Right, if you fancy some light reading
this is a good buyer's guide.
I would personally be looking at one of the follwing at your price point:
Yamaha YAS-101 – £199.99 @ Richer Sounds (out of stock) or £219.00 @
Audio AffairPros: All-in-one virtual 7.1 surround sound
Cons: No HDMI inputs
The king of pseudo-surround sound has always been Yamaha, the company that came up with the idea six years ago for what it still stoically calls the Front Surround System. It's present here in its umpteenth, though most affordable (and most basic), incarnation, and unlike rivals makes the subwoofer part of the main unit.
Its chief promise is that its Air Surround Xtreme tech delivers surround sound (from decoded Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks) akin to a 7.1 setup. That's a bold claim. The actual unit combines two cone speakers with a subwoofer, both of which are driven by a digital amp with a total output of 120W.
Uniquely, its built-in IR flasher acts as a repeater for the instructions emanating from a TV remote, which is useful if the YAS-101 is placed in front of a TV, blocking the IR receiver.
Panasonic SC-HTB15EB-K - £191.21 @ Amazon.co.uk
Pros: 2x HDMI inputs and can split the bar in two for a standard left/right speaker arrangement. Easy to setup with auto calibration and works with Panasonic Viera link.
Cons: Wired sub and speakers and no analogue input - If you don't have HDMI 1.4 (with ARC), and no Optical SPDIF output on the TV, you'll need an additional Analogue to Digital audio converter (Toslink)
Like other soundbars, the SCHTB15 can be placed above or beneath your TV for enhanced sound quality. Also, like some other soundbars, this Panasonic soundbar comes with a separate subwoofer for added bass. Where the SCHTB15 differs is in the ability to split the soundbar in two! With the bar split, you can change the system into a conventional 2.1 system with a speaker either side of the TV, totally transforming the sound quality. However you choose to configure the speakers, the Panasonic SCHTB15 is a cinch to set-up. With auto calibration, the Panasonic sets its own ideal sound balance according to your room acoustics.
Above this price point they start getting into external receiver territory.
