LG has announced a new home theater system. The LG HB954SP Blu-ray HCS offers Full HD 1080p video and 5.1 surround, with 1,000W of audio tuned by audio-wizard Mr Mark Levinson. It features a slide-out dock in front for your iPod or iPhone, and you can control it from the HB954SP’s own remote.

The system can also upscale standard definition DVDs up to 1080p. The ethernet connection connects it to the internet for streaming YouTube and BD Live content. You’ll also get two HDMI inputs and a USB port. If you haven’t jumped onto the HTIB bandwagon, this might entice you with it’s touch of blue and globular speakers.

Gefen, the company known for their signal switchers and converters, has announced the GefenTV Digital Audio Decoder, which remixes 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround audio for stereo (L/R) outputs. What this means is that the unit lets any movie or television program broadcasting in 5.1 Dolby digital audio to be decoded, and output on a pair of analog speakers.

This will give two-channel stereo systems the ability to convey some of the same surround sound information as a proper 5.1 system, but without the artificialness that usually accompanies such enhancement.