At first glance, the TH-F3's digital media support looks strong. It can play videos (MPEG 1, 2, and 4, DivX), audio (WAV, WMA, MP3), and photos (JPEGs) from home-burned discs or via the front-mounted USB port. Unfortunately, the confusing onscreen interface throws a real wrench into the fun--you need to go back into the system's settings and select which type of media you want to play before the system will notice the files on your disc or USB stick. For example, when we wanted to play our MP3 files, we had to manually select "audio" from the list of playable media before accessing our USB drive. Also, we had varying luck with files able to be played on the TH-F3. With our movie and photo files, only about 85 percent of our total samples were recognized by the system, despite the fact that they all met the compatibility requirements set forth in the operating manual. We noted the same annoyance on the TH-L1. Those compatibility issues notwithstanding, when you look at the far better interface found on Samsung's products (where all compatible files can be accessed at once, regardless of media type), it's clear that JVC needs to upgrade the interface on its products to make accessing files easier and more straightforward.
The 2.1 configuration of the TH-F3 means that the system's speaker wires will be limited to the front half of your room--one left speaker, one right, and a subwoofer. But since there are no rear speakers, the F3's front drivers need to do double duty and create the illusion of a surround effect. Unfortunately, the system's virtual surround sound mode did not perform as well as we would have liked. Scenes in The Fifth Element that took place in what looked like a busy city came across as audibly confusing. Even some scenes involving space travel gave us some unexpected results. The intended effect is to have sound appear as if it is coming from all sides, but the result was very hollow and echoey. We decided to stick with normal stereo instead.
Overall, sound quality was about average--the system can get loud, but we were easily able to tolerate the unit cranked all the way up in our 25-by-25-foot testing room. That said, the system's passive (unpowered) subwoofer struggled to keep up. Even with the bass cranked up to maximum, the subwoofer barely makes an impact.
So, at the end of the day, the JVC TH-F3 didn't wow us in terms of audio quality or faux surround capability, and its digital media playback was less than optimal. Still, it'd be good enough for those who need a small-footprint home-theater system in a dorm, bedroom, or secondary den--or at least it would be, if it wasn't priced at a somewhat exorbitant $500. To get a more recommendable 2.1 system, you'd have to pay close to $1,000 for something like Sony's DAV-X10. While the JVC's $500 price tag looks like a good deal by comparison, we'd prefer to go with the even lower priced JVC TH-L1, which delivers more flexibility and better sound for even less money. Yes, you'll end up with more wires, but you'll still get the TH-F3's iPod connectivity and USB port, along with true 5.1 surround and the ability to switch between two 1080p-capable HDMI sources.
What You'll Pay
- Set Price Alert
