Great deal on a 5.1 HDMI receiver at Woot!

[mikebw]

http://www.woot.com/

If 5.1 is all you want then this receiver looks like it should have everything else you need.

Pioneer Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver with 3D-Ready HDMI Switching

$149.99
+ $5 shipping
CONDITION:
New
PRODUCT:
1 Pioneer VSX-521-K 5.1 Receiver w/ 3D-Ready HDMI (4), Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD, MCACC & Remote

It has 4-HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI output which should be enough for all your new-age digital entertainment sources.

[decay]

i was looking at that.

is that about as low as i'd expect to pay for a decent 5.1 receiver?

i don't have great speakers, and don't plan to upgrade any time soon.

[mikebw]

Let's just say you probably wouldn't want to buy anything cheaper. The included remote will help ensure you get everything setup correctly so that's a definite plus.

[michaelb]

I can't tell if it has HDMI passthrough. I would like an AV receiver, but I think I need to pass through HDMI to the TV without being on itself, so that I have the option to watch TV and not use the surround stereo.

[mikebw]

michaelb wrote:
I can't tell if it has HDMI passthrough. I would like an AV receiver, but I think I need to pass through HDMI to the TV without being on itself, so that I have the option to watch TV and not use the surround stereo.

Is this for connecting a cable box? For situations where I don't want the receiver to be on I have also connected the cable box component and stereo outputs directly to the TV.

[michaelb]

mikebw wrote:
[quote=michaelb]
I can't tell if it has HDMI passthrough. I would like an AV receiver, but I think I need to pass through HDMI to the TV without being on itself, so that I have the option to watch TV and not use the surround stereo.

Is this for connecting a cable box? For situations where I don't want the receiver to be on I have also connected the cable box component and stereo outputs directly to the TV.
My TV has two HDMI inputs, and I just bought an AppleTV, so now I have 3 possible inputs, my DVD, ATV, + I used to run it as a 2nd monitor for my mini. I would also like optical audio for the ATV (I think this has this). It is all very complicated, so 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.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

A good price if it is just what someone wants. Three times I have been tempted to buy an inexpensive 5.1 receiver on sale, and every time I realize I really want some feature they do not have.

[mikebw]

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.

[Will Collier]

Damn. Great deal. Pioneer receivers are way up the list on bang-for-the-buck even at retail.

[deckeda]

michaelb wrote:
I can't tell if it has HDMI passthrough. I would like an AV receiver, but I think I need to pass through HDMI to the TV without being on itself, so that I have the option to watch TV and not use the surround stereo.

I *think* the answer is yes. Goto the product page , click the Specifications link on the left and then click the "video processing" link in the main gray-colored section. Says it has "HDMI Standby Through" which should be it. Consult its owner's manual.