09-30-2011, 04:46 PM
michaelb wrote:
before buying anything, I should really get a sense of how this will all hook up and work. But this does look like a good deal so thanks for posting it.
Indeed. I find simply looking at the back panel and going through all the connections I need to make first really helps:
Here you can see the 4-HDMI inputs which would accomodate all your mentioned sources plus an extra for future use, and the 1-HDMI output that goes right to your TV. HDMI carries both audio and video from the source; the receiver will handle decoding the audio and then send it out to your speakers while switching the video sources to the TV.
One thing to note is the use of the spring-clips for the center and surround channels; that type of connection is the cheapest since you don't need any extra banana clips or spade terminals, however it is also the least reliable for that same reason- the wires can easily get pulled out.
It also has 2 sets of component inputs for other HD but non-HDMI sources.
I found another thing to be aware of from a review on Amazon:
"My other complaint is that the on-screen-display (OSD) is only output through the RCA ports and NOT through HDMI." So any on-screen menus would not be accessible through the HDMI output, meaning you have to connect the receiver to your TV via the composite output and change your TV input that setting everytime you wanted to use the OSD, but all the settings should be accessible via the remote.