Panasonic XH150 5.1 Home Theatre System

Key Features

The Panasonic XH150 is a 5.1 Home Theater System featuring 2 Front, 1 Center, 2 Surround and 1 Subwoofer. The Panasonic XH150 Home Theater system delivers true cinematic sound in full surround with 1000 W RMS. The total RMS of the system is split between 2 x 160 W Front Speakers, 1 x 160 W Center speaker, 2 x 160 W Surround Speakers and a 200 W Subwoofer.

Speaker

This Panasonic 5.1 Home Theater features a Full Range Center Speaker with 1000 Hz Frequency Response, 2 Full Range Front Speakers, 2 Full Range Surround Speakers with 1000 Hz Frequency Response and a Full Range Subwoofer with 100 Hz Frequency Response.

Playback

The XH150 supports a range of audio and video formats including DVD, DVD-Video, DVD-R/-R DL/-RW, DVD +R/+R DL/+RW CD Playback CD, CDDA, CD-R/-RW , DivX, VCD, SVCD and MP3 .The supported video and image compression formats are DivX and JPEG respectively. The XH150 DVD Home Theater supports USB playback and can stream movies, music or images from your flash drive.

Video and Audio

The 1080p up-conversion capability converts Standard Definition pictures from DVDs to High Definition images. This Panasonic Home Theater system supports Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro Logic II processing for enhanced audio delivery with full 5.1 surround sound support. The Home Theater is rigged with Digital Synthesizer Tuner that ensures improved clarity and minimal distortion.

The Panasonic XH150 incorporates a range of audio technologies to deliver audiophile quality sound. The Down Firing Subwoofer in the Panasonic XH150 ensures greater bass throw and a dynamic sound that pulsates across the room. These are also safer compared to front/side firing subwoofers as they deflect the sound off the floor rather than directly at the listener.

The Panasonic XH150 is fitted with a Clear Sound Digital Amplifier which does real-time comparison of input and output signals to ensure that the output sound remains faithful to the original source. Other sound features in the XH150 include Dialog Enhancer and Whisper-mode Surround.

Connectivity and Power

The Panasonic XH150 comes with ARC (Audio Return Channel) feature which allows the home theater to receive audio signals from the TV with just one cable. This simplifies the connection and reduces clutter around your home theater system. Other connectivity options in this Panasonic Home Theater include Analog Audio In, Optical In, HDMI Out, USB port and a SPDIF port. The XH150 consumes 50 W of power during operation and 0.8 W during standby.

Buying Tips

The Panasonic XH150 5.1 Home Theater is designed to deliver true surround sound experience and is ideal for small to medium size rooms (less than 250 square feet). The major factors to consider when buying a Home Theater system include required volume levels, connectivity options and speaker placement.

If you own a Digital TV, the Progressive Scan capability in the XH150 can render smoother image transitions. The Panasonic XH150 would make an ideal Home Theater System for music buffs as it supports MP3 encoded on CD-R, DVD-R, DVD-RW and CD-RW discs.

If you are concerned about unsightly wire tangles in your living space, the ARC (Audio Return Channel) in this DVD Home Theater ensures minimal cable cluttering around your Home Theater System. HDMI output in the Panasonic XH150relays the best possible picture quality, especially if you own a HD Ready TV. For those of you worried about maintaining safe sound levels, the Down Firing Subwoofer in the XH150 might be a deal clincher as it aims the low frequency signals away from the listener.

As a general thumb rule, the more surfaces near a speaker, the greater the likelihood of unpleasant distortions and colorations in your sound. For the best listening experience, the speakers should be placed at least two feet from room boundaries. The Center Speaker should be placed above or below the TV at ear level. The Front Left and Right Speakers should be 5 to 11 feet apart, at an angle of 20 to 30 Degree with respect to the Television. The Surround Speaker should be placed above ear level, slightly behind the listener.