Panasonic SCHT500

Author's product rating:   

Picture Playback	Excellent
Sound Level	Excellent
Ease of Use	Average
Range of Features	Excellent
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Very Powerful, Stylish Design, Good Compatability .
Disadvantages:	Poor Vocal Audio Level, Not Multiregion as Standard .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I purchased my SCHT500 around two years ago as part of a package from UK retailer Comet along with a 28" Panasonic TX28PS1 (<--- see my profile for review soon) at a package price of £799 I was first of all very pleased with the combined value of the unit as it's separate retail value at the time was a little over £400.

The system came in one rather large box containing the DVD/CD player the Subwoofer/Amp and the five speakers. Also included in the package were five copper cables, one for each of the speakers. The power cord, the remote and manual. I purchased a separate set of audio cables and scart lead and cannot remember if any were supplied as standard in the box.

The instruction manual contained a detailed set of setup instructions that can be followed quite easily but I would say do require a little bit of added common sense in order to get through a couple of the stages during setup. All of the steps are diagrammed well and explained in plain English with just enough detail. Setup took over 60mins as I had to test the locations of the speakers before attaching them to the wall (something I would recommend any buyer should do) All in all setup was nothing more than running copper cables to the speakers from the Subwoofer/Amp and connecting the Audio Cable from the DVD/CD player to the Sub/Amp and then plugging in.

Powering up the player for the first time to watch a DVD I was shocked by the amount of buttons on the remote to control not only for the playback of your chosen disc format but also the mode of the player (i.e. DVD/AUDIO CD/MP3 CD/TV). Sound configuration is another area where there are a wide range of buttons for different tasks. I must say that it took a good few films and a lot of playing/reading the manual before I got the best sound out of the system. I would have to say that this is one of the biggest drawbacks to this setup that no matter how easy it is to physically set up this set it takes too long to get to grips with the audio options and some users may get bored of trying over time.

When you do get setup you will be amazed by the power contained in this 500w system. It can only be described if you experience it yourself. The feeling of being in a cinema in your own home is well worth the time and effort it takes to achieve. Crystal clear Dolby Surround through five speakers adds a lot of depth to your movie experience. The volume is easy to control on the whole but it can be quite difficult to get a good balance of vocal and background effects especially on action films where you may find yourself constantly toying with the volume in order to get a good balance.

The Audio/MP3 playback functions are great with easy to use/navigate menu systems on screen that have been well designed and are rather stylish although it does miss the visual effects that you would get with the use of a Media Centre PC for your DVD playback, but that's how fast technology moves over two years I guess.

All in all I would whole heartedly recommend this system to anyone. Although it may now be in short supply due to its age I would urge you to consider this over one of Panasonic's brand new designs just for the fact that I doubt they do much if anything more than the SCHT500 and would cost an awful lot more. Despite the somewhat longwinded setup (not as long as this review mind!) and the differing audio levels during some film types this system gets my approval and I shall continue to use it until it breaks or I find something 200% better.

Thanks for reading, please leave your feedback and comments (all are welcome and learned from) Cheers. ciao-guy.