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The home theater in a box market continues to grow.  Their low entry price makes them even more attractive in the current economic climate.  So it comes at as no surprise that Samsung introduced new Blu-ray HTIB offerings at CES.  Each offers 1080p playback with the Blu-ray player, and virtual or real 5.1 audio.

The HT-BD8200 is the first home theater sound bar equipped with a Blu-ray player and wireless subwoofer.  At 2.6 inches deep, the BD8200 is designed for wall mounting, but still provides virtual 5.1 surround.  Users can stream multimedia from the integrated Blu-ray player, USB port, a Bluetooth enabled media device, or through the included iPod dock.  It networks via 802.11 b/g/n or USB dongle to stream Netflix or Pandora and is BD-Live (Profile 2.0) compatible.

The HT-BD7200 is a 2.1 system with virtual 5.1 surround sound.  The size of the system and its relatively small power rating (400W) make it ideal for an introductory system or for a smaller room.  The speaker is constructed from kelp, as in seaweed, which Samsung says provides greater clarity than traditional paper cones.  The BD7200 also connects to a b/g/n network, but with an optional USB dongle.

Finally, the HT-BD1250 is the full 5.1 speaker array, offering Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio at an ear shattering 1000W.  Like the BD7200, the speakers are made from kelp.  The BD1250 (and BD7200) also features an improved amplifier engine that is supposed to reduce amp and power supply noise.  It is fully b/g/n WiFi ready with an integrated transceiver.  Pricing is not yet available for any of these systems, and Samsung will only say “the first half of 2009” when it comes to availability.