UPGRADING TO BLU RAY

[admin_exported]

I've just bought a panasonic 46" G10 & want to upgrade my home cinema. I currently have a Denon DHT-500SD which has been great, am I better off simply adding a Panasonic blu ray player such as a BD60 or am I better replacing the Denon completely with a Panasonic SC-BT200? I know both products gained 5 stars in your reviews.

Confused.

 

[professorhat]

You'd be better off replacing the Denon system as it won't be able to accept the HD audio soundtracks present on Blu-Ray discs. Whether that's with a separate system (which could include the Panasonic BD60) or through an all-in-one system like the SC-BT200 is up to you. The advantage of the separates system is you can upgrade in stages in future rather than having to replace the whole thing like you are now better off doing with your Denon. It will also give you more flexibility with connecting other sources e.g. if you got a PS3 or Sky HD, with the SC-BT200, you could not take advantage of inputting via the HDMI socket and letting the amplifier do the switching, whereas an appropriate separate AV amplifier would allow you to do that.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that, being boring I'm not into gaming & suchlike. I have Sky HD, the TV has Freesat & I want to be able to play Blu Ray discs. I thought I could connect the Sky via HDMI to the TV & then connect to the SC-BT200 via the optical output. Am I doing myself a disservice?

 

[professorhat]

Not at all! Was just giving you some examples of how separate systems give more flexibility over all-in-one systems (given you were having to upgrade the Denon to take advantage of HD audio, I thought this might be relevant). Of course the disadvantages are separates take up more space and are generally a bit more complex to setup.

It's up to you at the end of the day - if you're not looking to put in anything further, then the SC-BT200 could well fit your needs better.