Customer Reviews
Video Noise in 1080p 
2008-05-11
Be careful buying this product if you expect to upconvert to 1080p resolution. There is a discussion thread concerning this in the discussion area so check it out. Essentially you get significant video noise in the form of green vertical lines in 1080p. Frankly, the more I read the more I suspect that most people simply haven't tried 1080p and thus haven't encountered this yet. Or they don't have a 1080p capable TV. Could be wrong about that but I do know that Philips has their head in the sand when it comes to this problem and their customer service (if you can even call it that) is horrible. Too bad because the unit is a good idea, looks great, and otherwise functions as advertised. I'd wait until another company with a clue comes out with something similar in Blue Ray.
Satisfied Customer 
2008-05-03
My goal was to purchase a good quailty sound system without having to wire up 5 to seven speakers. I looked at Denon systems and Bose systems and decided on the Philips for price and the fact that I purchased a Philips 42 inch LCD TV and the Philips Ambisound mates up nicely with the TV.
Easy to wire. Easy to set up.
I was not expecting theater like surround sound experience from the Ambisound but this product comes close. I can turn up the volume and bass thru the subwoofer and drive the rest of the family out of the house with it. The sound quality is very good on TV, CD and DVD. The disc player works well and I like the the way the player cover slides open for disc loading. You can't tell that there is a CD/DVD player in the speaker bar when the cover is closed.
The Ambisound looks good and the controls integrate nicely with the Philips TV it is hooked too. It comes with an iPod dock (this is an extra with the Denon system)so you can listen/watch to your iPod music/video library through it.
I am happy I purchased this product and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good quality two piece (speaker bar and subwoofer) system.
A Great Sound Bar 
2008-01-29
To start, I have to say that this sound bar deserves a 5 star rating for it's look alone. The fact that Philip's has managed to pack a DVD player into it, is pure genius. So then why am I giving it a 4 star rating? A few small things really (Intruth, I'd give it a 4.5 if Amazon allowed 1/2 stars).
Included in the box is almost everything you'll need for the install. The only thing missing? - an audio cable to run from your TV back to the sound bar so you can listen to your TV through the sound bar (if you're using a digital receiver/satelite receiver, you'll need to supply the audio cable to run back to the subwoofer because all of the 5.1 decoding is done in the sub). Wall braket, HDMI cable, MP3 line-in, Ipod dock with video out cable and AM/FM receivers all included. Set-up shouldn't take you more than a half hour.
Once installed, DVD performance was excellent. The upconverted image (720p for my TV) is great, and the audio is crisp & clear. The simulated surround sound is very good and the sound field created is wide enough that at times things seem to be happening around you. The bass from the sub is present, but there are times when you may wish you could turn it up (which you can't - the sub's output is fixed. All you can do is turn up the volume to the whole system). But let's remember, this isn't meant to be your home theater - this is better suited to dress up & enhance your living room.
Now, music reprodution is the systems flaw in my ears (ha). Admittedly, I'm a bit of an audiophile when it comes to music, so most people probably wouldn't notice this, but music seems to be slightly muddled from the sound bar. I found there were times that I couldn't make out the individual instruments on some songs. Having said that, for my own use I have found that it works great as a music player for dinner parties or when friends stop by for drinks.
There is one slight design flaw as well. The plug in for the Ipod dock is located on the side of the sound bar instead of the back. This placement makes hiding the dock cable virtually impossible. When I'm not using the dock I unplug the cable and tuck it in the mounting braket to maintain the clean look (I buried all the cables in the wall, so this is important to me)
Overall though, this is a great system at a great price.
Philips Ambisound HTS8100 2008-01-23
This item was delivered in a very well packed box with a lot of protective foam. Very easy to set up and get going. Very sleek and good looks and all cables were included.
Not too fond on how the cables pug into the back, but with the cover on it does cover up the mess. The Subwoofer is also the units power and AM/FM radio and looks as good as the main speaker unit.
The sound is great, talk about loud. The ambisound is noticeable when pressing the button on the, also good looking, remote. I had aproblem with the video from the DVD player, but found out it was my fault as I had run the HDMI cable around my TV stand, thus pulling on the HDMI cable plug in on the TV and not making a god connection.
The Ipod connector works well, I don't have a video IPod, so I'm not sure if that works. The IPod menu is accessed on the TV and using the system remote is pretty simple to use.
Overall I am extremely pleased with this purchase. I was going to go with Bose system but did not want to put up the $1000 for it. I got everything I needed and more with this system.
Great system, but not surround 2008-01-22
I was expecting a more surround sound experience, but it lacks in this dept. Great sound though and looks very sharp..Very simple to setup as well.
Sound Bar Ranking 2008-01-20
Sometimes the quest for home surround sound is as ignominious as seeking the holy grail. Where do you place all those speakers? Do you have to reshape the room? Philips engineers have tackled that problem. They've managed to take the output from 5 distinct channel amplifiers and placed them in a single speaker called a Soundbar. Within the soundbar, speakers are angled to provide a realistic audio environment that literally emulates sound as if it's coming from all sides. It's 5.1 surround without the mess! In addition to the latest audio technology, the Ambisound system is only five inches thick and can be easily mounted onto a wall underneath an existing Flat-TV. The simple, yet elegant design enhances the décor of any home theater space, regardless of the room layout or design. The center console is designed to be mounted on a wall or resting on a stand.
For maximum audio quality and clarity, the Ambisound system features a 3-band equalizer and DoubleBASS deep bass performance, creating a smooth cross over between sounds. The speakers feature soft dome tweeters for increased clarity and clear voice performance and are designed for maximum efficiency for full midrange performance. Additionally, users will enjoy the Smart Surround feature, which automatically ensures correct surround sound settings whether a movie or music is playing. Though not exactly 5.1 channel sound, The HTS8100 uses a host of technologies including array processing, precise driver positioning and psycho-acoustic innovation to achieve the full surround sound performance that is 5.1 channel compatible. Auxiliary input ports Subwoofer Only five-inches thick, the Ambisound SoundBar provides a stylish system with amplifier and a DVD player all in a single sophisticated design Philips advanced Sonowave surround SonoWave surround sound technology is compatible with all 5.1 channel surround-sound sources, such as DVDs, SACDs and s
Great Sound, but Not Surround Sound 2008-01-12
The sound is terrific, but you won't be fooled into thinkning its the same as a true surround sound system. I got this for my parents and it was the perfect gift for someone who doesnt want the hassle of setting up a full system.
30 Minutes from the Box to a Home Theater System 2007-12-27
And much of that 30 minutes was spent clearing out the old system.
I purchased this to replace our old home theater system. Our previous model, with its multiple speakers and tangle of wires, was a "true" 5.1 surround sound. I have never been crazy about stringing up speaker wire, and the setup of our living room meant that it was bound to look unsightly. I wanted this sound system to do 2 things: look nice and produce good sound, and it has delivered on both very well.
The look is sleek. The CD tray sits behind the front panel, which slides aside when opening (that got an "oohhh" from the kids). The connecting wires were minimal. The system draws its power from the sub-woofer, requiring a single outlet. The weight of the main bar is probably less than 20 pounds, with the majority of the weight of the whole system in the sub-woofer, which rests of the floor "at least 3 feet" from the bar. The bar rests easily on top of an entertainment center, but should not pose much problem to mount on a wall below a wall-mounted flat panel TV. It accommodates HDTV and non-HDTV, can synch with the TV cable sound, has an MP3 jack, and has AM/FM radio receivers.
As for the sound, I'd rate it quite good for the money. The set-up includes a brief series of questions regarding the room layout relative to the sound bar. I assume this calibrates it for a "sweet spot" where the sound most closely recreates a surround effect. I'm not an audiophile, but I'd call it a "surround lite". It gives the sound an impression of depth that is pleasing, and the bass is deep enough to make the THX test pattern enjoyable (my personal test of "good enough"). If you are an audio purist, this is probably not the system for you, but it was a real crowd-pleaser at our house for family movie night.
So, for an easy, eye pleasing setup and very good sound in an affordable package, I strongly recommend the Phillips AmbiSound system.
Not Bad !! 
2007-12-24
I bought this system about 3 months ago to go with my 42" Philips Ambilight Plasma. The looks when combined with the tv is excellent. The sound with video is very good for what I want and excellent for my bedroom, I have a high dollar home theater system in my livingroom already. The one thing I will say is if you have the slightest bit of audiophile in your blood don't count on this system for critical listening. The lows are very shallow and the highs are tinny and annoying. Philips could have put in a better eq and solved this,their preset eq's are worthless and dead wrong. The ipod dock is a nice feature but they dropped the ball with putting the connector of the side of the unit instead of the back ruining the sleek looks of the system. I also was unhappy with the fact that no artwork was shown on screen from the ipod just a generic Philips screen.
Deep Sound, but where's the surround? 2007-12-07
Always a tricky one when reviewing something which sounds great, but doesnt really do what it says on the tin.
I read a few reviews on the Phillips sound bar and decide to go for it rather than the Yahama, due to its inclusion of an upscaling DVD player being built in.
My house just doesnt lend itself well to placing 5 speakers, particularly rears, so I thought what the heck I'll try this.
The audio quality is excellent, deep bass (not quite sharp enough with movies on normal settings but that can be fixed by tweaking the audion settings and cranking the treble)and a huge array of different pre set movie and audio settings to suit your ear.
But as far as virtual Surround Sound capability goes...there isnt any as far as I can tell. I've tried various DVD's with scenes I know bring in the rear speakers on full systems and there is no distinguishable surround effect.
Disappointing really, although I have to say I still love the overall sound when its cranked up, it really booms out.
So if you want a boost to your TV sound and have a beautiful looking sound bar with built in DVD (and it does look awesome), you cant go far wrong. But if you are thinking you can change the laws of physics and have surround sound without rear speakers, think again, cause this just doesnt work!
