Samsung HT-BD8200 Blu-ray AudioBar
All prices in US dollars.

Someone looking for the utmost simplicity and convenience in watching Blu-ray Discs would be wise to check out Samsung’s HT-BD8200 Blu-ray AudioBar ($799 USD), which consists of . . .

. . . a single, slim console that mounts on the wall and contains a Blu-ray player, an amplifier, and two loudspeakers. To augment the bass and keep setup simple, a wireless subwoofer is also included. It’s a 2.1-channel sound system, but there’s also a built-in feature for simulated surround sound. The only thing the HT-BD8200 lacks is wireless transmission to the TV -- you still have to run an HDMI cable from the screen to the Samsung console.

On one side, the HT-BD8200 has an iPod dock, a headphone jack, an auxiliary audio input, and a USB port. It supports Netflix and Pandora streaming, and can be WiFi-enabled (up to 802.11n) by plugging the supplied adapter into the USB port. A remote control is included.