Not tried anything other than netflix on the xbox one, but over HDMI it seems to do an ok job of downmixing 5.1 to stereo for the TV and then out from that to the old stereo system over optical. Cant get 5.1 passthru to work on the TV and not buying a new reciever for that room because I only have 2 speakers anyway.
Dunnersfella: If you want a soundbar to simulate surround sound, it's down to Yamaha really. The app. allows you to tell the soundbar where you're sitting, relative to the TV and the room itself...
I have a 2.0 setup and dialogue is just fine, but the setup costs a small fortune, so I guess you get what you pay for.
While the app may make set-up and changing settings easier (and provide some additional stuff?), the soundbars come with the same kind of set-up as their full receivers, eg microphone etc, which take into account the specifics of the room.
I believe Rapollo do allow home testing on apro, with the purchaser required to pay for return shipping if you end up not wanting to keep it. The Listening Post's in Chch and Wgtn, and may be able to lend you one for home testing, and if these places don't suit your location I'm sure there are local retailers that do...
But just testing any soundbar in the home environment isn't necessarily going to prove anything in regards to how any other specific model will sound (only help determine whether a soundbar is the right kind of solution) - in the home you'd really need to try out one that you think will sound good and work well. Even though a standard retailer like NL's is far from an ideal listening place, it can provide a really quick way of narrowing down your options and ruling out products - even in an environment like that it takes only a matter of seconds to determine if an audio product has potential.
I have one of the LG soundbars, which I got for my new Telly because it didn't have good sound, and I am not quite ready to commit the time and budget needed to update my sound system at this point - plus I don't have the right room for it. A full audio setup will probably have to wait until I move houses.
It's a decent unit, with a bar and a separate subwoofer. Is it as good as a proper 5.1 amp and speaker setup, no. Is it OK for watching series and movies on the TV, yes. I'm happy with it. I would have no hesitation in recommending it to others.
When I finally do the proper audio setup, it will be kept and migrated to the spare room.
Its possible to get good sound from a Frankenstein creation of speakers I have a couple of Sony powered subs, 2 Heybrook HB 2's for the front sides a no name centre speaker and a couple of Wharfedales for the rear surrounds. My Amp is a newish Sony, and I use the auto calibration feature with Microphone to do the donkey work with the balance between the speakers. On top of this most AV Amp's allow you to change the way the sound in a video is processed though different sound field modes and it does sometimes make a big difference to the quality when playing back a video.
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