You may well have just bought the biggest flat-screen TV in the neighbourhood, but if you're expecting an equally big sound from the integrated stereo speakers, think again.

While the quality and performance of speakers inside plasma and LCD TVs differs between products, they're generally no match for a dedicated sound system, and certainly not in the same league as the kind of multi-speaker surround-sound system designed for home theatres.

Experiencing a movie soundtrack's thunderous explosions or the ghostly whispers coming from somewhere behind you simply doesn't sound as convincing coming from integrated TV speakers.

However, installing a 5.1, 6.1 or even 7.1 surround-sound speaker system can be a chore at best.

First, there's the process of making suitable space for multiple front, centre and rear speakers. Then there's the need to hide the messy wires that connect them all up to an amplifier. And if your living conditions are already cramped, it's a road you'd rather not travel down.

But for audio purists there is, unfortunately, no other option. And, if you're expecting an aural experience similar to that of a cinema, there's no going past a dedicated surround-sound set-up, whatever the physical or financial cost.

DVDs and Blu-ray movies all carry the surround-sound information you hear in a cinema, so the same experience is possible; it just depends on whether you have the right sound system to take advantage of this feature.

For those perhaps more concerned about where to put the new pair of reclining chairs than the rear left and right surround speakers, or are maybe just put off by complex set-ups, there is a way to enjoy a degree of home theatre sound with next to none of the hassles.

While some form of artificial surround-sound has been around in TVs for ages, the integrated speakers still stop well short of delivering a convincing performance.

However, this special audio processing has gained ground in the past few years with products appearing that not only address sound quality but the age-old problem of fiddly and unsightly surround set-ups. Yamaha introduced this new generation of virtual surround speaker systems with its original Digital Sound Projector, a revolutionary single-box solution that housed not only 40 small speakers but also the amplifiers and other audio processing gear in one stylish, slender chassis.

Philips' AmbiSound Soundbar works on the same multi-speaker principle but it comes with a subwoofer as well, which plugs into the Soundbar and handles all the processing. The Soundbar also has a built-in DVD player, FM radio and iPod connections, and as a result even less wiring is needed.

Taking this set-up one step further is Samsung's HT-X810T, which also has a single bar with speakers and DVD player inside and a separate subwoofer. However they're connected wirelessly by Bluetooth, which is about as simple and cable-free as a "home theatre in a box" set-up gets.

Exactly how each of these products manages to produce virtual surround sound from a group of front speakers is obviously protected information, but all work on the following basic principles.

Certain speakers inside the box are positioned at specific angles, with some facing directly in front towards the typical listening position while others are aimed towards the various walls of a room which the sound bounces off. Special audio processing then takes the surround sound information from a movie soundtrack and feeds it into these discrete speaker zones to produce a sense of the sound coming from elsewhere than the front of the TV.

Some products deliver better results than others, and in most cases room size and where the speaker is - whether under the TV or wall-mounted - can make a difference.

And, as with any surround-sound system, there is always a "sweet spot", usually in the middle of a room, where surround-sound has its greatest effect. So chances are a room full of people watching a film won't all enjoy the same sense of surround whether it's a traditional system or one of the virtual options.

Ultimately, if you're hellbent on hearing a film soundtrack exactly as it was intended in all its 7.1 surround-sound glory, there is no other choice than to invest in a dedicated multi-speaker box system.

However, if you're happy enough listening to a pseudo surround-sound mix from a system that will take about 30 minutes to unpack and install, then sit neatly under a big screen TV, why not look into the growing range of home-theatre-in-a-box systems.