0904wv13 Sanyo DC-TS780

19/7/04

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Sanyo DC-TS780

Sanyos latest all-in-one home cinema system offers compact looks and a very tempting price but does it do the business? David Smith finds out
FEATURES Dolby Digital/DTS decoding; 6 x 50W power output; sub/sat speaker system; NTSC progressive scan output; bass boost system; slow-motion; freeze frame; frame advance; zoom; repeat play; A-B repeat; random play (CD); programmed play (VCD, CD); picture mode; parental control; AM/FM tuner; onscreen display; remote control; dimensions: main unit 430(w) x 65(h) x 324(d)mm; satellites 91(w) x 155(h) x 105(d)mm; subwoofer 230(w) x 248(h) x 280(d)mm SOCKETS Front: headphones minijack Rear: component video output; RGB Scart; composite video out; stereo analogue audio input; AM/FM antennae sockets; spring-clip speaker terminals CONTACT www.sanyo.co.uk
DVD home cinema system 200
his is a neat-looking system from Sanyo, with a very tempting price tag and a useful list of features. In the ever more competitive world of all-in-ones, it looks well equipped to battle it out at the budget end of the market.

DESCRIPTION

The main unit is attractively designed and very heavy. This is thanks, in large part, to the fact that the supplied subwoofer is a passive model and so requires the main unit to house its amplification. Once in place, the weight of the unit becomes a non factor and you can enjoy the pleasingly sloped fascia, complete with a neat opening for inserting your discs no flimsy trays to worry about here. Connectivity is like one of those old good news, bad news jokes but just about manages to come out ahead. There is component video output but only for NTSC progressive scan. There is an RGB-capable Scart but no S-video provision for those without an RGB-capable monitor. There is a stereo audio input for connecting external equipment but no digital connection for hooking up a digibox. There is also a composite video socket and antennae connections for the AM/FM tuner. To sum up, this is a budget model with a few higher-end frills added but the socketry is by no means exhaustive and youll need to check your other equipment to see if it matches. Onboard decoding covers Dolby Digital, DTS and Pro-Logic, but Pro-Logic II is conspicuous by its absence. The sub/sat speaker system is nice enough to look at. The sub is very compact, which will please those who dont like the
thought of a massive speaker getting in the way, but may pose issues with the depth of bass provided. It carries a 130mm cone-type driver that is not magnetically shielded, so keep it clear of your TV or you may get some nasty colour distortions. The five satellites are identical in design but only the front three are magnetically shielded. Theres nothing wrong with this if your surround speakers are close enough to the screen to cause colour staining then you havent positioned them correctly! The sats feature 80mm full-range cones but, as with the sub, there are no figures quoted for frequency response. A nice touch is the way the speaker terminals on the main unit are colour-coded, matching the colour-coding on the cables for each speaker. This is actually quite important, given the unshielded nature of the two surround speakers.

OPERATION

Apart from the usual set-up options common to such systems, the DC-TS780 offers a few distinctive features as well. First up is Picture Mode. This comes in three settings: Standard, Mild, and Black and White. You can toggle between the settings via the remote control. Audio settings include a Bass Boost, which can be set to Normal, Boost or Off. You can also delve further into tone management, adjusting bass and treble individually to get the exact mix you
prefer and the trusty old dynamic range compression is available for low-volume viewing. The sub can also be controlled by adjusting its output via the trim feature, so thats three ways to get a grip on your bass output! The zoom feature is far more complicated than usual and far more complicated than it needs to be. For a start, you have to press two buttons on the remote to activate it, then you select which portion of the screen you want to zoom in on. A further press of the zoom button then boosts the zoom to its second level, while another press cancels it. As far as features go, thats about it. Not a bad quota but nothing to get too excited about.

PERFORMANCE

The good news is that picture quality from the RGB Scart socket is good. The bad news
Not as complicated as it looks
A sleek-looking, if heavy main unit with a sturdy disc tray
Lots of logos means good format compatibility
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is its no more than that. While there is no nasty smearing or blocky artefacts to worry about, the picture does display a touch more grain than is ideal and a rather muted colour palette. Viewing is still enjoyable and for a budget model there really isnt anything to complain too strenuously about. This is only true if you stick to the Standard picture mode, however. Mild introduces a horrible mushiness to the image, actually making it appear out of focus. Black and White does exactly what it suggests, but why anyone would need it is a mystery. Less impressive is the zoom function. Not only is it long-winded, it also plays back

FACT FILE

G DVD receiver and G G G G G
speaker system 50W per channel to satellites and subwoofer NTSC progressive scan Zoom Dolby Digital and DTS decoders MP3 playback
Does a good job for the price but be careful before being wooed by that price
jerky video while in operation. The slowmotion mode is far smoother, thankfully. Audio performance does not register as highly. At low volumes the soundstage hangs together fairly well, although the subwoofer tends to boom rather than add controlled bass. Keeping the sub at its normal output is essential. Switching it off via the Bass Boost feature reveals awful tinny sound from the satellites. It sounds like youre listening to a small transistor radio. Boosting the bass, on the other hand, sends the sub way over the top and drowns out the weaker satellites. At high volume levels the whole thing falls apart, whatever setting you opt for. The speakers simply do not mesh together and the result is a bit of an aural mess. Strangely, the music performance when playing a CD was actually a bit more impressive. You certainly wouldnt want to crank up the volume and vocals are a bit lost, but it isnt as bad as the movie performance would have led us to believe.

WHATS GOOD

Decent picture

WHATS BAD

Poor sound
PICTURE SOUND FEATURES EASE OF USE VALUE ALSO CONSIDER.

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PANASONIC SC-MT1 This system costs more, but it offers DVD-Audio support and much better performance than the Sanyo Reviewed: Nov 03 ELTAX NOVA DVD Similar power output and a bit cheaper, but the Eltax system does not offer progressive scan Reviewed: Mar 04

OVERALL VERDICT

The price is tempting but at anything other than low volumes the audio performance is poor

CONCLUSION

This budget system does a job for a low price but be careful before being wooed by that price. It is not able to deliver an engrossing surround-sound experience at higher volumes and only does a passable job at low ones. We like the ease of use and, for modest installations, it may have a role to play, but anyone with demanding tastes will surely find it lacking
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A fairly average selection of sockets adorns the rear