Home :: Computers :: Components :: Networking :: Wired Networks  

Broadband Access
Telephony
Wired Networks

Wireless Networks
Kenwood HTB-N815DV Networked Home Theater System with Progressive-Scan DVD Player

Kenwood HTB-N815DV Networked Home Theater System with Progressive-Scan DVD Player

List Price: $1,399.99
Your Price: $1,199.99
Product Info Reviews

Features:
  • DVD home theater system with 780 watts total amplifier power and a 6.1-channel speaker system with a 100-watt powered subwoofer
  • Home-network integration through Ethernet jack and front-panel PCMCIA card slot; streams digital media files from your PC (with wired connection)
  • Progressive-scan video output displays seamless, flicker-free images on high-definition and HD-ready screens
  • Dolby Digital EX and DTS ES 6.1 surround processing for enveloping, full-bodied sound from DVDs and video game systems
  • Dolby Headphone technology simulates 5-channel surround sound through any stereo headphones; offers dual-source/single-zone audio


Description:

Kenwood's HTB-N815DV home theater system features a 6.1-channel audio/video receiver equipped with a rear-panel Ethernet jack, a front-panel PCMCIA card slot, and special features for video gamers. Besides the high-tech, aluminum-paneled receiver, the system comes with a single-disc DVD player, 6 slim-design Kenwood speakers (including tower speakers for front left/right), and a 100-watt powered subwoofer. Throw in color-coded speaker cables and easy-to-follow instructions and you've got everything you need to integrate your PC with your home theater along with everything you need to enjoy your movies, music, and digital photos to the fullest.

The HTB-N815DV includes front-panel game system inputs, dual-source/single-zone audio, and Dolby Headphone processing for simulating 5.1-channel surround sound in standard stereo headphones (not supplied). The stand-alone DVD player offers progressive-scan video outputs for high-definition and HD-ready TVs and compatibility with MP3/WMA audio files and JPEG photo CD playback.

The core of Kenwood's sleek, Fineline receiver is its Ethernet connection, which allows it to stream audio and video media files in real time from a PC via a wired network. Compatible streaming audio and video files include MP3, WMA, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and XviD. The receiver will also display still images that are stored on a PC (in JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP formats) or on flash-memory cards inserted in the system's PCMCIA card slot. The front-panel PCMCIA card slot accepts media card adapters, too, so you can even display pictures from digital cameras over your home theater. Onscreen GUI operation makes it easy to find and play all your digital media.

Pumping out 780 watts maximum (130 watts x 6) from its PurePath digital amplifier, the system delivers efficient, stable power while generating minimal heat. The system is equipped with cutting-edge features such as 6.1-channel Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES decoding and 7.1-channel processing via Dolby Pro Logic IIx. The receiver's large, bright, 4-line fluorescent display is easily readable in bright or dim lighting.

The included universal preprogrammed remote is ready to go with Xbox and PlayStation2 codes. The receiver sports easy-access gaming inputs (including a digital-audio input) on its front panel and a dual-source listening mode that allows someone on headphones to listen to one source--a video game, for example--while others are listening to, say, music over the system's speakers. The ADI SHARC 32-bit DSP processor and high-resolution digital volume control give the HTB-N815DV incredible accuracy at all signal levels, from the loudest explosions to the most delicate musical passages.

Dolby Headphone technology simulates 5-channel surround sound through any stereo headphones, giving you the sense that the sounds you hear are originating around you rather than inside your head, a common effect of standard headphone listening.

The full-featured single-disc DVD player spins the latest media formats, including DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, and DVD+RW. In addition it plays conventional CDs and CD-R/RWs brimming with MP3/WMA music files or JPEG photos.

Seven speakers, including 6 new slim-design speakers and a 100-watt, 6.5-inch powered subwoofer, are provided. The front left and right channel tower speakers use four 2.75-inch woofers and .75-inch tweeters, while the center speaker and 3 surround speakers each use a pair of 2.75-inch woofers and a .75-inch tweeter.

All components and speakers are finished in a metallic silver, matching the styling of most TV monitors, including the increasingly popular flat panel video displays.

What's in the Box
Receiver/amplifier, DVD player, 5 satellite speakers, a center speaker, 2 speaker floor stands (for front left/right), a powered subwoofer, a universal preprogrammed receiver remote control, a full-function DVD remote control, remote batteries, a CD-ROM with Kenwood PC Server Software, all requisite speaker cabling, a user's manual, and warranty information.

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates