>The other new feature of the flash amps is video handling. Most of them<br>
>will convert/upscale an analoge video source to HDMI (720p/1080p) and<br>
>some will also upscale HDMI inputs. The upshot is that you only need one<br>
>cable (HDMI) to your TV and you can change video sources with a single<br>
>button press. They also seem to throw in an onscreen GUI for good<br>
>measure.<br>
<br>My MythTV setup is a little behind the times now (still uses S-Video, haven't even set lirc up), but I have both audio and video from all sources running through my receiver - always have done. The TV (widescreen CRT) is just a monitor, only ever uses a single input from the receiver and the speakers are NEVER used!<br>
<br>I'd be looking for the same capability in a new receiver, so it'd need to be able to receive and output any video signal I'm likely to throw at it, whether it be 780p, 1080p, or some sort of x by x computer resolution.<br>
<br>Haven't needed to shop for a receiver so I don't know about the current crop, I have a 6 or 7 year old NAD (T760). At the time I compared it to similarly-priced Sony and Yamaha receivers. Both of these had at least triple the number of buttons on the front compared to the NAD, and huge numbers of acronym logos all over them for their various DSP modes. <br>
<br>Testing (in the shop's test rooms) proved the NAD was far ahead in terms of audio quality (using the same track, player, cables and speakers). I'm no audiophile, but the difference was obvious.<br><br>There's definitely something to be said for a lack of complication - what good are all those features if they never get used? I've never had the desire to make my audio sound like it's in a church!<br>
<br>However, things sure have changed a lot in the intervening years, with ever-increasing sound channels and codecs, HD images at various resolutions etc. etc. making choosing the right thing difficult. I'll be interested to hear what you go for in the end.<br>
<br>> Well, the only reason I know that people of my acquaintance have Blue-ray<br>> disc drives at *all* is because they come with Playstation 3.<br>><br>>
I'd say we're in no danger of blue-ray becoming widespread.<br>
<br>You shouldn't write this off. The PS3 was a big reason why Blu-Ray won out over HD-DVD. The PS2 was also pretty instrumental in the widespread adoption of DVD in the home - everyone who had one also had a DVD player.<br>
<br>Ta,<br><br>Ed.<br>