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PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
JVC TH-A5R, £400
Putting together a DVD home cinema system from scratch can be a daunting
experience, especially if you’re not entirely sure about AV amplifiers, surround
decoders, speakers and all of the other bit and bobs you need these days. One
solution, and it’s proving increasingly popular, is the so-called ‘one-box’
system.
The box in question is the one the system is packed in; inside there
are usually several smaller boxes, 7 of them in the case of the JVC TH-AR5 (8
if you count the remote…). These comprise the main unit, which houses the DVD
player, Dolby Digital and dts surround sound decoders, a 6-channel amplifier
plus an AM/FM tuner with 30 station presets and RDS. You also get four compact
and magnetically shielded satellite speakers, a centre channel speaker and a
meaty-looking sub-woofer.
The silver-grey system unit is no larger than a VCR or DVD player. The
styling is inoffensive and it looks quite interesting with a large volume knob
on one side, the disc tray on the other and trendy blue panel lights.
One important benefit of a ‘one-box’ system is simplicity. There’s no
need to worry about matching components everything is designed together and
there’s only one remote hand. There are also fewer cables to plug in and it’s
fairly obvious where they all go, so you can have it up and running in just a
few minutes.
The downside of a packaged system -- especially on budget models – can
be audio performance. Everything has been designed down to a price and that’s
one of the AR5’s few shortcomings. The speakers are quite small and not
especially well built, resulting in a fairly thin sound. The sub-woofer helps
pump up the bass but there’s no escaping the fact that lively movie soundtracks
lack the kind of drama and punch that you often get from more substantial
speakers. Upgrading the speakers should bring about an instant improvement.
DVD performance on the other hand is very reasonable indeed. Picture
quality is fine with lots of detail, even in darker scenes. Colours are rich
and natural looking and it has a fair assortment of trick play facilities.
There’s not much in the way of extras, it has a picture zoom and MP3 replay but
not much else. Providing you’re not too critical about the sound and all you
want to do is enjoy DVDs with a minimum of fuss and bother the AR5 is
definitely worth considering.
JVC 020 8450 3282, www.jvc-europe.com
SPECS
Video output composite/S-Video/RGB/
SCARTs 1
Audio output analogue mixed
stereo/coaxial/optical
5.1 decoders Dolby Digital & dts
EXTRA FEATURES
Region 2, PAL/NTSC replay, Dolby Digital decoder, MP3 replay,
multi-speed replay, amplifier with 5 x 35 watts & 1 x 60 watts, AM/FM tuner
with RDS, supplied with speakers & sub-woofer
FOR
One box convenience, very respectable picture performance
AGAINST
Unimpressive speakers
IS IT WORTH IT?
Yes, a good all-round performer for those who like to keep things
simple
RATING
4/5
CYBERHOME CH-DVD 302, £99
Watch out for this one when you’re checking
specs! The box rather misleadingly implies the CH-DVD 302 has an on-board Dolby
Digital decode. It doesn’t, it’s a fairly basic budget play and the headline
features are MP3 replay, picture zoom, a 5-scene bookmark and a loose region
lock. (On the remote handset press Stop + 1999 to bring up a service menu with
region code selection, exit and switch off to store).
When it comes to DVD playback things start to
look more promising, it can handle both DVD-R and DVD+RW discs (unusual on
budget players) and picture quality is surprisingly good for a budget player.
There’s a fair amount of texture and detail in darker scenes, colours are
lifelike and it copes well with subtle shades and skin tones. The analogue
stereo audio output is lively and full of detail, audio CD sound quality
compares favourably with budget and mid-range players and systems.
Unfortunately the CH-DVD 502 is a touch bland,
it doesn’t have any ‘killer’ features and it’s up against some stiff
competition from several other sub-£100 players but apart from the dodgy
wording on the box there’s nothing serious to worry about so keep it in
mind.
Contact Endre Lock 01243-530009, www.cyberhome-europe.de/
SPECS
Video output composite/S-Video/RGB
SCARTs 1
Audio output analogue mixed
stereo/coaxial/optical
5.1 decoders n/a
EXTRA FEATURES
All region playback, PAL/NTSC replay, MP3 replay, multi-speed replay,
picture zoom, 5-scene bookmark
FOR
Hackable region lock, fair value and performance
AGAINST
Misleading packaging – it doesn’t have a built-in surround sound
decoder!
IS IT WORTH IT?
Yes, a fair deal but not terribly exciting
RATING
4/5
MUSTEK
DVD-560, £80
A DVD player with a built-in Dolby Digital decoder for eighty quid, it hardly
seems possible but Mustek – better known for its range of computer peripherals
– has done it. What’s more the DVD-560 has MP3 replay, picture zoom, AV
controls, component video output, a twin laser pickup and an easily hackable
region lock. (Press Setup, Next, Previous, Next, Previous,
use cursor buttons to select region number or 255 for All-Region)
It’s a fairly plain-looking box, the remote
handset is no great shakes (too many small, closely packed buttons) and the
controls are a bit slow to respond as well, but the real disappointment is
picture quality. It probably won’t look too bad on a modestly-sized TV – less
than 28-inches, say -- but on a bigger screen the flaws start to show and they
include blocky colours – especially in darker scenes – a narrow contrast range
and this tends to obscure fine detail. The soundtrack’s a bit hissy too, even
on audio CDs and there was some high-pitched whine in the background on our
sample.
Ultimately you get what you pay for, as far as
features are concerned the DVD-560 looks like amazing value but it’s at the
expense of performance
Contact Time Xtra 0800 027 7777, www.mustek.com
SPECS
Video output composite/S-Video/RGB
SCARTs 1
Audio output analogue 5.1 & mixed
stereo/coaxial/optical, headphone
5.1 decoders Dolby Digital
EXTRA FEATURES
All region, PAL/NTSC replay, MP3 replay, Dolby Digital decoder,
multi-speed replay, picture zoom, volume control, brightness and contrast
adjustment, headphone output & level control
FOR
Very low price and impressive-looking spec
AGAINST
Disappointing performance
IS IT WORTH IT?
Maybe, providing you’re not expecting too much
RATING
3/5
MAKE/MODEL
LG DVD-4950, £250
A £250 price tag is an unusual sight on a DVD player these days,
especially one made by LG. Even more surprising is the fairly brief list of
features, it has an on-board Dolby Digital decoder, 3D spatial sound, MP3
replay, zoom, bookmark and you can easily change the region code. (Press Pause
314159, enter region code, press Pause, switch off, count 5, switch on). LG
have given the 4950 a very fancy case with mirrored front panel and that’s
undoubtedly helped bump up the price a bit.
LG hasn’t skimped on the internals either, playback performance isn’t
going to set any records but the picture does look very crisp and contrast
balance is good, enabling it to pick out a fair amount of fine detail in darker
scenes and shadows. It sounds fine too, the analogue stereo and 5.1 channel
outputs are very busy with lots of high and low level effects and audio CD
playback wouldn’t sound out of place on some mid-range hi-fi systems.
You’re paying a bit extra for the flashy cosmetics and it’s a tad basic
but picture and sound quality are both a little above average so in the end
it’s probably not such a bad deal.
Contact: LG Electronics 01753 50047. www.lge.co.uk
SPECS
Video output composite/S-Video/RGB
SCARTs 2
Audio output analogue mixed
stereo/coaxial/optical
5.1 decoders Dolby Digital
EXTRA FEATURES
Region 2 (see text), PAL/NTSC replay, Dolby Digital decoder, dts
output, multi-speed replay, 3D sound, MP3 replay, 2-stage picture zoom, 5-scene
bookmark
FOR
Solid spec and good performance
AGAINST
Pricey and a bit dull
IS IT WORTH IT?
Yes-ish, but it’s still a touch expensive for what it is
RATING
4/5
THOMSON DIGITAL STATION, £350
Portable TV/DVD combis are nothing new but to date most of them look
like a 14-inch TV perched on a small DVD player. Thomson’s Digital Station,
part of its new ‘Life’ range, is far removed from the traditional boxy styling
of TV combis and there’s some interesting additions to the feature list too.
These include a mike input for it’s VCD/CD karaoke function, ‘Dub Assist, which
aids CD to Tape/MiniDisc copying and virtual Dolby 3D spatial effect to help
puff up the sound from the two built-in speakers. That’s in addition to the
usual assortment of DVD/combi facilities like picture zoom, trick play, Fastext
and a sleep timer. Sadly no news of a region code hack at the time of going to
press but we’re hopeful.
Picture performance is excellent, as it should be on a 14-inch screen.
It’s pin--sharp, colours are vibrant and there’s bags of contrast. The sound is
not too bad at all, considering the size and location of the speakers, just
don’t expect too much in the way of bass, or a stereo, let alone surround
soundstage.
It’s ideal for a spot of home entertainment in the bedroom and the kids
will definitely want one, worth considering.
Contact Thomson 020 8344 4444, www.thomson-europe.com
SPECS
Video output composite
SCARTs 1
Audio output analogue mixed stereo
5.1 decoders n/a
EXTRA FEATURES
Region 2 PAL & NTSC replay, multi-speed trick play, 3D sound,
FOR
Smart looks all-in-one convenience
AGAINST
No region hack yet
IS IT WORTH IT?
Yes but only in the kitchen or kids/bedroom, don’t even think of using
it as your main player…
RATING
4/5
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Ó R. Maybury 2002,
1107
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