0410WHC30 MUSTEK PL408

20/8/04

12:18 PM

Page 74

Portable DVD Player

Two headphone jacks offer great-quality sound
Coaxial out for sending sound to a full system
Send images to a big screen via S-video

Mustek

PL408 240
With the low-priced PL408, Mustek is making the world of portable DVD available to pretty much anyone. The question is, can it deliver a decent performance or do you only ever get what you pay for? First impressions are not good as the Mustek is lumbered with one of the ugliest fascias weve seen in a while. Buttons are too far apart while the disc-loading tray feels plasticky and looks cluttered. Couple this with a nasty faux-silver finish and youve got something that looks just as low-end as it is. Things get better when it comes to connections, which consist of a coaxial audio out, analogue audio and video connections and S-video (but dont be fooled by the players progressive scan claims S-video cant carry prog scan signals). And thoughtfully, Mustek has also included not one but two headphone sockets. Set-up is a doddle, with menus that are clear, chunky and intuitive to navigate. Press the LCD button on the dinky remote control and youll be offered a choice of aspect ratios (4:3 or widescreen 16:9), colour and brightness tweaks and the curious option to turn the whole thing upside down. The set-up menu meanwhile allows you to tweak language, set the audio, choose the video output and turn the screen saver on and off. While we were pleased with the ease with which the Mustek is set up, were not so happy about the aspect of the functionality that temporarily pauses the player when you try and make certain adjustments to things like the soundtrack. Its extremely irritating especially when youre trying to become immersed in something like our test disc, the gruesome The Passion of the Christ. colour separation however, with the picture often looking a tad too pale for our liking. Just check out Jesus trial mid-way through the film to see what we mean. We were also disappointed with the amount of crawl that is evident on background surfaces, especially during darker scenes like the Garden of Gesthemene right at the beginning of the movie.

TEST SCENE

THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST

Too close for comfort?

Happily stereo sound through the headphone jacks is better than the Musteks picture reproduction. Bass is fulsome while dialogue sounds vividly close to the ear. The best thing however is the players skill with detail and atmosphere. Skip to Judas suicide and were sure youll be as sickened as we were by the sound of flies buzzing around the corpse of a goat. Even more impressive is the crucifixion itself, with its sky-tearing claps of thunder, screams of rage and agony and lively score. Needless to say, the players on-board speakers arent quite as good. Sonics are still clear, but boast little bass. The Mustek PL408 is not perfect but, for the money, we cant help but consider it a sound investment for fans of films on the move. I
The climax of Judas flight into the desert is his suicide. The Musteks skill with stereo deals with the sound of buzzing flies particularly well here

RATINGS

Style Ease of use Features Picture Sound Value Overall ### #### ### ### #### #### ###

WHC VERDICT

It may not look too impressive but the Mustek puts in a far from bad performance and comes at a very affordable price

AT A GLANCE

FEATURES
Aspect ratio selection Screen saver

CONNECTIONS

S-video Coaxial audio out Analogue audio/ video socket Headphone in x2

Passionate pictures

The film boasts an absolutely beautiful transfer, which is dealt with at least for the most part reasonably well by the Mustek. Image detail is high enough, with skin-tones looking well-defined and naturalistic. Unfortunately we cant be as enthusiastic about

Approximately 238 270

CONTACT INFO

www.redstore.com 4457

74 WHC October 2004

PL305/306

Features
DVD PRODUCTS PORTABLE DVD PLAYER
Anti Shock Protection (A.S.P.) DVD/CD/CD-R/CD-RW/Kodak picture CD compatible & JPEG readable 5" / 6.2" TFT screen Rechargeable battery pack included Two earphone jacks 12-volt car cigarette lighter connector, cable & card kit included Built-in stereo speakers and stereo earphone jack included With progressive scan function

PL408/408T

Anti Shock Protection (A.S.P.) External TV module (optional for PL408T model ) IR earphone (optional for PL408T model ) DVD/CD/CD-R/CD-RW/Kodak picture CD compatible & JPEG readable 8.4" TFT screen Rechargeable battery pack included 12-volt car cigarette lighter connector, cable & card kit included Built-in stereo speakers and stereo earphone jack included With progressive scan function

A806/A920

DVD PRODUCTS AMPLIFIER
Built-in dolby digital and dolby prologic decoder for SPDIF digital input Built-in 75/200 watts 5.1 channel amplifier Audio EQ & 2CH to 6CH prologic function Night mode for DRC (dynamic range compression) function LED display & game port input

HT713 130w/ HT720 200w

True RMS 130/200 watts home theater system Integrated 5.1-channel digital amplifier and radio tuner Easy 5.1-channel speaker connection Modern design loud speaker system Dual lens pick-ups head design
DVD DVD PRODUCTS HOME CINEMA PRODUCTS HOME CINEMA

HT732 325w

True RMS 325 watts home theater system Integrated 5.1-channel digital amplifier and radio tuner Easy 5.1-channel speaker connection Modern design loud speaker system Dual lens pick-ups head design

Company profile

Mustek System, Inc., founded in 1988, started as a leading worldwide scanners supplier, Years later, we expanded our product line with introduction of digital cameras and photo imaging products. With many years of experience in electro-optical imaging technology, we have begun to expand our horizon to audio-visual home entertainment system. The result was a great success by winning international recognitions, and increasing sales. Around the world, Mustek operates in many countries to serve its main geographic markets and provide a direct support. These overseas branches include Mustek, Inc in the US, Mustek Optic-Computer and Communication in Germany, Mustek Pacific, Inc in Taipei, two Research& Development centers and a factory in China. Each of these businesses is dedicated to providing our customers with the highest-quality, most highly effective products, and services.

Mustek Systems, Inc.

No. 25, R&D Road II, Science-Based Industrial Park Hsin Chu, Taiwan, R.O.C. Tel:+886-(0)3-577-9373 Fax:+886-(0)3-578-3328 http://www.mustek.com.tw

DVD PRoDucTS

Mustek Pacific, Inc.
6F, No.17, Sec.3, Jen Ai Road Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. Tel:+886-(0)2-2781-5161 Fax:+886-(0)2-2773-0134 http://www.mustek.com.tw
Mustek Optic-Computer & Communication International GmbH.
Hansemannstr, Neuss,Germany Tel:+49(0)2131-16260 Fax:+49(0)2131-103830 http://www.mustek.com.de

Specifications:

Audio input/output Video input/output S-Video/P-scan output Digital output(Coaxial) Earphone jack Rechargeable battery pack Dimensions ( L x W x H ) Weight 1 set 1 set 1 set 1 set 2 set 1 set 170 x 150 x 40.5 mm around 750g (Not including battery)
Audio input/output Video input/output S-Video/P-Scan output Digital output(Coaxial) Earphone Jack Rechargeable battery pack Dimensions ( L x W x H ) Weight 1 set 1 set 1 set 1 set 2 set 1 set 212 x 158 x 29.8 mm around 930g(Not including battery)
5.1 channel power amplifier output 5.1 channel speaker system Game port input TV/VCR input AUX input Coaxial input Video composite input Optical input Tuner input A806 dimensions ( W x H x D ) A920 dimensions ( W x H x D ) Weight Yes (analog) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes (by pass only) Yes Yes 360 x 52 x 256 mm 420 x 52 x 256 mm <3 Kg
5.1 Channel digital amplifier Tuner Support format Composite video input / output S-Video output Coaxial Scart output Stereo input / output Receiver dimensions ( W x H x D ) Weight Yes Yes DVD / VCD / CD / SVCD / DVCD / CD-R / CD-RW Yes Yes Yes 1 Set (Optional) Yes 420 x 53 x 260 mm <4 Kg
5.1 Channel digital amplifier Tuner Support format Composite video input / output S-Video output Coaxial Scart output Stereo input / output Receiver dimensions ( W x H x D ) Weight Yes Yes DVD / VCD / CD / SVCD /DVCD / CD-R / CD-RW Yes Yes Yes 1 Set (Optional) Yes 420 x 53 x 260 mm <4 Kg

Our Vision

Mustek believes that creativity and dynamics are the essential elements of an organization. In our corporate, we value our experts and experienced staff who are current in their respective field of expertise, such as R&D, manufacturing, sales, marketing, and management. Mustek constructs a full-scale support system to demonstrate excellence, integrity and commitment with our products. Our efforts have been positively confirm by the successful development of innovative and state-of-art products to enhance people experience with ourproducts in everyday living. Connecting to our customer needs, we are striving to provide a guarantee of satisfaction to our customers to go along with our success and growth

imaging

Coloring

e-life

2004 Mustek Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. All the mentioned trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Specifications and software bundles are subject to change without notice.

2004-0524-10

Innovations 4 u
V56L-2E/5E V56LK-5E V56LM-2E
Slim DVD player DVD/ VCD/ CD/ CD-R/ CD-RW/ SVCD/ DVCD playback

DVD PRODUCTSPLAYER DVD

DVD PRODUCTS DVD RECORDER
Built-in TV tuner One touch recording DVD+R, DVD+RW record from VHS, DVD, TV, Satellite, CD or Photo CD 5 quality settings provide 1-6 hours of recording time per disc Play back DVD-Video, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, SVCD, VCD, CD-DA and CD-R, CD-RW Smooth, crystal-clear progressive-scan DVD playback Kodak picture CD compatible & JPEG readable

R100L/R100LB

Slim DVD recorder Built-in TV tuner One touch recording
Built-in 6-in-2 memory card reader interface Built-in TV tuner One touch recording DVD+R, DVD+RW record from VHS, DVD, TV, Satellite, CD or Photo CD 5 quality settings provide 1-6 hours of recording time per disc Play back DVD-Video, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, SVCD, VCD, CD-DA and CD-R, CD-RW Smooth, crystal-clear progressive-scan DVD playback Kodak picture CD compatible & JPEG readable Support digital photo browser, editing and auto slide show

R540/R580

Long continuous harddrive recording time: 17Hr/34Hr/51Hr/68Hr in SP quality (40/80/120/160 GB) 51Hr/102Hr/153Hr/204Hr in SLP quality (40/80/120/160 GB) Support digital photo browser, editing and auto slide show Built-in TV Tuner One touch recording DVD+R, DVD+RW record from VHS, DVD, TV, Satellite, CD or Photo CD 5 quality settings provide 1-6 hours of recording time per disc Play back DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-VIDEO, VCD, SVCD, CD,CD-R, CD-RW, KODAK Picture CD (JPEG-Files), WMA Smooth, crystal-clear progressive-scan DVD playback Kodak picture CD compatible & JPEG readable

R320/R350

Built-in TV tuner
DVD PRODUCTS HTiB DVD RECORDER
True RMS 200/350 watts home theater system Integrated 5.1-channel digital amplifier and radio tuner Easy 5.1-channel speaker connection DVD+R, DVD+RW record from VHS, DVD, TV, Satellite, CD or Photo CD 5 quality settings provide 1-6 hours of recording time per disc Smooth, crystal-clear progressive-scan DVD playback Kodak picture CD compatible & JPEG readable

PL207A

Anti Shock Protection (A.S.P.) DVD/CD/CD-R/CD-RW/Kodak picture CD compatible and JPEG readable 7" widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio active matrix TFT screen Credit-card-size wireless remote control Built-in stereo speakers and stereo headphone jack Car cigarette lighter connector included
Enhanced optical pickup system for disc stability & compatibility 10-bit/ 27 MHz video & 96 KHz/ 24 bit audio DAC performance Kodak picture CD compatible & JPEG readable With MPEG-4 technology

DVD+R, DVD+RW record from VHS, DVD,TV, Satellite, CD or Photo CD 5 quality settings provide 1-6 hours of recording time per disc Smooth, crystal-clear progressive-scan DVD playback Kodak picture CD compatible & JPEG readable
DVD PLAYER DVD RECORDER HTiB DVD RECORDER PORTABLE DVD PLAYER AMPLIFIER HOME CINEMA
5.1 Channel (analog) audio output Coaxial (digital audio) output Composite video output Component video output S-Video output SCART Optical (digital audio) output Dimensions (W x L x H) Weight
1 set 1 set 1 set 1 set 1 set 1 set (Optional) 1 set (Optional) 256 x 420 x 48 mm < 2.5Kg 5.1 Channel (analog) audio output 2 Channel (Analog) Audio input Coaxial (digital)audio output Optical (digital) audio output Composite video output Composite video input Component video output S-Video output S-Video input Antenna in Antenna out (TV) i-Link Scart Dimensions (W x H x D) Weight 1 set 2 sets 1 set 1 set 1 set 2 sets 1 set 1 set 2 sets 1 set 1 set 1 set 2 sets (Optional) 430 x 68 x 290 mm < 5 Kg
2 Channel (analog) audio output 2 Channel (analog) audio input Coaxial (digital) audio output Composite video output Composite video input Component video output S-Video output S-Video input Antenna in Antenna out (TV) Scart Dimensions (W x H x D) Weight 1 set 1 set 1 set 1 set 1 set 1 set 1 set 1 set 1 set 1 set 2 sets 420 x 48 x 260 mm < 5 Kg
5.1 Channel (analog) audio output 2 Channel (analog) audio input Coaxial (digital) audio output Optical Composite video output Composite video input Component video output S-Video output S-Video input Antenna in Antenna out (TV) i-Link Card reader Scart Dimensions (W x H x D) Weight 1 set 2 sets 1 set 1 set 1 set 2 sets 1 set 1 set 2 sets 1 set 1 set 1 set (optional) 2 sets 2 sets 420 x 48 x 260 mm < 5 Kg
5.1 Channel (analog) audio output 2 Channel (analog) audio input Coaxial (digital) audio output Optical Composite video output Composite video input Component video output S-Video output S-Video input Antenna in Antenna out (TV) i-Link Card reader Scart Dimensions (W x H x D) Weight
1 set 2 sets 1 set 1 set 1 set 2 sets 1 set 1 set 2 sets 1 set 1 set 1 set 2 sets (optional) 2 sets 420 x 68 x 260 mm < 5 Kg 5.1 Channel (analog) power amplifier output 2 Channel (analog) audio output 2 Channel (analog) audio input Coaxial (digital) audio output Composite video output Composite video input Component video output S-Video output S-Video input Antenna in Antenna out (TV) i-Link FM/AM tuner Scart Dimensions (W x H x D) Weight 1 set 1 set 2 sets 1 set 1 set 2 sets 1 set 1 set 2 sets 1 set 1 set 1 set 1 set 2 sets 420 x 59 x 340 mm < 5 Kg

AV output AV input Coaxial(digital) output S-Video output Rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack Dimensions ( L x W x H ) Weight 1 set 1 set 1 set 1 set (optional) 1 set 196 x 150 x 28 mm <730g(Not including battery)