Video Asylum

Posted by bassbinotoko (A) on December 08, 2012 at 17:46:20

In Reply to: RE: Suggestions for "biggest bang for buck" 5.1AMP posted by fstein on December 06, 2012 at 13:21:27

Thrift stores? I couldn't resist an Onkyo receiver for $20; it doesn't do HDMI audio, and there was no remote, but I discovered the Logitech Harmony 200 for $15 (on sale) could be programmed to control it. If you have a Blu-ray player with 5.1 analog outputs, an older receiver could be worthwhile. They aren't a common sight at thrift stores, but I've seen others from $25 to $45. Pawn shops will also have receivers. But, you have to do some homework in case that model has designed-in flaws, and check it out thoroughly because AV receivers are very complicated things with plenty that can go wrong. I'm using the Onkyo right now because my Pioneer went intermittent, which according to the internet is not unusual.

If you need support for HDMI audio, then you should look at new receivers. A gross generalization is that more money buys more power, more inputs, and more channels. Usually if you step up to 7.1 you also get an internal upscaler so you only need one video connection to the display (HDMI). That means there's no need to change inputs on the TV to watch a standard definition set-top box, VCR, laserdisc, or old school game console. Around $200 could get you an entry level 5.1 receiver that may be perfectly adequate. Just check the reviews at Amazon and elsewhere to see if there are any issues. Receivers can suffer from both hardware and firmware problems.