Philips HTS3544 Home Theater System with iPod Connectivity (Silver)
See it at Amazon.com for $139.99Average Customer Rating
(4.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
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(5 out of 5)A great system with a hidden bonus...
The Philips HTS3555 is a great system. I have the HTS3544 which is basically the same system. It gets great sound and I've had this for a few months and I just discovered the best feature about it : It can be an all region dvd player. Here is what to do : 1. Turn on system and go to DVD mode 2. Open dvd tray 3. using remote, press Stop, 7, 3, 4, 4, 6, and 6. At bottom left of screen, you'll see "region : 1" press 0. Now you've got an all region dvd player. My Model Number is HTS3544, and this one is HTS3555 and even though they are the same system, they still contain different model numbers. So, I went to my Local store, who has HTS3555 (this one I am writing a review on) on display with a remote. I tried this code out and it works on HTS3555 as well. HTS3555 and HTS3544 are basically the exact same system just with 2 different model numbers. Anyways, this is a great home theater system.
(1 out of 5)FYI - DOA
Just spent an hour wiring up the 6 speakers only to plug it in and have it not work. I called customer support and was told it's dead. A very short phone call as they are apparently aware of the problem with this batch. So, check your serial numbers, if it starts MB 07 (the 07 is the important part) then your system may very well already be dead.
Lesson learned, PLUG IN FIRST. Now I know.
(1 out of 5)useless to me
I bought the Philips HTS3544 this evening and I returning it tomorrow morning. It only took me long enough to open the box before I realized it would be useless to me. All of the speakers are hardwired to their cheap standard 20 gauge wire and they have special plug-ins into the unit so you can't just open the speakers and replace the wire with better. I have spend $200 in wiring my theater with 12 guage so I wouldn't have to have wire running all along my floor. If you want a simple bookcase unit, go for it, it may be great, but for a more custom installion, this mickey mouse arrangement just doesn't cut it. Philips, why would you design such limitations into your product? Shame on you.
(5 out of 5)My New Home Theater System
This system is a great buy overall. It includes all the standard features you'd expect from a home theater, with some nice extras. I recently started watching a lot of TV shows online, and many of them are in DivX format. The Philips HTS3544 allows me the freedom to burn the shows I download onto a DVD and watch them on my TV screen. There's also a USB port in the front of the DVD/receiver where I can plug in a jump drive or external hard drive and show my pictures on my television. Lastly, my favorite thing about my new home theater system is the iPod dock. I know this is pretty much standard now for systems like this one, but I have spent the last two years using an 1/8″ to RCA adapter on the back of my ten year old stereo (also a Philips-Magnavox). The dock allows me to control my iPod Nano with its remote control, and charges my MP3 player while I'm playing my favorite music.
Drawbacks? The initial setup was a pain in the [...], or rather the thumbs. I literally had to hammer the connection cords from the speakers into the back of the DVD/receiver. Otherwise, everything was relatively simple (plenty of cord length!). The remote is a little tricky to learn at first, especially the "dock" function, which controls my iPod. Also, the dock itself is a little flimsy in construction, and I would suggest you dig out the box your iPod came in and use the cradle adapter you got from Apple.
How does it sound? Phenomenal for the price. The dynamic range and overall volume is more than enough for my medium-sized living room/kitchen area. And the great thing (at least in my opinion) is that the speakers, though they are plenty loud, seem to only project their sound in the direction they are pointed. This means that my 2 1/2 year old daughter can sleep soundly upstairs while my wife and I watch an action movie nice and loud. The sub-woofer, of course, bleeds through walls a bit, but that's just the nature of sound (low frequency sound travels through solid objects more easily). Speaking of the sub-woofer... it's just enough for my taste. It doesn't have a separate volume control like my old system did, but I'm okay with that. Some users who like more bass (read: too much) may want to opt out on this one, but I think most everyone will be satisfied.
(4 out of 5)Works for me
This system sounds more solid than it looks. The subwoofer and the satellites are muscular for their size, the sound is clear and tight, with warmer bass than I expected. My iPod Nano docks happily, and I can control it fine with the Philips remote, with no setup. It isn't very flexible, in terms of wiring, but if you just want to fill a room with good surround sound for minimal hassle, this is a great buy.