How Do “Surround” Sound Bars Work?

The idea behind a conventional surround sound setup is simple: the speakers surround you, and thus, so does the sound. But a new generation of sound bars, the all-in-one devices that sit below your TV and house multiple drivers in a horizontal layout, also claim to have surround sound capabilities. How can that be possible if the only speaker is directly in front of you?
by Michael Crider via How-To Geek