My television (Toshiba 40RV525U) has L/R analog audio output jacks that I've connected to one of the inputs on my receiver. I discovered quite by accident that I can get some excellent surround sound from two-channel sources by turning on what Toshiba refers to as an "advanced audio" feature called Q Sound.

Our local PBS station, for example, broadcasts in HD, but the audio is not Dolby Digital 5.1. Nevertheless, I can get excellent surround sound by piping the 2-channel analog audio into my receiver where it goes through the Dolby ProLogic processor. The same is true of our Fox Sports Houston cable channel that broadcasts the Astros games.

Even in these cases, the center channel sounds better than the phantom.

You're right in that it did take a few weeks to get used to it, but it's always sounded better to me from day one.