Koss KS3101 Progressive Scan DVD Home Theater System

Koss KS3101 Progressive Scan DVD Home Theater System
Manufacturer: Koss
Product Type: CE

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com Product Description
The Koss KS3101 offers everything needed to enjoy favorite DVDs in full-bodied surround sound. The system consists of an audio/video receiver coupled with a single-disc DVD player and a 5.1-channel (left, center, right, left/right surround, and subwoofer) speaker package. The only other things you'll need are a television and a place to put everything. With a little help from your computer's CD recorder, you can even listen to CD-based MP3 files and watch slideshows of digital JPEG photos.

The system is equipped to deliver the full image potential of DVDs when viewed on a high-definition or HD-ready TV. 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. Top-of-the-line component-video outputs help minimize digital and line-scan artifacts on compatible advanced televisions, while composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with nearly any television.

The DVD player plays most standard disc formats, including CD-R, CD-RW, MP3-CD, DVD-R/-RW, and DVD+R/+RW--terrific for enjoying homemade DVDs from family and friends. With the KS3101's 50-watt-per-channel AV receiver, you'll get Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound decoding to put you in the jungle with the dinosaurs and in the concert hall with music videos, while a full-function remote control lets you manage the proceedings from a favorite spot on the couch.

The system includes all requisite cabling for hooking up the five satellite speakers and the subwoofer. The DVD player also offers a choice of two digital-audio inputs (one optical and one coaxial) and a single coaxial digital-audio output for channeling DVD or CD audio to a minidisc or CD recorder or, should you wish to do so, to a stand-alone surround receiver. (Keep in mind that anti-piracy software prevents you from making digital CD copies of most DVD soundtracks.)

Other features include five-disc resume play (which lets you restart discs from your previous stopping points), an FM/AM tuner with 20 station presets, and an onscreen display to simplify setup and operation.

What's in the Box
DVD player, five satellite speakers, a subwoofer, a remote control, remote batteries, a user's manual, and all requisite speaker cabling.

Average customer rating: 3.5 Horrid! Sleek and stylish, but missing a feature or two For better or worse, it's a Motorola... A beautiful phone but with some limitations GREAT PHONE! Similar Items: Motorola RAZR V3 Magenta Pink Phone (T-Mobile) Motorola PEBL Orange Phone (T-Mobile) Ratcheting Swivel Belt Holster for Motorola PEBL U6 Samsung t809 Phone (T-Mobile) Motorola RAZR V3 Phone (T-Mobile) Listmania: Motorola Things I use Everyday in High School

Motorola PEBL Phone (T-Mobile) Manufacturer: Motorola Product Group: Wireless Binding: Wireless Phone ASIN: B000E929EW

Amazon.com Review

Click here to get a 3-D view of the Motorola PEBL.</P>

The graphite black finish on the smooth, rounded exterior of the PEBL U6 manages to very glossy while still having a visual texture to it. The effect is very cool in person, but the downside is that the phone is an absolute magnet for finger prints. But that's just the cost of high fashion, isn't it?</p>

The PEBL's biggest claim to fame is perhaps not its shape and look, but its unique opening mechanism. A series of custom hinges, a dampening device, and some magnets allow the PEBL U6 to be opened up one-handed in a very smooth, elegant manner. When holding the device, you simply use your thumb to pull the top cover towards the bottom of the device a bit, which releases the magnetic latch that keeps the spring-loaded opening mechanism at bay. At that point you simply move your thumb out of the way and let the spring do its job. The motion is smooth and slow enough not to cause the device to become unbalanced.</p>

Once open, the PEBL's unusual keypad is ready for use. The directional controller and its center select button are very typical of mobile phones, but the rest of the keypad builds on some of the design elements we saw in the RAZR's keypad. The PEBL's keypad and softkeys are completely flat. The actual buttons are hidden behind a single sheet of metal that has a bit of give to it, allowing finger pressure to make its way to the switches underneath. Thin strips of translucent material let light filter in from behind, just as they do on the RAZR's keypad. The net result is a very distinct-looking keypad that probably sacrifices a bit too much in the name of fashion. Individual keys are simply much easier to find and press, even if they don't look nearly as sharp.</p>

The inner workings of the PEBL U6 seem to be stock Motorola. The handset comes in two variations, each of which supports three GSM frequency bands and EDGE data. The North American version supports the 850, 900, 1800, and 1900 Mhz bands. The internal display is a 262k-color unit with a pixel resolution of 176x220. The battery should be good for over 6 and a half hours of talk time, or up to as long as 10 days of standby time according to Motorola. Bluetooth support more than makes up for a lack of infrared connectivity. The only aspect that seems a bit dated is the PEBL's VGA camera. For a high-end handset like the PEBL, you certainly would expect more resolution in the camera, at least it's capable of recording MPEG4 video clips.</p>

Other highlights include 5 MB of internal storage that can be used for MP3 or MIDI ringtones, photos and video clips, and downloaded Java games and applications. The addition of speaker-independent voice dialing and voice commands is welcome, and the PEBL's relatively low weight of 3.7 ounces (110 g) makes it quite pocketable.</p>

<strong>Pros:</strong> <ul>