Entered CNET Catalog: 05/24/2006
SKU: THC30
Manufacturer: JVC America
Manufacturer description
1000 Watt High-Power 5-Disc Changer DVD-Audio/Video Theater System with WMA/MP3/DivX Playback - featuring Progressive Scan Compatibility and USB Hosting.CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 06/08/2006
Enter JVC's TH-C30 ($330). This feature-filled system comes with a smooth running five-disc changer/A/V receiver, five petite satellites, and a near full-size subwoofer. Those small satellites have a bit of styling pizzazz--the fronts and surrounds are all 5.5 inches tall while the center speaker is 5.5 inches wide--and their keyhole slots simplify wall-mounting chores. We also noted that the satellites come with permanently attached cables, which means there's one fewer set of connections to deal with during setup. The slim-faced subwoofer is just 6.75 inches wide, but it measures 16.25 inches high and 18 deep and weighs an ample 25.4 pounds, thanks to a set of solid internal amplifiers and its medium-density fiberboard construction. The system's otherwise silver-plastic construction is comparable with that of other HTIBs in the TH-C30's price class.
The TH-C30's onscreen audio and video setup menus are straightforward, and we had everything squared away in just a few minutes. On another positive note, while the remote isn't backlit, it does offers easy access to individual speaker volume, bass, and treble controls, and its legible labeling is a nice plus in dimly lit home theaters.
For a non-carousel-style DVD changer, the JVC TH-C30 is a smooth and nimble machine. The front panel's deep blue LEDs illuminate discs as they load, with separate eject and play buttons for each of the five discs, so you won't mix up which is which. DivX lovers will appreciate that DVD changer plays MPEG-4, DivX, MP3/WMA files, and JPEG image files from DVD-RW, DVD-R/+RW/+R, CD-R/RW, and DVD-Audio/Video discs. This machine also supports playback of the aforementioned formats from recordable media, as well as storage devices such as flash audio players, memory card readers, memory drives, and digital cameras via the handy front-panel-mounted USB 2.0 input.
In addition to the standard DVD player outputs--composite, S-Video, and progressive-scan component--you get a single A/V S-Video input, and an optical digital audio input. That means the TH-C30 can't switch between a variety of A/V sources such as a full-fledged A/V receiver, but it will accept one external video source such as a cable/satellite box, a video game system, or a VCR, and one digital audio source as well.
Most budget-priced HTIBs are saddled with one-way, tweeterless satellites that can't produce a truly detailed sound, but the JVC TH-C30's front and center speakers each feature a 3.25-inch woofer and a 0.5-inch tweeter. The surround speakers utilize the same woofer but lack the tweeter. The surround speaker mounts the 3.25-inch woofer on the top of the speaker, firing straight up into a cone-shape reflector. The reflector disperses the sound to create a diffuse surround sound that lets the speaker disappear as a source of sound. The subwoofer has a left-side-mounted 6.25-inch woofer.
The amplifiers located in the subwoofer deliver 167 watts per channel to each of the five satellites and the subwoofer. Those power specs seem wildly unrealistic to us, but the JVC TH-C30's loudness capabilities were more than up to snuff. Surround options include the standard DTS modes.
The big and brassy musical numbers coursing through The Producers DVD suitably demonstrated the JVC TH-C30's home-theater talents; it was actually startling to hear such a big sound bounding out of such teensy satellite speakers. Dynamic range wasn't overtly constrained, and dialogue and vocals were tonally balanced and articulate. Higher-octane home-theater trials with the I, Robot DVD were almost as thrilling, as the TH-C30 proved itself capable of filling even moderately large rooms--300 to 400 square feet--with sound. While we could quibble over the subwoofer's definition and its tendency to turn muddy when pummeled by hard-hitting action scenes, the sheer guts of the TH-C30's sound at moderately high volume levels make it a serious contender in its class.
CD sound quality wasn't anywhere near what the JVC TH-C30 was capable of when playing DVDs. The wee satellites sounded as small as they really are. The sound was closer to what you'd get from a table radio, albeit one with a healthy subwoofer supplying the bass. DVD-Audio discs such as Sinatra at the Sands produced somewhat better than CD sound but not by enough margin that we could imagine anyone spending much time listening to music over this system. That said, it'll certainly sound fine for background music.
In conclusion, as far as low-end HTIBs go, the JVC TH-C30 is one of the better values. As with the Sony DAV-FX10, there's not much in the way of connectivity and music-playing quality, but it's a serviceable entry-level home-theater system.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2
User Rating: 
6/10
Aceptable entry level HTIB
Pros: Enough features for the low price range, nice look
Cons: Cant hear surround speakers, low bass, cant play custom DVDs
Generally, these are good HTIB for the low prices with many features. The USB and DivX features are not common on this price range (even the TH-C30). Nice look, nice sound from front and center speakers on all of them, upconversion, etc, but...
You have to put rear speakers againt your ear if you want to hear the sound from the TH-C30 and C40. The bass from subwoofer is definitely weak, I have a so much better bass from my cheap 50 bucks Creative 36 Watts speakers on my computer. The worst thing is that this system cannot play most of my own burnt DVDs, and I am a DVD editor! So I definitely have to sell this unit (no return from the online store I bought), even if I loose money. I have tried both DVD-R and DVD+R from Sony, Memorex and other manufacturers and the image and sound freezes, although the cheap K-hypermedia DVD media I burn play wonderfully.
I was able to listen at a local store the TH-C60 with four tower speakers and the same central unit and it was great sound, so I think that you better expend a little bit more and upgrade to the TH-C60 or at lest, TH-C50. Buy the TH-C40 only if you want a cheap HTIB for a small living room and you are not very picky on sound quality and bass. Definitely avoid the TH-C30.
User Rating: 
7/10
biggets bang for your buck
Pros: nice high end sound, stylish look, plays divx
Cons: weakish bass, no useful cables included
I compared the sound of the 43 to the 30 in the store and the high-end sounded very alike. the most noticeable difference between the two, aside from the price and tower sats, was the mid-range sound.
Overall the system does sound very nice playing a movie or TV show. Rock and Pop music plays relatively well, but the major weakness of this system is evident when playing dance or hip-hop: the bass just doesn't have the guts to make your bowels throb.
I compared it to the panasonic and sony systems in the same price range (400-450 CAD). Overall it sounds better playing video w/audio than either, compares well in high end music, but doesn't out-boom the panasonic for bass sound.
The system looks sleek and the blue LEDs are a nice touch, though the lack of either a spare S-Video or component cable does kind of take away from the "out-of-the-box" experience. Considering the systems apparently entry level marketing I found this to be a little ironic.
All in all a nice unit, well worth its price and should be a consideration for the not so serious but soon to be completely obsessed audiophile.
