Panny SCHT 1500 or JVC THS9

Looking for some urgent advice. I've ordered a JVC THS9 and just noticed that I can get the Panny SCHT1500 for 80 quid more from the same supplier. I had originally ignored the Panny as an option on the basis it's RRP was so high ... only to find the actual selling prices are much much lower.

Can anyone give me feedback about the relative sound / picture quality of these two models ? I know the Panny has the HD / DVD recording capability, but if the performance is not upto the JVC's then I'm not interested in these options ... would rather buy seperates at a later date.

I would also really like to know the width of the centre speakers for both models ... this could also influence my decision.

TIA.