CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

I'm Contemplating the new A/V setup in the BIG Dog Lair...( I've gotta work on the name)

And i'm thinking... Do i want a Receiver or not? Some of the new Denon A/V receivers look very nice as do the Pioneers. However I dont like the idea of my Video signal passing thru this A/V box on its way to the display. Even unprocessed it seems like there's potential to gum up the works.

This box is already processing audio signals, and amplifying the audio. Video processing seems like a lot to ask.

Most guys here use receivers, do you have any issues?

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 4:42 pm Post subject:

Some of the new AVR's are actually very good now that we're switching everything in the digital domain. Denon, Pioneer, Onkyo and Yamaha are all building very good HDMI-switching AVR's. A few even have really good scalers built into them.

I read a shootout 6 or 8 weeks ago, and the Onkyo 875 was the only one of 5 receivers that passed all the HQV video tests (guess who built the processing engine?). Regardless, that confirmed what I had already read and heard - that the video processing and switching in the 875 was excellent. They Onkyo 875 is neat because of the HQV Reon processing in a ~$1000 street AVR. The think I really want it for is that it will de-interlace a 1080i input signal and send it out as 1080p.

Of course, since CEDIA is this week, many manufacturers will be announcing new models - Onkyo likely included, since the 875 and the other AVR's in that lineup were announced last year at CEDIA. I'm hoping to pick up a used or discounted 875 when the new models are announced (hopefully I won't be too excited about the new models).

SC

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

Im looking @

Denon 2309

http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/4527.asp

Pioneer
VSX-90TXV

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Products/HomeEntertainment/AV-Receivers/EliteReceivers/ci.VSX-90TXV.Kuro

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

GEBrown · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 729 Location: Denver

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

FWIW, refurb 875's are already available for $750 or less, see e.g. http://www.ecost.com/Detail/Receivers/Onkyo/TXSR875+REF/41704080.aspx

I got my Onkyo HTIB refurbed, and it was a great deal.

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

E-cost isn't the only option, just the first one I happened to find. Onkyo sells a lot of refurb gear. I'd definitely do it again -- mine was good as new.

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 8:04 pm Post subject:

The 875 is just over a grand new at Amazon, and Curt/Kal get their kick-back.

For refurb, there's also accessories4less.com - I bought my refurb Marantz AVR there - for nearly half of retail - about $700 vs. $1300. They're authorized refurb dealers for several of the big manufacturers including Onkyo, but have only the silver 875 in stock for $869.99. So, ecost is definitely the bargain route, I think.

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/ONKTXSR875S/Onkyo/TX-SR875-7.1-Channel-Home-Theater-Receiver-SILVER-/1.html

SC

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 8:18 pm Post subject:

Great. I was going to try to find a deal on an 875, but I just looked at the 876 and it looks pretty sweet. They went from 4x1 to 4x2 on the HDMI switching, and are adding something they're calling "ISF Video Calibration", along with some other minor changes. If the ISF cal feature is what I think it is and it gives you full color control, that could be awesome for us CRTers - especially along with a LL gamma boost box. If you didn't care about custom res/refresh and just wanted to run 1080/60p, you'd have everything you need without buying a separate $1000+ scaler.

http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=TX-SR876&class=Receiver&p=f

I'll have to see if I can find a write-up on the new features.

SC