Philips HES4900/12 Theater System
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- Main Speakers Power Output: 20 Watt RMS
- Included Components: DVD Player
- Number Of Speakers: 5 Speakers and Subwoofer
- Subwoofer Power Output: 75 Watts
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User ReviewRead All Reviews »
Attack of the DVDs!!!
Pros
Price, ease of setup, CD-R/RW playback, MP3 playback, includes most everything
Cons
Some glitches in playback, no digital input
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Pick this system up if you're willing to put up with a few quirks in order to get a good buy.
Original Review Date: 28 Feb, 2003
Update 22 Mar, 2003
Okay...
My wife and I finally broke down and decided to buy a full-fledged DVD player. We've been using my laptop (which has a TV out) for the past three years, and that's done us pretty well.
After visiting friends and family with actual DVD players, however, we decided we liked the convenience of just being able to pop the disc in and hit play. With the computer, you have to lug the laptop over to the television and plug up all the wires. Of course, the lack of a remote means you also have to physically get up to start, pause and restart the movies (my GOODNESS haven't we become lazy).
Besides, we were at her mom's house, and I hadn't brought my TV out cable (yeah, we're TV junkies).
So, we checked the papers and found this one on sale at Circuit City. Given the features, I have to say that it was a pretty good buy. $199 plus tax for the whole (major brand) home theater system.
You get:
* The 175 watt 5.1 DVD player (which also has an AM/FM tuner and two inputs for additional components)
* The 5 speakers (1 center, 2 main, 2 surround)
* A powered Subwoofer
* A remote
* Cables/connectors/wires, etc...
* A lot of styrofoam and plastic (okay, probably no more than is necessary, but it sure looks like a lot laying about the living room while you're setting the thing up).
Setting the whole sh-bang up is pretty simple. All the speakers, wires and connections are color coded. You've got red&black (right front), white&black (left front), green&black (center), gray&black (right rear) and blue&black (left rear).
All the speaker wires fit into standard spring loaded speaker connectors, and the powered subwoofer plugs into an RCA jack (and an AC outlet, of course).
Like most modern players, the system has component (Pr/Cr Pb/Cb Y), S-Video and composite (video) outputs. It also has digital optical audio and digital coaxial audio outs in addition to the standard stereo RCA jacks. There is also an extra center channel RCA jack (I think they just wanted to avoid a blank space for that jack).
The problem with six speakers, two power cables and at least one audio/video connection, of course, is the number of wires and cables you've got strung everywhere. All 5 speakers (except the subwoofer) can be hung on the wall with the included "brackets" (they're really just screw on clips with holes). This means you can run the wires along the wall, so it's not too intrusive, but I really wish someone would come up with a better way.
The first annoyance you'll likely notice once you get set up is that the remote doesn't turn the system power ON. It turns it OFF only. I'm not entirely sure what drugs the engineers were taking when they made this decision, but that's what you're stuck with if you want the system.
{{{ UPDATE: 22 Mar, 2003...
My wife discovered a few days ago, and then I was reminded by an Epinions user (which prompted the update) that the remote actually DOES turn the unit power on, but not with the power button. In order to turn the unit on with the remote, you use the four function (DVD/CD/MP3 mode, Tuner mode, Aux mode, TV Mode) buttons, which will power the unit on for that function (of course, you can change the function with those buttons while it's on, too).
}}}
Once you get the power on and a disc in, the second annoyance becomes apparent. Unlike every other remote control I've ever seen, the menu "OK" button is below the four directional buttons, rather than in the center of them. This is minor, but you're likely to notice it.
Anyway, the playback was pretty good. I have noticed a few glitches in the playback (just some artifacting that appears once or twice during each movie for maybe .25 seconds). It's nothing to get upset about, but consider yourself warned.
The menu system is a little odd, but you get the hang of it soon enough. My biggest complaint about playback has been that the chapter forward/back buttons double as the fast forward / rewind buttons, which means you have to hold them down to FF or RW (which doesn't always work, so you might end up skipping forward or back a chapter when you just wanted to jump a few seconds ahead).
The player handled two different CD-RWs with MP3s on them (one was pure MP3 files and the other had other files as well). The interface for the MP3s isn't the fastest or prettiest I've ever seen, but it gets the job done.
Anyway, I've had the player for about a week now, and it's doing pretty well at providing everything I would expect from it. Some basic notes:
- It does NOT do progressive scan (sorry, HDTV guys)
- It DOES have PAL output as an option
- It is region 1
- It does do 4:3 FullScreen & Letterbox and 16:9
- It has an optional "Night Mode" which levels the volume, so you don't have to keep turning it up and down (I haven't noticed that much of a difference when I have it on)
- It allows you to set a center or rear delay (in case your center or rear speakers are closer than your front speakers)
- It allows you to increase or decrease the subwoofer, center and rear volume sensitivity individually (+/- the main volume)
- MP3 audio is not available through Digital Audio Out (only CDs and VCDs)
- The remote is NOT multidevice (except that it will increase or decrease PHILIPS television volumes)
- There is no digital input, so you can't hook up auxiliary devices (such as a satellite tuner) and get Dolby Digital sound.
Overall, I'd give the system a 7/10 before factoring in the price, which would push it up to an 8/10. I'm sure there are better players and systems out there, but this one fits my needs and my budget.
Update 22 Mar, 2003
Okay...
My wife and I finally broke down and decided to buy a full-fledged DVD player. We've been using my laptop (which has a TV out) for the past three years, and that's done us pretty well.
After visiting friends and family with actual DVD players, however, we decided we liked the convenience of just being able to pop the disc in and hit play. With the computer, you have to lug the laptop over to the television and plug up all the wires. Of course, the lack of a remote means you also have to physically get up to start, pause and restart the movies (my GOODNESS haven't we become lazy).
Besides, we were at her mom's house, and I hadn't brought my TV out cable (yeah, we're TV junkies).
So, we checked the papers and found this one on sale at Circuit City. Given the features, I have to say that it was a pretty good buy. $199 plus tax for the whole (major brand) home theater system.
You get:
* The 175 watt 5.1 DVD player (which also has an AM/FM tuner and two inputs for additional components)
* The 5 speakers (1 center, 2 main, 2 surround)
* A powered Subwoofer
* A remote
* Cables/connectors/wires, etc...
* A lot of styrofoam and plastic (okay, probably no more than is necessary, but it sure looks like a lot laying about the living room while you're setting the thing up).
Setting the whole sh-bang up is pretty simple. All the speakers, wires and connections are color coded. You've got red&black (right front), white&black (left front), green&black (center), gray&black (right rear) and blue&black (left rear).
All the speaker wires fit into standard spring loaded speaker connectors, and the powered subwoofer plugs into an RCA jack (and an AC outlet, of course).
Like most modern players, the system has component (Pr/Cr Pb/Cb Y), S-Video and composite (video) outputs. It also has digital optical audio and digital coaxial audio outs in addition to the standard stereo RCA jacks. There is also an extra center channel RCA jack (I think they just wanted to avoid a blank space for that jack).
The problem with six speakers, two power cables and at least one audio/video connection, of course, is the number of wires and cables you've got strung everywhere. All 5 speakers (except the subwoofer) can be hung on the wall with the included "brackets" (they're really just screw on clips with holes). This means you can run the wires along the wall, so it's not too intrusive, but I really wish someone would come up with a better way.
The first annoyance you'll likely notice once you get set up is that the remote doesn't turn the system power ON. It turns it OFF only. I'm not entirely sure what drugs the engineers were taking when they made this decision, but that's what you're stuck with if you want the system.
{{{ UPDATE: 22 Mar, 2003...
My wife discovered a few days ago, and then I was reminded by an Epinions user (which prompted the update) that the remote actually DOES turn the unit power on, but not with the power button. In order to turn the unit on with the remote, you use the four function (DVD/CD/MP3 mode, Tuner mode, Aux mode, TV Mode) buttons, which will power the unit on for that function (of course, you can change the function with those buttons while it's on, too).
}}}
Once you get the power on and a disc in, the second annoyance becomes apparent. Unlike every other remote control I've ever seen, the menu "OK" button is below the four directional buttons, rather than in the center of them. This is minor, but you're likely to notice it.
Anyway, the playback was pretty good. I have noticed a few glitches in the playback (just some artifacting that appears once or twice during each movie for maybe .25 seconds). It's nothing to get upset about, but consider yourself warned.
The menu system is a little odd, but you get the hang of it soon enough. My biggest complaint about playback has been that the chapter forward/back buttons double as the fast forward / rewind buttons, which means you have to hold them down to FF or RW (which doesn't always work, so you might end up skipping forward or back a chapter when you just wanted to jump a few seconds ahead).
The player handled two different CD-RWs with MP3s on them (one was pure MP3 files and the other had other files as well). The interface for the MP3s isn't the fastest or prettiest I've ever seen, but it gets the job done.
Anyway, I've had the player for about a week now, and it's doing pretty well at providing everything I would expect from it. Some basic notes:
- It does NOT do progressive scan (sorry, HDTV guys)
- It DOES have PAL output as an option
- It is region 1
- It does do 4:3 FullScreen & Letterbox and 16:9
- It has an optional "Night Mode" which levels the volume, so you don't have to keep turning it up and down (I haven't noticed that much of a difference when I have it on)
- It allows you to set a center or rear delay (in case your center or rear speakers are closer than your front speakers)
- It allows you to increase or decrease the subwoofer, center and rear volume sensitivity individually (+/- the main volume)
- MP3 audio is not available through Digital Audio Out (only CDs and VCDs)
- The remote is NOT multidevice (except that it will increase or decrease PHILIPS television volumes)
- There is no digital input, so you can't hook up auxiliary devices (such as a satellite tuner) and get Dolby Digital sound.
Overall, I'd give the system a 7/10 before factoring in the price, which would push it up to an 8/10. I'm sure there are better players and systems out there, but this one fits my needs and my budget.
