Miniaturisation and integration have been the rage with gadgets taking on ballooning numbers of functions packed into ever-shrinking shells. Years back, fitting a 5.1 sound system, multiformat disc player and a DVR in a neat and streamlined package was possible only in movies and pure fiction. LG has turned this dream into a reality with the introduction of its talented LH-RH9509TA home-theatre-recorder-in-a-box.
Upside
LG's answer to the movie studios' overbaked soundtracks is an efficient digital amplifier packed with a beefy 1,200W of reserved power. 180W is distributed to each pair of the height-optimised tallboy speakers, while a whopping 300W is dedicated for low-end reproduction via its floor-firing subwoofer.
The black and silver-styled HTIB also doubles as a highly rated digital video recorder (DVR). Decked within the sleek housing is a generous 250GB hard drive capable of delivering up to 345 hours of recording. You can also expect an unprecedented level of disc compatibility with DVD+/-R, +/-RW, +R Dual-Layer and DVD-RAM supported in addition to the inexpensive CD-R/RW.
To maximise the multimedia playback feature of the player, the Korean company has also outfitted the LH-RH9509TA with an onboard 8-in-2 card reader giving users the flexibility of sharing photos and MP3s on both CD/DVD recordables and memory cards.
Videophiles will also be delighted to find a digital HDMI terminal on the back of the DVD receiver unit. Not only does this allow a lossless digital A/V interface with your flat-panel TV, it also offers a single wire solution to cut down the clutter, especially with the extra cabling required for the recording function.
Downside
For all the advanced technical fanfares found on the LH-RH9509TA, LG has forgotten to unwire the surround speakers much to our disappointment. This innovative product could have been a godsend if the Koreans had integrated the tested-and-proven wireless speaker system found on the LH-W750TA.
Judging by price alone, the tri-function entertainment box is rather costly with its AU$2499 asking price. That said, we do admit that we are being critical with the LH-RH9509TA considering the fact that a 250GB hard drive DVR can go as high as AU$1499.
Outlook
There are very limited alternatives in the Australian market when you are considering an HTIB with integrated DVR. Pioneer's HTZ929DVR (AU$1999) is one of them, but none come close to the features and functionality provided by the LG LH9509TA -- that is, if you are willing to part with AU$2499 of your hard-earned dough.
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P Robinson
09/03/2007, 03:32 PM
rating
5/10
This system will become obsolete and therefor useless as a recorder if it cannot be upgraded with a digital TV tuner in only a couple of years.
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19/04/2006, 09:25 PM
AU$2499.00 - Sheesh
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deano1726
06/04/2006, 10:34 AM
Needs DIGITAL TV TUNER
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