I wanted an inexpensive system to improve the sound from a 40" hd television and after much research went for this one.The improvement in both sound for all modes and vision (for dvd play) is staggering. The sound is crystal clear with a rich but not overdone bass and the upscaling dvd player when connected via hdmi gives a picture of amazing clarity from ordinary DVDs I have tried, with excellent accompanying surround sound. Please note that the unit does not have any digital sound input (coaxial or optical) so inhiibiting direct connection from some modern freeview inclusive tvs which do not have the analogue red and white coded sound OUTPUTS. This did not pose a problem for me as I also have a freeview hard disc recorder which has the appropriate outputs through which I route the aerial signal. So if you use any form of digibox you should route the sound from this. DVD surround sound is of course no problem. Another possibility is to route the tv sound via the 3.5mm headphone socket to the system (cheap leads/adaptors available) although I have not gone for this. You can also get digital to analogue sound converters though this is a more expensive option. But even if you just use it to improve your DVD experience you have a bargain.
The system plays cds and music/pictures on usb sticks. It can rip cd tracks to mp3. There is a very good fm radio.
I am not an audio geek and obviously this home cinema system is not meant to compete with systems costing 100s or even 1000s of pounds, but for most people wanting a very impressive improvement in their listening and viewing pleasure this well built bargain offering from Philips takes some beating.