Need Help Buying a Home Theater Receiver

[d_stilgar]

Here's what I need:

Could be 2.1 stereo, 5.1, 7.1, 42.2 surround, whatever. I don't care in this regard really.

It needs to take old RCA and Component in and have plenty of inputs. (like 4 RCA in at least and at least 1 Component in, but 2 preferred).

Needs to have at least 2 HDMI in, but the more the merrier.

May or may not have on screen menus. I really don't care, but it would be nice.

Here are the big two:

It needs to be under $250 (but $200 is preferred).
It needs to output everything out of one HDMI for ease of video out to my TV.

Any help is appreciated and . . . I'll give you something nice for your help. I'll have to see if there's anything real nice around here, but you'll get something cool if you help out.

[Twigsoffury]

Here's what I need:

Could be 2.1 stereo, 5.1, 7.1, 42.2 surround, whatever. I don't care in this regard really.

It needs to take old RCA and Component in and have plenty of inputs. (like 4 RCA in at least and at least 1 Component in, but 2 preferred).

Needs to have at least 2 HDMI in, but the more the merrier.

May or may not have on screen menus. I really don't care, but it would be nice.

Here are the big two:

It needs to be under $250 (but $200 is preferred).
It needs to output everything out of one HDMI for ease of video out to my TV.

Any help is appreciated and . . . I'll give you something nice for your help. I'll have to see if there's anything real nice around here, but you'll get something cool if you help out.

Them Harman Kardon's at Bestbuy would be right up your alley.

[d_stilgar]

There's this (http://www.amazon.com/Harman-Kardon-AVR1600-Performance-7-1-Channel/dp/B002IKKFTQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1318399861&sr=1-3) Harman Kardon that I saw for $200 not too long ago, but lacked the funds to get it at the time.

At this point I'm waiting for a deal like that to show up again, but thought I would pose the question here just in case someone had an inside scoop. It's really hard to find them with component and RCA to HDMI switching. Well, it's hard to search for them with that parameter as well as finding them for cheap with that feature.

[OvRiDe]

There is this Pioneer 5.1 on Newegg that might fit the bill.

http://images17.newegg.com/is/image/newegg/82-117-398-Z02?$S300W$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882117398

HDMI - 4 In / 1 Out
Component Video 2 - In
Composite - 4 In / 1 Out

It's on sale at the moment for just under 200 but you have to add it to your cart to get the exact price.


EDIT:
Ahh.. It might not.. I just read a review that says it does not do video conversion from composite to HDMI. :(

[Twigsoffury]

Onkyo (If you can find it) has some sweet receivers. mines got HDMI, but i've never really used it (or any of the video really)

lots of Onkyo's these days even stream content from your network/PC straight to the receiver (music and video) I know they even upconvert standard video and spit it out through HDMI/component as 1080i/p

I love my Onkyo.

only draw back is they can be a little on the expensive side, but i mean you could probably get a awesome one used on the cheap.

[edit]

hah i just saw on Onkyo's website you can stream music and content straight from a android to your receiver... Now thats pretty cool.

[d_stilgar]

There is this Pioneer 5.1 on Newegg that might fit the bill.

EDIT:
Ahh.. It might not.. I just read a review that says it does not do video conversion from composite to HDMI. :(

I'm not sure how much I trust Pioneer, although Harman Kardon isn't much better in that regard. Otherwise, there are definitely some cheap receivers out there.


Onkyo (If you can find it) has some sweet receivers. mines got HDMI, but i've never really used it (or any of the video really)

lots of Onkyo's these days even stream content from your network/PC straight to the receiver (music and video) I know they even upconvert standard video and spit it out through HDMI/component as 1080i/p

I love my Onkyo.

only draw back is they can be a little on the expensive side, but i mean you could probably get a awesome one used on the cheap.

[edit]

hah i just saw on Onkyo's website you can stream music and content straight from a android to your receiver... Now thats pretty cool.

I've been looking at the Onkyo receivers as well. I'm just waiting for one with all my bare minimum requirements to show up for cheap enough.

Another thing that would be cool would be a receiver that just had a low power out so I could hook it up to my own speaker amps. That way I could just use some nice tube amps or T-amps to power speakers instead of having a receiver/amp combo like everything is.

[d_stilgar]

Here's what I was just talking about. If only it had more component and RCA inputs. I could get a switcher that switches before the receiver, but that just adds to the complication.
http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-YMC-500BL-NeoHD-Controller-Receiver/dp/B002CVTOV6

I think that's going to be my best bet and bang for the buck at this point. I think I'll go with it.

[Twigsoffury]

I'm not sure how much I trust Pioneer, although Harman Kardon isn't much better in that regard. Otherwise, there are definitely some cheap receivers out there.



I've been looking at the Onkyo receivers as well. I'm just waiting for one with all my bare minimum requirements to show up for cheap enough.

Another thing that would be cool would be a receiver that just had a low power out so I could hook it up to my own speaker amps. That way I could just use some nice tube amps or T-amps to power speakers instead of having a receiver/amp combo like everything is.


You use the Audio outputs for that.... Onkyos (the nicer models) even have seperate audio outs for each channel like 5.1 out on mine.

And Now you know the secret to how i have 4 front speakers, 4 rear speakers and three subwoofers (12-10-8")