Looks great and it has a 5 DVD changer. The subwoofer accomadates the surrounds perfectly.

Cant read Cdr or Cdrw, not alot of functionality options or surround modes. Lacks the DTS.

listen to them your self but i recomend you get an extra sub since the subs for both systems are great for whactching DVD's but when it comes to music they are boomy so you mite consider a small sub some subs i think that fit the systems nicley are

YAMAHA YST-SW160
POLK AUDIO PW250
JBL PB10

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PIONEER HT-55DV
much better system for the same value it has 14 different audio setings, you can change the output of each speaker, ALOT PROGRAMABILITY nic compact and sound better then the panasonic. DONT BE FOOLED BY THE WATTS THE PANASONIC DOES HAVE 240 WATTS TO THE 200 OF THE PIONEER BUT THE PIONERR HAS PEAK POWERS AT 265 WATTS AND IT RUNS AT 8 OHMS NOT 6 LIKE THE PANASONIC
THE PIONEER HAS DIGITAL INPUTS AND OUTPUTS

Price, includes tuner, and several input options

Noisy changer, audio quality, no shuffle between CDs, changer only changes CDs not DVDs, sound effects don't work with tuner.

This is a great product for someone very budget minded who wants a combination DVD home theater and CD/radio music stereo system. The sub-woofer is good but the sound out of the other speakers is mediocre. It is a decent amplifier/receiver in its own right. The changer is nice for multiple CDs, but it is slow and noisy.

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None

Great quality to price ratio

remote,5-disc changer is loud, speakers wires aren't RCA cables

This is a good product to buy if you are budget minded
and have a small to mid-size room to put it in. I planned on making a full home theater but after a couple bad experiences with Sony products I decided on this Panasonic mini-system. So instead of $2000, I spent $500 and I'm happy with it so far. Yes, you can hear static from the speakers if you turn it up loud enough but it's at an acceptable level. The subwoofer is plenty powerful (esp if you live above people!). The remote is, well, poorly designed but you get used to it and the reciever doesn't have menu controls on the front panel (Why would they not do this?). The speaker wires are just that: wires, not RCA cables but they are very long. Overall this is a very good first home theater system for 500 bucks!

It looks good

CD-Rs and CD-RWs not working

Good Deal. Some manufacture defects exists(CD-Rs and CD-RWs not playing)

5 disc changer. nice blue lights on display.

sound is appallling compared to separates. shrill distortion on high frequancies. music is chronicly bad.

it sounds like a great idea on paper. unfortunatly when you listen to it you realise that 70% of the sound comes out the front speaker. now..um the front speaker is this tiny little mutt. its pathetic, producing a sound far inferior to a nicam tv. then all the surround effects come out the others. they are better. but the overall sound is tinny and thin. no depth, harsh and boring. its good value for what you get but it isnt fun to listen to, so why not just bite the bullet and spend money on proper separates? if you cant afford separates then dont bother at all! however the ht80 is the best in its field.

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sony htk215

Totality of System, 5 Disk Changer, Power, Active Sub, 10 Bit DAC

No DTS, No CDR

I have owned both systems now (Sony & Panasonic) and the Panasonic wins!

Love Sony but they missed the boat on this one, if you must have DTS, CDR and a great remote, go with the Moritas box.

But if you want room filling sound (I know people who use this as thier primary system in a big room)and a fat bottom, you must do the Panasonic.

Never realized how COOL a DVD Changer is, this really takes it over the top.

The remote sucks but life ain't perfect either.

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Panasonic

A good value product

cannot play cdr, slow and noisy cd changing, cannot play which changing cd

This may be the best in this price range. For in spite of all the weaknesses I have listed above, I cannot find a better product for the same dollar range.

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none

The overall value for what you get. The 5 disc changer is what sets it apart from the other similar models.

The only thing I wish it had was DTS but I can live without it because most movies arent coded for it anyway. It is also a little bigger than competitive models

Although it is a little bigger than all the other models it is the best because of the 5 disc changer. It sounds wonderful too. I have it in a small room and the subwoofer shakes the place up. Overall I think its the best thing I bought last year.

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Sony JVC and Pioneer mini home theater systems

Simple purchase (everything in one package)
Simple installation (comes with Idiot's Guide)
Simple operation (reasonably intuitive remote)
Reasonable HT sound (adequate for our small room)

Flimsy and noisy disk tray/loader mechanism
Sub-woofer rather boomy and a bit "one-note samba" sounding
Limited picture sizing options
Limited range of adjustment on the boomy sub (missile boat?)

I was looking for a low-cost, space-efficient and convenient way of adding DVD movie capability with surround to a dedicated TV lounge as a means to provide additional distractions to the rest of the family so that I could have the main listening room to myself - the SC-HT80 filled that bill rather well.

As you may have gathered, this system is mainly for the rest of the family, but I have watched a few movies on it and one "music DVD" (the double-sided live Tubular Bells 11/111 combo by Mike Oldfield).

Comments, therefore, need to be separated by application!

For movie usage, this unit is great - its convenient, does not overpower the small room, and delivers what is required.

For music listening, its a bit disappointing - the treble is lightweight with no extension, and the bass is bloated and porky!

To be fair, the unit was bought only for movie usage, so the comments about musical abilities are probably irrelevant and potentially misleading.

Am I happy with it? On balance, YES!

Knowing what I now know, would I buy anything different?
Probably not as space constraints, budget limitations, etc do not leave a large choice - just a few nasty mini systems and a few imitators.

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None

Panasonic SC-HT80 is not bad. bat bult in CD/DVD player cant read CD-R disks . :(