0305wv25 LG allin1

13/3/2003

10:15 am

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LG DV-2000
DVD/VCR home cinema system

HIGHS AND LOWS

LG has packed a DVD deck, VCR, amplifier and speakers into one silver-clad package for a mere 350. David Smith gets acquainted with this unique proposition
Remarkably uncluttered given all the work it has to do
That VCR tape slot threatens the fascias aesthetic appeal
This is becoming a real problem. Back when I started at WV, I would have got four reviews out of this now LG has crammed everything into a single box and I only get one commission. Putting my financial straits to one side, however, it is impossible not to be impressed by this system. In fact, for some people this will do everything they need at an incredible price. The DV-2000 is not the ultimate AV centrepiece though. A combined DVD recorder, hard-drive recorder and surround sound system would fit that bill, perhaps with a satellite receiver built-in. But credit where credits due, the DV-2000 does an awful lot and doesnt take up much more space than a standard DVD deck.

DESCRIPTION

Inevitably, the overall look of this system is compromised by the big VCR tape slot. Despite this its a fairly attractive item, with a swish mirrored finish and small silver buttons catching the eye. Clutter has been kept to a minimum, with the DVD tray and VCR slot living side by side and an attractive LED display underneath.
The amp offers Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby Pro-Logic II decoding. It doesnt stretch to DPL II or a rear-centre speaker, though. To the rear, a pair of Scart sockets enable connection of your TV and satellite receiver. The output socket can be changed between S-video and RGB with a little switch at the back, rather than through the onscreen menus. Theres an optical digital audio input, aerial in and out sockets and six speaker connections. The speaker system is of a pleasing design with a nice, weighty feel. The little sats and bigger sub are all fed from the main unit, with 30W each to the satellites and 50W to the sub. This isnt likely to shake the floorboards, but at this price its fine as long as it meshes well. Finally, the remote is a triumph, packing all that functionality into a slim unit thats easy to use and remarkably uncrowded.

OPERATION

Dont be deterred by the DV-2000s wide range of functions if you tackle each element as a separate entity its easy to set up. While the DVD section features a neat
Nothing spectacular but all youll need
onscreen menu, the VCRs is a rather shabby affair, but stick to the well-written manual and youll have no problems. An auto-tuning facility gets the VCR up and running, while DVD setup is the usual matter of selecting onscreen language, TV aspect ratio, etc. Sonic output can be adjusted with a sound-level setting and delay-time adjustment, while a test tone allows you to check your settings. VCR playback can be tweaked using Optimum Picture Response, which automatically adjusts to the condition of the tape being used, or can be set to Soft or Sharp picture quality. Slo-mo playback is possible, as well as picture-search both forwards and in reverse, while Commercial Message Skip lets you avoid pesky ads by zipping forward in 30sec increments. Recordings can be programmed either through the manual timer function or through Instant Timer Recording, but theres no VideoPlus facility. One intriguing function lets you record from DVDs onto a VHS tape, but only if the disc in question isnt copy-protected.
M AY I W H A T V I D E O W I D E S C R E E N E N T E R T A I N M E N T

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SPECIFICATIONS
FEATURES DV-2000ST main unit: DVD/CD/VCD/CD-R/ CD-RW/MP3/DVD-R/DVD+R/DVD+RW/ DVD-RW (Video mode)/CD/CD-R/CD-RW/ VCD/SVCD playback; Dolby Digital, DTS & Dolby Pro-Logic II decoding; 5 x 30W power; 50W to passive subwoofer; OSD; standard DVD playback options; standard VCR playback options; auto tuning; parental lock; test tone; OPR; Video Doctor; ez repeat; DVD-VCR copying DTE-530TE sats: 60W power handling; magnetically shielded; 120Hz-20kHz frequency response DTE-550WE sub: 100W power handling; passive model; 45Hz-1.5kHz freq resp SOCKETS Front: AV inputs Rear: one optical digital input; two Scart sockets (one RGB-capable); RF input; RF output; one S-video output; 5.1 speaker connections DIMENSIONS 430(w) x 97.5(h) x 360(d)mm WEIGHT 6.7kg CONTACT LG TEST DATA DVD: Video jitter: 3ns (very good) Signal-to-noise ratio: -64.7dB (average) Chroma AM/PM: -70.9dB/-69dB (exc/exc) Chroma crosstalk: -76.9dB (excellent) Frequency response (S-video) at 5.8MHz: -7.31dB (very good) composite video at 5.8MHz: -7.24dB (v gd) VHS: freq response at 2MHz: -2.4dB (gd) Signal-to-noise ratio: -45.5dB (very good) Chroma AM/PM: -43dB/-41.9dB (v gd/fair) Jitter: 530ns (very good)
The DVD unit boasts standard playback options including frame advance, slow motion and zoom, as well as random, repeat and programmed play. Rounding off the features is Video Doctor, which alerts you to any problems with the VCR section and prompts for video-head cleaning, as well as warning when you have inserted a copy-protected videotape.
This is a fairly easy deck to master and the trickplay functions all work smoothly. Taking into consideration the limitations of the format a decent amount of detail is captured on recordings.

PERFORMANCE

First, the DVD player. This delivers an impressive performance with solid picture quality. Detail is evident on a range of material, notably on our old test favourite, The Matrix. Routed through the RGB Scart, colour reproduction is impressive and there are no annoying artefacts. Trickplay functions work well and the zoom is particularly impressive, blowing up the picture without ruining it. VCR playback is also impressive, but years of being spoilt by RGB images on digital satellite TV and DVD have taken their toll. VHS pictures just look soft and wishy-washy in comparison.
a highly impressive dvd player, decent vcr and average sound system
Annoyingly though, the VCR keeps flashing up the sound mode onscreen. On a faulty recording we have, which continually slips in and out of stereo mode, the LG deck kept on informing us when it was playing in stereo, which became quite distracting. In terms of sonic performance, our initial impressions are mixed. Steering is good, with sound effects popping up all over the place and decent separation between the channels. There is a lack of volume, however not exactly surprising considering the modest power rating. At fairly low volume

levels this need not be a problem, but when cranked right up the overall effect suffers. The subwoofer and satellites dont mesh that well either, and this is exacerbated as the volume levels rise. The sub throws out some surprisingly weighty bass, but the satellites float above it rather than merging with it. There is a sense that an awful lot of midrange information has been left stranded between the highs of the satellites and the lows of the subwoofer. It is possible that a different sub/sat speaker system would improve matters, but that negates one of the main selling points of this unit its affordability.

VERDICT

WHATS GOOD DVD; VCR performance WHATS BAD Underpowered sound OVERALL A clever concept that will appeal to bargain-seekers PICTURE (DVD).%%%%% PICTURE (VCR).%%%% SOUND.%%% FEATURES.%%%%% EASE OF USE.%%%%% VALUE.%%%%% OVERALL.%%%%

CONCLUSION

The DV-2000 is a solid system, with a highly impressive DVD player and a decent VCR, but only an average sound system. At this price, though, it deserves an audition and certainly offers a lot of bang for your bucks. This unusual proposition isnt a Best Buy in terms of pure performance, but is a potential bargain for the right buyer nonetheless

LG Singapore ::DV498H, DV498H

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Model : DV498H
DVD Player with HDMI Up-scaling

Select a Model

Select a model
- 1080p Up-scaling via HDMI - DivX HD playback - USB direct recording from Audio CD to USB - USB Plus for movie, music & photo playback - 5.1Ch Output - Karaoke
TV System NTSC : Yes PAL : Yes Playable Disc Type DVD-RW (Video Mode) : Yes DVD-RW (VR Mode) : Yes DVD+R : Yes DVD+RW : Yes MP3 Decoding : Yes MP3 ID3 Tag : Yes Video Feature Video DAC : 108MHz/10bit Audio Feature Audio Dac : 192KHz/24bit DTS Digital Out : Yes Playback Feature Closed Caption : Yes WMA : Yes Progressive Scan : Yes Others
http://sg.lge.com/prodmodelprint.do?modelCodeDisplay=DV498H&actType=search&categoryId=0303&modelC. 10/6/2009
Screen Saver : Yes Auto Power Off : Yes Parental Lock : Yes Black Level Adjustment : Yes Last Condition Memory : Yes Vocal On/Off : Yes Connections Video Out : Composite: Yes Component: Yes HDMI: Yes Audio Out : Audio L/R: Yes 5.1 Ch Out: Option Coaxial: Yes Dimensions : Optical: Yes Set (WxHxD) : 430x35x195

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