I thought about that. Virtually no TV programs except HDTV have Dolby 5.1 audio, and not many of them do. Hence there's no discrete multichannel material to drive the surrounds (whether free standing, in wall, cheap or expensive).
However he did mention a DVD player, so there are 5.1 soundtracks there. But why watch a movie with surround sound in the TV room when you have a much better HT room? Maybe for separate groups? So the kids can watch Nemo while the parents or guests watch a different movie? Just a guess.
