 A Great System, especially for the price |
| Review Date: June 26, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Brent M, Rochester, NY |
I was unsure if I should get this system due to the lack of reviews online. Most of the negative reviews I saw complain about the lack of in box wireless but say little about the sound/video.
After watching Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and Planet Earth, I can tell you that the video looks great and the sound is really impressive. Planet Earth looks amazing on it. The surround sound works very well. So far I am really satisfied with the whole setup. I highly recommend the whole unit.
The only negative I can find with it is the manual. I rarely read manuals, however, there are a lot of features that are not explained real clearly for non-audiophiles. Therefore, I am not totally sure if I have it setup for the best possible sound/picture. Besides that, I am extremely satisfied. |
Great all in one home theather system
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| Review Date: August 12, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Reviewer, USA |
I rate this system 5 stars for its nice sound and great value. Panasonic can still improve its system by making it more user friendly though. A lot of details can be improved.
Before buying this system, I hesitated between the Samsung HT-BD1250 Blu-ray Home Theater System and this model. Although the samsung system has more features such as netflix streaming, a side by side comparison leaves no doubt: the panasonic sound is richer and deeper, and it's the whole point of a home theater system !
I liked the easy installation, with the color coded connectors (proprietary), and the auto setup with the microphone provided. There are also a lot of advanced options that enables you to tweak each speaker volume and delay for example. However the user manual is not beginner friendly. It lacks explanations on some technical details. Also advanced setup is available only in BD mode, and not when you have selected another input like Digital In or AUX. This was confusing at first and a bit annoying now. More annoying is that selecting another input source with the remote is incredibly slow.
It's also integrating with my samsung TV through the hdmi cable. When I power down the TV, the BT-300 powers down too. This saves a lot of stand-by power ! Also the system doesn't heat much while active (the Onkyo home theater systems are notorious for that). I just wish it turned on automatically too when powering the tv on. Also it would be nice if it could mute the tv automatically when TV source is selected... I don't have a TV compatible with VieraLink, so it was actually a good surprise that there is at least some interaction between my TV and the BT300.
I was worried that the only 2 digital inputs (optical cable) were going to limit adding more devices to it, but I realized that when hooking up an optical cable from my TV to the BT300, my TV was transferring the audio of my cable box through the cable, or antenna, or whatever tv source was selected. So I just need a single digital port on the BT300 !
I didn't try the blu-ray player yet. I'll update my review as soon as I do.
I wanted to comment on the wireless ready issue other reviewers highlighted. I agree, don't buy this system expecting it's wireless. To make it somewhat wireless, you will need to buy 2 (hard to find) wireless receivers at $100+ each. Each receiver hooks to 2 back speakers through wires ! So the only wireless part is between the BT300 and the couch...
An issue I had trying to hook-up a Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player to my BT300 is that it doesn't seem to decode DTS sound through a bitstream signal on the digital inputs, although DTS decoding is on its specifications. Is it only for blu-ray or DVD ? I emailed panasonic technical support on this issue. I didn't get any reply after a week now. In the mean time I could convert my audio to AC3 as a work around...
I highlighted a lot of details to be improved, but I'm overall very satisfied with the product. A 7.1 system with a blu-ray player and awesome sound for under $600 is a deal !
I recommend getting a hdmi and optical audio cable on amazon too as they are not provided by panasonic.
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SC-BT300 vs. SC-BT200
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| Review Date: December 23, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Michael J. Marziale, Dayton, OH |
SC-BT300
Sound Quality: A+
Blu-Ray: A
DVD: A+
Volume: A+
Features: A-
Setup: B
Ease of Use: A+ (viera link)
SC-BT200
Sound Quality: B+
Blu-Ray: A
DVD: A+
Volume: B+
Features: A-
Setup: B
Ease of Use: A+ (viera link)
Through an odd confluence of events, pricing, and holiday discounts, I have had the good fortune to get a good deal on Panasonic's SC-BT200, then return it for a great deal on the SC-BT300. When I first started looking at HTIB systems, I was considering both of these, and having a hard time deciding on which one to buy. So, I thought I would write up a comparison review for anyone in a similar situation.
First, let me preface this by saying that I was thrilled with both systems. The blu-ray player performs beautifully, you get an amazing amount of volume out of these tiny little speakers, and the sound quality is superb. That being said, based on performance alone, the SC-BT300 is the definitive winner, without question.
The most obvious difference between these two systems are the tall boy left front and right front speakers that come with the SC-BT300. Now as I said before, the speakers that come with the 200 perform very well, and I was quite happy with the sound that I was getting from them. They cannot, however, hold a candle to the superior sound quality produced by the 300's tall boys. The difference is definitely noticeable. This difference is increased by the fact that the 300 comes with a better center speaker (250W) than the 200 does (125W). This difference is self evident as soon as you pickup up each center speaker. The 300's is definitely heavier. Finally, the 300 also comes with a similarly juiced up (250W vs. 125W) subwoofer. This detail is probably somewhat unnecessary, as I got room shaking bass out of the 200's sub, but it is still worth mentioning when comparing the two. The rest of the speakers are, as far as I can tell, exactly identical. They do a good job of providing that beautiful, immersive sound one would expect from a 7.1 system, while still being tiny, easily hidden, and easily mountable.
While I imagine there are likely some internal differences between the two receiver units to accommodate the differences in the speaker setup, they are minimal. From an interface standpoint, the two are exactly the same. Both come with the same power supply, and my DVD's and Blu-Ray's look identical coming through either player. If there is any difference in the receiver, I would say that it is negligible.
Now, the one area that the 200 does have a distinct advantage over the 300 is required space. Make no mistake, the Tall Boy speakers are big, 3' tall with a 10" diameter base. So you will need some room to set these up. If you are in a cramped family room, or a small apartment, you might prefer the 200, simply because it is more compact. And it does still produce excellent sound quality, it's just not as outstanding as the 300. When I originally made my purchase decision, the 300 was also around $75.00 more than the 200, so cost is something to bear in mind as well. Having experienced both, however, I would tell you to go with the 300, and if there is a significant price difference between the two, keep an eye on them and wait for the 300 to go on sale.
Finally, I would like to address some complaints that I have heard about the receivers having a lack of inputs. No, there are no video inputs on the back of the receiver. However, I do not understand why this is an issue. I have a PS1, PS2, PS3, VCR, and Dreamcast all running into my television as normal, then I have the TV connected to the receiver through a digital audio out Toslink connection. The sound comes through my system for all of them. It is unnecessary to running anything else to the receiver, just run it to the TV like you normally would. You shouldn't encounter any problems.
As an aside, it is also worth noting that if you already own a Panasonic TV, the Viera Link systems works extremely well and does a great job of simplifying your life. Just another variable to consider.
So, at the end of the day, which one do I recommend? Hands down the SC-BT300. Consider the 200 if space is really tight, but otherwise you will be happier stepping up to the better system.
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Great Stuff
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| Review Date: July 28, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Arvind Nambiar, |
Strange that there are very few reviews on this product. I find it just unbelievable. I got a professional to set this up for me and also upgraded the speaker cables and find it just amazing.
Picture quality is brilliant and audio quality is even more mind boggling. I watched Prince Caspian on it and it just blew my mind away. Load times for discs are also impressive.
Only complaint I have is that DVDs do not looks so impressive on it. But thats probably because blu rays looks so much better than a dvd upconverted. |
Great Sound system
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| Review Date: October 15, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Ryan E. Jackson, Minnesota |
| This system is very easy to set up and sounds great. The bass really gives movies a boom but isn't distracting. I can listen to concert dvd's in stereo and the system still performs well. On the negative I would say that the system is a tad slow to start up sometimes but isn't really an impediment to enjoyment. Overall, a stylish system with amazing picture and sound. |
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