CES 2008

Polk Audio's SurroundBar 360

(Credit: Polk Audio)

Polk Audio has officially unveiled its first single-speaker all-in-one home theater system, the SurroundBar 360. The system is comprised of just two components--a single elongated speaker (44 inches wide) designed to sit beneath your flat-panel TV, and a DVD player/amplifier head unit that houses the electronics. While the SurroundBar concept isn't new for Polk (the speaker-only 2005 version was designed to be paired with an AV receiver), the latest iteration utilizes a new active (powered) design that's said to maximize the speaker's eight drivers. In addition to the disc player and AM/FM radio, the head unit offers all of the standard DVD player outputs (including HDMI). Input capabilities fall short of HD switching, but the 360's analog composite and S-Video inputs will be upconverted via the HDMI output. A USB input is also available for digital photo playback and music players.

Watch the Polk Audio Surround Bar 360 video on CNET TV.

We had the opportunity to hear an early version of the SurroundBar 360 put through its paces by company founder Matthew Polk himself. ... Read more

The Philips 6515D

Philips is showing off two new Ambisound products--the first an HTiB, the $499 6515D, offers a 5.1 surround-sound experience while only using an actual 2.1 setup. It includes HDMI upscaling up to 1080p, along with USB support for playing music and video files.

The Philips HTS6100

(Credit: Philips)

The Ambisound soundbar, the HTS6100, is ultimately a step-down version of the HTS8100, which will retail for $599. It also includes a DVD player with 1080p upscaling via HDMI and an iPod dock that can be controlled through the system itself. However, this version will not support an onscreen display like we saw with the HTS8100. This is actually a good thing, as we found that interface to be almost worthless.

Both products will debut in May 2008.

(Credit: Panasonic)

Panasonic has detailed its 2008 home-theater-in-a-box line, which includes three models in the consumer-friendly sub-$500 range. In and of itself, that's not big news--except that we've frequently found Panasonic HTIBs (such as 2007's SC-PT750) to deliver a great bang for the buck.

All of the systems come with five-disc DVD changers, iPod flip-down docks with audio and video playback capabilties, and HDMI upscaling up to 1080p. Furthermore, the $400 SC-PT760 and $500 SC-PT960 models include a wireless rear speaker module in the box (it's sold separately as an upgrade on the entry-level $300 SC-PT660). The SC-PT760 comes with front speaker stands while the SC-PT960 has tallboy-style front-, left-, and right-channel speakers. For a more detailed look at what each system has to offer, consult the chart after the jump.

On the high-end, Panasonic's SC-BT100 includes an integrated Blu-ray player (that's Profile 1.1 compatible to boot). The yet-to-be-priced system will compete with the currently available Samsung HT-BD2 when it's released in May 2008.... Read more

Blu-ray in a box--plus DVD, 7.1-channel surround, tallboy speakers...

(Credit: Samsung)

Soon after DVD hit it big--let's say right around the turn of the century--the concept of the home-theater-in-a-box ("HTIB," in the parlance of our times) was born. Manufacturers bundled up a 5.1 audio system with a DVD player and an amplifier--sometimes in one integrated unit--and sold the whole thing for a song, leaving the buyer to "just add TV." Not surprisingly, HTIBs soon became ultra-commoditized, with name brand units selling for under $300, and no-name budget rigs sitting on supermarket endcaps for half as much. But there's always a new high-end: ... Read more

Vizio's Jive SV5.1 lets you drop the wires running to the back of your home theater.

(Credit: Vizio)

Most people love surround sound, but can't stand all the messy wires required to make it work. Vizio's new Jive SV5.1 Enhancement kit attempts to solve that problem with a wireless subwoofer that's placed in the back of the room and feeds two rear speakers--eliminating the need to run wires from the front of your home theater to the back. The Jive SV5.1 integrates with your current stereo TV speakers, adding a center channel in the front, and the aforementioned wireless subwoofer and rear speakers in the back. While that's great in terms of reducing wire clutter, utilizing the built-in speakers on your TV for the critical left and right channels is going to disappoint anyone who values audio quality. Also note that the subwoofer works wirelessly on the crowded 2.4GHz spectrum, so you might experience some interference if your home theater is in the proximity of cordless phones and Wi-Fi networks.

Even with those shortcomings, we could see the SV5.1 Jive finding a home with gamers who aren't concerned as much with sound quality but still want a more immersive experience. The VIZIO Jive SV5.1 will have list price of $300 when it's released in July.