Altec Lansing PT7031 Powered 5.1 Channel Home Theater System

Nothing could be simpler. Or more impressive. The PT7031 replaces a traditional A/V receiver and separate speakers with one, beautiful cabinet that sits on any flat surface or mounts directly to the wall beneath your flat-screen TV. But don't let the simplicity fool you. This is true Dolby and DTS multichannel surround sound?made possible by NXT Digital flat-panel technology that reflects sound from your side walls to the back of the room to completely immerse you in the theater experience. Video output for on-screen display (OSD) used in set-up and operation. Subwoofer output for enhanced bass using an optional powered subwoofer Control your speaker system and most of your components from a single remote. Strong, durable, and discreet. Included wall-mounting brackets make installation a cinch.

Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
If you can have one for the price I paid I believe it's a worthy replacement to stock flat panel speakers, and an acceptable alternative to true surround sound. I actually bought this at an online outlet site for a little over one bill $. I had not read any reviews online and this speaker system is pretty much non-existent for sale online so I was a little nervous after I had bought this. There are a few quirks that would put off most people from buying, such as a lack of HDMI, and the standard definition on screen setup required to see any changes of audio settings. The sound bar is very large, almost as wide as my 50 inch plasma, so that might be something to consider as well. The remote is a little confusing and attempts to integrate itself as a universal remote but fails as such. I believe the only thing Altec Lansing got right with this rather large sound bar is the cool modern design and the theatre-like sound. I think a lot of people would be interested to know that for movies and regular tv watching it actually outperforms my 5.1 surround HTIB that I paid nearly three times as much. I find myself struggling to hear dialogue with my surround sound, so this is the shining point of the PT7031; it has a perfect balance for dialogue and music so you don't have to constantly turn the volume up and down. It does also have an option for an external subwoofer, and I have not attempted to utilize this because it already has pretty good low end reproduction. This is by no means a replacement for any high end 5.1 surround systems, but it is a good compromise for the type of people who do not want to bother with messy wiring. So bottom line, if you want good sound and don't mind switching back and forth with an on screen audio setup this might be for you, but I would not spend more than what I paid for this.