Showing posts with label htib. Show all posts
Showing posts with label htib. Show all posts

7/04/2011

Onkyo HTS894 5.1 Channel Complete Home Theater System w/ Single Disc DVD Review

Onkyo HTS894 5.1 Channel Complete Home Theater System w/ Single Disc DVD
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I just received my HT-S894 a couple of days ago and have spent quite a bit of time setting it up and reading through the manuals that came with it. The system looks good, sounds great, and comes at a nice price, especially if you shop around (I wish I'd known that refurbished models were available about a week ago... Their price is quite surprising).
Now for the stuff I wish someone had told me... Not that the info would have necessarily stopped me from buying the HT-S894, but I think others will find these details important. If you connect the receiver to your TV with component cables, then anything connected to the receiver through HDMI will not display any picture. This is verified in the manual. Stranger yet, if you hook the receiver to your TV with HDMI, then anything connected through component cables will not show a picture on the TV. On top of that, the receiver's on-screen menu will not display on your TV through the HDMI output. Very irritating, considering HDMI was one of the selling points that convinced me to choose this system. I can't even use it now, because I want to be able to use the setup menu and have more devices that use component outputs than HDMI outputs. It's really a shame that I have to choose between using HDMI or component connections. Some may want to note that the receiver uses HDMI v1.1.
Movies sound great out of the box, and music sounds just as nice with some tweaking. I prefer to turn down most of the channels by about "3" or "4" and crank the LFE (subwoofer) up by "8" to get the punchy sound that I like. With default settings, the sub seemed almost ignored. I've yet to figure out how to save the adjusted channel settings. They keep getting reset when I turn off the unit.
One very pleasant surprise was that the included DVD player handles DivX files. I've tested out quite a few files that all played fine, except for some high-definition movie rips that are over 2GB, meaning they're burned with the UDF file system (if I remember correctly), which is not supported by the player. Otherwise, TV shows and standard-definition rips work nicely.
While it sounds like I'm not extremely happy with this system, I really do like it enough to hold on to it and just ordered two pairs of Sanus EF-SATB speaker stands for the front & rear speakers [...]

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Onkyo 5.1 HDMI HTIB w/ Single Disc Dvd HTS894

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7/02/2011

Samsung HT-TX75 DVD Home Theater System Review

Samsung HT-TX75 DVD Home Theater System
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This is a wonderful home theater system. I have played a few movies since I got this a couple of days ago and have been more than happy. The system came well packaged and there were no signs of wear and tear when I accepted delivery. The player and the speakers are in an attractive matte finish, although the speaker casing seems light and made of plastic (but then it is only $440, so can't expect anything more)- nonetheless it looks good. Unlike my other home theater system, the Sony DAV FX900W, which took a long time to assemble, I was able to assemble all the four speakers in 15 minutes. The speaker unit consists of three parts- the base, middle section and the speaker (the top half). The middle section clicks into the base unit and is secured by three screws. Then the speaker clicks into the middle section (which is affixed to the base unit) and is secured by one screw- simple as that. The speaker wires (not very good quality) are sufficiently long to reach the DVD player from their respective positions. Upon connection, I entered setup and selected 1080i for the picture and increased the level for the center and rear channels. On playing a DVD, the picture quality was very good for a system of this price as was the audio. The radio and the ipod connection work fine, although I think i will stick with using the aux in jack for my ipod and not the USB- the problem arises when the ipod is not fully charged as then one cannot access the ipod library for a bit while the ipod charges via the USB (just like it is when you connect a partially charged ipod to your computer via USB). Sound quality playing the ipod and CDs is great. The remote is not backlit which is a bummer. I don't understand why these companies cannot provide this basic and essential feature on remotes. The remote feels good though and should be liked by most people (I use a logitech universal remote). BTW the system does NOT come with batteries for the remote- so you need to buy them yourself (two AAA batteries).
Now for the icing on the cake. I was able to find a code on the internet to make this player region free. The code was meant for another Samsung player but worked with this one too- so I am now able to watch DVDs I purchased in Hong Kong and the UK- Sweet!!!
To make your player region free (and I think any other Samsung DVD player region free) follow the instructions below (you need to follow the instructions exactly, else it won't work).
1. Remove disc from tray.
2. Switch off player and unplug from mains.
3. Wait 30 seconds, then reconnect mains.
4. Turn on player with remote. Wait for player to finish loading and display 'no disc'.
5. Press enter on remote. (There will be no on-screen response.)
6. Press 8, 4, 2, 6, 9 on the remote. (There will be no on-screen response.)
7. Press enter on the remote. Player will automatically shut off.
8. Turn player on.
9. Turn off.
10. Turn player on then off again.
11. Player is now region-free.
All in all I am really happy with this purchase. Good video and audio quality, HDMI Out/ In, Tallboy speakers, $440 value and Region free capability, make this system a good buy.
I hope this review has been helpful in making your choice. I don't think you can go wrong with this player (for the price)


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Samsung's elegant HT-TX75 Home Theater Audio System offers industry leading power.Imagine 1200 watts of audio power, enhanced by Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro Logic decoders--that's what the HT-TX75 has in store for you.You'll be delighted with the superior non-interlaced images you get from the latest digital television receivers.Smooth progressive scan imaging eliminates even the slightest hint of blur or distortion.Load up the 5-disc DVD tray and Watch your fill of movies and videos without having to change discs.With USB Host Play, you can plug a portable digital device into the USB port for instant entertainment.Additionally, with the ability to go wireless you can expand your system to achieve the ultimate surround sound experience without the need to figure out how to hide those unsightly wires.

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5/14/2011

Sony DAV-FR1 5-Disc Progressive Scan DVD Dream System Review

Sony DAV-FR1 5-Disc Progressive Scan DVD Dream System
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I was pretty skeptical about a home-theater-in-a-box until I got this new Sony system home and tried it out. I already had a really good component-based home theater, but this system was a promotional purchase along with my new Sony HDTV, and the price was too good to pass up. Set-up took about 45 minutes, but the resulting sound is awesome! The bass is wonderful - when the Norah Jones CD is playing, my living room sounds like a jazz club!
I had recently purchased the Sony NS-575P single-disc DVD player and was stunned by its video performance and slick operation. It looks as though the changer in the FR1 uses similar software, or atleast, the same user interface and it is great! I like how it displays the disc's artwork as a screen background. The reasons why I'm happy with this Sony changer are similar to why I am also so happy with the stand-alone player I had to move to the den - it decodes virtually EVERYTHING you can throw at it... mp3, SACD (!), and DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD with JPEGS, etc.
And, the all-in-one package means a minimum of wires. Quite frankly, I'm really impressed with this "dream system"... it delivers big sound and convenience for much less money than I expected to have to pay! Thanks, Sony!
Update: Just listened to/watched the Star Wars trilogy on DVD and the sound (and video) is very impressive. In particular, the dialogue was always audible, even when the music and other sound effects were active.
Also: There is one thing that bugs me about this player - this is my first carousel CD or DVD changer (I've had a magazine changer forever), so I don't know if this is par for the course or not, but it takes a fairly long amount of time to load a disc into an empty slot... you can hear lots of stuff going on inside the box, but it's never clear WHEN it's OK to go ahead and load the disc. But maybe this is true of all carousel-style changers.
Just FYI: No color/saturation problems can be detected with my system. I use component video outputs with an HDTV widescreen monitor (see my other reviews) and I stand by the stunning images I see - my DVD collection, as I stated above, is BRAND NEW again!

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DVD Dream System with 750 Total System Power- 110 x 5(F,C,R) + 100W x 2 Subwoofer

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5/10/2011

Panasonic SC-HT740 5 DVD Home Theater System Review

Panasonic SC-HT740 5 DVD Home Theater System
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Just purchased it yesterday, this is our first HT experience. We are thrilled by the surround sound so far, I am in the process of testing all options, will update the review as well as star rating as I see more.
So far, the Pros are:
1) excellent surround sound
2) special Hbass for additional bass is awesome
3) plays dvds,cds,mp3s very well
4) interfaced quickly to my Philips TV, so can use the same remote for tv too. Now can watch TV shows/movies on home theater!
5) set-up with manual was quick and easy
6) aesthetically my wife loves the tower-front speakers
7) 5-disc changer is such that you can put CDs/DVDs in the unoccupied trays without interruption current CD/DVD play.
So far, the Cons are:
1) does not play mpegs
2) does not play vcds burnt with divx
3) remote has a gazillion options, will take time to master it!
4) Speaker wires which come with the HT are not great, will definitely need replacement down the line.
New addition:
Pros
1) Plays jpegs very well, it scans through your data disc and displays all jpeg files as a slideshow. Files not recognised are skipped. Using "playlist" on the remote, is like using windows explorer on the TV screen for selecting specific files.

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Home Theater System with 5 DISC DVD/CD Player, 1000 Watts, 6 Speakers

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4/28/2011

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

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

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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.

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4/22/2011

Denon DHT-FS3 Home Theater in a Box Review

Denon DHT-FS3 Home Theater in a Box
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I purchased the DHT-FS3 hoping not so much for a 5.1 sound-alike experience but simply hoping for a good "TV speaker replacement" system. Unfortunately, while the Denon is the best sounding system of its type, it simply wasn't to be for my application.
First, the size of the unit is a bit larger in some ways that one would expect and smaller than others. Denon obviously designed the unit to fit in front of a flat screen TV, as they thoughtfully provided feet that are widely spaced (about 20") so that the unit can straddle the front of most TV manufacturer's flat screen pedestals. But it's also wider than one might expect - it's wider than a 16:9 32" TV, but a bit narrower than a 37".
The sound is GOOD, but not great. At no time will you think you're in front of not only a 5.1 surround system but even a decent stereo system using bookshelf loudspeakers; however it does sound better than any built-in TV speakers could, and it outdoes most "mini" systems as well, likely including offerings such as Denon's own S-101 HTIB system. Like most such systems, the bass is a bit "thumpy" - the sub just doesn't integrate well with the satellites and crosses over fairly high - around 125-150 Hz - so you never lose sight of the fact that most of your sound is coming from "up there" but the bass notes are coming from "down there."
The unit has multiple inputs - two sets of RCAs for analog, including one set that can be used with one of Denon's iPod docks, two optical digital and one coaxial digital. The setup has many nice features, including distance to the listener, bass/treble (unlike Bose systems, but here the adjustments are in fairly large 2dB increments) and a nice universal remote to control your TV, DVD player and the speaker unit. It can play in straight stereo, "wide" surround, Dolby Digital or even DTS, and all sound reasonably good for this application.
The design flaw? While not Denon's fault, most every flat panel TV manufacturer puts the sensor for their remote control along the bottom of the TV, meaning if the Denon's sitting in front of the TV, I can just about guarantee it will be blocking the TV's remote sensor unless you're using it with a larger set (40" or more) and the sensor's in the corner, or your TV somewhat more intelligently placed the sensor along the TV's sides or top frame.
I don't mean to come across as overly harsh, but I really had high hopes for a product like this from Denon, and sound-wise it really didn't sound as good as I thought it would. That's not really their fault; you can only do so much with smaller drivers in a rather small enclosure. But on the other hand, it does do a better job of producing a virtual surround effect than any TV's built-in surround effect (e.g. "SRS") or the similar Yamaha Sound Projectors.
So in short, it's worth a try if you're looking for a product like this, but the fact that it would block my TV's IR sensor immediately made it a non-starter for me as soon as I removed it from its box. Perhaps in a future model Denon can thoughtfully provide an "IR blaster" on the back of the unit to automatically repeat IR signals it sees to any TV sensors that may be located behind it.
It's truly a beautiful LOOKING unit, the piano black finish blending nicely with the similar finish used on most flat panels that don't use a silvery frame. It's certainly a reasonable value for the price, given what it would cost to build a similar quality system for components or find as high quality a HTIB ("Home Theatre in a Box") system.
However, for the sole reason that it blocks my TV's remote sensor, I've no alternate place to place it, and it neither has an IR blaster nor provision to drive one, it's back in its shipping box just about three hours after first opening it.

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Home Theater in a Box

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4/19/2011

Philips HTS3544 Home Theater System with iPod Connectivity (Silver) Review

Philips HTS3544 Home Theater System with iPod Connectivity (Silver)
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The Philips HTS3555 is a great system. I have the HTS3544 which is basically the same system. It gets great sound and I've had this for a few months and I just discovered the best feature about it : It can be an all region dvd player. Here is what to do : 1. Turn on system and go to DVD mode 2. Open dvd tray 3. using remote, press Stop, 7, 3, 4, 4, 6, and 6. At bottom left of screen, you'll see "region : 1" press 0. Now you've got an all region dvd player. My Model Number is HTS3544, and this one is HTS3555 and even though they are the same system, they still contain different model numbers. So, I went to my Local store, who has HTS3555 (this one I am writing a review on) on display with a remote. I tried this code out and it works on HTS3555 as well. HTS3555 and HTS3544 are basically the exact same system just with 2 different model numbers. Anyways, this is a great home theater system.

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The ultimate in both style and performance, the Philips HTS3544 Home Theater System pumps out 1000 total watts of Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro-Logic II, and DTS surround-sound to deliver a truly theater-like audio/video experience.The progressive-scan DVD player upconverts to 1080i HD resolution and also plays DivX encoded media files on a variety of media formats.It also features a docking cradle that both plays and charges iPod and GoGear media players, as well as USB Direct connectivity that displays photos and plays music directly from USB flash drives.

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4/11/2011

Paradigm Cinema 110 CT 5.1 Home Theater Surround Sound System (Black) Review

Paradigm Cinema 110 CT 5.1 Home Theater Surround Sound System (Black)
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To start off by no means am I a Sound geru. I just wanted a better sounding system in my living room for movies I had a bose lifesyle system prior to this and it was just a waste of money. So I shopped a round at the local stores. With price as a consideration I decided to go the the ct110 theather speakers they are small yet put out termendous sound. The subwoofer works good and trys to make up for having smaller speakers for the most part it does it's job quit well. This speakers work well in a mid to small rooms. I would deff buy them agian IM running a marantz sr5004 reciver and am getting rich warm sound. Over all they look nice, just the right size. and for being one of paradigms budget lower line products they produce amazing sound. Probley can easly compair this to higher end jvc,polk,dennon,etc. I have less invested in this system with reciever and blueray player then I have in my lifestyle system wich is my bedroom now. The sound diff is incredible. Dont be fooled by what you hear in the stores with bose. I swear to you it will not sound that good in your home. The paradigm speakers make watching movies at home fun agian. I hope this helps. But please dont take my word for it. please research your speaker choice before buying them. I did and found nothing but good reviews for this speakers all over the internet. AAA++++ product thanks Paradigm.

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6-Pc. Paradigm Cinema 110 CT 5.1 Compact Theater Surround Sound System. From the #1 Brand in Loudspeakers comes Cinema 110 CT 5.1 Compact Theater Surround Sound System for music, home theater and computer gaming. 3 Cinema LCR speakers, 2 Cinema ADP surrounds boasting Paradigm\'s ADP (Adapted Dipole) technology for extraordinary surround performance (visit www.paradigm.com for more info on ADP technology) and a powerful subwoofer with 10˝ driver. Wall brackets for mounting speakers included. Paradigm CT systems deliver Performance and Value like no conventional Home Theater in a Box (HTiB) system can! Buyer beware: Typical HTiB systems are all about price, not sound. Or even worse, expensive marketing hype and still not sound. When it comes to sound quality, those other systems simply cannot deliver. Paradigm Cinema CT\'s are all about performance. They deliver 5.1 audiophile-quality sound without sacrificing lifestyle size, good looks or a great price. They\'re every bit affordable as those other HTiB systems, but when it comes to performance, they leave conventional HTiB stuck in the box! Cinema CT systems integrate beautifully, delivering a seamless soundstage that brings movies and gaming to life and makes music sound \'live." Price/Value in Inside Track Annual Dealer Survey, an annual independent nationwide survey of consumer electronics specialist retailers and custom installers. About Paradigm The Ultimate in Sound for Music and Home Theater. For over twenty-five years, Paradigm has set the standard for sonic excellence in every product category we offer. Our focus on providing the best in performance and value pushes the boundaries in speaker design. Stunning accuracy, a spacious soundstage with pinpoint localization, powerful, well-defined bass and thrilling dynamics are hallmarks of our advanced speaker designs. For more info on Paradigm products visit www.paradigm.com or contact us: +1 905 696 2842.

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4/10/2011

LG LHB953 1000-Watt Blu-ray Disc Home Theater In a Box Review

LG LHB953 1000-Watt Blu-ray Disc Home Theater In a Box
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This system is great. What I was most concerned with in buying this system was the convergence of the Web, television and music in our family room. This system seemed to meet all my requirements on paper and I was satisfied when I received the box.
Setup was simple and everything you need is in the box except for one thing: it needs to be near your router so that you can network it. My router is upstairs so I got around that through powerline networking which allows you to send your network through your power outlets. Works like a charm.
The bottom line is that I get my Netflix movies directly through the BluRay player...no waiting for the mailman for most movies. I also get FM radio and Pandora as well as my cable TV.
Great product. I recommend it.

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LG's NetCast Interface lets you easily access a vast array of internet content. This model comes with two tower speakers.

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Sony DAV-FX100W Wireless Home Theater Dream System Review

Sony DAV-FX100W Wireless Home Theater Dream System
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Overall, this is a great system. The sound is fantastic; the setup was easy, and nearly six months after I bought it, things are still working quite nicely.
Other reviewers have done a good job describing the product -- the one thing I wanted to touch on was the "wireless" aspect. The only wires this system does not have that other "wired" systems do are the ones that run from the receiver unit to the back speakers. The IR devices (one in front, one in back, which you have flexibility in positioning) transmits the signal from the receiver to the back speakers. One of your rear speakers will need to be plugged into a power outlet (because of its powered amplifier -- which, unlike other systems, allows the rear speakers to be as clear and powerful as the front ones), and you'll need to run a speaker wire (provided, of course) between the two rear speakers.
BOTTOM LINE: If you're trying to reduce clutter, this system may not be as wireless as you're hoping for (between the power cords for the IR receiver/transmitter, speaker wire between the rear speakers, plus all the normal wires save the ones running from front to back). BUT, if you don't want to run cable through your walls or have speaker wire running from the front to back of your room; then these are a great option that I would strongly recommend.

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A wireless dream from Sony’s DAV-FX100W Wireless DVD Dream System2 allows you to place the component speakers and subwoofer in your living room without the visibility of hanging stereo wires. The DAV-FX100W features a 5 disc DVD/CD/SA-CD changer6, 1000 Watts total system power5 handling and a sleek, silver aluminum finish sure to compliment your favorite room in the house.

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3/29/2011

Panasonic SC-PT770 1000W 5DVD 5.1 Channel Home Theater System with Built-in iPod dock and front-to-rear-Wireless Rear Speakers Review

Panasonic SC-PT770 1000W 5DVD 5.1 Channel Home Theater System with Built-in iPod dock and front-to-rear-Wireless Rear Speakers
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Pros: Attractive design, easy set up, good sound quality (for the most part).
Cons: Unintuitive setup and menus, intermittent cut out from the rear wireless speakers, poor picture quality from the DVD player. Also, I have yet to be able to watch a movie on the DVD player without the picture freezing for a split second every two to three seconds. It's very distracting and disappointing after spending this amount on a new DLP television and home theater system.

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With Panasonic, you can choose from 3 different types of Home Theaters that match your preference and room. Panasonic SC-PT770 Overview; High Quality Sound: The SC-PT770 uses front and center Bamboo Cone Speakers and a Kelton Subwoofer for crisp, clear mid- and high-frequency ranges and powerful, deep bass. A rigid, low-density bamboo material used in the fron and center speaker's cones helps achieve a clean, responseive sound. Vocals are pure and clear and dialog is crisp and easy to understand. The Kelton Type Subwoofer has an internal structure that is divided into two completely sealed spaces. The drive unit that is mounted to the space in the back causes the air in the front space to vibrate. This causes and Acoustic Filter effect in the front space to absorb unwanted noise while also vibrating the Passive Radiators. This achieves highly robust, reverberating bass sounds. Built-in Dolby Digital and DTS Decoder renders movie-theater-like sound while Home Theater Mode produces a total ouput power of 1000W of High Clarity Sound.Easy to Use: The built-in Universal Dock for iPod gives you a great new way to enjoy music and video3. Just slip your iPod into the cradle and enjoy. The dock charges your iPod , allows you to use the home theater remote to control the iPod , has on-screen audio menus, and also plays back iPod video. The SC-PT770 includes the front to rear wireless speakers, and a High Speed 5-DVD/CD changer with Multi-format Plaback: DVD-Video, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD-R, +R, +RW, CD, CD-R/RW, Video CD, SVCD, WMA, MP3, and JPEG. Environmentally Friendly: Add to this feature set a Smart Setup mode with Auto Speaker Setup and and Energy Star compliance, Low Power consumption for Stand-by (0.1W), and you have an ideal Home Theater solution.

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3/27/2011

Samsung HT-C6500 Blu-ray Home Theater System Review

Samsung HT-C6500 Blu-ray Home Theater System
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Some HTiB (home theater in a box) systems are inflexible, hard to use and offer questionable performance with cheap, flimsy construction. One might even call them "cheesy." The Samsung HT-C6500 Blu-ray/DVD Home Theater System is not one of these systems. It offers solid audio and video performance, a wealth of online streaming features, including Netflix, Pandora and VUDU, built in Blu-ray, CD and DVD playback with pretty nice upconversion, WiFi networking and ample power to drive the 5.1 channel speaker system in a decent-sized room, and all for a reasonable price. Also, unlike many HTiB systems, the unit features two HDMI inputs, so you can add on a cable or satellite set-top box and/or a gaming system with single wire audio/video simplicity.
The system includes on-board decoding of the latest surround sound codecs, including DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD so it can take full advantage of the sonic capabilities of Blu-ray Disc. It also features snappy load times, loading a DVD in about 9 seconds, a simple Blu-ray disc in 11 seconds and a BD-Java Blu-ray Disc (the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" film) in about 25 seconds. These times compete with the fastest standalone players currently on the market. The initial boot up is a little slow at 22 seconds, but the player is doing a lot of stuff at start-up, including searching DLNA devices for compatible networked media files, as well as loading the code for streaming providers such as Netflix, VUDU and Samsung's own Internet@TV service.
During the review we did notice one disc compatibility issue (the unit can't get past the trailers on "The Incredible Hulk" Blu-ray Disc), but this can be worked around by disabling the BD-Live feature on the player (not ideal, but hopefully Samsung will fix this in a future firmware upgrade). Also, while the audio portion of the iPod dock worked flawlessly for us, if you want to also play video or photos on your iPod or iPhone through the system, you will need to connect an additional composite video cable between the HT-C6500 and your TV or projector (a basic video cable comes in the box). And don't look for anything fancy like album art in the iPod interface, because it just isn't there. However, controlling iPod song access from the unit's remote was very handy.
Speaking of the remote, this is probably the weakest link here. The navigational buttons are a little too low and transport buttons are a little too high to comfortably navigate through set-up and disc menus or to easily control playback. We were happy to see an auto-calibration system on-board (with included microphone) which can get the basics of speaker level and distance calibration accomplished without having to revert to test discs and SPL meters.
Performance tip for owners: if you feel that the bass lacks some definition or sounds a little "thumpy," try inserting a piece of foam or cloth (or some old socks) into the subwoofer port. This will actually tame the boom without losing a significant amount of sonic heft from the mix.
Overall, we were impressed with the HT-C6500 and would recommend it to anyone in the market for a mid-range HTiB system. It's long on features and performance but relatively short on price: a good combination.
You can read our complete review at Big Picture Big Sound (dot com).

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3/20/2011

Samsung HT-C6600 Blu-Ray Home Theater System Review

Samsung HT-C6600 Blu-Ray Home Theater System
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I was originally planning on getting the 6500, but couldn't find one locally. During that search, I ran into a store that had one 6600 left and it was on sale, so I went ahead and got it. The only apparent difference that I've found is the 6600 has Bluray 3D capability, but other than that they seem pretty identical.
Setup was relatively easy. Everything is color-coded and Samsung has their own little speaker wire plug, so it's hard to screw up. That makes it easy, but more difficult to do any kind of customization of your own with other speakers. The speaker calibration seemed to work pretty well, although now and the audio track randomly gets out of sync on occasion, requiring a re-boot to reset things. So far this has only happened when I've been watching the DVR, so I'm not sure if it's specific to that device or input or not.
I have my Xbox 360 and HD Cable plugged into the HDMI inputs, and it plays everything well. It's great playing games in surround sound, too. That adds a whole new dimension to the gaming experience. All of it is running to a 50" Panasonic plasma TV, which has one of the best pictures in the TV business to begin with, so the video quality is awesome.
I expected the sound to be marginal at best, coming from a bit of a home-theater customization background. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it actually sounds, though, particularly when playing DVD or Blurays. Don't get me wrong here, though. This provides the most basic of surround sound, which still greatly enhances watching movies, but it does not provide the same depth of sound as much more expensive and more powerful systems. That said, the subwoofer does get low enough to simulate most sounds, and the rest of it sounds pretty good. Dialogue is the best part, as this is actually sometimes the hardest part of a soundtrack to find a happy medium for comfortable listening without having to keep the remote handy for turning it up and down as the scenes change. The Samsung finds a balance between action and dialogue where you don't have to constantly adjust things, which is proof that they have the auto-calibration down pretty well.
I have mine wired directly to my home network. I didn't even bother with the wireless dongle, as I've yet to use one that works to my expectations. Even with a wired connection to a 10gb connection, I experienced Netflix issues. The entire internet-based menu and apps system is sluggish at best, so I will probably only use the internet for firmware updates. I believe this is a Samsung issue, not my internet, for the simple reason that I can watch full HD Netflix movies through my Xbox wirelessly with no issues at all. And that's fine with me...I still play them through the Samsung surround sound, so it's not a loss, although it would be nice to see Samsung come up with a fix to smooth things out.
There are various apps and whatnot you can play with online, but the remote is clumsy and poorly designed in my opinion. It lacks any intuitive way to type, for one thing, which limits what you can do efficiently on the web. You have to create an account at the Samsung app store, and another at their internet@tv or whatever it's called site, and I just haven't had the patience to sit through it all. I have enough computers and apps already, so I guess I'm happy with just being able to play Blurays in surround sound for now. :)
For the price, I don't think you can beat what you get with this system. $450 and it does almost everything. I do wish it would tell you what resolution it was outputting to the TV and what kind of sound it was playing in (i.e. DTS, Dolby 5.1, etc). As far as I've been able to discover, there is no way to tell if it is truly playing the encoded surround signal.
Pros: Price, good sound, easy setup, better than normal auto-calibration system for speakers
Cons: Confusing remote, unexplained slow-down in internet signal run through system that makes using Netflix almost impossible.

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3/19/2011

Onkyo HT-S9300THX 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver and Speaker Package Review

Onkyo HT-S9300THX 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver and Speaker Package
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So far, this is probably the best home theater system for the price. So let's get started with the review.
PRESENTATION
The box is huge, so you know just by looking at it you're purchasing something serious. Despite the box arrived pretty damaged, the system itself was unharmed. The speakers are definitely sturdy, well-built and looks like quality ones, only the protective grids are made in plastic and look somewhat cheap. The receiver looks elegant, giving the sensation of being a lot more expensive. Subwoofer is big but not that much, so it can fit almost anywhere in the room. Installation is very easy since all speakers, speaker inputs and cables are color-coded, so it's very difficult to do it wrong.
AUDIO
Overall, my listening experience so far has been of pure joy. The sound of its 7.1 channels fill the room with great clarity and power. Movies sound amazing, my current demo disc is the Inception Blu-ray, using "Direct" mode or "THX Cinema". The bass is deep, and easily fills the whole room. Dialogs sound clear and natural and surround effects are as immersive as they get. With music is still very good, but not that great. Anyway, this can't be blamed on the system quality, but rather in the configuration, since for music is always better having big main speakers and not small speakers with a good subwoofer. But again, music still sounds very, very good. The volume is enough to fill a small to mid-sized room, and with enough, I mean it can get very, very loud, enough to have all your neighbors complaining about it, specially if you live in an apartment. But I bet you won't resist the temptation to listen your movies at THX reference volume level, even if it may get too loud.
VIDEO
The video is pretty good but somewhat lacks the same quality level than audio. Upconversion is decent but tends to slightly deform standard definition broadcasts. Overall, the best way is setting the video resolution "as is". But with HD signals, you won't find the slightest reason to complain.
RECEIVER
Yes, as everybody said before, the receiver runs hot. Very hot, specially at high volume levels (heat depends entirely of volume level, actually), so you have to be very careful about where you're fitting this in. It must be well ventilated, and avoid setting it on poorly-vented enclosed cabinets.
Anyway, about its features, what can I say? It has so many processing modes, chances are you won't ever use some of them. Virtually there aren't any audio formats this unit can't decode, or video signals it doesn't support (including 3D). And there are so many ways to process the same signal, you may have fun for hours trying to test all of them (if you want to take your time, of course). Audyssey calibration is great, it configures the audio to achieve optimal sound performance according to room acoustics, all by itself. Of course, if you're a bit picky like me, you may want to tweak resulting settings a bit.
Cables are a bit on the thin side, so if you don't feel comfortable with the included ones, you won't have a problem replacing them with thicker ones, yet the included ones seem to do their job pretty good.
Also, you may wonder, why buy this system instead of the cheaper 7300, 6300 or such? (they even include an ipod dock that this model don't, for reasons beyond my understanding) The answer is simple: This system has remarkably better speakers, and the THX features are actually pretty useful, adding several tweaks and improvements.
So, overall, this is a great system with an unbeatable value. For its price, you may try assembling your home theater with separate components, but you won't get even close to the sound quality and features of this system.

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3/18/2011

Panasonic SC-BT230 5.1 Surround Sound System Review

Panasonic SC-BT230 5.1 Surround Sound System
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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.

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Get your home theater going right out of the box with the Panasonic SC-BT230 home entertainment system, which includes a Blu-ray Disc player/amplifier plus a complete 5.1-channel surround sound speaker system (including one subwoofer, one center channel speaker, and four satellite speakers).


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LG LHB335 1100-Watt Network Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System, Black Review

LG LHB335 1100-Watt Network Blu-ray Disc Home Theater System, Black
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I recently purchased a LG LHB335 BluRay all in one surround sound home theater system from Best Buy. The center and right rear speakers emit a whistling noise that sounds like a teapot when boiling. Not quite that loud, but enough to be a very undesirable noise in a new unit. I took the first one back, BB gave me another. Same thing. Then another. Same thing. I have connected it to another location with speaker wiring and a Monster Power supply and yes, it does the same thing! I called LG and they said they have no reports on this problem, but when a search is conducted, many people are complaining. Until this issue is resolved, I would suggest not buying this unit!
EDIT---More details:
The LHB335 has a horrible "Tea Pot" whistling noise emitted from the center speaker. It also comes from the right rear speaker at times. It is so annoying that I took it back to Best Buy. Exchanged for another and same thing! I relocated the unit on a different electrical circuit and that did not help. Bought an expensive Monster power supply due to Best Buys recommendation which did NOT help at all. They asked me to try unit #3 and it also had the same noise! To make sure that it was not just a building electrical problem, I installed it in a friends home. SAME ISSUE! I called LG to discuss the problem and they said they had no reports of such a problem. That is NOT true. The internet has many comments regarding this speaker noise issue. After talking with some friends, they too have returned units with the same problem. I really liked the features of the LHB335, but will not buy another one unless LG can assure me that it will be one that does not whistle!
Edit--Even More Details:
2/24/2011--With all of the positive comments I've seen posted, especially with claims that the noise has been fixed in units manufactured after June 2010, I thought I'll try another one for the basement game room. The price has been coming down drastically, and no wonder with all the bad PR, so I picked one up for $249 from Amazon. I received the unit in a couple of days, set it up (I can do it very quickly since I've been through more than a few of these) made the tweaks for inputs and presto..... No whistle... however there was NO SOUND AT ALL!!! After turning it off and on a few times the sound began working. But the sound would quit and then restart after 3-5 seconds. After talking with LG's deplorable customer service group, they said, "We haven't had any reports of that problem, send it to us and we will look at it." Once again LG displays horrible concern for their customer satisfaction! So it is going BACK TO AMAZON and I will never ever even consider another LG product!!!! So be forewarned.... LG does NOT mean Life is Good.... it means Lots of Grief!!!


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LG has redefined what to expect from home theater. This isn't speakers and a receiver in a box. With the LHB355 Network Blu-ray Home Theater System, you get unrivaled Blu-ray technology, out-of-this world sound and instant entertainment...all in one. More than making the most of your Full HD with Blu-ray, NetCast™ Entertainment Access lets you directly tap into instant streaming movies, music and videos direct from the Internet to your TV.

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3/17/2011

Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 705 HD 720p 3LCD Home Theater Projector Review

Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 705 HD 720p 3LCD Home Theater Projector
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I've never written an Amazon review before, but I've learned a lot about projectors over the past couple weeks, and thought I should share.
As prices have been coming down, I finally decide to get a projector. 720p was plenty good for me. After reading plenty of reviews here and the various projector websites out there I narrowed my search down to the Optoma HD66 and the Epson 705HD, both going for +/- $650 at the time of this writing, and both highly rated.
A bit about me - I'm not a projector or electronics nut, but I do appreciate knowing that I have the best (or better) of what's out there when I do buy things of significant $$$. Male, early 30's. Don't watch any TV, just the occasional movie at home.
After much fuss, I decided to order the Epson. It seemed to have more features, had longer bulb life, and in the end I figured since I'm no projector connoisseur I would be more than impressed with its performance. However, I was not blown away enough, so I ordered the Optoma. I am keeping the Optoma, and returning the Epson. I tested both using a connection to my old Mac Powerbook G4 laptop, projecting onto a white wall painted matte white.
Here is what I learned:
Epson 705HD:
-LCD technology really does display "little pixels" that are visible if you are up close. Not really a big deal with a movie where things are moving all the time.
-Significantly brighter than the Optoma.
-Better designed box, integrated lense "cap" that slides, easier to use adjustable legs, more friendly packaging/manuel, carrying case. Basically you get the feeling that Epson put some thought into its product. Feels more name brand and consumer friendly.
-Supposedly has ~1000 bulb hours more than the Optoma when in Eco mode (a touch less bright than normal mode).
-Has a speaker (I didn't use it).
-Definitely better for office or daytime use.
-Blacks appear grey when compared to adjacent wall.
-Compared to the Epson, has a larger "screen size" to "distance from wall" ratio (I think this is called "throw"). Plenty big. In fact I had to "zoom out" as the screen actually felt too large for the distance I was from the screen. The projector was propped up on a table immediately behind my couch. Once adjusted it was fine. The large size could be great for the gamers out there though.
Optoma HD66:
-Feels more "made in China" with less fancy stickers and design.
-Not quite as bright as the Epson.
-I have yet to try this one during full daylight, but guessing the Epson would be better here. But this is fine with me b/c I figure if it's bright outside, I should probably be there instead of inside.
-Much better colors.
-Throw ratio not as good as Epson, but more than adequate for my needs.
-DLP really does have much better blacks. The "black frame" around the movies is a far cry from grey, and I have a feeling if I fool around with it, I can probably get it to almost disappear.
-Better picture quality - this was apparent to me and all 4 of my non-professional projector testing friends, and more apparent the darker the room is. The Epson is great, but the Optoma is like "Whoa - I wouldn't think I would be able to tell, but I can."
-Harder (though still possible) to discern the "pixels" - feels more like film.
-I was worried about the "rainbow effect". My friends and I were all able to see RGB shadows if we shook our heads back and forth wildly, and maybe a flash of it once or twice during the movie when our eyes would flick across the screen. Not really a big deal, though I guess some people are more "susceptible" to seeing it than others. Both:
-Easily found my computer and displayed the correct resolution automatically.
-Amazing resolution.
-Plenty of adjustments to mess with color and whatnot. I only fooled around with these for 5 minutes or so. You can easily make the colors warmer or cooler.
-Have a small remote with plenty of functions. Batteries included.
-Do NOT come with HDMI, DVI, VGA cables. However, each does come with cable that allows you plug the traditional DVD player (the yellow, red, white "RCA?") cables into the VGA port.Like I said in the end I am sticking with the Optoma HD66.
Since the reason to get a projector, for me, is to have a really great screen to watch movies on, I figured I should lean toward picture quality over features. If I watched TV for a lot of the day, the brightness and bulb life of the Epson may have swayed me in that direction. I hope this is helpful and saves you all some time.

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EPSON PowerLite Home Cinema 705HD Home theater projector

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