4 comments about Philips MCD139B Micro DVD Home Theater System.

1. I would not recommend this unit to anyone! Bought new at Bestbuy, to play DVDs on, primarily. It skips on at least half of the DVDs we put in it, even brand new DVDs I own, with NO marks whatsoever on them.
   In addition to this, the unit sometimes just freezes up, and the remote does nothing. This is fixed by unplugging it and plugging back in.
   
   There is also a bad background speaker noise, which is OK with a loud action movie - when it's not skipping - but terrible if you are playing quiet music on it. Basically, this thing was built with appalling quality control and I would NOT recommend buying it. If it didn't skip, I suppose it would have been OK, as a cheap way to play DVDs and CDs, and would be a bargain for 100 bucks, as a short term solution. However, it drove us mad!



2. I agree with the previous reviewer. This system has a very loud and distracting humming noise that just won't go away. Mine didn't skip playing DVDs (at least it hasn't yet), but my main speaker died after three days of use. I called Philips technical support and they sent me a replacement speaker pretty fast. However, it is the wrong color (brown, and my system is black, and so are the stands I bought for it). Now Philips tells me that brown and black have the same part number, and that black is no longer made, so I have stands, right speaker and subwoofer in black, but left speaker in brown. Total lack of quality in manufacturing, performance, and support.



3. This Product to is too bad i am recomending u People dont buy this product.. whether it is getting u cheaper and also the support of Philips also is too bad.. i got the system even up to now i did not use the system becaz it is not working since 1 month when i receive the product i am asking the phillips team to resovle but up to now not yet so u can understand for the fax,mails the cost become similar to another good one at finally.



4. In addition to the above reviews, mine skips every audio CD I throw at it, including MP3 cds. So despite the box and description stating that it will play mp3 and wma cd, and cd-r/w's IT WON'T.

4 comments about Yamaha YHT-680BL Home Theater in a Box (Black).

1. I ordered these on the recommendation of a friend of mine. The box arrived on time and in good shape. Everything was well packed to prevent damage. I unpacked and set up speakers around the room using the included guide. It was very easy to set up. The sound quality is really good. Very rich and full.
   
   My only complaint was that i needed about 25feet more wire, but I also have a large living room so most will be okay.



2. Great performance for an excellent price! I previously had a Yamaha receiver that lasted me over 20 years! It actually still works so I knew I was buying a quality system. I wanted to upgrade to a newer system that has smaller speakers and can connect to an iPod.
   
   The sound quality is excellent. I have never had a subwoofer, and although I think this is a pretty small one, it adds a nice punch to the bass.
   
   I also purchased the Yamaha iPod dock - one feature I was excited about was having the receiver show what song is playing from your iPod, but I have yet to get this to work. I think you may have to connect with a separate cable which is not included; odd since it comes with a nice Dock Cable. Perhaps I am not using properly.
   
   The only thing I think would be better is for the system to come with better audio cables and speaker wire. But I think most Home Theater Systems come with the same standard cables, which is a shame. Cables aren't cheap.
   
   That said, Yamaha is great. You really can't go wrong - especially for this price.



3. I purchased this home theater system because of the Yamaha brand name,but I found the instructions voluminous and complicated. Also I was a little surprised that the cable to hookup the speaker system had to be stripped and didn't have snap in and color coded connectors.



4. I ordered this product and had it on my doorstep in 4 days. TigerDriect was great! Everything works great. A bit of a challenge to set up with the HD TV between the HDMI cables, digital opital cables, coaxial cable, regular cables... I'm not a tech person, but I figured out. The sound is very nice.

5 comments about Sony HT-DDW700 Complete 5.1-Channel DVD Home Theater System.

1. Already had a DVD player and wanted a system to complete the package. Sound quality is great. Haven't turned it up all the way because the sound that comes out is ample. Most important thing for me was being able to hook up my AirPort Wireless to it. Now I run my itunes wirelessly from my lap top and don't have to mess with a CD. Works great and there are still three more plug-ins for any other devices I want (VHS). Had a Panasonic, what a piece of junk, returned it and got this. For under $200, what more could you want?



2. i bought this system for an upstairs bonus room which isn't very big and this Sony system gets the job done. I've had the system for a few months now and have had no problems and am really enjoying movies and gaming.



3. I just installed the system today in our master bedroom. We have a 44" Toshiba DLP rear projection TV - great picture but sound was weak. The Sony system worked great right out of the box. I made a couple of modifications that worked well, too. For the center speaker, I substituted the internal TV speakers for the small Sony one. I also used a pair of wireless speakers for the rear speakers so that I wouldn't have to run rear speaker wires clear around the room. I ordered the wireless system at the same time as the Sony (See the Colby 2.4 Ghz Wireless Speaker System). This combination worked well and I happy I bought it. Why not 5 stars? - small speaker wire that can't be removed from the speakers. However, for a small system the sound is good.



4. This reciever is great if you're looking for something inexpensive. Keep in mind that this system is very low end and usually a temporary solution to improve that lousy TV speaker. With that said, you won't find anything better for under $200.
   First the receiver. It has one optical and one coaxial audio input. Rare to find these on cheap receivers. If you have these connections, use them! It comes with a coaxial cable so you have no excuses. Some people are comlaining that there aren't more digial inputs. Come'on guys, it's less than $200!
   The menus are easy to use, despite what some others are saying. I don't know what their problem is. The microphone set up is surprisingly accurate. I used the mic to do the initial setup, then went through the menu to manually adjust them. I didn't need to change anything. The system has plenty of decoders and there are enough sound settings to keep you happy.
   The speakers aren't impressive but get the job done. *Note: speaker placement it CRUICIAL, especially with tiny satillites. If you're using a digital connection, you need to turn the volume up pretty loud before you start getting sound that's full and rich (this is all relative of course) and it can be difficult to hear the surround speakers without the volume. Analog connections have the same quality at any volume level. The sub is not powered. It'd be nice if it was, because the speakers are just tweeters so you need that bass to balance it out.
   If you want something inexpensive and to look good in your living room/bedroom, you've found it. Just know that you'll want to upgrade later. I'm writting this after using this system for 10 months and in the process of upgrading my whole system. It did a fine job and I got my money's worth.



5. Then I feel it delivers decent sound for small rooms. I ordered mine off SONYstyle,,and the receiver didn't work right out of the box. SONY directed me to ship it AT MY EXPENSE to Laredo for repairs. That was a bit of a hassle...but they eventually repaired it and sent it back to me and it worked. Still havent figured out all the settings etc. You do have to turn the volume up significantly to get decent sound. The subwoofer and bass can be a little disproportionate in relation to the other sound elements...LAREDO repairs actually wanted me to pay for having them "cosmetically" restore the product after they fixed it. Were they kidding me?? Unfortunately, no. Of course I didnt allow that to happen. It was a frustrating start with this product but it seems to be working. I wouldn't go to the trouble again of ordering this. But it is relatively inexpensive for surround sound experience and the quality when working I find satisfying. MY PRODUCT was purchased as a refurb unit, but still under a warranty.

No comments about Midiland 5.1 Channel DVD Home Theater System (Silver/Black).

5 comments about Sony HT-DDW990 Component Home Theater System with Digital Media Port.

1. I researched at length for a home theater system that I could plug all my components into. There are few complete systems that have many inputs and building with seperate pieces gets expensive! Then I came across this sweet system. I took the chance, this one was so cheap in comparison, and I am so glad I did! It works awesome and sounds incredible! I made the rear wireless with a RocketFish adapter and they work great together. I am so happy with my system.



2. It works perfectly with my xbox 360, DVR, dvd player. Easy setup. Bass hits are awesome. I LOVE it.



3. Bought this for my apartment, and was impressed with the quality. Received has plenty of connections available, including two HDMI devices (although you have to run a separate audio cable such as fiber optic or coax in order to get sound from the home theater when using HDMI). Everything went together smoothly, and the auto-calibration feature with the included mic made the system sound great. Robust bass, clear highs. Definitely worth every penny and more. Only downside is that the cables included for the speakers tend to run a bit short, but they aren't pre-attached, so you can just buy your own speaker wire and be all set.



4. good quality for the price. happy with my purchase, everything showed up on time, was easy to hook up and worked as you'd expect.



5. i couldn't be more happy with this purchase, it loud and clear...
   
   the only con i can find is that the hdmi connection is a pass-thru, so for an example if you connect your xbox 360 using the hdmi connection u will have to buy an adapter so you can connect the optic audio cable and get digital sound (it is worth it)...

5 comments about Sony BRAVIA DAV-HDX267W Theater System with Wireless Speaker Kit.

1. Sounds great right out of the box. The bass is just right and the highs are awesome. I recommend this system one hundred percent. I have my tv going into this system via rca cables and the surround is just as good as the surround produced directly from the system. I am using component cables to go from system to TV for the dvd function and I am pleased with the picture quality. I also have a ps3 going into my TV via HDMI and as I said before my TV audio going into this system via RCA cables and when I watch Blu Ray the sound is great.



2. This is the first Sony product that I hate. First, the "Sony" name appears in bright letters when the machine is on although this can be changed. Then LED lights flash from left to right on the front panel--very annoying! There is no tone adjustment on the individual speakers and the subwoofer emits a contunal low rumble when playing DVDs. When volume is at a level to hear conversation, bass drums boom over the sound of talking. The "upconvert" feature does absolutely nothing to improve the picture on DVDs. The manual is confusing and complex and hard to understand, written in engineerbabble.
   It's a piece of junk!



3. This is a great product. It's relatively easy to set up and it works great. The only flaw I've found is the lack of any digital inputs, which means you can't get Dolby 5.1 sound from your cable box or sattelite receiver. The Pro-Logic feature compensates for this by giving you the next best thing to real surround, and considering how few Dolby 5.1 programs are available from cable or sattelite it's not a big loss. When playing DVD's the surround-sound is great. This is by far the best product for the price. If the digital input is important to you then you might want to spend a litte more on an upgrade, but if you're looking for something under $500 then this is a great choice.



4. I was able to set it up in no time at all and the included components worked flawlessly. The wireless rear speakers open up all sorts of possibilities for placement (need unobstructed path between the two wireless bases).
   
   A nice starter, or smaller room system.
   
   I definitely recommend it in the $300 category of theater systems!



5. Not recommended. The sound quality of this unit is poor, mostly because the bass response is so poor. I'm sticking with my 330 watt JVC mini system, which sounds infinitely better, for a hundred dollars less.

5 comments about Philips MCD288 Micro DVD Home Theater System with Subwoofer.

1. After having this Micro system for 10 days I can say that I'm really disappointed with it's performance! The radio is good for nothing. Out of dozens of radio stations in my city, I can hear only a few of them without significant noise, while others are completely out of range or with too much noise. To be fair, I put 5 yr. old JVC mini system at the same spot, using the same antenna, and I got dozens of radio stations with very neat sound - no noise at all! The difference is HUGE!
   I use this system to listen my MP3's over USB (nice feature) and from DVD-RW which works fine, although it would be nice to have a "skip folder" button on remote controll since I don't want to have my TV on to be able to listen and navigate MP3's.
   The sound is OK, but it's missing Bass and Treble controls. Also, when you want to put the volume really low, it might happen that on level 4 the sound is too loud and on level 3 the sound is to low.
   When playing from CD/DVD, a big blue circle is lit up and looks cool - unless it's close to your face in night and you can't switch it off without turning off the system.
   The system is filled with flaws... I wonder if after designing a system like this they ever put it to test with real consumers?
   I gave it more then one star simply because it has the feature to play MP3 from USB.



2. I have 2 of these units and have had issues with both. The first unit had a bad external video box. I called philips to get this fixed and I have made 4 attempts to order this part and every time they have sent me the wrong part.
   
   I purchased a second unit to use as a multimedia player for music. This time all the cables were good, but this particular unit has a buzzing in the background no matter which source you choose.
   
   I have done some research and turns out that most other owners are getting the same background noise. This is not normal. My original unit does not have this noise.
   
   Stay away from this product if you are picky about sound quality.



3. You can't beat this system for the price, the sound is awesome, simple hookup, the only con was that the speakers are hardwired, and the wires are simply not long enough



4. Stylish, small, plays divx, complete in all functions
   Very good for small places.
   If you want a living room home theather don't buy this
   Fits for what is expected.I give 4 stars because divx subtitles have to be the same name of movie.
   I had to rename all my divx.movies and subtitles



5. Philips MCD288 Micro DVD Home Theater System with Subwoofer
   A very stylish system. It sounds good, but not great. If you plan to listen to it at low volumes there is a background hum that is quite annoying. At volume 4 and above, sounds really nice. Unfortunately, we bought it for our infant to listen to lullabies to get to sleep. We set it at 3 and there's a slight hum that annoys me. I'm sure my daughter won't mind, but if I had to do it over again I would not have purchased this one. There is no clock feature on this either.

No comments about BOSE(R) LS35IV-BK Lifestyle 35 Series IV DVD Home Entertainment System - Black.

5 comments about Yamaha YHT-380BL Home Theater in a Box (Black).

1. This is my first home theater system so my review might not be the best, but I did have a few gripes with the system.
   Setup-
   Included in the box was an easy to follow picture guide for setup. Setup is easy however if you don't have any experience cutting and stripping wire you will have a problem since you have to cut the included speaker wire yourself since they cant predict the length of the wire you will need for your setup. The problem I had was when I had everything correctly hooked up my 2 front speakers did not produce any sound so I reached for the manual and the real problem with this system became apparent, but I will discuss the manual later. I had to search every page to finally find a mention of the speaker button on the front of the receiver which only says speaker A/B/OFF. This is apparently what you have to press to select which input your front speakers are plugged into. Nowhere in the setup portion of the manual is this explained so it led to an hour or so of frustration on my part. After I had sound being produced from all speakers I had no problem going through the internal setup of adjusting each speakers individual volume levels etc..
   Sound-
   Once you have the system setup the sound is really quite amazing my 360 games that support 5.1 are impressive each shot fired is unique producing great bass from the sub and making you really feel like your in the thick of it especially with a game like Call Of Duty 4 or Rainbow Six Vegas where your enemy's speech can lead you right to them. Although the included speaker wire seems a little cheap they do the job. Another great thing about the sound is using the included no-skid pads on the bottom of the sub and the 2 front speakers you really get no vibration on the speakers themselves even at high volumes this makes the sound much crisper then without the pad's. It also prevents any other objects you may have next to your front speakers from bouncing away slowly due to the vibration.
   The look-
   The way these speakers look is great they the black wood finish makes them look very natural and blend in great with any furniture you may have around and the key hole mounts on the back of the 2 surround speakers make them easy to mount and look great on the wall. Also I haven't mentioned that all the speakers the sub and the receiver feel extremely sturdy and well made so no worries about them falling apart.
   
   Now I gave this unit a five simply because it does what it says it will and the sound is quite impressive however it has a downside for first time owners of a 5.1 system like me and that is the manual. It is really heavy on confusing wording and very short seemingly at first glance half explained guides on what to do. Instead of being told what buttons to push by just writing the buttons out they have a translation key for letters for the buttons on the front of the system and numbers for the buttons on the remote. So you have your remote/Receiver sheet in hand and you begin the process or cracking the Yahama code. That being said I recommend before setting up this unit open the receivers box(since inside the box the receiver, speakers and sub all have their own boxes) and pull everything out and get aquainted with receiver, the remote, the remote/receiver card and the manual itself. It took me awhile before I got the hang of reading the manual and just taking 20 minutes or so before setup can save you frustration later on.
   
   I recommend this system for a second time home theater system owner since without any experience stripping or cutting the speaker wire can stop you dead in your tracks from setting up this unit. However if your a first time buyer and know a thing or two about stripping wire then go for it the system has proved to be a great learning experience for me and you cant beat the price or the sound it produces for the price.



2. As John Hopkins mentioned in his detailed review, the system works perfectly well. It is a GREAT buy if you're looking to add home theatre to a smaller room or a not too large bedroom. Spatial separation is very detailed in the sound, and the active subwoofer works a charm, with deep and tight bass response.
   
   These are quality components indeed. Probably the best thing about this system is the Yamaha receiver, which is a discrete amp and receiver combo, usable with any speaker system you care to throw at it (within watt range of course). It can drive high end speakers just as well. Most home theatre-in-a-box systems have propietary components, designed to work only within themselves. But the YHT-380 is expandable and upgradable as you like it.
   
   One thing: Even if youre not using other components, do yourself a favour and get some real speaker wire. I bought some Monster XP cable and the increased brightness and clarity of sound is undeniable.



3. The more I listen to this system the happier it makes me. It has an insane amount of setting. I don't see the complaint that it take a long time to setup. Unless people are talking about wire up the cables and that going to take time no matter which wired system they get. Has a great sub woofer. I use it with my PS3(optical), IPOD, and my turn table (it doesn't have a phono port). It just sounds great. I like the all wood speakers along with a inexpensive system that comes with a REAL tuner. Not some crappy dvd player posing as a tuner.
   
   It doesn't have hdmi but I really wasn't bothered by that. However it would of been nice if it had a few more optical inputs (it has 2).



4. i got this surround sound system for xmas and it is amazing. the subwoofer is f***ing crazy especially when listening to music. i mainly use it for music and playing xbox 360. it sounds great with both halo and guitar hero, in halo u can hear the guy coming up behind u and the sound comes from behind when u get assassinated which is pretty sweet. in guitar hero u can hear the crowd from all sides and the sub is awesome. i can also plug it into my computer to listen to music off of that, and the sound of people dying in warcraft is way cooler with a subwoofer. i dont usually crank it louder than -15 in fear of blowing the speakers, but i can still rock the neighborhood with it at -15. if u want to open ur windows and blast some heavy metal for the old lady who lives next door, this is a great system to have. i have it in my room along with my xbox and tv and millions of posters and now i have the coolest room ever. rite now im listening to machine head at full volume and it is literally shaking the walls. this is a great home theater system, i would recomend it to anyone: great for teeagers like myself who like loud music and video games and great for old ladys who want to watch oprah and listen to mozart.



5. One piece of advise: Read the manual before you start playing with it; otherwise, you may not take full advantage of this great system. Also, buy some speaker cable. The one included is very thin and short. You don't have to buy the most expensive one. Any brand should do the trick as long as you find something thick and solid.
   The only cons: 1) No hdmi port. 2) Lots of inputs that you may never use.
   For the price and features it's a nice and powerful system to buy.

5 comments about Panasonic SC-PTX7 Premium Home Theater System.

1. I bought this unit 3 months ago. It freezes on me more often than not. Apparently, I am not alone. Everytime it freezes, I have to unplug and reset the unit. It happens at least 3 times a week. I was deciding between this and the Bose 3.2.1 system before my purchase. I pick this due to the cheaper price and 1080p upconversion for DVD thru HDMI. However, I regret my decision every time I have to get up from my sofa to unplug the unit due to the freezing issue. I even went as far as pluging the unit to a wall outlet rather than my surge protector just so I have easier access to reset it. I hope Panasonic is going to come out with a fix soon.



2. This feel like a beta release. Which would be fine if it were software, but it's hardware! My iPod sounds fine for a while, then suddenly it's very scratchy and fuzzy. The CD player locks up constantly. And finally, when you hit "power" there's a good :30 lag before it powers up. I have not done the firmware update on it. Hoping that fixes things... On a good note, the sound is nice, the remote is very well designed, and the unit looks slick.



3. It may be stylish and inexpensive but I'm sorry I ever bought it. When Circuit City delivered the first one, it was DOA out of the box and we had to go back to the store for a replacement. That should have been my first hint. The second one worked fine...for a day. I should mention that we had Firedog install it and also program the Harmony remote, so our problems were not due to our lack of skill or technical knowledge. We've had it for 3 days now and every morning I wake up wondering what new challenge it will give me. Virtually every time I turn on the TV, there's something not right that needs correcting. Finally this a.m. the sound decided to quit. Circuit City is delivering a new unit from another brand tomorrow and taking this back for a full refund. The sound (when we had it) was average at best. Frankly my old Sony projection TV had better sound by itself than this home theater system. This hard-drive system of Panasonic's may be an interesting concept, but it has too many bugs to be worked out. My suspicion is that it is also not totally compatible with the Harmony remote. When I turn on my TV, I want everything to work....period.



4. I went trolling for after Thanksgiving returns and found this for $275 with no box. The store was listing it at $799, so I thought I was getting a great deal. Even at that low price, I have just returned the product and moved on. The negatives on this unit didn't justify me keeping it even at that price. The most significant are as follows:
   (1) Uploading a music collection onto its 80gb hard drive is absurdly difficult in today's plug-and-play world. The Panasonic rep I talked to had no idea about the unit or how to upload from my Windows Media Player to the unit. Turns out, I simply couldn't do it because it requires a router with two LAN inputs (she didn't even know what LAN was!). Yes, you have to be connected to the internet and set up some complicated network just to transfer music. To do this, you have to have a router with two LAN ports, which I don't. Why not just a USB transfer at this price?
   (2) One reviewer mentioned a :30 boot of the unit; I've found it to be >1 minute every time, with as much as 3 minutes! Slower than my old computer to boot up, probably because of that hard drive (which, incidentally, is why it's priced so high).
   (3) Proprietary speaker jacks means you can't add any different speakers or add more speakers, other than the $$$ wireless ones.
   (4) I played a Pearl Jam DVD and the sound was nice at about 3/5 max volume. CDs also sound good, but my high quality mp3 player, plugged into an auxilary jack, was nowhere near the sound I had with my old system that had its own receiver.
   (5) You can't play CDs without the tv on, and, when in DVD mode, you can't turn the tv off without the whole system shutting off (so, to play music, you then have to reboot it and wait).
   
   In short, this unit is worth neither the price (especially the list price!) nor the risk, as you will be putting all your proverbial eggs in one basket -- if the dvd player, hard drive, or speakers go bad, you're pretty much screwed.
   
   Thumbs down.



5. I was looking for a complete system with virtual surround (VSS), I looked at everything from Bose to the Sony systems. They all had two similar problems, 1. You could not add your own sub woofer. - The systems are closed. 2.Except for the Bose GS 123 system, the sub woofer was very poor. Additionally Bose system did not support upconverting dvds.
   
   I had almost given up when I saw the Panasonic SC-PTX7. It was sleek looking and had everything that I wanted including "Upconvert", VSS and tons of other stuff. What I really liked about this system is the ability to change the sub woofer out. This is where this system becomes very interesting.
   
   So after adding my 12inch JBL sub, the whole system rocks. My friends are in awe. Adding the sub is very easy, just cut the ends of the wire that connects to the crappy sub that comes with the system. Now, connect them to your POWERED SUB and you are in business.
   
   NOTE:ONLY USE A POWERED SUB, if you don't you can burn the receiver out.
   DISCLAIMER:I accept no responsibility for anything. Try at your own risk.
   
   In regards to the other issues mentioned in the reviews I am yet to experience them - maybe panasonic finally fixed them.
   
   Hope you enjoy.
   
   George Richardson