Samsung HT-WP38 DVD Home Theater System with USB Plug-and-play and Wireless Rear Channel
Exceeded my expectations...and no wires across the room
I've had this HTIB since since for four months and it has vastly improved my home theater & music situation over a much bigger older Sony unit.    First the bad, cause if your interested in buying it you want to know that first.  The only real inconvenience is the remote.  There are too many buttons on it, which sounds dumb, but there really are a lot of odd, yet valuable functions The button name don't really describe them well, and it can be overwhelming to some.  The remote  ceased working about a month after I got it Except for a blinking light when I pressed buttons, none of the functions worked, which was also a problem becaus there are few controls on the unit itself.  I was very angry for a week or so, then I finally called Samsung customer support. The rep was knowledgeable and told me how to 'reset' the remote.  Lastly, the remote doesn't control GE brand televisions :(  The speakers have some weird proprietary connections, and you can only use the wires that come with it.  When I first set up the unit, the rear speakers weren't working.  I checked out the manual and did something with a button to establish the connection, and it has been fine ever since.      That said, I think it rocks.  The main reason is the wireless rear speakers. The others are that it has AM/FM tunerplays CDs/MP3 files/JPG files/DixV movies and has direct USB input on the face, though I haven't used it. Being able to play DiVX movies allows you to play movies that previously could be limited to the PC.  I have burned a couple of DiVX movies to CD (not DVD), and they will play in this machine, though I was not able to use the fastforward function on it.  When you insert a disc full of JPG photos or images, it plays the images without you doing anything, or you can skip around, browse in a menu, whatever.  It also shows the filename of the image on the front display.  You can also open the disc tray to change discs without stopping what's playing.  I have found the sound to be more than adequate, and no scratchy bass or noticeable noise.  It fills my med. sized living room with sound or most any part of my house when I turn it up.  There are several sound presets for different programs.  The unit is also kind of attractive and the speakers are not obtrusive.  The manual is generally helpful, though there are so many extras on this machine it can be difficult to find what you are looking for.    I noticed that one reviewer did not like the receiver, or felt misled about the wireless rear speakers.  THe unit keeps you from snaking wires across the living room, but the rears are plugged into a receiver/amplifier, which must be plugged into a wall.  I consider this a vast improvement, and I hope too many people aren't swayed by that review.  If speakers were completely wireless, they would have built in recievers and be powered by batteries or solar or dilithium crystals.  In short, they would be space-age, and you couldn't afford them.    I give it a large thumbs up, with no major flaws.    Update: I've had the unit for about 3.5 years now, and I've noticed that it doesn't have a shuffle function, which I miss. The bass is not as impressive as I used to think it was, though I think the unit sounds the same. And in the last few months, it has developed a glitch where sometimes when I use the power button on the unit it will switch functions instead of powering down.  Usually if I press it a few times, it eventually powers down.