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Reviews and guides for all of the best all-in-one home cinema systems in the UK |
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Proline DVD350HT Review
The specifications on the Proline DVD350HT are pretty slim. The RMS power output is only 84 watts, compared to 400 watts on even a mid-range system, and this leads to audio that sounds careless and overly bassy. It has no support for reading recordable DVDs of any format, nor does it support VCDs - the only thing you can put in here is audio CDs, MP3 CDs, JPEG photo CDs and of course, DVDs. Sound format support is also pretty limited, with the sound decoder limited to only Dolby Digital - no DTS support or Proline II. In terms of input devices, the Proline DVD350HT has none at all, and the output is in the form of digital co-ax, rather than SCART, which is disappointing. However, a SCART adapter is included. Configuration and set up is nice and easy, and the Proline DVD350HT does not expect you to know anything technical about it. It has 4 preset sound modes (Jazz, Rock, Pop and Live) depending on what you are wanting to lisen to, and that's about it. Video configuration is equally sparse and unconfusing, with all of the most basic controls such as brightness and contrast and very little else. The picture and sound quality on the Proline DVD350HT are average to say the least. The image is very much affected by MPEG artefacts, there is of course no progressive scan support to make the image smoother, and the sound could certainly not be described as delicate. Having said this, the output looks not unbearable on a mid-sized TV, but this is definitely not the unit for someone with a high value LCD or Plasma. Pros
Cons
Conclusion The Proline DVD350HT has very little to shout about apart from its exceptional price. The picture and sound quality are not really home cinema, and the unit looks ugly. However at £50 you can't really complain and it will certainly do for the casual video enthusiast. Resources |
The Proline DVD350HT is certainly an entry level home cinema system. Retailing at just £50 in some stores, it comes with a 5.1 channel speaker system and a combined DVD player and amplifier and a remote control. Its not a pretty unit, and sitting like some squat 80s futurist design in the corner of your room, it looks a little cheap and overly plastic. But budget rather than beauty is certainly the Proline DVD350HT's raison d'etre.