Showing posts with label hdmi audio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hdmi audio. Show all posts

7/29/2012

Yamaha HTR-6160BL 665 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Yamaha HTR-6160BL 665 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Originally purchased the Onkyo 705 and it sounded good for a while and then all of its issues came out. I plugged this Yamaha into the same setup and WOW! The sound that this Yamaha puts out is so clear. The Onkyo at its best is not even close. The onkyo needs 8 inches of space above the receiver in order to not burn up. I have less then 2 inches of space above this receiver and it still runs extremely cool. A Yamaha fan for life now!

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Designed for the true audio/video connoisseur, the Yamaha HTR-6160BL 7.1-channel digital home theater receiver delivers the highest quality sound and image reproduction. This able receiver will work with your iPod and features 1080p compatible HDMI, high-definition video upconversion, de-interlacing, and is ready for XM Satellite Radio. The Yamaha HTR-6160BL also boasts upgraded CINEMA DSP for rich and full surround sound and improved YPAO sound optimization for the best listening experience in any room.

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7/02/2012

Yamaha RX-V563BL 630 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Yamaha RX-V563BL 630 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver
Average Reviews:

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I spent the last 3 months trying to find the right av receiver for me. After much praise, i bought and returned the onkyo txsr605 (setup and video was great, sound was poor, including a buzz i've never had before) and the Harmon Kardon AVR 340 (sound was great, but vidoe quality in non-hd was aweful). I waited a few weeks for the new yamaha a/v receivers to come out in April. It was definifely worth the wait. GUI is not great, but the sound is amazing and no major complaints with the video. My only issues has to do with how quickly it can switch between HD and non-HD souces with my cable box (handshake), although i hear this is a common problem with certain cable boxes.

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The RX-V563BL 7.1-channel digital home theater receiver offers an impressive array of features and technologies to enhance the audio/video experience, including HDMI switching with 1080p video pass-through, iPod and Bluetooth audio compatibility, CINEMA DSP, compressed music enhancer for MP3 and WMA discs, and 4 SCENE buttons make operating the receiver easier than ever. 2 volume-setting functions are included on this receiver for additional convenience. Initial volume setting allows you to set the volume level that will be heard each time the power is turned on. Maximum volume setting prevents unexpected loud sounds. You have a choice of 8 unique CINEMA DSP surround programs to bring out the full audio potential of your entertainment sources. The RX-V563BL receiver is capable of delivering large amounts of reserve power for accurate reproduction of high-energy peaks that are especially prevalent in digital audio sources. Other features include Bluetooth A2DP compatibility with optional YBA-10 wireless audio receiver, on-screen display with iPod song title display, 7-channel 630W powerful surround sound (90W x 7), Burr-Brown 192kHz/24-bit DACs used in all channels for impressive sound reproduction, 1080p-compatible HDMI switching (2 inputs, 1 output), component video upconversion with TBC HDTV, compatible component video terminals (3 inputs, 1 output), and cinema DSPwith 8 DSP programs for full surround sound.

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11/29/2011

Marantz SR5004 Audio/video Receiver (Black) Review

Marantz SR5004 Audio/video Receiver (Black)
Average Reviews:

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This beautiful new receiver is packed with high-end options and the sound quality is nothing short of exemplary. For a full listing of technicals and features, see the site at: [...]. As compared to Yamaha, Onkyo, Denon, and Pioneer, you'll notice a far more "natural" and "forward" sound, whereas the formers are more "punchy", "dark" or "processed". Marantz has been at the business of making receivers in this vein a long time and the 5004 is sure to please even the most discerning audiophiles. Of course, if you have $8K to spend, the Reference series is a nice upgrade. But for us common folk who still appreciate the performance and sound quality that a top-end receiver can produce, this is the one. On the "things to consider side", the SR5004 only has 3 HDMI outputs, so if you're in need of more such connections for your home theater, you might need to consider upgrading to the 6004. All in all, however, you can't beat this receiver for the money. This reviewer recommends pairing it with either Polk RTI or Bowers & Wilkins 600 series speakers.

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10/05/2011

Yamaha HTR-6180BL 735 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Yamaha HTR-6180BL 735 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
After a month, still belive it is everything that was promised. Wanted an HD radio. And so far, every San Fran FM station I can find comes in in HD and has a 2nd HD channel with it!
Agree with other posting at other sites, the remote control is a little confusing, but getting yourself a Harmony RC seems to be the only way to go these days!


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Channels: 7
RMS Output Power (20Hz - 20kHz): 105W x 7
RMS Output Power (1kHz)
Total Power (20Hz - 20kHz): 735W
Dolby TrueHD
Dolby Digital EX/ Dolby Pro Logic IIx (Plus)
DTS-HD Master Audio
DTS-ES Discrete 6.1
DTS 96/24 / DTS Neo:6
Pure Direct
HD Radio Tuner
iPod Compatibility (With Optional YDS-10)
Bluetooth Compatibility (With Optional YBA-10)
Compressed Music Enhancer
Neural Surround
XM HD Surround
SRS (Circle Surround II)
THX Processing
Sirius Satellite Radio Ready
XM Satellite Radio Ready
HDMI (In/Out): (3 / 1) Ver. 1.3
i.Link (IEEE 1394)
Component Video (In/Out): (3 / 1)
A/V Inputs (S-Video) 5 (All S-Video)
Digital Inputs/Outputs [O: Optical, C: Coaxial] (O: 4, C: 2 / O: 1)
Front A/V with Digital Input (S-Video / Optical)
Front Mini Input for Portables
Front USB Input For Flash Memory Drives
LAN Terminal RJ-45

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Yamaha RX-V663BL 665 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Yamaha RX-V663BL 665 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Before you go out and buy a fancy $1k+ AV receiver with all the bells and whistles, please ask yourself, do you really need all the extra little features like HD-radio, network connectivity, USB ports, a bazillion HDMI ports, fancy video processor, etc? If all you want is a basic receiver that will allow you to enjoy the latest lossless 5.1 or 7.1 audio codec from blu-ray movies (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master), or even just multi-channel PCM tracks from movies or the latest generation game console, without having to pay for all the other extra stuff, look no further!
Yamaha did us all a favor with this unit. It does everything most people will ever need (unless you're the most technology-hungry of audiophiles) and does it all remarkably well. Sure, it is not the prettiest looking AVR out there and the OSD (on-screen display) will look like you just found that old Atari 2600 from childhood and plugged it in to your big 1080p plasma. The text and menu system looks prehistoric! Presentation and esthetics are definitely not this receiver's forte. But rest assured that in designing this receiver, Yamaha has skimped on such aspects only so they could splurge on components that count! Burr-Brown DACs and other high quality bits and pieces normally found on receivers that cost many times more are utilized in this budget AVR to deliver outstanding sound. Yamaha spent the money on things that count: the sweet sounds of music or the immersive 7.1 channels of your favorite movies delivered to your ears with uncompromising sonic quality. I also have the much pricier Onkyo NR905 and Denon 4308 that I use in my main home theater and living rooms respectively and this little Yamaha RX-V663 that costs a small fraction of those units rivals their sound. I originally picked this up so I could also have a home theater experience in the bedroom but have been floored at how it performs so much so that I will likely find myself watching more movies in bed.
It does have its limitations though. For one, it is probably not suitable for a very large room unless you use a separate multi-channel amplifier. Don't get me wrong, 95 watts per channels is probably suitable for many, but rooms upwards of 300+ square feet might be a stretch. Secondly, it only has 2 HDMI inputs (not a big deal for many, and is actually ideal for most who just have a PS3 or Xbox connected in addition to a Cable or Satellite box). Even if you needed more HD capable inputs, there are some component inputs that can still be transcoded to HDMI so you still retain the luxury of having a single HDMI cable going to the TV and use the receiver as a true AV hub. Thirdly, it has a cheap feeling and looking remote that lacks enough buttons to control other component functions (not a big deal if you use a Harmony). Lastly, it doesn't upconvert all video sources to full 1080p (again, not a big deal since most TVs do a better job at video scaling anyway). The only 1080p upconverting AVRs that are worth using for their upconverting/video-processing abilities are those with the HQV Reon or Realta chip like the higher end Onkyos and the $5000 Denon 5308. That all said, you really do get a hell of a lot in the box with this $500 Yamaha.
In conclusion, everything listed on the features list on Amazon's page about this receiver works as advertised. The YPAO automated sound optimization/calibration works flawlessly and in some ways even better than the Audyssey system used by Denon & Onkyo. Lossless audio decoding of DTS-HD Master and TrueHD works perfectly and even HDMI switching operates quick and smoothly unlike the long pauses and sometimes buggy HDMI handshaking issues Onkyos has with earlier firmware. I can confirm that there are no LFE flaws, DTS-HD Master issues, or other major problems that have often been discussed about the first batch of next generation "future-proof" receivers. It even has nice extras like a 12v trigger, and second subwoofer pre-out, speaker posts to accept banana plugs, and all the other ins and outs that you don't normally find on receiver under $500 are present. And of course I've already raved about the sound. This is the best bang for the buck in terms of AV receivers and the only thing that may be comparable is the upcoming Pioneer VSX-1018 or Sony DG-920 which will arrive summer of 2008. But based on my previous experience with the DG-910, they are definitely a step down from Sony's ES line and will probably not sound as good as the Yamaha but will have a nicer looking OSD.
I will give this product 5 stars simply because you get so much for so little. Sound quality being of higher priority than esthetics.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha RX-V663BL 665 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Yamaha's RX-V663BL high-performance home theater receiver features full support for HD audio formats, HDMI video upconversion and deinterlacing, iPod and Bluetooth audio compatibility, improved YPAO for sound optimization and speaker setup in any room.4 SCENE buttons make operating the receiver easier than ever when switching between audio sources. 2 volume-setting functions are included on this receiver for additional convenience. Initial volume setting allows you to set the volume level that will be heard each time the power is turned on. Maximum volume setting prevents unexpected loud sounds. You have a choice of 8 unique CINEMA DSP surround programs to bring out the full audio potential of your entertainment sources. The RX-V563BL receiver is capable of delivering large amounts of reserve power for accurate reproduction of high-energy peaks that are especially prevalent in digital audio sources. It is XM ready with XM HD surround sound powered by Neural Surround, and is also SIRIUS satellite radio ready. Other features include improved YPAO for automatic speaker setup, iPod compatibility via optional dock, Bluetooth A2DP compatibility with optional YBA-10 wireless audio receiver, 1080p-compatible HDMI (2 inputs, 1 output), analog video to HDMI digital video with upconversion and deinterlacing, CINEMA DSP and adaptive DSP level for accurate surround sound reproduction, an improved compressed music enhancer for compressed music files, adaptive DRC (Dynamic Range Control), 40-station preset tuning / Auto preset tuning, and a preset remote unit.

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9/24/2011

VIZIO XVT473SV 47-inch Class Full Array TruLED LCD HDTV 240 Hz SPS with VIZIO Internet Apps Review

VIZIO XVT473SV 47-inch Class Full Array TruLED LCD HDTV 240 Hz SPS with VIZIO Internet Apps
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Be sure to see our UPDATE BELOW on this review:
5 stars when we bought it.
1 or 0 stars now, 5 months later.
We have been looking for a new TV for quite some time, thinking we would go with a 47" LCD. But then we happened to see some of the new LED TV's which took us on a whole new quest. And this is where we ended up. With the Vizio xvt473sv. The picture is just fabulous. I can't begin to stress that. We are not young folks by any stretch of the imagination. 3D didn't interest us. (It's fun at the theater but I don't want to watch it at home.) But this TV has true LED, with true back-lighting (not just edge lighting) and it's beyond terrific for viewing.
The pictures are sharp and crisp. Like when you're at the eye doctor and he says, "Which is better, A or B?" And B jumps out at you because it is like the best you've ever seen? Well folks, that's this television. Not kidding.
We have only had it for one week so I can't yet comment on the internet apps. Everything else is hooked up now - sorry, we work and only have limited time in the evenings - but so far it all works flawlessly. Our bonanza was discovering that we get HD channels for free because this TV has an integrated quam tuner. I'm no tech geek and I have no idea what that is but that's what the nice cable lady told me. (And because it's so new we've had to make our own list of HD channels because we live in the boonies and our cable folks don't have the list for our area yet.) AM I complaining??? No way!
My one and only criticism of this TV is that when you enter a channel in the bluetooth remote, it takes about 4-5 seconds for the TV to go to that channel. That is annoying. Surely Vizio will be coming out with a fix for this soon. (Are you listening Vizio?)
But I tell you, once you get to the channel, you forget that annoyance because the picture is so incredible. It's like that person in the box is in the room with you. It looks that real. Colors are gorgeous. Bright and vibrant!
The TV doesn't swivel on it's base but given that it's so large, I can't imagine needing it to swivel. Tonight we watched the CMA Awards on a non-HD channel. And the picture was still awesome. I can't wait to watch some college football this weekend.
When we get the internet part up and running, I'll be back with an update on this review. In the meantime, go for it. You won't be sorry. This is the LED-TV to which all others will be compared. Seriously. It is fabulous!!!
2 weeks later: I want to add a few more comments. My DH has downloaded several "apps" and they are easy, intuitive to use. BTW, this is not like a computer screen. VIZIO has it set up to download "apps" to prevent viruses from getting on your nice new TV. And they were really helpful when I called their customer service number to ask some questions before we purchased this TV. We still love it. The picture is just beyond belief. Literally, the detail you can see with it is just amazing.
4 MONTHS LATER: We are having problems with the TV just shutting off in the middle of a show. Literally. We'll be watching a show and then zap, black screen. This has been ongoing for the last 3 months. We've called customer support, gone through the reboot process, time and time again. By the time we get the picture back up, the show is over and we've missed it. Now get this: Vizio tells me that this is a KNOWN PROBLEM on this TV model. They say the TV is recalculating for optimal performance. That's a joke. THEY KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEY DON'T HAVE A FIX FOR IT. NO FIX. AND YET THEY ARE STILL SELLING THE TV????
It's a huge disappointment. The picture is gorgeous. Everything I said above is true about the TV's features and viewing. It's wonderful - when it works. We spent a lot of money on this TV only to be stuck with a lemon? And absolutely awful customer service policies at VIZIO. Oh their reps are nice but they can't do a thing.
MAY 29, 2011 UPDATE: In the last 2 months the TV has not "blacked out" anymore. Maybe Vizio stopped sending the computer chip updates that caused the blackouts? (maybe they read my review?)...at any rate this particular "blackout" problem has ceased...for now. That said, I will continue the updates here so readers will know. Honestly, we still love the picture on this TV - the picture is bright, crisp, and clear. The TV doesn't suck energy. The apps are easy to use. So time will tell how this unfolds.


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VIZIO's XVT473SV 47" TruLED LCD HDTV with VIZIO Internet Apps delivers the ultimate HDTV experience. This full array LED HDTV is packed with the latest technology and delivers superior picture quality at a superior price. The immersive virtual high definition sound and premium wireless Internet connectivity with built-in Wi-Fi 802.11n dual-band gives you the convenience of on-demand movies, TV shows, social networking, music, photos and more with just the push of a button on the premium Bluetooth QWERTY keyboard universal remote.
Backlit LED blocks turn on and off based on the real-time content.

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