Product Features:

• ColorStream Pro progressive-scan component video outputs for seamless, flicker-free images on high-definition and HD-ready TVs
• Digital Cinema Progressive (3:2 pulldown) optimizes DVD-based movies for their native 24 fps film rate
• 6-speaker system with 50 watts per channel (left, right, center, left/right surround), 70-watt powered subwoofer
• Full decoding of Dolby Digital, DTS, and Dolby Pro Logic II 5.1-channel surround sound formats
• MP3, WMA, and JPEG CD-R/CD-RW compatibility, headphone jack

Product Description:

Description from Manufacturer:Enjoy rich, full-bodied surround sound from a stylish, slim-design system with Toshiba's SD-43HT. The system consists of an audio/video receiver coupled with a single-disc DVD player, a 5.1-channel speaker package, and a powered subwoofer. The DVD player is equipped with a progressive-scan output for superlative images on high-definition and HD-ready televisions, and in addition to full surround processing the system also plays your homemade CDs filled with MP3, WMA, and JPEG sound and image files.

Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the SD-43HT's ColorStream Pro DVD player stands ready to deliver the full potential of DVDs. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, providing higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts. Composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with nearly any television.

The SD-43HT also features Toshiba's Digital Cinema Progressive feature (3:2 pulldown). DVD mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture.

The speaker package features four satellite speakers with 3-inch drivers (front and surround left/right, powered by 50 watts apiece), a larger center-channel speaker (for handling most dialogue and critical sound effects, also 50 watts), and a 70-watt, 8-inch subwoofer to drive home the foundation-shaking bass effects of your favorite movies. Surround processing includes decoding of Dolby Digital, DTS, and Dolby Pro Logic II (which generates surround output from stereo sources), and an optical digital-audio output facilitates hookup with a CD recorder or alternate surround processor.

The Digital Photo Viewer lets you see digital JPEG photographs on any television; an intuitive onscreen display helps you customize slideshows with a few simple clicks of the remote. You can zoom, rotate, and pan the photos, as well as set the actual viewing time of each slide. Other features include black-level expansion (which enables the DVD player to output a 0 IRE signal for richer, deeper black tones than standard players), picture zoom, two auxiliary video inputs (one with S-video) for your VCR or other devices, and a preset remote control. The color-coded connections add convenience and make set-up a snap.

What's in the Box
DVD player/receiver, 5 satellite speakers, 1 subwoofer, AM loop and FM antennas, remote control, user's manual, stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable.Average Customer Rating:

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Comment: a great region-free home theater system on a budget Rating:
PROS: easy to set up; solid video and sound; handles layer changes well; region-free
CONS: limited A/V in/out; slow to open DVD tray; clunky 'time remaining/elapsed' displays

I am satisfied Toshiba customer. I bought my first DVD player (a Toshiba SD-1200) in March 2000, and it's worked perfectly to this day. So when I felt it was time to upgrade to surround sound, it's no surprise that, after comparing prices and features of competing brands, I decided on the Toshiba SD-43HT. If you're like me, and you want to take advantage of Dolby 5.1 and DTS tracks on DVDs without spending thousands of dollars on equipment, this entry-level system is a great value at under $300.

The color coded wires make it easy to set up right out of the box. The wires are 18 gauge and 50' in length for the rear speakers, 25' (I think) for the front. You may want to upgrade to a lower gauge and replace these generic wires when you can. However, the wire connecting the subwoofer is permanently soldered on--and is extremely difficult to untie when first setting up the system. Toshiba should have really used twist-ties when packaging this system!

Some home theaters offer 60 or even 70 watts/speaker of power, but I think these 50 watts speakers provide plenty of volume for even a larger sized room. The experienced audiophile may balk at the quality of the sound, but for the typical listener, this system is more than sufficient. Listening to the DTS mix on my Hero DVD is an amazing experience. You'll never be able to watch a movie without surround again. Advanced users may also like to tweak controls like the midi/bass/treble controls, but there are none to be found on this system, only levels and delays. (I haven't played any CDs, but I would suggest the user who finds the subwoofer dominating his music to turn down the s/w level.)

The Toshiba SD-43HT offers stunning video quality. I have an older television, so I can't comment on the SD-43HT's progressive scan, but I'm sure it's even *more* stunning. The unit has composite video, s-video, and component outs. I've never encountered layer changes on DVDs where I know layer changes to occur, such as in the LOTR Two Towers extended edition. As for features, the player fast forwards in 2x, 4x, 8x and 32x. It has a zoom capability of 1.5x, 2x and 3x. There's JPEG slideshow and mp3 playback, and AM/FM radio. VCDs burned onto CD-R and CD-RW discs play fine.

Finally, if appearances are important, this unit is pretty stylish looking. The player/receiver is slim, and the speakers and subwoofer don't look cheap and bulky like some brands. It's silver and gray so it looks nice against white and black surroundings.

Now, for some negatives: There is no audio out, which makes dubbing DVDs impossible. But more importantly, you can't take the player to a friend's house, connecting with a regular composite A/V cable, and leave the speakers at home. Also, the system offers only a digital optical input. This is compatible with the Playstation 2 and XBox, but a lot of digital cable boxes are coaxial digital (they have orange plugs that say SPDIF) and if your cable box is like mine, you'll need to be buy a digital optical cable, a coaxial digital cable, and a coaxial digital to digital optical converter to enjoy 5.1 sound from TV broadcasts.

It takes almost ten seconds for the DVD tray to open. My old Toshiba SD-1200 opened in two seconds. You will be standing in front of your player, holding a DVD, tapping your foot, and saying 'Open, already!' Another minor problem: the SD-1200 would give the title elapsed, title remaining, chapter elapsed and chapter remaining all with one press of the DISPLAY button. The Toshiba people were clearly trying to minimize the text on screen, but it's annoying to have to click the REMAIN button and cycle through all the time options. It also 'pops' the audio when it goes from one option to the next.

Most surprisingly, this system can be made region-free with a simple hack. Turn the player on without a disc. Press 'Enter' on the remote, then '8-4-2-6-9,' 'Enter' again, and the player should turn off automatically. (If for some reason it doesn't, try turning it off yourself.) The next time you turn the player on, it should be region free. If doesn't, your player was manufactured differently. I tested using region 0, 1, 2 and 4 DVDs, interchanging them, and they all work perfectly -- no hiccups. The PAL colors look fine on my NTSC set. (If you have a PAL television, you can switch between NTSC and PAL output by pressing the Zoom button when the player's off. So yes, you can use the Toshiba SD-43HT in other countries, although I'd be interested to know how you skirt the voltage issues.)

The Toshiba SD-43HT is terrific. Easy to set up. The quality of sound and video is the best for the price. The features match anything else on the market. It just looks great in your living room. And it's region-free. (I really just wished the player had a composite audio out, and the tray opened faster.) I recommend this system to anyone who's looking for a home theater experience on a budget!

UPDATE: Six months later and I'm still loving my Toshiba SD43HT. No problems whatsoever.

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Comment: Toshiba has hit its mark in this Home Theater System Rating:
I own several Toshiba products and have been happy with every one. Once again I was amazed at the workmanship, quality, and price of another fine Toshiba product. Before buying the Toshiba SD-43HT I made the mistake of going really cheap and bying another system from a retail chain. The maker of the cheap system was AMW. I was so dissapointed with the AMW system that I returned it within an hour of setting it up. I then decided to really research the Home Theater market before buying anything else. I came across the Toshiba SD-43HT and decided to give it a try. WoW !!! It was easy to set up and the sound is amazing for a 320watt system. Having a DTS decoder is a must for amazing surround sound. Many DVD movies have the DTS Digital as an audio option, and believe me, DTS digital sound is higher quality than Dolby 5.1 digital. Another benefit with this system is that plenty of speaker wire is included to allow speaker placements just about anywhere. I also like having the digital optical speaker input so that I'm able to hook up my Playstation 2's optical sound port to the Toshiba SD-43HT optical sound port and use the DTS decoder with Grand Theft Auto Vice City. This system is versatile and is a must have in your home. You won't be dissapointed with the price, or the quality in the Toshiba SD-43HT Theater System.

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Comment: Worthless piece of metal. Rating:
About four months after buying this product, it quit working. I still get sound, but no picture. Toshiba basically says its out of warranty, call a repair place. The repair place wants a minimum of $125 with no guarantee they can fix it, they actually advised me to toss it and buy a better one! So, my Amazon purchase of $219 got me viewings of about 10 dvds and now its a - rather crummy - cd player. I thought that the speakers were actually pretty poor quality, but figured they would do for movies, I certainly wouldn't listen to quality music on them. These systems seem to be failing about 20% of the time so, if you feel lucky, go ahead and buy, but remember that if you are in the 20% you are basically out your entire purchase price. I will never buy another Toshiba product, or any other manufacturer that only carries a lousy 90 day warranty.

Posted at November 11, 2003 05:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)