Product Name: Philips HTS6100 and 6515D
Description: These two new home theater systems try to help you minimize clutter in your living room. The HTS6100 is a soundbar-style speaker with a built-in DVD player, iPod dock, and USB input as well as a separate subwoofer. (It’s a cheaper and smaller version of the company’s HTS8100.) The HTS6515D is a home theater in a box, with a central receiver/DVD player plus two speakers and a subwoofer. Both systems use Philips’ Ambisound virtual surround technology to give you 5.1-channel audio from only three speakers. Both units look pretty hot and both have HDMI connectivity and HD video upconversion built in.
Price: HTS6100, $599; HTS6515D, $499
In-store date: May 2008
Site: www.philips.com
Why it’s cool: All-in-one home theater systems that use virtual surround can be hit or miss. These certainly look pretty cool, though we’ll have to test them out to see if they live up to the overblown descriptions in the press release.
