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Home Theater Junkie - Panasonic SCHT820V Home Theater System with Progressive Scan DVD / VCR Combo
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List Price: $706.40
Our Price:
Your Save: $ 706.40 ( 100% )
Availability:
Manufacturer: Panasonic
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Binding: Electronics
Brand: Panasonic
EAN: 0037988407866
Feature: 5-disc DVD/VCR home theater system with 5.1-channel speaker system and 370 watts total power
Is Autographed: 0
Is Memorabilia: 0
Label: Panasonic
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Model: SCHT820V
Publisher: Panasonic
Studio: Panasonic
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Features
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5-disc DVD/VCR home theater system with 5.1-channel speaker system and 370 watts total power
DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, MP3 CD, and JPEG picture CD compatibility
Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround processing
Wall-mountable satellite speakers; includes a 140-watt powered subwoofer
Universal remote control and all requisite cabling included
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: nice but complicated
Comment: I like the sound and the unit looks good. I haven't figured out how to route the TV sound through the VCR. And when I put on a DVD, the sound is mostly from the rear speakers. Any help would be appreciated.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Disappointed in "Universal Remote"
Comment: Spent about a month researching different home theater systems searching for one with DVD, VHS, and a universal remote to keep the number of remotes down. Thought this system had everything I wanted, but I'm disappointed in their "Universal Remote". It only works with about a dozen TVs and, of course, not the TV we have. The Panasonic web site is worthless. It won't produce anything other than the Operating Instruction Manual. There's no way to track down cross reference codes. This system is better than what we had before, but I think the "Universal Remote" claim could be false advertising.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Too good to be true?
Comment: I upgraded my entire media system recently and decided that I still want the power of both DVD and VCR player along with stereo surround sound. After some research, I came upon the Panasonic SCHT820V. I thought this would be perfect since it encompassed all the features I needed in one system.
It played well for the first two days. The system isn't phenomenal, but it does the work it sets out to do. The sound was fine and the HD channels played a simulated surround sound quality (the only true surround sound I found was only when I played DVDs). But then I noticed that the DVD carousel clicked loudly as if something snapped. The DVD player stopped working and I couldn't even get it to open. I bought the system from Target.com and they were very friendly and sent me a replacement immediately.
When my replacement arrived a few days later, I performed the daunting task of packing up the old system and unpacking the new one. I connected everything again with the new system and it played fine. The very next day, the same thing happened with the old player. The DVD player got stuck on one of the carousels, something clicked very loudly and I knew that was the sound of me being screwed again. Again, Target was very accommodating; I was no longer interested in another replacement as I had had my fill. I packed the second system up and got my refund.
I don't know if anyone else has had issues with the DVD player, but for it to be defective on two separate systems is a major red flag for me. Be warned.
Now I'm convinced that I will just buy a 5 Disc DVD player/entertainment system from Sony and if I want to tape a show off the TV, I will invest in TiVO!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very nice combo system but sound could be better
Comment: This is the second Panasonic system I have owned, and just like the previous one, I found that the sound is a little muffled (especially when compared to a Sony system). Also the sound output level is barely sufficient for watching DVDs (it is not uncommon to turn the volume all the way up when watching a movie). Other than that the unit looks great, especially with the tall speaker stands, the bezel is very attractive, and the remote is quite nice looking too, except for the large battery compartment.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great product for the price
Comment: One previous review mentioned that this unit would not have 5.1 sound if connected to a cable box with the 2-channel audio (red/white) cables. This is not true, 5.1 sound is encoded on only two channels. You will get 5.1 sound from a cable box if the program is encoded in 5.1. Another nice feature is that with the Dolby Pro Logic II, you get decent simulated 5.1 sound even with normal stereo programs.
This system is unbeatable for the money. I paid $400 after rebate from Costco, and the system included speaker stands. For the money, you get a 5-disk DVD/CD changer, a VCR, an AM/FM tuner, a surround sound amplifier and 5 speakers and a subwoofer. I am very pleased with this unit and would buy it again. Adding surround sound really make movies come alive.
There are a few things that could be better about this system. First, the remote is horrid. It will do everything, but it is very difficult to use. You will need to read the manual. For some strange reason, the volume adjustment only appears on -screen when playing DVDs, not when playing tapes or watching TV. The channel number does not appear on screen until about 2 seconds after the channel is changed. There is a front panel display of channel number, but the slow on-screen display is quite annoying. The clock is supposed to set automatically, but mine would not. The clock was not difficult to set manually. The DVD sends output to the composite output, S-video, and component video. However, the VCR only sends output on the composite output so you will need both composite and S-Video connections to your TV if ou want to take advantage of the S-Video. It would be nice if the VCR would also output on the S-Video connector, this would simplify connection to the TV. I wish there was a way to use the built-in TV speakers as either a center channel or front right/left speakers. This should be easy and cheap to add, but I have not yet found a unit that supports it. One last little gripe, the power ratings of this system are totally bogus. There is no way that the speakers could handle their rate power , and I seriously doubt the unit can actually put out 550W of audio power. The drive level is ample for home use, but the ratings are crazy. All manufacturers seem to be doing this these days.
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Editorial Reviews:
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Home Theater Surround System with DVD and VCR SC-HT820V - In this transitional change of home-theater systems, should you chuck your VHS videocassette collection in favor of getting DVDs? Panasonic doesn't think so and this unique system is their answer. It includes a DVD (and CD - CDR) 5-Disc Changer Player and a 4-Head HiFi VHS VCR together plus speakers for 5.1 channel surround sound. So save your tapes (and create more by recording from TV), build your DVD collection, play CD audio (even MP3 and WMA CDR), listen to the radio, enjoy stereo and surround sound in a great system. Multichannel sound field functions 4-step subwoofer level control Quartz-synthesized AM/FM digital tuning system with up to 30 programmable station memory presets DVD progressive scan compatible Video depth enhancer Cinema mode Dialogue enhancer Component video outputs 4-Head HiFi Stereo VHS VCR - VCR MTS stereo and SAP audio - auto tuning and clock set - one-month/16-event programmable timer Quasi S-VHS playback (VHS resolution) Video input for TV - composite (DVD and VHS), S-video (DVD only), component (DVD only) RF input/output for antenna/cable signals Analog audio input Home Theater remote control Can not record DVD onto VCR 1-Year Panasonic Limited Warranty
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