Philips HTS8100

design, usability, size, price

77% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

usability, design, price, size, reliability

77% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

The built-in DVD player is an added bonus; many other sound bars, costing as much as 50 percent more, do not offer this ; An included subwoofer provides bass energy, filling out the sound very nicely. It's not a Sunfire or a Velodyne subwoofer, but...

The HTS8100 has no video inputs, meaning you will need to connect your video sources to your TV set ; While it provides decent surround sound, audio could be more powerful. Try using this one in a smaller room for best results ; The unit doesn't...

All said, this is a nice little speaker package - a DVD player, a subwoofer, an all-in-one virtual surround speaker, and an iPod dock - that is a pretty darn good deal, considering what all these various components would cost separately. The video...

Innovative ambisound technology simulates 5.1 surround sound without the need for rear speakers, DVD upscaling to 1080p, Great design

Some distortion, Relatively weak bass, DVD playback was marred by image noise, Limited input options

Innovative ambisound technology simulates 5.1 surround sound without the need for rear speakers, DVD upscaling to 1080p, Great design

Some distortion, Relatively weak bass, DVD playback was marred by image noise, Limited input options

The Philips HTS8100 is a great option for those without the space for a full 5.1 surround sound setup, but its relatively average performance in other areas prevents it from being an outstanding product.

Hgihly practical form factor ; Genuine surround sound effect

Poor stereo imaging ; No HDMI input

Delivers pseudo surround-sound in one of the most innovative and convenient packages available

Smart looks ; convenience ; easy to use

Poor bass integration ; weak soundstage

The Philips certainly looks the part, but class rivals sound better

Upscaling 1080p DVD player, stylish and wellbuilt, impressive front room performance

Very expensive, limited rear speaker impact, only really suitable for mid-sized screens

Overall we were very impressed by the stylish design, build quality and performance of the HTS8100.

It never quite sounds like a true surround system, but the HTS8100 still hits a near-perfect balance between style, convenience and performance

Excellent HDMI video ; Upscaling DVD playback ; Good looks ; Intelligible dialogue reproduction

Audio inputs inconveniently located ; Ambisound mode makes soundtracks and music thin ; Cables akimbo

Despite some of its flaws, though, the Philips SoundBar HTS8100 is good value for money, and is able to deliver powerful movie soundtracks and excellent video quality via the HDMI output. One of the better and most convenient HTIB units available at...