main unit. It's so bright and big, it could be a distraction to some...
Published 17 months ago by Mark A. Mills
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101 of 102 people found the following review helpful:
Good,,for htib, June 23, 2008
NOTE: I HAVE ADDED ADDENDUMS TO THIS REVIEW, MAKE SURE AND READ THE COMMENTS
A search of the internet will quickly reveal many in the audiophile community bashing "home theater in a box" (htib) systems like this, and many of their entirely valid criticisms of such systems apply to this unit, but it has a lot of redeeming qualities too that make me overall convinced that this is a good buy for anyone whose needs match what it provides. Also it is a pretty high end htib so the sound quality will exceed what many would expect. A quick word on settings: This unit comes with a number of effects such as surround enhancement and some pre set EQ settings. Don't use them. Maybe turn down the sub a bit and turn up the center channel, but your goal with movies is to ACCURATELY reproduce the sound as it was intended to be heard. Keep everything flat and you will hear how the movie was meant to sound. That's how I know this is a quality htib: It sounds good with everything flat)
This is a good system for what it is, namely a way to get both blu-ray and 5.1 surround in one convenient and affordable package. The rear speakers are wireless, as in there is a second amp that connects wirelessly to the main amp so you don't have to run cables from the front to back of the room although you do have to run cables from the second amp to the rear speakers. The rears are very light and thus easy to mount on the wall, and I don't worry about that lack of weight too much because surrounds really don't need much power as they just add effects. The fronts and center are much beefier and are two-ways with what appears to be real crossovers so that's pretty good for a home theater in a box. The subwoofer is (unfortunately) passive but its driver is bamboo so I don't think it has the paper-driver problems of other htibs. It seems to cross over at a decent point as the bass stays properly nondirectional. All in all, in my fairly small room it sounds really great for me, and it's pretty cool how it has all the latest surround decoders including Dolby trueHD and DTS HD.
All that said, this system definitely has some typical htib limitations: It has proprietary speaker connections so you can't use other wire without splicing. You can, however, use other speakers because the speakers themselves use standard connections (only the amp-end connection is proprietary). You can also expand to 7.1 sound either by another proprietary (and wireless) panasonic amp or the unit actually does have wired surround outputs so that you can plug in other amps and speakers for the front and back surrounds. However, the proprietary wire is permanently implanted in the subwoofer and naturally there's no way to get a nonamplified subwoofer signal out of this amp so even with some wire splicing ability I doubt you could add a powered sub. So you could upgrade the speakers but not the sub. But again all the included stuff sounds very good so I don't regard this as a dealbreaker.
In addition to a passive, nonupgradeable subwoofer and the inability to use your own speaker wire (although you can use your own speakers), the unit is VERY skimpy on inputs. No HDMI passthru, and only ONE toslink/SPDIF in, and one conventional component audio in. This means that, unless you get a switch or are willing to swap out, you can only use one source other than blu-ray with which there will be "true" surround sound. This is a problem for me because my TV does not allow the SPDIF out to output any audio except for the ATSC tuner (copyright issue) and I have both a cable set top box and an xbox 360 that I want to get surround sound from. Remember, if you plug standard RCA stereo plugs into this thing you will not get real surround, just pro logic type matrix encoded stuff.
All in all, this is still a good buy. These days you can get a 42 inch lcd 1080p tv for about $1000, and you can get this system for about $1000, and you'll have a complete home theater with display, sound, and blu ray player (which is a good final standard profile player which will support all special features except bd live), all for about $2000 and no hassles. As usual with htib, you will sacrifice upgradeability and connectivity for this convenience, and you will have a passive subwoofer. But trust me, this sounds very good for htib and at this pricepoint I recommend it highly for anyone who wants the modern high def home theater experience on a limited budget, because on that, it delivers. You will really enjoy watching movies on this thing and in the end, that's all that really matters.
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45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
Great quality, but not user friendly, October 7, 2008
SC-BT100 surround sound & blu-ray review
As far as watching a movie, the SC-BT100 is top notch, and I highly recommend it for it's quality. But there are many things I would change about it, mostly user-friendly issues:
1. It shows a green glow around the volume knob on the main unit. It's so bright and big, it could be a distraction to some people, especially with the lights off, although I've gotten used to it.
2. The settings you want to change as far as configuring the bass, balance of the speakers, etc. are only on the small screen on the main unit. In other words, you can't look at the TV to configure the system for the speaker setup. I guess they did this so that it could be a standalone music system. You'll need to read the manual to figure out how to do what you want to do, so keep it handy.
3. The subwoofer was set to it's highest level when I got it out of the box, both by the setting configuration, and by a button on the main unit that boosts it even more. I guess they did that for displays in stores, but you will probably want to set it back to it's medium setting, unless you want to constantly feel like a 747 is going off in your living room. After watching a 3 hour movie with the subwoofer jacked up, I felt exhausted.
4. The rear wireless speakers actually are wired to a separate receiver that you plug in. This is fine for me, as they are technically wireless from the main unit (and I think all wireless rear speakers on all units have the same setup), but you have to turn the receiver on and off manually. The remote control won't do it. I'm always sitting down, turning on the TV, watching it for a few minutes, realizing that the rear speakers are off, and then having to get up to turn them on. But I do love the fact that the rear speakers are completely separated from the main unit. This makes setup easy.
5. The unit doesn't have a coaxial cable input. I guess if you get this system you will have high definition TV, but if you don't, you can't listen to the surround sound system, because an HDMI cable won't run the sound from the TV to the SC-BT100. In fact, you will have to turn off the SC-BT100 because the TV speakers turn off when the SC-BT100 is on, and you won't be able to hear anything at all until you do. I think you could change this option, but then you would want to change it back every time you watch a DVD or Blu-Ray.
6. The Viera Link thing that means you can use either remote control to work both the Panasonic TV or your SC-BT100 is not worth it. If I turn on the TV with the TV remote control, both units come on, but if I turn on the Blu-Ray player with the Blu-Ray remote, the TV doesn't come on. In fact, there is a separate power button for the TV on the Blu-Ray remote. But you rarely need the TV remote anyway, so it's not a big deal. But I wouldn't worry about trying to match up your system with the same manufacturer as your TV for this option.
7. I also chose the option of having the sound seem like "it's coming from the middle of the TV", per the manual. All this means is that instead of the dialogue coming out of the middle speaker only, it also comes out of the left and right front speakers, as well. This is good, because otherwise, you will have one speaker for dialogue, and 4 speakers for music and special effects, and it will be hard to hear what anyone is saying.
8. It takes forever for the unit to extract a disc. I mean really, why does this take so long? What is it doing? The screen on the main unit even tells me to "WAIT". What for? It takes a long time regardless if the system has been on for a long time, or if I just turned it on.
9. If I want to go to the main menu of a disc, I have to hit the Function Button, or the Submenu button, where I get a lot of options, where one is to go to the main menu. As much as this button is used (and it's on every DVD player's remote in the world), they make it awfully tough to get to the main menu. The Top Menu button and the Pop-Up Menu button won't do the trick. And I've tried this on multiple Blu-Rays and DVDs, so it's not the setup of the discs.
10. The system won't show you what chapter number you are on when you skip through chapters, neither on the main unit's display, nor on the TV. I've never seen a DVD player that didn't show you the chapter number for later reference.
11. I wish it had a screen saver that would kick in if the movie is on pause for a long time. I've had it on pause for probably 20 minutes, and nothing happens. But even with my plasma, I haven't had any burn-in issues. But I haven't had it on pause all night long, either, which is possible if the kids stay up to watch a movie and fall asleep, and the movie ends and stays on the main menu.
12. One last minor complaint is that there isn't a separate button for closed captioning. I know most people never use closed captioning, but sometimes I can't understand what someone says, and I want to quickly read what they are saying, then turn it back off.
I do like the fact that it remembers where I was in the movie when the unit is turned off, so I can easily resume watching. And installation is a breeze, easily explained.
I got a great deal on this system, because I bought it together with a Panasonic TV. I wasn't even planning to get a separate Blu-Ray player, as I am going to get a PlayStation 3, and I viewed the Blu-Ray player as getting that part of it for free. So I love the system because I got it so cheap, and it's high quality. But if you are planning to pay full price for this unit, I would shop around to see if there is something more user-friendly.
As an aside, don't pay a ton for an HDMI cable. "Category 2" is as high quality as hdmi.org recognizes, and RadioShack sells them for $40. I have found that Mediabridge cables online for $4 are just as good, as well.
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
Perfect for apartment living..., June 25, 2008
I received Monday night and had it up and running in less than two hours. I was impressed by the solid quality of the speakers. I was even able to fit the SW neatly behind my lcd tv. iPod connectivity is great and am already running the cable box sound through it. Yes, no HDMI pass-through but so what? While I agree with the other reviewer in that the menu system isn't terribly intuitive -- that it'll just a matter of time to get used to. Bottom line is: great picture (Blu-Ray or upconverting), good sound and good versatility. Would I like more inputs/outputs? Sure, but do I miss not having them -- nope. If you are in the market for an all-in-one HTIB Blu-ray system, you won't go wrong with this one.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
Great Blu Ray HTIB Solution!, September 6, 2008
We owned a Bose 321 for several years and used the unit in our family room. Over time the Bose was dying in slow motion, we recently had to have the volume set at 80+ for the same movie we used to listen to at 40. We had other issues as well.
In any event,we were looking for a simple solution, that would not make our family room look like a frat house with giant speakers everywhere, and ideally would use or easily incorporate a Blu Ray player. We found everything we wanted and more in this system.
It arrived right on time (had to sign for delivery, no problem with that). It was nicely packaged, and clearly labeled. It was interesting to me, one of the selling points of the Bose system was how "easy" it was to set up, and it was, but I can tell you this Panasonic system is so well laid out and so intuitive, it is just as easy.
The surround speakers are a bit larger than we expected, but can be tucked out of sight. The wireless "base" module for the surround speakers is quite small and easily fits under an end table totally out of the way. The speakers themselves give great sound! It is amazing how much better, richer and fuller this is than the 321. Dialogue is crystal clear and the "true" surround really creates a theater like effect.
The Blu Ray itself is amazing, even watching old non blu ray DVD's it is great, very clear and sharp.
We are using this with the Oppo HDMI switch, which is another 5 star product if there ever was one.
Overall, if you are not going for the true audiophile experience, and are interested in a simple, great sounding Home Theater solution with a Blu Ray player, look no further, THIS IS IT!
I recommend this without hesitation or reservation.
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24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
Won me over., June 1, 2008
UPDATED 9/9/2008 after several months of use...
I've updated my review to reflect that I'm very pleased with this unit. I originally give it a strong three stars, I'm now giving it 5 after some use. I thought the initial learning curve a little steep, but after figuring out how to run every feature I now feel like a king. The picture quality and sound have been impressive to say the least. I'm also addicted to the iPod dock.
Likes:
1. Sounds is excellent. Great quality for movies or music.
2. iPod integration is excellent.
3. Bluray picture quality is excellent.
4. Unit is very attractive. Doesn't look like a elephant in a nice living room.
5. VIERA link technology provides many conveniences for those using a Pansonic VIERA TV.
Dislikes:
1. Unit start up is very slow and takes a good minute to boot. Not like old school amps which click on in a second or two. This can be annoying when you are just booting up to eject a rental disk to return.
2. Remote and software is superior to most, but still not completely intuitive. Does take quite a few hours to learn all advanced features.
3. "Viera Link." Is powerful but still not enough to get you completely to one remote between your TV and HT.
4. Could use a second or even third HDMI for those with gaming consoles.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
Awesome sound/video quality, but ergonomically poor, December 10, 2008
First, the sound and video quality are incredible. They are unmatched by anything I've used in this price range. That being said, there are a few very annoying aspects of this all in one system.
First, the load time takes an eternity, even more so than most first generation blu-ray players. Second, the input selector is located next to (and is shaped the same as) the volume on the remote, meaning that you will, at least once every few days switch the system to FM radio while just trying to adjust the volume, especially when watching a movie in the dark. This normally isn't that big of a deal, unless the system re-loads every time you switch to blu ray mode, which it does. Thus, accidentally pressing this button means the player resets and you have to go through the few minutes of load time again. Exacerbating this problem is that the player doesn't remember where the disc left off! Last night watching Dark Knight I tried to turn down the volume during that explosive chase scene, only to switch to FM radio. The player reset and not only did I have to wait for the disc to load again, I then had to select the scene and fast forward to where I left off. Annoying to say the least.
You may be thinking you can partially fix this by getting a universal remote, right? Wrong. Because the mode selector is set up to scroll, there's no quick button to go to any given mode. Thus you basically have to memorize the order of TV/DVD/AM/FM/iPod etc inputs even with a universal remote.
I have not had too much of a problem with interference on the wireless-only surround speakers; however, remember that the satellite unit must be plugged in for power and the two rear speakers are wired to each other. Even more annoying is that the connecting wire isn't standard speaker wire so it's not easily replaced with a longer wire. If you want to wall mount you'll have a problem, or if you want them end-table level they can't be further apart than a standard 7' couch, and the wire will be streched.
Finally, you can't adjust to various equalizer settings should you so choose, as has been standard in even the most basic stereos since 1985. Also, note that this system is only 7.1 ready. It's actually a 5.1 and you have buy the extra speakers, which I'd guess also come with an absurdly short wire.
...that being said, the quality is amazing and the system is pretty sleek looking.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
Great system, just don't pay full price, December 19, 2008
I think that the other reviews have done a fair job pointing out this systems pros and cons. I'd just like to add two things:
1) When using the Veira link, the TV comes on and off with the home theater system. Not a problem if you just want to watch BDs, etc. with it. But if you want to use the system to play music, then the TV stays on. There is supposed to be a way to turn the TV off w/o turning the player off, but there may be bugs with it.
2) If you use a digital optical audio connection, you can use the player's speakers when watching TV. If you have multiple HDMI or component video inputs on your TV (as most HDTVs do) , then you can use them and *still* have all the sound come from the home theater system. So you really don't need extra HDMI inputs on the player as other have complained about.
Overall, a solid 4! Great for apartment/small home living. Not what you need if you plan to set up a "movie room."
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Awesome System!, January 22, 2009
I just bought this refurbished from Good As New Electronics for half retail price. They were great to work with! The system looked brand new out of the box - I looked all over for a blemish and found none. The set up was easy. Basically, you just plug in all the speakers, the HDMI cable and toslink digital audio cable (both of which I bought on Amazon at the same time I bought this) and your AM/FM intennas and you're done! I played a DVD the first night and was amazed at how much better it looked on the Blu Ray than it did with my DVD player! Today I put in my first BD and WOW! Amazing technology! The sound is INCREDIBLE! Picture is awesome (I have it hooked to a Panasonic Viera LCD TV). I played my IPOD and my music has never sounded so good. I love that I can scroll through the music via the remote! I am totally impressed! I also took the SD card out of my camera and put it in the SD slot and viewed all my pictures from Nepal. This is the ONLY way to show off your travel pics :-) The only gripe I have (and it may just be my learning curve) is that if I want to listen to the TV with the home theater, I have to go to the box itself and cycle through about 5 option before getting to D-IN to turn on the surround sound. Learning to use all the functions on the remote is challenging, but this is fairly high tech, so I don't expect to be comfortable with all the functions for a few days. I think anyone would be impressed by the quality of this system. Highly recommended!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Great Blu Ray Wireless System, December 26, 2008
To start off with there are still wires with this thing. But, you don't need to run wires from the front player to the back speakers. There is a little unit that you plug your back speakers into and it receives the signal from the blu-ray player up front. I have my player next to my Television with the woofer, front speakers and center channel plugged into it. Then I have my back speakers mounted on the wall behind my couch. Those speakers are then plugged into the little receiver unit. Once you turn on your home theater the little receiver unit turns on and sends signals (sound) to the back speakers. You get true 5.1 sound with this wireless setup. You can even buy an extra unit to get 7.1 sound, but heck I don't even know if they are making any movies with 7.1 yet.
The speaker setup sounds fantastic, the bass is great and it even has a bass boost which will knock your socks off! If you live in an apartment and want to get back at your loud upstairs neighbor just buy this system and play the blu-ray version of the movie Twister at about level 45 with the bass boost on. You may end up with some plaster in your hair and the police at your door but you will truly see what this thing can do!
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
Overall good system, short wires - UPDATED AGAIN, July 9, 2008
Not being a video or sound expert, I can only address this from the average joe user perspective. Sound is great, picture is fantastic, set up overall a breeze. I wish the wires were longer but at least I can deal with that and adapt. The "wireless" rear speakers are a bit inconvenient for my particular situation but I see as overall a positive aspect. Again, not a problem that I cannot overcome. Love connecting this to my 42" Panasonic Plasma! The old TV remote controls everything, including my magnavox HD/DVR cable box. The remote for this system is a bit overwhelming but with some patience and reading it can be dealt with also. I've only had it a few days, but already love it and can see a lot of enjoyment out of it. I've read about using a PS3 and separate sound system but my room layout would not allow for that much equipment so this all in one package works great for me.
UPDATE - Now that I have it installed and added wire to work the system into the room its in, I love it. I will agree that its a little slow starting up, but if thats my biggest problem I'm not too worried about it, I can wait the extra few seconds. Sound is very good and love the interoperability with my 42" Panasonic Viera Plasma TV.
UPDATE #2 - So far (2/9/09)the only problem I've had is that three times now the sound is uncontrollable with the remote and will either go all the way to mute or if I try to increase volume it wont stop. I have had to unplug and reset to correct. I minor inconvenience but makes me worry about the future. Of course, no different than having to do on my cable DVR box from time to time and rebooting PC. Still very happy overall with purchase.
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