Sony DAV-HDX275 BRAVIA 5-Disc DVD/CD Player 5.1 Channel Home Theater System, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I had been in the market for a set of inexpensive bookshelf speakers when I stumbled across this brand new model Sony system at a local retailer. For the price, this unit is pretty hard to beat, with a fairly extensive feature list and only a few drawbacks.
This unit is the brand new "step up" to the popular HDX265 model system. The speakers are the same, but this unit adds digital dolby decoding, additional digital input capability (important for decoding Digital Dolby from satellite or cable boxes) and support for the new "S-AIR" system that allows wireless connectivity to other rooms in the home.
Sound quality from this setup is good, although not impressive if you are used to higher end sound from seperate components. Certainly good enough for use in a bedroom or other application (I put this in a small workout room). Sound quality is better than most shelf systems in the same price range and should give most other all-in-one-box systems a good run for their money.
Setup is extremely simple with color coded wires for all of the different speakers. Unfortunately the wires terminate to special connectors that plug into the back of the main unit. This would make extending/replacing the wires a pain. The unit includes a microphone and a nifty auto-calibration feature that sets all of the speaker levels correctly with a few taps on the remote control.
The remote control itself is handy, but on the cheap side.. it's pretty basic but gets the job done. It will control all of the unit functions and even allow for basic control of an iPod that is connected to the included iPod dock. The remote control can also be programmed to control most model TVs.
DVD output from this unit is very good and the HDMI output is great for quick and easy cabling to an HDMI equipped flat panel HDTV. DVD startup and controls were quite snappy and the unit can hold up to 5 CDs or DVD in the built in cartridge. The unit will up-convert DVD to 1080P resolution over the HDMI output. While not nearly as good looking as my Blu-Ray player, it will still look quite good on most small to medium sized TVs.
The best features of this unit are the HDMI output, extra inputs (one digital and one analog), iPod dock (which works with the remote control) and DVD up-conversion.
There are drawbacks, as there always are with these all-in-one deals. The iPod dock doesn't have any onscreen output or control, which is a bit of a drag since you can't see what's on the iPod screen from across the room. The main unit is physically quite deep (about 15 inches) which means it won't fit on smaller shelves. Also annoying is the lack of any bass or treble control.
The unit has two sound modes, "movie" and "music" and a bass enhancer (which I turned off as it made the bass sound boomy and obnoxious for music listening). There is no stereo 5.1 mode which would allow for output to all 5 speakers from regular stereo sources like an iPod. Instead the unit has a 4 channel matrix mode that uses the main, rear and subwoofer speakers for stereo. This is kind of a shame since the center channel speaker is the clearest sounding one of the bunch. The center channel does sound decent when watching or listening to TV and DVD sources.
Overall I can safely give this system 4 stars. The sound is quite good for a sub $300 system, the DVD player with up-conversion is great, and the unit has just enough flexibility through the extra inputs and wireless add-on options to be useable for quite some time. Certainly it fits the bill as a stereo/DVD-player for my workout room.
//update as of 4/23/2008.
A couple of other little nit picks discovered with this sytem. I've discovered that the sound mode, bass and other settings aren't memorized per input. In other words if you are watching a DVD and have the sound mode in "movie" and have the bass turned up and then switch the input to the one for the iPod it is still in the same sound mode. This is a bit inexcusable considering that even dirt cheap budget AV receivers can remember the settings for each input seperately.

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The Sony DAV-HDX275 BRAVIA Theater System includes an integrated 5 DVD / CD changer, 1000 watts of home theater power, and an included iPod dock. Using exclusive Sony technology, S-AIR brings the promise of multi room audio distribution that most anyone can set-up, it's that easy. DAV-HDX275 comes equipped with Digital Media Port that works with various accessories (sold separately). The DAVHDX275 can control a select number of BRAVIA televisions with BRAVIA Sync via the HDMI interface. With "One Touch Play," operations that took several steps have been reduced to one. Also, HDMI interface upscales DVD media up to 1080p. This BRAVIA System optimizes speaker placement in just 30 seconds with Digital Cinema Auto Calibration.

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Pioneer VSX-1014TX-K - AV receiver - 7.1 channel - black Review

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(More customer reviews)I kicked myself for not getting this one, it came out just after I had purchased a Marantz 5400 which I'm still quite happy with, but this Pioneer is really a whole other class.
If you read a lot of audio forums online such as hometheaterforum dot com and ecoustics dot com, you'll find tons of buzz about this model, because it's basically identical to some of Pioneer's Elite super-premium line that normally go much closer to a thousand dollars---the same DACs, build, power supply, all the important stuff underneat the handsome black metal casing.
One of its best features is the LCD screen remote control which you use to auto-calibrate your speakers...not only their relative volume, but their individual EQ settings, for a truly customized-to-the-room sound! This is especially handy if you either have crappy or mismatched speakers, or a very unusual listening room accoustically.
The other nice feature too is the bi-amping capability, which can make two stereo sound (ideal for music) sound amazing, and again will let you get the best possible mileage out of less-than-stellar speakers. Also the 110 watts per channel RMS is a fairly honest rating, unlike a lot of the mass market junk you find at big-box chains like Best Buy which have ridiculously overinflated power ratings (read: Sony, Kenwood, JVC, Panasonic, Onkyo, etc.). So you are getting a very powerful, clear yet warm-sounding receiver that does both home theater and music equally well, and at a bargain price!
I say snatch one of these up before Pioneer comes to its senses and discontinues it, because I'm sure it must be taking a lot of sales away from their Elite line of receivers!

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Denon AVR990 7.1-Channel Multi-Zone Home Theater Receiver with Networking Capability and 1080p HDMI Connectivity Review

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(More customer reviews)I have owned Denon in the past, and have always found it to be quality Audio gear
Now that I need a Home AVR it was to no surprise after taking a 5 or 6 weeks to decide
I went with Denon AVR990 / 3310IC
I wanted to go with Pioneer SC-25 at it was the Model that I was impressed with, and my needs to have Phono Input - with an input stage (the amplification part for Phono) would sound great! - but I settled for the Denon as I got a better price - not sure what the sound difference is, as I did not have a side by side comparison, but I absolutely love the Denon AVR 990 Phono Input stage, with my JVC QL-Y55F - with GRADO G-2 Cartridge - sounds MUCH better than my CD's that I have the same Copy on both, It is a fun test for when people that come over to see how suspired the Vinyl records sound fuller and richer than CD's - also my speakers are also my speakers are Magnepans (full-range ribbon) - that helps Anyway - the sound is Amazing, and I am very happy with my purchase, as my Previous model for the last 6 years was Harman Kardon - so I wanted to make sure the new model sounded as good or better than my last - as you may have noticed, I felt not go back to Harman Kardon - not because I did not like sound or quality! - The fact is the late models have had Known Issues, I felt better stepping away from that brand for now at least
& Denon & Pioneer certainly fit in that category in my opinion
Key Points for me are as follows:
True HD & DTS-HD Master Audio Decoder
AL24 Processing
7 Channel Discrete Mono Amp Construction
Audyssey Dynamic EQ room acoustic correction system
Onboard HD Radio (even AM)
Network Capability
Compressed Audio Restorer (for when I do stream in lower quality stuff like MP3's)
Now on a negative note: I cannot understand why after using the Very Nice Included Audyssey Dynamic EQ room acoustic correction system I cannot set the Base management for each IE: HD Radio set to -2 or the DVD set to +4 & Phono to Flat?
So yes every time you change the setting in the base management, it goes for all
Please keep in mind I am more about the Music, & given that is the only negative I could think of after owning it now for 4 months, I feel this is a great choice for me.


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The new AVR-990 is a technological tour de force, designed for consumers wanting to network their AV system. Ethernet connectivity opens up your AV system to host of exciting capabilities like audio and jpeg photo streaming and Internet radio. Additionally, subscription music services like Rhapsody and Napster are supported. The AVR990 packs a punch with 7-channels of onboard amplification producing 840-watts of total power (120 per channel). The amplifiers can be assigned for 7.1 channel surround sound, or a 5.1 channel system in the 'main" room and power a pair of speakers in a second 'zone". This only scratches the surface of the AVR990 Multi-zone (2) / multi-source (2) capability. Enhanced power amp assign features, second and third zone programming feature allow the AVR990 to be the hub of a sophisticated whole house system. For video connectivity, the AVR990 is equipped with 1080p compatible HDMI 1.3a Repeating technology, delivering both audio and video to your HDTV with single HDMI cable. This HDMI connectivity supports the latest generation surround sound formats available on Blu-ray disc, including Dolby TrueHD and DD+, dts-HD and dts-HR. Also included is Dolby Laboratories new Pro Logic IIz Matrix decoding featuring front height effects channels that expands front soundstage. The AVR990 boasts a number of Audyssey technologies. Advanced Audyssey MultEQ analyzes a speaker systems interaction with room acoustics, and then delivers custom tailored correction processing to optimize clarity and tonal balance throughout the listening space. Audyssey Dynamic Volume is an automatic volume-leveling system that tracks audio dynamics to eliminate the irritating volume swings between TV shows and commercials.

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VUDU Set Top Box for Movies On Demand Review

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(More customer reviews)Vudu's combination of solid Standard Def and High Def video performance, stable hardware/software, easy to use interface, ease of setup and instantaneous playback make it the closest product yet to the "killer" internet based movie delivery platform. But for a few small improvements and one very critical issue with the studios, vudu could be the next way most of us watch movies on demand.
First the good news:
* Video quality is excellent on the SD content and outstanding on the HD. On Hot Fuzz (SD) there were NO discernable artifacts and the upscaled pic (1080p) on my RS1 FP was as good as the same movie I saw upscaled on my Toshiba XA2. The HD on the Bourne movies was very good and compares favorably to any HD DVD or Blu-Ray that I have. Video quality is nailed on this product.
* Interface is excellent. Quick to browse. The search function is fast and filtering results are relevant . Interface is the best I have seen for a video service.
*Setup is very simple. I would have no problem giving this to any tech challenged family member who has the prerequisite network requirements. Also it comes with all the cables you need to set it up on your HD tv, including HDMI and cat 5 network patch.
* Customer service is readily accessible and responsive by both phone and email. They seem to be solidly behind their product.
*The software and firmware on the unit is being updated regularly. It appears VUDU is commited to making requested changes and fixes on a regular basis. New features (such as TV and HD content) are being rolled out quickly to customers.
*Movie load speed is instantaneous on the features I have watched so far. No lag or glitches in playback. And the areas that are pretty good right now but need improvement...
* Sound is hit and miss. A good number of films are only in stereo. Vudu says this is what the studios have given them. New releases are coming in with 5.1 but not all.

* There is no Closed Captioning right now in the box.
* The remote is compact and simple, consisting of only a few buttons and a down-click scroll wheel. Even though it is a joy to use, it is RF only. I wish that I could integrate this with my IR Harmony remote.
* HD content right now is limited to the free Bourne Movies. As I mentioned the quality is excellent for both video and sound. More HD content is promised and would be the SELLING point for this product if they could have well encoded, quality new titles available for rent in DVD release time window.
* Price for entry is still to high. Vudu will need to come down to the $49 - $99 range for the initial hardware setup to be competitive. Indications are that the price is dropping.
The critical issue for Vudu? Studio release policies! Vudu is hamstrung right now by the fact that:
* some movies are not for Rent on first release but rather must be purchased. Movie purchase, even if a feature is in HD, is NOT where Vudu will attract customers. I don't go to Blockbuster to buy a film, and likewise I won't be buying a film from Vudu. However, I will pay more for a day/date release with the same DVD as Blockbuster has if I can just get it from Vudu. Even more so if it is in HD.
*New releases must rentable on the same day as they are released to DVD. This is THE market that Vudu will compete in. Catalog title rentals are great for the occassional view, but are not where Vudu's success will be made.
*HD content will be a HUGE driver for success. More HD content, especially HD new releases are necessary.
Vudu is a well executed, easy to use and stable product out of the gate. It is poised for greatness. If the above issues can be addressed, it will be under your TV sooner rather than later.
-Alex Baird-
Vudu Evangelist
*********
Update to review: 11/03/08
I wanted to update my review after living with and using the VUDU system for a year or so.
After this first year, Vudu is still being used extensively in my home theater. Vudu has consistantly updated and upgraded their product through both the interface and the quality of the movie software they deliver. This has improved the ease of use of an already great interface. For instance, they have grouped all their versions of a movie (Standard Def, High-Def, HDX (their blu-ray quality version) into a single listing so you no longer havea a confusing multiple list with each title. Sorting and finding movies has also been improved with the added bonus of "recommended" titles (think tivo recommendations) and a listing of the most popular rentals and purchases. In addtion they have instituted an archive feature where purchased movies can be stored on their servers to free up room on the local drives. Extended rental times and of course a much larger library of movies rounds out the changes to the interface.
The biggest and most important change for me though has been the quality of the movie software. The number of HD titles has been greatly increased. But more importantly is the release of many new films on the HDX format. This high bit rate codec is NOT a purchase/rent and immediate view format. It takes about two hours to download an HDX encoded title. However, the quality is truly the best of ANY downloadable service to date and is indistiquishable from a HD-DVD or Blu-ray. When I compared the HD-DVD version of "Chronciles of Riddick" with the HDX version it was impossible to tell the difference even on freeze frames swtiching back between the two. A similar comparison of the Blu-ray version of "The Spiderwick Chronicles" and the HDX version confirmed this. It is simply amazing to be able to get such high quality video through a download service! There is a difference in the audio quality between the HD disc formats and the HDX, with the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray having the more advanced lossless codecs (Dolby Tru-HD, DTS-Master HD or PCM uncompressed) with richer sound. But HDX is encoded with a high bit rate DD soundtrack in up to 5.1.
Overall the Vudu is the internet based movie service to beat. Vudu has done an outstanding job of upgrading their product and seem hard at work on delivering even more features in the future.

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Sony STR-DG910 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)Easy to set up, the digital cinema auto calibration worked well although it told me my right front speaker was out of phase even though it's not.
The description lists two HDMI in but there are actually three. I used one port for my PVR and the standard definition channels look better now. My old receiver didn't have a port for digital audio in so watching broadcasts in 5.1 surround is a big plus.
The remote is huge. I just tossed it back in the box and set up my Harmony 550 to take care of the most used functions.
For $499.99, this a great deal on a 7.1 surround receiver with 3 HDMI in's and 700+ watts of power.

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Marantz SR7002 Surround Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a bit long but I hope reviewers will benefit by my experiences.
Marantz is a name not found at most popular chain type stores, but it is one worth seeking out. I've had Marantz receivers and amplifiers since the 1970s, and that's not because I didn't consider other brands over that time. After research and demoing other brands, I kept coming back to Marantz. I have a Marantz SR7200 surround receiver that has worked flawless since I got it in 2002. But since I recently upgraded to an HD TV, an HD satellite receiver, and a Blu Ray player, I got the itch to upgrade to an HD surround receiver. The SR7200 was working fine, but doesn't have the latest PLIIx, HDMI inputs and outputs, and some of the other high definition sound and video capabilities. So my research began (and I really planned to try another brand this time). I scoured the internet obsessively (as I always do, and did for my TV and Blu Ray player), reading user reviews and professional reviews, and lab tests. I discovered the SR7002 which got very good marks, but another popular brand kept popping up as the recommended choice. It was just under a grand, so I bit the bullet and purchased the receiver. It had all of the latest bells and whistles and was a very good receiver. But for me, the warmth of the Marantz sound and the user friendly set up and menus was just not there. After a few days of use and adjusting, I returned the receiver, spent an extra $130, and walked out with the Marantz SR7002. Very wise choice for me. The SR7002 has a few less bells and whistles of the previous brand I tried, but it certainly has all of what most folks will need. It has plenty of power for my mid to large living room. The set up and menus are straight forward and very user friendly. Just as a test, I compared the quality of video I get when I run the HDMI video signal from my satellite receiver and Blu Ray player direct to the TV, and when I run the HDMI video signal through the SR7002 first, then to the TV. I cannot tell the difference. There is no loss of video quality running through the receiver first. The beauty of that is less cables to use and easier use of switching between functions. And the sound - excellent. For me, there is a warmth and fullness to the Marantz sound that I don't hear with other receivers. I've read the manual a bit more thoroughly now and have tweaked the system slightly the last few weeks and am even more satisfied. The automatic speaker "calibration" system is very simple to use and balances the speakers wonderfully. It calculates the distances each speaker is away from various sitting positions, adjusts volumes, etc. After that I did go in and made some very minor volume adjustments to suit my taste, particularly the sub and the crossover setting to the sub - everyone's speakers and tastes are different. But it's a great way to establish a solid balanced base to make personal adjustments from. The remote is fine too. It is a learning remote, and I've been able to program it to control my satellite receiver, my Blu Ray player, a DVD recorder, a VHS machine, and my TV. Very nice. I will say that I have since gotten a Harmony One universal remote that, after some experience and program tweaking with it, is excellent, and that is what I use. But I still keep the Marantz remote nearby just in case. I really could have gotten by with the Marantz remote just fine and would have been happy, but the Harmony One has other advanced qualities that are quite nice (but that's another review). So after a ton of research and a try out of a recommended brand, Marantz came through again. I'm totally satisfied. The receiver is the heart of any system; so you need to review, research, and try out for yourself; but in my experiences over the years, Marantz has always been a high quality product, and the SR7002 doesn't disappoint. If you want power and high quality sound, in a user friendly system, for just over a grand, this is it.

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Performance addicted? Just call this Marantz your enabler. With THX Select2 certification and 110 watts of continuous power per channel, the SR7002 receiver opens up the home entertainment horizon for the most demanding yet cost-conscious customers out there.Let's look at video capabilities first. You can connect up to four HDMI equipped sources to the SR7002. Direct the one you want to your display and to the SR7002’s built-in surround sound processor. Unlike earlier HDMI connections, these handle multi-channel sound with ease. Still enjoying non-HDMI sources? Rest easy. The SR7002 comes complete with format conversion lets you watch older videos through the super-convenient HDMI format. And there’s a Second Zone audio/video output, too, so you can enjoy your entertainment throughout your entire home.You’ll also find Dolby Virtual Speaker so you can enjoy an immersive surround experience with the dialog clarity inherent in a discrete center channel configuration with just two speakers.And, speaking of clarity, the SR7002 features Audyssey's remarkable Auto Calibration that examines your entire room to make those other seats just as rewarding as the ones directly in front of your display device's screen. Of course, there’s an infrared input and two DC trigger outputs so you can coordinate your entire system for convenient remote operation.You won’t have any problem fitting all this capability into your home either, thanks to a new, compact chassis that will fit more easily into even the tightest spaces. All this plus a three-year warranty.

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Monster Cable J2 DVD R-3 DVD Player to TV or A/V Receiver Hook-Up Kit With RCA Audio & Video MV2R-3 & I250-3 (3 feet) Review

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(More customer reviews)Since i bought this cable for my receiver, i have never want to go to movies again. DVD is the answer for me.

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Monster Cable J2 DVD R-3 Composite RCA Video DVD Player to TV or A/V Receiver with RCA Video and Audio Connections MV2R-3 & I250-3

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Marantz SR4002 - AV receiver - 7.1 channel - black Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this as a replacement for a NAD T742 that was plagued by quality issues. I will base me review as compared to the NAD.
The Marantz is much more feature rich. HDMI and Component video switching is something the NAD lacked. It has multiple surround modes that I will never use, but I'm sure someone might like them. The auto-setup feature took a few tries, but when it completed successfully everything looked, and sounded great.
For movies, I prefer the Marantz over the NAD. DTS tracks were awesome. Dialog was much more clear and stood out from the rest of the track well.
For music, I prefer the NAD. Like I mentioned earlier, I don't use the surround modes. So music was tested in stereo only. The Marantz was more clear, especially at low volume. However, the NAD gave a more live feel to the music and seemed to fill not only the room, but the whole house much better.
Overall, for the price, the Marantz is a supurb, feature rich, AV receiver. What it lacks in stereo reproduction it more than makes up for in it's surround sound performance.

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Sony STR-DE835 Surround Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)Down to the cut and chase. This is a great Reciever. I am constantly looking, reviewing and comparing electronic equipment and would say that I have a good knowledge of the market. I give this product a Five Star rating because of the features it carries at the price it gives. If you want a Reciever that can do multiple S-video, digital, analog inputs/outputs for each component,(such as a DSS satalite,VCR,DVD,CD,MD,LD,Ect.)this may not be the Reciever for you. Sure the Reciever can recieve all of these components, just not in S-video & Digital. For support of all these functions you need a bigger (and more expensive, I might add!) Reciever. But if your looking for a Reciever that can handle three Digital/S-video,+ multiple analog inputs/outputs this is the reciever for you! It has plenty of power which is clean and very clear. I love the fact you can adjust individual Bass/Mid/Treble levels and frequencies, the distance and height of the speakers and Type of speakers. These funtions gives the listening point that sweet spot. It also has full Dolby digital/DTS decoding along with 27 soundfeilds that compliment the sound even further. This Reciever has allot of the functions and abilities of the higher end Recievers without the big bucks. Plus, it's from a reliable and reputable company. Sure this Reciever doesn't have it all, but that ALL includes the price.

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Sony's STR-DE835 A/V Receiver employs Dolby Digital and DTS decoding for incredible theater like surround sound in your home. Sony's Digital Cinema Sound system also provides the adjustments necessary to customize sound to your own listening environment. This home theater powerhouse provides 100 watts to each of its five channels which means you won't be asking for more power anytime soon. Discrete output transistors provide for low distortion for less background noise during those quiet movie moments. 5.1-Channel inputs, S-Video inputs/outputs, four digital inputs and a pre-programmed remote control complement the back panel.

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Yamaha RX-497 75 watt per channel Natural Sound AM/FM Stereo Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)This Yamaha XR-497 replaces a 15-year old Denon stereo receiver that was too expensive to repair. I have 2-sets of speakers, 3 components to hook-up, including a turntable. Most receivers sold now are surround sound / home theater rather than a straightforward am/fm stereo receiver. Most also do not have a built-in pre-amp for a turntable. The Yamaha XR-497 is perfect and it's easy to set up. I'm not a techie and the reviews previously posted were very helpful. Be careful though to only buy from an authorized Yamaha dealer since the Yamaha warranty specifically excludes coverage from product purchased from any other source. I'm very pleased with my purchase.

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Onkyo TX-NR1007 135 Watts 9.2-Channel AV Surround Home Network Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been an Onkyo fan for years now. This is my 5th Onkyo receiver in about 9 years or so. I've upgraded for feature set rather than anything being 'wrong' with the prior models I've had. This is the highest end model I've purchases thus far. Hopefully I'll be able to keep this one around for quite a while. It's more than I needed but I was tired of upgrading and wanted something with enough HDMI inputs and features that I wouldn't get the itch.
I have a standard 5.1 surround system for speakers so I am not using the Audyssey DSX or ProLogic IIz functionality. Nor am I using the multiple zones at this time so I have no comment on that functionality.
Things I like:
Audyssey MultiXT - I've had versions of Audyssey in all but maybe the first Onkyo receiver I've had. I don't know whether they changed something or I've gotten better at setting my HT system up properly but after running through the Audyssey speaker setup on this receiver everything sounded much more balanced and even than the setup I had gotten with my previous TX-SR705. The 'sweet spot' is wider and I'm not getting the slight tonal shift as audio moves from one speaker to the next across the front speakers like I used to.
Audyssey Dynamic Volume - This is a fantastic feature! All of my audio for everything is piped through this receiver, whether I'm watching TV, Movies, Music or playing games. With my previous receivers I was always fumbling for the volume when I was watching a show and the commercials came on since they were so much louder. I don't have to do that any more. I have the Dynamic Volume feature set to Light. It makes soft passages loud enough to hear and tones down loud passages, and when the commercials come on they aren't any louder than the tv show I was watching. I do have one quibble with it. There doesn't seem to be a feature to turn it off/on based on the source you've selected. Having this feature on when listening to music is a not a good thing. This isn't a problem with Audyssey, rather an oversight on Onkyo's part.
THX Loudness - I've never really used the THX audio modes of my previous receivers much. Primarly because in order to get the sound approaching that in a theater THX recommends listening at reference volume. There are two problems with that. I live in an apartment and I like not to bleed from my ears. The THX Loudness feature works kinda like the Audyssey Dynamic volume. I find that on some movies the THX method sounds better to me than the Audyssey Dynamic Volume.
Internet radio, Pandora and streaming - The interface for this could use some work (it looks like something from the 90's) but I really like the network features. Streaming audio from my PC in the office is more convenient with this than firing up the Xbox or PS3 and it's one less peice of electronics I have to have running. I also like that the Onkyo will wake up my office pc if it is sleeping when I go to stream audio. I don't know if this is something with my pc that allows this or not but it is convenient.
Things I don't like - I thought my TX-SR705 was loud when it did audio or HDMI switching. This is louder. I'm hoping it's due to beefier switching components. Fortunately this is only an issue at the beginning of movies where they show previews and don't steal me warnings. Also on cable when watching non-movie channels and the commercials have been broadcast in different audio then the show.
One time issue with zero audio. I was watching a tv show and changed channels. After changing the channel I had zero audio. I thought it was the channel but changing the channel back or selecting a different source (tuner) didn't fix it. I was able to fix it by unplugging the receiver for about 5 seconds and plugging it back in. This was disturbing but it hasn't happened since then. If it does I'll have to call Onkyo and find out what they can do.
Overall I love this receiver even with the odd audio issue I had.

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Sony RM-AV3000 Universal Remote Control with Touch-key LCD Screen Review

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(More customer reviews)Does is work? Yes. Does it look cool? Yeah, if you appreciate the similarity to a Starfleet "PADD" (and don't mind that it's half the size and weight of your laptop). Does it replace all your other remotes? Probably. Am I glad I bought it? Well, I suppose...
There are four basic problems in addition to the size. The first is that despite the perhaps-cool similarity to all those touch-screen manipulations you see on Star Trek, you're likely to wish you were pressing real buttons (with real tactile feedback) rather than a little part of the screen that says "power." And the real buttons that ARE present have no backlight.
The second major drawback isn't actually an issue with this universal remote as much as with the equipment we want it to control. Most home theater equipment just isn't ready to deal with the "macro" commands an AV3000 owner would likely want to program -- for example, turn on the amp, set it to DVD, turn on the DVD player, set it to wide-screen and set the volume to -5 dB, turn on the TV, wait 4 seconds for it to wake up then set it to Input #5 with wide screen mode, etc. The AV3000 allows you to do A LOT of this, but there's no way to program in discrete codes (e.g., turn ON, rather than toggle On/Off) unless you already have another remote that can transmit these. This means you end up programming functions for various but similar scenarios, such as play a DVD when the DVD player is already on, play a DVD when the TV is already on but the DVD is off, etc.
Third, the manual is just awful. It's pretty big, and there's an index (though the index fails to list a number of important topics), but the information is presented in a most inefficient and confusing manner. Owners of other Sony products will be familiar with this, unfortunately. If it weren't for the folks at remotecentral.com, I never would have learned a number of important procedures.
Finally, my unit (and others, from what I've read online) is extremely sensitive to lighting conditions when "learning" from another remote. When the lights are on, the unit gives a certain error message (five beeps), leading the user to look up the "five beeps" message in the manual. There you read a number of suggestions which don't apply, but nothing about turning off the lights. I spent at least four hours tracking this down. Ugh!

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Buffalo Technology DriveStation AV 1.0TB USB 2.0 External Multimedia Hard Drive with TurboPC HD-AV1.0TU2 Review

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(More customer reviews)The other reviews aren't really providing any advice about the product itself so I'll take a shot at it. The Pros:
The hard drive is physically small. It's about 2 inches wider and half inch longer than a VHS tape (what's a VHS tape? Ask your parents). The 500GB hard drive that it's replacing was bigger and very loud when it was being used. This unit is also very quiet, it has a tiny fan installed to help keep it cool,(which is a good thing because it gets warm to the touch when running) but the fan can only really be heard when the drive is powering up or coming out of sleep mode. Otherwise it's virtually soundless.
The lights on the front of the unit look cool, the whole blue LED with glossy black plastic look matches my PS3 and my Dell and the lights also roughly indicate how much free space is left on the drive.
The drive also seems to be very stable. I've had it and have been using it every day for about 6 months now and have received no errors or read failures. The transfer speed on this thing is also pretty good.I've been using it to back up all of my mp3 files and DVD's and while it's not as fast as my external flash drive,it's not painstakingly slow either when you're backing up files only.The Cons:
I gave it 3 stars and not 4 because the first of all read/write/seek times are below average. If you are trying to put something on the hard drive while you're say in a different folder or deleting a file from anywhere else on the drive, or trying to play a song or watch a video that's on the drive it is slow. An external drive is usually slower than an internal drive but it's so bad on this drive that I only use it if I know I'll be backing up files ONLY, or only watching a movie, or listening to music. Basically it sucks at multitasking.
The last con is the software it comes with it. The program that changes the amount of time before the drive goes into sleep mode is simple to use and comes in handy.This is the program I use. All of the other programs installed are either rubbish or there are better programs out there to use intstead.
Turbo copy actually slowed down my file transfers, and when I tried turbo PC it resulted in my PC giving me strange read/write errors and occasionally freezing so I leave those two programs off all the time. it also comes with Notepad, explorer and paint(really Buffalo?) which have been preinstalled on all PCs since the beginning of time.


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Buffalo's DriveStation AV USB 2.0 Multimedia Hard Drive is a unique storage solution designed for use with a variety of devices. The horizontal design of DriveStation AV and its integrated capacity meter make it ideal for use in home entertainment centers with TV sets, media players, cable and satellite boxes and gaming systems like Sony PlayStation 3. DriveStation AV includes Buffalo Tools, a feature-rich suite of tools designed to enhance computer performance and the day-to-day digital life of PC consumers. With Buffalo Tools, users can boost transfer performance by up to 70% using TurboPC, conserve energy and battery consumption by utilizing ECO Manager and back up PCs with the easy to use Buffalo's Backup Utility. DriveStation AV can also back up the internal hard drive of your PS3'. With an extensive list of features and its compact form factor, DriveStation AV is a perfect storage and backup solution for your media center, gaming room and even your office.

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Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH - AV receiver - 7.1 channel - black Review

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(More customer reviews)I love this receiver... let me say that first. It does it all! 4 HDMI 1.3 inputs, Dolby True HD, DTS-MA, crystal clear sound. I would expect nothing less from a Pioneer Elite product. I am blown away by the amazing sounds the receiver can produce when watching a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD encoded with True HD and DTS-MA. Uncompressed audio is great and there is no way to do it justice until your hear it. That said, there are a few areas of concern that I have experienced.
1. "NOT SUPPORT" message blinks occasionally across the screen of the receiver. This is most likely due to your component or your display having an issue with HDCP. But, after talking to the Pioneer Elite team on the phone and trying to troubleshoot it, I was left with the intermittent problem. I believe the root is my Sony VPL-VW60 projector not accepting a 1080/24p signal. I think I may have eliminated the problem by outputting only 1080/60p from my Pioneer Elite BDP-95FD (Another GREAT piece of equipment).
***FOLLOW UP - The "NOT SUPPORT" was blinking because I had the HDMI Control turned off on everything. However, the HDMI control on the Receiver itself does not actually turn off (even when "off" is selected and the machine is restarted). To remedy this, I turned on the HDMI control on every piece of equipment even though I am using a universal remote and really don't need it to be turned on to select inputs. The reason I turned it off on the receiver was based on the advice from Pioneer via the telephone. They were 100% incorrect in their diagnosing of the problem. Hopefully this will be solved with future firmware updates. Using HDMI control on all components and the receiver does work almost flawlessly. I say "almost" since HDMI control is not 100% compatible between devices from different manufacturers. You can research this point many places on the web.***
2. The onscreen menu for adjusting Receiver features and setup is HORRIBLE!! Not only is the color scheme b/w, but the text looks like something out of a 1978 PONG gaming system box. C'mon Pioneer. i know the setup menu is not super-important in the big scheme of things. But...
Other than those two minor complaints, I can't imagine owning a better receiver. This receiver comes at a high price, but I believe it is well worth it if you want the best. I ordered from ButterflyPhoto via Amazon, and the unit arrived perfectly. I am very happy with this purchase!

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Onkyo HT-RC180 7.2-Channel A/V Surround Home Network Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've owned a lot of electronics, all makes and many models. I had not upgraded my core system for many years, and knew it was time for a change. I'm a fan of Onkyo (I have another Onkyo AV receiver in the living room) and was looking for one with network connection and more power. Man does this deliver. The quality, feel and look is all top-quality. This may be a 7.1 system, but it powers 10 speakers, two subs, and three different zones/rooms! That's 11 speakers plus two subs (13 total.) Remember that Frasier episode from a few years ago where he purchased a new soundsystem, and his living room looked like a speaker Stonehenge. Seemed farfetched at the time - but now it's clearly possible. If you use full sized speakers you would have a draw-dropping first impression. As it is, I have 11 speakers and one sub, varying sizes and makes - that's impressive enough.
The sound? Wow. I played Aero by Jean Michelle Jarre - a 5.1 audio DVD. It knocked my socks off. The audio resolution and depth were amazing. The receiver also has numerous listening modes - so many it takes over two pages in the manual to list them. Different Dolby modes, THX and many more. There's a diagram on the front panel that displays the speakers that will be used by each mode. As you change them, the speaker display changes - pretty simple. Want only two speakers? Four? Eleven? Simple.
So here's my experience, from unpacking to turn-on.
Packaging: Extra-heavy duty. Double-thick box, form fit foam. The box will take a lot of abuse in shipping. See my included photos.
Unpacking: Typical anti-static and foam wrap, tape and scratch protection. Heavy unit - will take two people to unpack unless you are comfortable moving heavy weight.
Installation: I find it easier to make a temporary platform at around the same height as the shelf the unit will sit on - I've always done this. In this case, two storage boxes put it at about the perfect height. This way I can attach all cables and simply slide the unit in place. When we're talking this many wires it's a big help. The RC180 includes a manual (thick!), quick start (handy!) and a sheet of decals to mark your speaker cables. At first I thought - "yes, like I'll need these!" Man did they come in handy! The labels were a real timesaver. Again, see the photos.
My BluRay player uses a network connection, and so does this unit. I had a single network cable in the room, so had to add a hub to split the connection. I can't use wireless in the home - it's an older building, lath/plaster/steel mesh. It works like a Faraday cage, and kills signals. The RC1800 uses a wired connection anyway, as does my BluRay player. If you already have a wired connection in the room, keep in mind you may need a hub to add more outlets.
It took around an hour to hook everything up, from unpacking to sliding the unit in place.
BEFORE I put the unit in place, I ran the speaker test. This allows you to verify correct placement. Again, it came in handy. I had the upper left front and upper right front speaker connections swapped (there are SEVEN speakers in front - Two Upper front, Two front, Two wide front, and one center!) Fixed that, then slid the unit in place.
Turned it on again, verified all the AV connections. You can customize pretty much all the connections. For example, I have my DVD set to use component in 1 and digital audio coax in 2. My VCR (yes, I still have a VCR) uses the VCR input, and I have the TV set to use optical in 2. This allows a lot of customization and personalization. Next I named all the inputs, so the display shows whatever text I want.
Then I ran the Audyssey setup. I love this system. My other Onkyo uses it as well, and it's great. The RC180 uses a more advanced version. It tests the standard three listening positions, and has an additional optional three positions for more fine tuning. I only needed three. This took around 15 minutes to run. It tests every speaker, including the subwoofer, then writes the data.
Next I customized the remote control. It's a universal remote with some cool options. There are programmable shortcut buttons (my music, my movies, etc.) as well as the standard controls for all your devices. It's interactive - you follow on-screen prompts (it uses your TV for the display.) Basically you enter the first three letters of your make, perform a search and select the make from an amazingly comprehensive list. You also select the category of the device - VCR, DVD, etc. You then go through a train and error selection process of codes. You're instructed step by step. My DVD took three tries for the correct codes. The BlyRay and VCR did it in one. After you are finished with that, you can program the shortcut buttons (My Movies, etc.) With one button press it will turn on selected devices, press play, etc.) Works perfectly. I press MyMovie and the TV turns on, the Onkyo turns on, the BluRay turns on and plays.
My only gripe is the net connectivity - the remote control takes a lot of getting used to, as the functions for net use are counterintuitive. The unit has built in support for several web based radio services. One of the included services, vTuner, is free. The others require a subscription (Sirus, Pandora, Rhapsody.) The instructions for vTuner setup were problematical. You're instructed to go to a URL and use the unit's MAC address to register. vRadio won't accept the MAC address - they want a unit ID. The vRadio instructions for finding the unit ID are not even close. Basically the Unit ID and Mac address are the same thing, but vTuner won't take it. Still fighting that. You can use vTuner without it, but you won't have favorites, playlists, etc.
Update: Figured it out. They do indeed want the MAC address - however, without any spaces, dashes, colons. Just the letters and numbers as one long string. Find the MAC address under the network setup - ignore the instructions from vTuner.
Streaming from your computer? The RC180 automatically detects the computers on your network with media servers running. I have three PC's running Windows media player - it found all three of them. I'll add more details on in-house media streaming in the future - I need some more hands-on to make an honest evaluation. My main PC is based on Windows 7. The instructions for connecting to the media player are for Media Player 11 (Vista / XP), not Windows 7. Windows 7 uses Media Player 12 - so you need to use the DLNA instructions, not the Windows Media Player instructions. One big mistake I made was attempting to connect to my computer before allowing access to the Onkyo. This stuck the Onkyo in a loop while it kept trying to connect. Eventually it gave up and I was able to get it all to work. You really need to create playlists to make it easy to use.
From what I see so far, I can't use my iTunes library. The Onkyo requires DLNA compliance, and iTunes is not - that's why you can't use iTunes with many devices over a network, including the PS3.
Followup: I can't stress how important a great center speaker is. I had an anemic speaker with a 4" woofer. It was basically a spare JBL studio speaker - great quality, but it was rated at 50 watts. I replaced it with a BIC center speaker that has two 6" woofers and a large horn - and handles 175 watts ( BIC America DV-62CLRS 6-Inch 2-Way Center Channel Speaker ). Wow! What a difference. With the old speaker, the Onkyo would not go past 70% volume - the Audyssey setup detected that feeble little speaker and limited the maximum output. Really annoying, since the rest of the speakers were pretty decent, but any more volume and that speaker would have been so much scrap. The center is mainly used for voice, but don't overlook it! Now I can crank to 100%!
More followup: It detects and streams audio from my Iomega StorCenter Pro ix4-200d 2 NAS (A network storage devide.)

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The THXSelect2 Plus Certified HT-RC180 combines the latest home-theater functionality with home-network capability to create a compelling mid-range centerpiece. A rear-side Ethernet port enables the HT-RC180 either to receive and output audio tracks playing on your PC, or to bypass your PC and directly stream internet radio stations such as Rhapsody and Pandora. The HT-RC180 provides five HDMI1.3a inputs to handle a range of high-definition video and audio sources. HDMI compatibility also enables the receiver to upscale any video input to 1080p via Faroudja DCDi Cinema. This 110 W-rated receiver also features Audyssey DSXand DolbyPro LogicIIz, two new surround-sound formats that expand the spatial dimensionality of games and movies. On top of all this, you also have Audyssey room-correction and equalization technologies working to create a well-balanced soundstage, no matter the volume level or the shape of your room. Among the other highlights of the HT-RC180 are a customizable remote controller and a proprietary Universal Port that enables single-cable connection of peripheral audio devices.

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Sony XAV-62BT 6.1" In-Dash Double DIN DVD/MP3/WMA/AAC Receiver with Built-in Bluetooth and iPod Control Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm still getting used to this one, so I'll update in a month or so and perhaps adjust my rating. But in the meantime...
Pros:
Excellent pre-amp audio quality.
Really good equalizer.
Excellent high-resolution touch screen.
Excellent, instantaneous Bluetooth connectivity.
Cons:
Runs INCREDIBLY hot, even when not using the onboard amps.
iPod/USB connector only on front.
It at first failed to see USB keys and iPods.
It (bizarrely) doesn't have separate front and rear pre-amp outs, so you lose the ability to fade. Surprisingly, I don't miss this.
Poor steering wheel control integration (probably not the Sony's fault).
Too much upfront lawyer-noise: it won't play anything until you promise you'll be good and never touch it (yes, Mom: I promise...)
I avoided Sony audio equipment for many years due to poor audio quality. But I recently put myself in the hands of Charles at Systems Unlimited in Redmond, WA. (The name is not a misnomer: when I arrived he had a brand-new Bentley in the shop, getting a truly unlimited system installed.) I was very surprised when he recommended this new deck, but I trusted him, and now trust him implicity: the Sony sits at the centre of a very high-end audio system, and doesn't embarrass itself. It takes line-level Apple Lossless output from my 160GB iPod, feeds it to a Genesis Profile 4 amp which in turn feeds ultra-clean watts into two sets of Focal speakers.
I was upgrading from a decent Pioneer head unit that had driven the Focals directly (because I busted my budget buying them). I expected an improvement; I did NOT expect such an utter transformation. I put my sneers-at-technology bagpipe-playing friend and girlfriend in the car and played a pibroch at a realistic volume level: I think I might have shut them up forever, but I won't be able to tell until they get their jaws back in place. My system now sounds better than easily 99.9% of cars on the road, and is so incredibly clean that listening fatigue doesn't exist.
The jury is still out on how well the Sony navigates the iPod. I ditched the Pioneer because I could spend five minutes drilling down from Music to (say) Postal Service, but if I then wanted to switch to the Pretenders, I had to drill down from Music again. 160 GB of music means an awful lot of drilling...
[Update: I'm starting to get an awful sinking feeling: this Sony seems to be just as stupid at navigating as my old Pioneer and in exactly the same way. What's saving its stars right now is that it also allows me to control the iPod directly, but I may yet knock another star off or even return it: the start-up screen of lawyer-noise is also getting annoying...]
My other big concern about the unit is how hot it runs. I'm going to see if it is possible to disconnect the internal amps altogether: without them, it'd probably only pull 10-20 watts.
(But my real BIG concern is that I so obviously now need an extreme subwoofer upgrade to match the rest of the system.)


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HDMI Cable - 2 Male Connectors - 2 Meters Review

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(More customer reviews)This cable is exactly what I was looking for - using it to connect my Blu-Ray player to my receiver. Also purchased another one to connect my DVR to my receiver. Great product for the price! Honestly, don't know why anyone would spend more!

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