For the most part, the home theater debacle has been solved thanks to the advent of the soundbar.  A wide array of companies produce them and offer packages that range from just a soundbar (2-channel), to a soundbar with a subwoofeer (2.1-channel), to a soundbar with a subwoofer that supports a set of wireless rear speakers (5.1-channel).  Toss in a PS3, which has a Blu-ray player and plays back movies and TV shows from a variety of sources, and you’ve pretty much got the home entertainment conundrum solved for under $1,000.   However, this hasn’t stopped the folks at In2Technologies from developing an all-in-one setup designed to take you from “zero to 5.1 Surround Sound in 15 minutes.”

At first blush it appears to be a glorified stand outfitted with a set of speakers.  Peer a bit closer, though, and you’ll notice that it packs in much more: a Blu-ray player; dual 10-inch subwoofers; integrated left, right and center channels; dual down firing 5.25” midbass in the center channel; an iPhone/iPod dock;Ethernet connectivity and support for a set of wireless speakers (they haven’t mentioned how they are powered).  All of this connects to your choice of flat screen via one HDMI 1.4a port.

So will it succeed?  We’re skeptical.  If the price is right, which would have to be in the sub $1000 range.  But the odds of that happening is extremley slim. Perhaps it will boast unparalled sound quality, but that doesn’t negate the design, which isn’t all that slick and looks more like two pieces of wood with an HTPC wedged in between.  That said, we’ll reserve judgement until we can get our hands on one or see a final production model, which we might have missed at CES.

Update: Checkout our Yamaha YAS-101 review.

Sound bars aren’t exactly a home theater solution, at least not for the true audiophile.  However, if you’re tight on budget and space then it’s a reasonable and practical solution.  They’re especially ideal for bedrooms, which in our opinion is the last place that should be jam packed with speakers.

Yamaha is promising that their latest sound bar, the YAS-101 Front Surround System, is a game changer.  Through the magic of digital sound processing, and some Yamaha tech called Air Surround Xtreme, they say they can deliver “7.1 channels of highly accurate surround sound, with precise positioning to more distinctly deliver dialog, sound effects and music soundtracks that immerse the listener in movies, sporting events, concerts or any other programming.”  Probably a bit of a long shot, but we’ll reserve our judgement until we test it.  There is however a dual-driver speaker design with a powerful built-in 60-watt subwoofer, support for Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound formats and Yamaha’s UniVolume function which eliminates the volume spikes found in commercials.

Since many a sound bar sit in front of the TV, Yamaha has gone to great lengths to ensure that you can still control your TV.  In addition to being able to pass IR commands to the connected TV (patent pending), it can be programmed to work with any (we think) TV or Blu-ray player’s remote to adjust volume and power the sound bar on.

To connect the YAS-101 to an HDTV, Yamaha has provided a single cable and included two optical inputs, 1 coaxial input, as well as a subwoofer output.

No word on a release date, but you can expect the Yamaha YAS-101 Front Surround System to retail for $300.

Amazon is offering a combo deal on this Sony STR-DH810 A/V Receiver and Sony SA-VS110 Home Theater System!

If you’ve been looking for the best way to bring your HD TV into completion then here it is! This combo deal will bring you the entire home theater experience at a low price! This combo will unleash the full potential of your audio system. This Receiver features 7.1-channel output as well as including 7 HD inputs for maximum connectivity (4HDMI, 3 Component). It can upscale analog to 1080p for the best video quality and fully supports Dolby TrueHD and dts HD enhanced audio codecs for the best possible sound quality. The Home Theater speakers compliment it perfectly and are powered by 2 way 3 driver systems for the best sound and are designed to be stylish and slim. Includes a 25cm booming subwoofer so you feel every sound!

The price comes to $427.80 – $100 Instant Off at Checkout + Free Shipping = $327.80 when both items are selected!

It’s $379 – $108.31 instant discount + no ship = $270.69!

Amazon user reviews are excellent on this system, with most at 5 stars.

Newegg has it for $479.99 – $50 coupon (HTB5285) + free S&H = $429.99!

The coupon, HTB5285, expires: 5/31

Don’t forget 6ave’s coupon: BONUSBUY (expires: on going)

NOTE: Amazon has it for the same price

All right, folks, brace yourselves–Best Buy just leaked its Black Friday deals, even though at this point they’re a little behind the curve;  Sears and Office Depot had theirs out weeks ago.  But given as it’s still about a week and a half out from Black Friday, there’s still plenty of time to call this a leak.

And what they’ve got is pretty interesting, too–check out this list!  There are a LOT of items for sale here, so I’m just going to cherry pick some of the better ones.  The read link will have a bigger list on hand.

• HP Desktop AMD X4 Quad Core, 8GB Memory, 1TB Hard Drive w/20” Monitor, HP Deskjet DJ350 Color Printer & Windows 7 Home Premium – $499.97
• Sony 15” Laptop w/Intel Dual Core Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD, Windows 7, Sony Headphones, Built-In Blu-ray, Blu-ray Movie – $479.97
• Sony DCR-SX40 Handycam Camcorder – $199.99
• Samsung 5.1 Channel 1000W Home Theater System With Blu-ray Disc Player – $399.99
• Sony PlayStation 3 Package w/120GB Console, Little Big Planet, and Ratchet And Clank – $299.99

Sounds like enough to get you out of your post-holiday turkey coma, doesn’t it?

Read

Don’t forget MCM Electronics $399 coupon: AF1208 (expires: 12/31)

Features:

• Built-in upscaling DVD player
• 5 channel surround and powered subwoofer
• Built-in iPod dock and more

Features:

• 5.1 channel surround sound with 40 watts per channel
• HDMI switching, magnetically shielded speakers, DVD player included

Buy it: Harman Kardon CP55 5.1 Channel Home Theater System – $540