For my home theater system, I currently have an Onkyo SR-TX602 Audio/Video receiver. Well, it’s cra…, er, going south on me, and I think I need a new one.
My concern: I’m not using the video portion of this Audio/Video receiver at all. The ONLY things I’m using from it are 3 optical audio inputs, and the 5.1 speaker connections. I don’t have any plans to add anything else to this in the future, but having at least one more input available sounds like a prudent requirement to me.
Is there something I can get that will meet my needs but not have all of the (unneeded and presumably expensive) video controls? Is there a name for this type of product?
And does anyone have any recommendations for what to get?
Thanks,
J.
Actually, I’d recommend that you do use video with the latest generation of receivers. Specifically, go with HDMI. My older system is a Sony ES-series, and my newer a Pioneer Elite, so I definitely value decent quality. And, you couldn’t convince me to use component video through a receiver for love or money. But HDMI is digital, and so there’s nothing to lose by piping it through your system, buying all of the convenience of synchronized audio & video control.
What do you mean by “video controls”? Are you refering to the video input/output jacks on the back of the receiver? Those aren’t really that expensive and are actually just used to pass multiple video signals out through one output to the tv. The receiver then just acts as a switch box. Although some models do convert signals.
I’m not aware of any “audio only” home theatre receiver that does not allow video signal passthroughs. If there was I’m sure it is a high-end specialized piece thats probably more expensive than a typical home theatre receiver.
I echo the others and suggest using the video facility of your amp to run the whole enchilada, so to speak. Then, you’re only using one input on the monitor and switching everything through the amp. It becomes the brains of the whole system.
We have a Sonty HT-7000DH which suits our needs nicely. The only drawback is that the HDMI is passthrough only, so it needs an audio connection between the source and the amp. It sounds sweet, though.