By Patrick Avenell
Philips has announced the availability of two SoundBars, the Dutch company’s stylised home theatre systems.
The two SoundBars, HTS8140 and HTS6100, provide full multi-channel surround sound from a single speaker unit and a subwoofer. The inbuilt DVD player is enhanced through upscaling to 1080p full high definition. On the higher-end HTS8140 model, screen imagery is improved further through the inclusion of Faroudja DCDi technology.
The SoundBar series also includes EasyLink, allowing for control of connected devices via HDMI CEC. Portable personal music player functionality is available through the inclusion of an iPod dock for media playback with on-screen control.
Talking about this musical connectivity is Philips corporate communications assistant Gary McGibbon.
“An MP3 link allows consumers to also play music from other portable music players,” said McGibbon. “Connectivity is further augmented with a built-in USB Link, which enables photos and music output from USB flash drives.”
Key features of the HTS8140 SoundBar include 5.1 surround sound from fewer speakers, FullSound for MP3 sound quality, design to suit Philips’ current LCD panel range and touch screen controls.
The HTS6100 has similar features, but lacks Faroudja DCDi and touch screen control.
Supporting this release is the SoundBar and TV Tabletop Stand (STS8001), which is a furniture “solution” specifically designed for the Philips LCD and SoundBar range.
The Philips HTS8140 SoundBar is RRP $1,099.95.
The Philips HTS6100 SoundBar is RRP $899.95.
The Philips STS8001 SoundBar and TV stand is RRP $399.