Philips has finally announced the UK debut of the HTS8100 SoundBar it first revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. The SoundBar promises that perennial housewives' favourite - home cinema surround sound without the extra boxes and cable-clutter.
The HTS8100 SoundBar goes this in two ways: first its six drive units are divided into two pairs of three, with individual drivers pointed outwards, pointed straight ahead and pointed inwards. Proprietary digital signal processing technology then fires sound beams from each drive unit to create a 3D surround sound effect.
Philips says its Smart Surround technology doesn't need to bounce the sound beams off the walls as 1Limited's Digital Sound Projector does; and it works better than the lamentable virtual surround sound systems you sometimes see. Guess you'll have to try it out for yourself.
Another key feature of the SoundBar is its built-in DVD player with Faroujda DCDi 1080p video-upscaler. This along with its slim, sleek design makes it an ideal partner for Philips range of flat panel TVs.
The device also includes a range of AV connectors including HDMI, component video and Scart. It can also be connected to a Philips universal dock for use with an Apple iPod or Philips GoGear MP3 player.
The Philips HTS8100 SoundBar should find its way into your local high street store within the next couple of weeks.
