need recomondations for home theater reciever

[hclarkjr]

i want to upgrade my ancient JVC RX 8010 to a HDMI capable receiver. i have a full 5.1 speaker setup so do not need speakers or subwoofer. budget is around $500 give or take. i know JVC quit making them so time for new brand. thanx to all that reply

 

[vi edit]

My vote:
http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-RC270.../dp/B003K51IPI

 

[hclarkjr]

My vote:
http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-RC270.../dp/B003K51IPI

i can not see a subwoofer output on that but the picture on amazon is not real clear either. do you have this?

 

[vi edit]

There's two LFE outs on the back. I've got the RC-180 which is the previous generation of the 270. It's a hell of a receiver for the $$. It's built like a tank, has plenty of power, a boatload of connections, and more features than about anything else in it's price range.

 

[hclarkjr]

what are your thoughts on this http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-VSX-10...6604826&sr=8-1

 

[vi edit]

I honestly don't give any attention to the "non" Elite Pioneers and Yamaha fell off my radar years ago. IMHO Onkyo and Denon have risen to the top of the pack for features and performance. And Onkyo leads just about anyone in terms of features, connections, output for the $$. Only knock against them is some reliability concerns in tight cabinets because they run smoldering hot and some of the connections in the back can get so hot they crack (HDMI was a major issue a few years ago).

H/K had a big push in the initial run to HDMI processing but has fallen to the back of the pack. Too proud of their products and priced out of their markets. Some serious software quirks initially too.

I don't personally see much reason to go with anyone but Denon or Onkyo. Onkyo for features and Denon for quality (sound and durability). Pioneer and Yamaha just seem like a bunch of "me toos" without really offering much to set them apart.

Again...just my personal opinion.

 

[hclarkjr]

ok, how about this one http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Onkyo+-+...&skuId=9846341

 

[vi edit]

ok, how about this one http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Onkyo+-+...&skuId=9846341

A step or two down from the RC-270. The 270 is basically a 708.

http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=TX-NR708&class=Receiver&p=i
http://detonator.dynamitedata.com/c...iver/1262599.p?id=1218244145070&skuId=1262599

 

[hclarkjr]

i have a 37 inch insignia tv that is 720P what version of HDMI is that? i seen some reviews saying some recievers can not go below 1.3 standard. is that a concern?

 

[vi edit]

No clue on that. And I edited my previous post about the 270. I forgot Onkyo shifted their lineup around this year. Last year the RC-180 was an 807. This year the 270 is a 707. Last year the 807 had networking, this year the 708 got it.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Marantz is another good brand. I believe they share quite a bit with Denon, with Marantz giving a bit more emphasis on sound quality at the expense of some features. Onkyo definitely is up there too, and generally seems to offer the best value.

 

[s44]

The 270 is a beast if you need power for a full-sized room -- including pre-outs so you can go to dedicated amps on any and all channels you like. Might be a bit overkill if you're in a small space, though... Denon 591 has the same Audyssey room correction but with less power, 5.1 instead of 7.2, no pre-outs (except for height/width/rear addons), and no built-in networking. Wouldn't really consider anything in between, unless you're interested in looking at last year's pre-3D models.

Pioneer 1120 is the first non-Elite worth looking at in years, but its best feature (excellent upscaling) is totally wasted on your small 720p set. Not worth a price premium.

 

[weez82]

Another vote for Onkyo TX-SR608 and HT-RC270, about $100 difference in price so look over the features and see what one is better for you. Both have a great bang for the buck, loaded with features, and has a good amp

EDIT:newegg and amazon have good pricing

 

[hclarkjr]

how about this http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AVR-791-.../dp/B003H04Q9G i am going to best buy today to see what deals they have in store too but do not plan on buying anything. just looking!!

 

[s44]

Compared to the 270? Slightly less power (you won't notice), no networking (Pandora, internet remote control, etc.), no pre outs (can't add an amp for tons of power), better video processing (doesn't matter since your screen is small and no one watches native SD any more). Same Audyssey stuff as the 270 and 591. Basically, the $150 price increase from the 591 gets you two amplifier channels you won't use now anyway.

Get the 591 or the 270.

 

[hclarkjr]

yeah the 270 is looking good, damn best buy doesn't have it in store though. might order it from amazon

 

[hclarkjr]

just bought the 270 from amazon

 

[hclarkjr]

thanx for all the tips guys

 

[s44]

Your homework until the unit arrives: Audyssey setup guide

Also, borrow a tripod if you don't have one.

 

[hclarkjr]

Your homework until the unit arrives: Audyssey setup guide

Also, borrow a tripod if you don't have one.

thanx, again.

 

[hclarkjr]

i have a 37 inch insignia tv that is 720P what version of HDMI is that? i seen some reviews saying some recievers can not go below 1.3 standard. is that a concern?

just did some checking for the specs on HDMI and seen this

Are HDMI 1.4 devices going to be backwards-compatible with older HDMI (v.1.0 - 1.3) devices?

Yes, devices built to the HDMI 1.4 specification will be fully backwards-compatible with existing HDMI devices and their features.

so looks like i am all set then

 

[darkswordsman17]

just did some checking for the specs on HDMI and seen this so looks like i am all set then

Yeah, sorry that didn't get answered before.

I believe you need 1.3 in order to bitstream lossless surround audio content, and even that was fairly moot since you're likely to have a player that could decode those and stream the PCM. I can't recall which HDMI spec you need for 3D, I know 1.4 is touted for that, but its possible on some 1.3.

HDMI has turned into a bit of a mess, but at least backwards compatibility has been maintained, and considering that stuff like 3D and expanded color space are all over the place and half-assed, its not like you should focus on that at all.

 

[velillen]

Yeah, sorry that didn't get answered before.

I can't recall which HDMI spec you need for 3D, I know 1.4 is touted for that, but its possible on some 1.3.

I ebelive i read somewhere (could be wrong didnt do much looking into it) but 1.3 could do certain types of 3d and mostly at 720p resolutions. Dont think it could do full on bluray if i remember correct but 720p was possible.

 

[queequeg99]

thanx, again.

Of course, you will have to read through that entire thread to fully understand the intricacies of properly setting up Audyssey.

 

[Aikouka]

I ebelive i read somewhere (could be wrong didnt do much looking into it) but 1.3 could do certain types of 3d and mostly at 720p resolutions. Dont think it could do full on bluray if i remember correct but 720p was possible.

I've tried to find a good, reliable and definitive source on how 1.3 handles 3D, and from what it sounds like, the typical issue with handling Frame Packing (Blu-Ray's 3D method) is that the pre-1.4 receivers do not know where to get the audio, so you need to use a separate method to send the audio (SPDIF). Most people tend to scoff at SPDIFF since it doesn't support the lossless codecs, but Frame Packing doesn't support them either (not enough bandwidth if I remember correctly).

I'm pretty meh about 3D all-around though. My receivers are both HDMI 1.3, and I'm not too worried. Sure, I could watch 3D BRs or play 3D games, but I have a higher entry cost (I need a 3D Kit for my Mitsu DLP) and I've never been too impressed during theater viewings. Sadly enough, the Real3D CG short with the dog and the ball was 10 times more amazing to me than any CG I saw in a movie .