Panasonic SC-BT100 & Samsung HT-BD2T Blu-ray HTiB Systems

Video Performance
The HT-BD2T delivers up to 1080p with 24 frames-per-second (fps) playback over its HDMI 1.3 output and upscales DVD discs to 1080p. Please note: the HT-BD2T is only Blu-ray Profile 1.0 compliant. Loading times were on the sluggish side.

Movie (or Soundtrack) Performance
The Doors Blu-ray sounded mighty good in DTS-HD Master Audio (but no better than standard Dolby Digital). Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison sang the tunes as if his life depended on it, and when he whipped the mic over his head in the middle of “Five To One,” the whooshing noise sounded like a helicopter about to take off. Sure, the surround mix was a little overdone at times, but it fully exercised all seven channels. The whole band sounded great, and when the camera zoomed in on the drums, I literally felt the beat.

A quick spin of the Iron Man Blu-ray confirmed the HT-BD2T’s home theater skills, which sounded big and surprisingly dynamic. Still, there was a bit of a gap in the bass between the subwoofer and speakers, and the sub’s bass was a smidge boomy for my tastes.

Music Performance
J.D. Souther is back from a long hiatus: in the seventies he cowrote some of the Eagles biggest hits including “Best of My Love,” “Victim of Love,” “Heartache Tonight,” and “New Kid in Town.” Souther’s stellar new CD If The World Was You [Mri Associated] picks up where he left off, but with a jazzier, looser feel. The HT-BD2T pulled off a feat few HTiBs can; namely, it sounded sweet in stereo. The skinny towers developed a large soundstage, with some degree of depth and openness. Even the horns came through unscathed, without the ragged edge that we too often experience with HTiB speakers.

Bottom Line: We think the HT-BD2T’s sleek design looks slick, especially the curvy receiver/Blu-ray player. The system’s gloss black finish completes the impression of upscale componentry. Overall sound quality and dynamic punch are better than average. Then again, judged from a price/performance standpoint you can do better. Consider, for example, Samsung’s very similar but less expensive ($799) HT-BD2ET Blu-ray Home Theater System as an alternative. It foregoes the towers and is a 5.1-channel system, but still provides support for the latest HD soundtrack formats including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. PB