Philips HTS8100 Home Theater System
Philips HTS8100/37 - SoundBar DVD Home Theater w/ Ambisound

I've had this system for about 3 weeks. It's very easy to set up and use. The sound is better with movies, and it's definitely not for audiophiles in terms of listening to the iPod or CDs, but it's well worth the money when you consider how much other, more robust systems go for. It's perfect for an apartment. As far as the iPod dock, I have some issues with the dock not always immediately responding to the remote. I can always get it to work after a couple tries. The interface on the TV with the extended iPod dock function allows you to see the iPod menu and play songs from playlists, but with my video iPod I can't play movies or flip through photos. Overall I am satisfied with my purchase.
 
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We wanted a simple and inexpensive way to enhance movie and TV watching; this product does just that. However, to enhance both you need to use your optical output on the back of your HD Sat./cable box and convert it to the digital coax into the back of the subwoofer. This will allow for a "surround sound" experience as the RCA cables the product comes with only produce stereo sound. I went to monoprice.com for: 1) digital optical cable 2) digital optical to digital coax converter box 3) digital coax cable. Total cost monoprice.com: $25.00!!!
 
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The unit is particularly effective with CD and DVD reproduction, less so for on-the-air TV. Not quite a "surround-sound" experience, but the high and low frequencies are well represented. The FM/AM tuner needed a booster antenna, but still was weak, possibly because we are in a poor signal spot. The front panel control display LED's are very faint and if you have a bright room may think the unit isn't working. Easy to set-up. Overall, very satisfied with unit.
 
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The HTS 8100 looks attractive mounted to the wall under my plasma TV, easy to use, the setup is quick, with few cables to mess with. The sound quality is robust, having multiple sound stages to choose from. Playing music CDs the sound quality is surprisingly good, when comparing it to my Kenwood receiver with Infinity speakers, which it replaced. The subwoofer does a great job reproducing low frequencies, and adds realism to action movies. As for the surround sound experience, I have to say it falls a bit short. But, one cannot expect it to be as good as placing speakers all around the room. I bought this unit because I wanted a system that would enhance DVD watching, and serve as our CD music player. This system fits the bill quite well for my needs. The added Ipod and MP3 player connections are a nice touch. BUY.Com had the best price I could find on the Internet.
 
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This is a great home theater system for someone who doesn't want the confusion and hassle of a traditional wired system with several speakers. Of course, you're not going to have exactly the same experience as the traditional system, but this is pretty darned close! It's extremely easy to set up. It took me less than 5 minutes - and I love that there are no wires to string across the room. It includes an iPod dock and also has an FM receiver, which was real a bonus for me - and the fact that it's really cool looking doesn't hurt either! It even arrived 2 days earlier than promised. This was a great Buy.com experience.
 
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