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Although the technology debuted in 2006, for many consumers Blu-ray still feels like brand-new tech. That's why home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems like the Panasonic SC-BT200 and SC-BT300 feel like such an incredible deal--with a street price as low as $450 for the SC-BT200, you get a 7.1 speaker system plus a slimline AV receiver with an integrated Blu-ray player.

The biggest knock against both of the systems we reviewed is that that competing HTIBs offer better streaming media options; both the Samsung HT-BD1250T and LG LHB953 have both Netflix and Pandora streaming, which we prefer to the Panasonic's YouTube and Amazon Video On Demand streaming.

On the other hand, both the SC-BT200 and SC-BT300 offer sound quality darn good for the price, with the SC-BT300 sounding slightly better thanks to more power and tall-boy front speakers. Although we haven't done hands-on testing with its competitors yet (coming soon), there's no doubt that Panasonic Blu-ray HTIBs are well-thought-out systems that offer a legitimate home theater experience on a budget.

Read the full review of the Panasonic SC-BT200
Read the full review of the Panasonic SC-BT300

Panasonic SC-BT200--photos

Panasonic SC-BT300 photos

(Credit: Xtreme Technology)

A few years ago, I bought a fancy home phone so I could set it to forward calls to my cell. Not long after, I found a better and cheaper solution by ditching the landline completely.

I am not alone. According to Nielsen, 17 percent of U.S. households--some 20 million homes--are without a wired telephone, instead relying solely on mobile phones.

This brings up a question of what we should do with that fancy home phone. I do miss the comfort of using the big handset rather than fumbling on the tiny, onscreen keyboard of my iPhone.

Xtreme Technology has an answer. It recently announced two new Xlink Bluetooth gateways, the Xlink BT and the Xlink BTTN, that allow you to use your regular telephone to handle your cell phone service.

Both gateways let you take cell calls on your landline phone and support up to three Bluetooth-enabled mobile handsets. The new XLink BT, however, is for those without a landline service, like me, while the XLink BTTN lets you take your landline calls on your mobile phone and vice-versa.

I don't care much for the Xlink BTTN but the Xlink BT would definitely do, at least by letting my cell charge while I can still talk. And when I get mad, I wouldn't risk smashing my beloved headset on the ground.

The new Xlink BT and BTTN cost $80 and $110, respectively. They also come with optional unlimited long distance calling for $25 a month, which is expensive compared with other options out there. I would recommend having long-distance calling incorporated on your cell phone plan.

AVIC-F90BT

(Credit: Pioneer)

Pioneer's AVIC Z-Series has set the standard for in-dash navigation devices over the past couple of years, and so the release of a new line of a new family of products in the AVIC series is big news for car tech fans. The line-up starts with the entry-level AVIC-F700BT, which features a single CD/CD-R/RW playback mechanism, followed by the AVIC-F900BT and the AVIC-F90BT, which are both capable of reading MP3, WMA, iTunes AAC, and WAV audio formats as well as DVD, DivX, and MPEG4 video files.

AVIC F900BT

(Credit: Pioneer)

AVIC-F700BT

(Credit: Pioneer)

Unveiled this week, all of the F-Series include flash-memory-based navigation and the capability to deliver real-time traffic, weather, and gasoline prices via a connection to MSN Direct. Each of the three new in-dash units features a 5.8-inch high-resolution WVGA touch-panel display; a USB interface for quick connection to iPod music players, portable media players, and USB memory devices; and an SD-card slot for loading additional Points of Interest information or compressed audio and video files. The devices also feature an advanced speech-recognition interface for hands-free calling and media playback selection. Developed by VoiceBox, the voice-recognition system is able to understand conversational directions for making phone calls and selecting audio playback options. Pioneer claims that the interface can even discern a voice command that is complicated by pauses or hesitation, such as a command like: "I want to, ah, play artist, um, Black Eyed Peas." If it works as advertised, the technology will go one better than Ford's Sync system, which holds the current crown for voice-command usability.

Look out for the AVIC-F700BT, the AVIC-F900BT, and the Premier AVIC-F90BT to hit the shelves in June with price tags of $850, $1,100, and $1,200 respectively.

Click the image to read the full review.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

With California set to join other areas of the country in banning cell phone use while driving, 23 million more drivers are going to have to figure out how to stay connected while on the road. They could do a lot worse than Sony's all-in-one car stereo and Bluetooth hands-free calling interface. The MEX-BT5100 comes with a built-in microphone, a good range of digital audio support, and a stylish form factor.
Check out our full review right here.

Jabra BT4010

(Credit: Jabra)

Jabra has just announced the Jabra BT4010, which is the latest Bluetooth headset with a LCD display to hit the market. Sometimes we like headsets with displays, since it can help in displaying caller ID, but the BT4010's screen is so small, it looks as if it can only show battery and pairing status. We'll have to wait until we get more information about it to know for sure. It has the usual digital signal processing and a rated six hours of talk time, though we don't know the availability and pricing yet. [Source: Phone Arena]

The Panasonic SC-BT100 will cost just under $1,000.

(Credit: Panasonic)

Now that Blu-ray has secured its position as the one and only HD disc format, it's only natural to see it becoming more of a standard feature on desktop PCs, laptops, camcorders, and--now--home theater systems. Samsung's HT-BD2T has been available for months, while the Panasonic SC-BT100--which debuted at January's Consumer Electronics Show--is scheduled hit stores later this spring. Panasonic has yet to confirm pricing for its model, but the unit has already popped-up on J&R's Web site for $1,000 (give or take a nickel).

If the price sticks, it would appear to be a pretty good deal at first glance (plenty of high-style home theater systems can cost more than $1,000, despite being limited to playing back standard CDs and DVDs.) Indeed, the Panasonic model has a few advantages versus the Samsung model: it has a five-disc changer (versus the single-disc player on the Samsung), an SD card slot (for playing back digital media, including high-definition AVCHD video), and wireless rear speakers. It's also said to be Profile 1.1 compliant, meaning that it can play the BonusView (picture-in-picture video content) found on some newer Blu-ray discs.

Unfortunately, there's a pretty big list of caveats as well. The Samsung is a 7.1-channel system out of the box, whereas the Panasonic is merely 7.1-ready: you'll need to invest in an additional set of speakers (and another wireless transceiver unit) to get to seven speakers. While Profile 1.1 compatibility is better than many of the Blu-ray players currently on the market, it's already behind the curve compared with the state of the art Profile 2.0/BD-Live players already announced (Panasonic's own DMP-BD50) or available (the PlayStation 3). Furthermore, the SC-BT100 is likely to have the same limitations found on the DVD-only Panasonic home theater systems for the 2008 model year: iPod video playback is only available from the low-resolution composite output, and the skimpy connectivity (just one set of analog and one digital audio-only jack apiece). Those limitations are easy to shrug off on the $300 SC-PT660 and $400 SC-PT760, but become a lot harder to justify on a $1,000 unit.

You can have your cake (Blu-ray 2.0) and eat it too (7.1 home theater with plenty of inputs and outputs) for about $150 more than the SC-BT100's asking price by investing in a $400 PS3 plus a $750 Onkyo HT-S908 home theater system. Still, compared with the $1,500 price of the Samsung HT-BD2T, the $1,000 Panasonic model comes much closer to justifying itself versus purchasing such dedicated components. As those prices continue to drop--and feature sets continue to improve--look for the reaction to such Blu-ray home theater systems begin to move from "why bother" to "why not."

Related coverage
CNET TV hands-on video: Panasonic SC-BT100
CNET review: Panasonic SC-PT660
CNET review: Panasonic SC-PT760
CNET review: Samsung HT-BD2T
CNET @ CES 2008: Panasonic's new Blu-ray player goes Profile 2.0
Crave: PS3 firmware with BD-Live support now available