SC-BT100
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Panasonic's Blu-ray SC-BT100 HTIB system gets reviewed
Make no mistake about it, Panasonic's SC-BT100 is pretty intriguing for those looking to dive head first into the Blu-ray / surround sound game simultaneously. Boasting a 5.1 speaker system along with the DMP-BD50 standalone Blu-ray player, Panny's BD HTIB has a lot going for it on paper. Design wise, reviewers found lots to love, and they also admired the plethora of connection options and simplicity of use. Unsurprisingly, the picture quality was coined "phenomenal," but we wouldn't expect anything less from the BD50. The only real digs on the entire system are the steep price and the lackluster audio quality; highs were said to be "too harsh," and the overall quality was so far below par that it prevented critics at Pocket-lint from offering up a wholehearted recommendation. Maybe your ears will feel differently, though.
Panasonic delivers SC-BT100 Blu-ray HTIB
The Blu-ray equipped SC-BT100 HTIB system Panasonic showed onstage at their CES press conference is set for US release in the same "spring" timeframe as the DMP-BD50 standalone Blu-ray player. HTIB systems are all about convenience, so rest assured that Panasonic threw in some niceties for your other gear: iPod dock, an SD card slot and AVCHD support for your videos shot (hopefully) with a Panasonic video camera. If the 5.1-channels you get out of the box aren't enough, you can add one additional pair of speakers with an optional transceiver unit. All in all, it looks like a pretty good HTIB system: 5-disc changer, Blu-ray final standard (1.1), DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD and 5.1 channels (with wireless surrounds) for $1000. We would advise, however, you take the 250-Watt power rating with a grain of salt.
