0308wv25 Sharp allin1

12/6/2003

3:55 pm

Page 106

SHARP SD-AT1000H

1-bit amp/speaker combi

Bit below-par

Sharps latest amp/speaker package boasts 1-bit digital amplification and a highly enticing 380 price tag. But can it excite David Smith?
At the rear are colour-coded speaker sockets. We like this touch because it takes some of the hassle out of setting up the system and will be especially welcomed by home cinema newbies. Digital audio inputs come in both electrical and optical flavours, enabling you to connect your DVD deck for home cinema fun. There are also three sets of stereo audio inputs along with a set of outputs and a subwoofer preout. The presence of an RDS-equipped tuner is given away by the antenna sockets. The satellite speakers are bigger than most. Although having a small footprint they stand tall at 251mm (except for the centre, which lies long, if you see what we mean). The front three boxes all house a pair of 80mm full-range drivers and weigh a substantial 1.5kg. The satellites are identical in size, but only have one of the 80mm drivers and weigh just 0.9kg. This is a better specification than the SD-AT50DVH (where all the speakers had a single 80mm driver), but its not ideal for a home cinema speaker system to have unmatched speakers front and back. The subwoofer has a magnetically shielded 160mm woofer and weighs 6.3kg. Its relatively light because amplification duties are carried out by the main unit. Speaking of which, the quoted output of 6 x 100W seems very optimistic. Its hard to believe that these plastic satellite speakers can handle such a load.
Cluttered with tiny buttons and a pain to use
The amp pumps out 6 x 100W
Back in our June 02 issue we raved about Sharps first 1-bit all-in-one system, the delightful SD-AT100H. This stunning system garnered a Best Buy award despite its hefty 1,000 price tag. Less than a year later we got the 550 SD-AT50DVH. Although a less impressive performer, this was still a great looker. We were, therefore, positively slavering with anticipation when Sharps latest 1-bit system, the SD-AT1000H, hit our test bench. It may not include a DVD deck, but this amp/5.1 speaker system is yours for a highly alluring 380.

OPERATION

Setup is a cinch. The colour-coded cables (which are generous in length, to say the least) make it easy to get the package connected and youre soon on to the simple process of tweaking output to your tastes. You can adjust speaker delay settings between 0.1m and 9m for all speakers, allowing you to tailor them to an unusually shaped room. Speaker output can be set from 6dB to +6dB for the satellites and -10dB to +10dB for the sub. Strangely, although the sats are sensibly set to 0dB, the subwoofer comes out of the box at +6dB. As overly enthusiastic subs are a

DESCRIPTION

The AT1000Hs main unit is fairly attractive but doesnt match the AT100Hs overall flair. However, the large volume knob bang in the centre is a very classy touch. Elsewhere, there are a few minuscule controls to the right, a neat display to the left and a 1-bit logo which glows blue on the extreme right.
Colour-coded speaker sockets ease the setup process
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Specification

FEATURES Amp: Dolby Digital/DTS/Dolby Pro-Logic II decoding; 6 x 100W amplification; AM/FM RDS tuner; speaker delay setting; speaker level setting; Movie, Music, Night, Standard & Surround modes; test tone; remote control Front and centre: 2 x 80mm full-range cones; magnetically shielded. Satellite: 80mm full-range cone Subwoofer: 160mm woofer; magnetically shielded SOCKETS Front: headphone minijack Rear: one optical digital input; one electrical digital input; three stereo audio inputs; one stereo audio output; AM/FM antennae inputs DIMENSIONS Amp: 430(w) x 67(h) x 324(d)mm Satellites: 105(w) x 251(h) x 125(d)mm Subwoofer: 240(w) x 408(h) x 306(d)mm CONTACT Sharp 2333 www.sharp.co.uk
common problem with all-in-ones this is a questionable decision. A test-tone generator is on hand to let you check your adjustments. Once set up this system can deliver Dolby Digital, DTS and Pro-Logic II soundtracks, depending what you feed it with. A smattering of sound modes includes Movie, Standard, Music, Night and Surround. Pure stereo sources can be listened to in Stereo mode, with sound routed only through the front stereo pair and the subwoofer. In this mode bass frequencies can also be enhanced. This simplicity of operation means that you can quickly get on with watching movies and listening to CDs. But before we get onto that, a quick word about the remote. As is becoming increasingly common, this zapper carries buttons for a range of items, including VCR, DVD player and TV. The result is a very cluttered design with a load of buttons you just dont need.

was used for the main testing sequence, with backup from Saving Private Ryans awesome beach-landing scene. Sadly, the AT1000H does not deliver. The first impression is of a horribly boomy subwoofer channel running roughshod over the rest of the soundstage. At high volume levels this quickly becomes very irritating.
The satellite speakers do a fairly good job at low volume
Trimming subwoofer output down from that ridiculously high factory setting does help. When the bass output is put back in its place the soundstage becomes more coherent, but the subwoofer still throws out low frequencies in a rather uncontrolled manner. The shuddering explosions on Omaha Beach are intended to be overwhelming, but this
system struggles to get down to the really rumbling depths. The satellite speakers do a fairly good job at low volumes and sound effects are well steered by the amp section, but crank up the volume and they really struggle. This makes the 6 x 100W power output a waste of time. If you hooked up higher-grade speakers to the main unit you would no doubt reap rewards, but that is hardly the point with a system such as this.

What we think

WHATS GOOD Ease of use WHATS BAD Unconvincing sound SOUND. FEATURES. EASE OF USE VALUE.77777.77777.77777.77777

Also consider.

SAMSUNG HT-DM150 Delivers better sound and includes a DVD deck, all for just 350 Reviewed Feb 03 SHARP SD-AT100H The original Sharp 1-bit system and still the best. Well worth the asking price of 1,000 Reviewed June 02

CONCLUSION

Theres no doubt that 380 is a snip for a 1-bit amp and speaker combi, but the SD-AT1000Hs middling performance makes you wonder where all the cutting-edge technology has gone. In short, this is neither as good-looking, nor as capable as its predecessors. We can only hope that Sharp rediscovers its past form with its next 1-bit offering s

PERFORMANCE

A spanking (no, we wont make the obvious joke) copy of Goldmember

Verdict 77777

Good price but distinctly average performance
August 2003 s WHAT VIDEO WIDESCREEN ENTERTAINMENT 107

0303WHC22

Philips TV Group

27/1/03

3:50 PM

Page 56

Group Test: 28in Widescreen TVs

Modest

In some cases its not size, but what you do with it that counts. So with this in mind, weve rounded up six 28in widescreen TVs for our take-no-prisoners group test
ere always banging on in these pages about how bigger is better when it comes to home cinema. But while we believe in this wholeheartedly, were conscious that not everyone has a living room the size of Nigeria. And so this month, weve been casting a critical eye over what, these days, class as the diddy men of home cinema: 28in widescreen TVs. But these arent just any old 28in TVs. Weve hand-picked only the most cutting edge sets around and so youll find sexy looks, digital pictures, high-quality Nicam sound and bags of features across the board. That doesnt mean that some arent better than others, though, as youre about to discover. And we make no apologies for all the TVs being widescreen. After all, if theres one thing our disc hero for this month, Austin Powers, cant handle, its squares.

Investments

Philips
Philips 28PW9527 1,800 p56
Will Philips PixelPlus technology still earn its corn on a little 28in screen?

Thomson 28WF401G 650 p58

Thomsons offering is comfortably the cheapest in this roundup but does that automatically make it the worst?

Sony KV-28FXp59

Sony takes the aggro out of remote control management with its KV-28FX66

JVC AV28X25EK 800 p60

JVC tries to raise its impressive budget game with a little touch of 100Hz class

Toshiba 28ZDp61

Toshiba tries to maintain its strong TV reputation with the latest entry in its new Strata range
ow heres something Mini Me will really appreciate: a TV that understands the smaller things in life. In fact, the Philips 28PW9527 not only understands them, it goes out of its way to highlight them. How? Oh, just a little trick Philips gurus like to call PixelPlus. This, if youve not come across it before, is a rocket-science process whereby the TV maps out extra pixels of resolution in the image, calculating how those extra pixels would look by assessing the real ones all around it. On bigger screens, weve been blown away by what a difference PixelPlus makes. But will it prove such a boon on a comparatively small 28in screen? Against most mainstream TVs, the 28PW9527 would be quite a slinky looking beast. But compared with the majority of its rivals in this carefully-put-together test, its actually a touch bland. The only interesting thing about it really is that it keeps the frame round the screen to a minimum to make the TV look smaller.

Test Scenes

Austin Powers in Goldmember

Lip service

As Foxy kisses Austin, the amount of fine detail the Philips shows in her hairpiece is astonishing

Lair apparent

As Austin and Foxy approach Fat Bastards Tokyo lair, in full PixelPlus mode, their dark bodies are surrounded by slight shimmering as they move against the white backdrop

The Logic escapes them

Loewe Vitros 6370ZW 1,100 p62
Loewes Vitros is much more than just a pretty face but so it should be for 1,100.
With the optional wireless speakers attached, Pro-Logic really beefs up the sound. But Austin and Foxy deserve full-on surround sound
What Home Cinema March 2003

3:52 PM

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28PW9527

Recommended Systems
TVs, theres a slight shimmering around some moving objects. And somehow, because of the smaller screen size, the balance between the extra detail on the one hand and the digital shimmering on the other has subtly shifted into less comfortable territory.

Philips LX8000SA

Theres nothing wrong with matching kit from one manufacturer, and Philips latest home cinema is more than a quality match for this TV. As well as playing DVDs, it can do SACD
Panasonic/Mission separates
You dont have to own a plasma or projector to appreciate separates kit. This Panasonic and Mission combination (chosen by us last month) is an absolute cracker, offering incredible style and performance for just over a grand

Samsung HT-DM150

Another superstar from last month, Samsungs latest system is incredible - especially when you consider it only costs around 360. A great match for this great TV
Checking out the TVs rear reveals some good news: two of the provided three Scarts can do RGB duties. Theres also an odd squarish socket which, it transpires, is for the sender part of an optional 91 Philips radio frequency (RF) speaker kit that allows you to enjoy wireless Pro-Logic surround sound. Smashing, baby! Other super-hero-style gadgetry includes straight 100Hz or Line Doubling alternatives to the full PixelPlus monty; an Active Control system which automatically adjusts various elements of the picture presentation based on an assessment of the incoming signal; picture/Teletext split screen viewing; and a Teletext sub-page memory. That the 28PW9527 delivers profoundly good pictures is about as surprising as Goldmember containing a rude shadows gag. Even at 28in, theres simply no denying, for instance, that PixelPlus really makes a picture look more detailed. When Austin kisses Foxy, you can make out a simply phenomenal amount of detail in her humungous hair. Philips tubes are renowned for their colour performance, and the 28PW9527 is so vibrant its almost radioactive. The scene where we first encounter Goldmember in his club practically slaps you round the face. The black level response is awesome, too, while edges are sharp and sensitively handled. But. while PixelPlus certainly works, its impact is less here than on bigger screen sizes. Whats more, as with other PixelPlus

Raw power

The 28PW9527s sonics prove that Philips hasnt focussed all its attention on the picture. A whopping 60W of raw power pump out the likes of the hilarious opening credits and Britneys cameo like theres no tomorrow. The soundstage is wide, the bass line pumping, dialogue natural and unmuffled. even the optional cordless rears blend in with the fronts surprisingly well. As ever, in spite of the ProLogic upgrade capabilities, we recommend a full 5.1 surround home cinema to take care of all sound duties so it could prove a worthy, but redundant, additional feature. So whats the overall verdict of the first TV in our roundup? PixelPlus has to be seen to be believed and having seen it youll probably have to have it. Although Pro-Logic surround sound adds a nice twist to the package, especially as the add-on speakers are only 91, its a bit of a red herring; you must have full-on 5.1 surround from a home cinema system to do this set justice. Thats no criticism though, as this is a superb TV. Further Info

Call www.philips.co.uk

Good Points
For 95 per cent of the time, the pictures are magnificent and the sounds no slouch either. There are plenty of groovy features to keep you busy, too

Bad Points

Traces of digital motion artefacts take the gloss off, and PixelPlus isnt so amazing at this screen size

Overall

PixelPlus makes this, arguably, the best 28in TV in the world so long as you dont mind the odd digital side effect

Ratings

Style Ease of use Features Picture Sound Value Overall

5555555556