HTIBs with Integrated Blu-ray

High-quality audio and video

Although critics sometimes reserve their greatest praise for home theater systems built around component-grade AV receivers, systems built around Blu-ray Disc players are  drawing more than their fair share of raves as well. The best deliver all of the features and performance of standalone Blu-ray players, along with sound quality to please all but the pickiest of listeners.

Panasonic's entire 2011 Blu-ray-based HTIB lineup draws praise at publication after publication. High marks are handed out to pretty much every HTIB Panasonic offers, but we saw some of the best comments for the 5.1-channel Panasonic SC-BTT370 . Part of the reason Panasonic's Blu-ray lineup scores so highly is because its features and abilities are borrowed from Panasonic's 2011 Blu-ray players, which get significant praise from reviewers, as noted in our Blu-ray player report.

Most reviews focus on the Panasonic SC-BTT370's audio capabilities, but the video capabilities draw compliments from critics and consumers as well. Whether you're watching 2D content, 3D content or 2D content that the system converted to 3D, the picture remains sharp and crisp. The most colorful commentary comes from the editors of What Hi-Fi?, who give the SC-BTT370 a perfect 5-star rating: "Spin 'The Expendables' on Blu-ray and the only blemishes you'll see are the natural ones on Dolph Lundgren's heavily weathered face," the magazine reports in its typical breezy style. The editors add, "The rest of the picture is pristine and virtually noise-free." Movement, texture and detail all look superb on the system, What Hi-Fi? goes on to say.

Thanks to a downward-firing subwoofer design and anti-distortion speakers, reviewers report vastly improved audio quality over Panasonic's 2010 HTIB offerings. Because the SC-BTT370 doesn't include an automatic setup, you'll need to configure speaker levels manually, a process that What Hi-Fi? says is a bit of a pain compared to other systems. After everything's running, reviewers say the sound is surprisingly robust, if not quite perfect. Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD are all supported, as is DTS HD Master Audio.

Danny Phillips of TrustedReviews.com calls the Panasonic SC-BTT370's sound engaging and lively, and singles out the virtual surround-expanding Cinema Surround Plus feature as doing a decent job of creating a wider, deeper soundscape. All critics report excellent overall audio quality from the HTIB system, especially from high notes, although a few minor problems are noted. At Expert Reviews, Tom Morgan needed to turn off the extra sound processing feature during bass-filled action scenes in "Casino Royale," while Danny Philips wanted just a bit more bite and audacity from the 1,0000-watt system.

Before video and audio from other devices can start to be processed, their signals need to make their way into the SC-BTT370's Blu-ray player, and reviewers happily report that the system offers more ports than most Blu-ray HTIBs. The front of the player sports an SD slot, a USB port and a hidden iPod dock that What Hi-Fi? calls flimsy feeling. On the rear, the big news is the dual HDMI 1.4a ports, with 3D and audio return channel support (the latter means that the HTIB can accept audio over HDMI from an HDTV that also supports that feature, simplifying wiring). You can even make Skype video calls, although a separate adapter is required. Connection to home networks is handled via an Ethernet port or built-in Wi-Fi.

That network connectivity enables the SC-BTT370 to download firmware updates and BD-Live content, although you'll need a separate 1 GB SD card to store the BD-Live content. Panasonic's Viera Cast app lineup is also included. Viera Cast includes several popular services, including Netflix, VUDU, Pandora, Twitter, YouTube and more. Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) compatibility isn't supported in U.S. versions of the HTIB, so you won't be able to stream content over your network, but most of the major audio and visual formats – like DivX HD, MKV, MP3 and JPEG – can be played via SD card or USB.

The Panasonic SC-BTT770 also garners praise from reviewers. Although it sports slightly different features than the SC-BTT370, the basic capabilities are similar, so you can expect to find the same high quality audio and video playback. Of particular note, the SC-BTT770's rear speakers are wireless, which allows you to bypass many of the woes associated with stringing wire across a room.

The 5.1-channel Samsung HT-D5500 Blu-ray HTIB draws some critical attention as well. It ticks most of the same boxes as the Panasonic SC-BTT370 -- 3D playback, dual 1.4a HDMI inputs, 2D to 3D conversion -- and manages to one-up Panasonic's system with DLNA networking and a sleek, interesting visual design (although the lack of grills over the driver cones on the speakers leads Tom Morgan at Expert Reviews to worry about potential damage). But can the HT-D5500 match the pure video and audio prowess of Panasonic's system? For the most part, reviewers answer with a resounding "yes."

On the video front, the HT-D5500's output slightly outperforms the output from Panasonic's HTIBs, Danny Phillips reports. "After comparing it with the latest Panasonic systems, its Japanese rival adds an even greater sense of texture and sharpness, with shading and colour blends looking fractionally more convincing," Philips says. He adds that the improvement is subtle, but that it could be make a difference to those who are particularly fussy about image quality. Overall, Philips reports clean, clear pictures without any trace of error or artifacts while watching "Avatar 3D." Although he notes blazing-fast disc load speeds, Morgan offers the opposite opinion; he calls the HT-D5500's loading times "leisurely."

Morgan and Phillips agree on one thing, however. Both say that while the Samsung HT-D5500 delivers superb audio for an HTIB, with clear speech, excellent musical playback and plenty of small details, the quality can't quite match what can be achieved by building a system with discrete components. "This lively, powerful performance is likely to push most listeners' buttons, but compared with a more proficient receiver/speaker combo you can hear where the Samsung falls short," Phillips says. Specifically, he says the Samsung HT-D5500 can't quite handle high and low notes with the same finesse as a hand-picked system. One thing he does like is the system's automatic speaker calibration, a feature that isn't often found in HTIBs.

The system packs in quite a few bonus features as well. Internet connectivity is handled via a wired Ethernet port or you can use the built-in Wi-Fi. There's 1 GB of on-board memory, so you won't need a separate device to access BD-Live content. Internet apps are handled via Samsung's Smart Hub interface, which offers a ton of different applications, including stalwarts like Netflix, Facebook, Pandora and Twitter, along with Hulu Plus, MLB.TV and Blockbuster On Demand. If streaming content doesn't strike your fancy, you can use the HT-D5500's DLNA capabilities to watch videos and listen to music from other computers and devices on your network. There's an iPod dock, too.

About.com's Robert Silva adds the 5.1-channel LG LHB976 to his list of top 10 HTIB systems, giving it the nine slot. However, his write-up of the system takes up two paragraphs, and the only other review we could find of the LHB976 -- by Michael Brown at Maximum Tech – is also exceedingly short. Neither touches heavily on the system's audio or video performance, although Brown mentions that he finds the front-firing subwoofer weak when compared to other systems he tests for his report. Both critics call the LG LHB976's networking abilities a highlight; the receiver features built-in Wi-Fi, DLNA certification (so you can stream content over your network) and Internet apps from top providers like Netflix, VUDU, CinemaNow and Pandora. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Consumers chime in on the LG LHB976's performance at a number of review sites. Most of them say they are blown away by the system's chops and award it a perfect rating. Users compliment the HTIB's extensive networking and Internet options, saying "it has a lot of bells and whistles for the price." Although two users on Amazon.com echo Michael Brown's complaint about the weak subwoofer, sound is generally called outstanding.