Home Theater Receivers...what to buy?

[MinnowGT]

have yo checked out the Denon 1705? its $400 and it has all the features you are looking for.

Video up conversion -> so anything you plug in will output to the component outs to the hd tv.
PrologicII/DTS/DolbyDigital
4 composite inputs
4 svideo
3 sets of component inputs

only thing is the remote is pretty complex. But it does have the labeled buttons.
So they can hit DVD,TV,VCR and it will switch it.

 

[Newf]

Yeah, it ain't easy being the family electronics/cars/computers tech support guy. Believe me I know.

So do I and I f'n hate it.

Here's another idea, do up your instructions like you always do, but with numbers on the buttons they need. I had to do this for someone. I labelled only the buttons they will ever need. i.e. power button labeled #1, input button #2, and volume #3. Make sure to get big bright labels. I used yellow labels on black equipment

Then my instructions were

Turn on stereo by pressing # 1
Press Button # 2 until screen says Video1
Turn up button 3 to make it loud


and so on. This actually worked a few time. I think it is because people get hung up on techy terms like inputs, and outputs, and so on. And some older people have a hard time physically seeing the buttons labels on receivers. I also make sure to wire the stereo in such a way that they do not need the reciever on in order to have sound on the tv. Just some splitters going from the vcr to the stereo and tv at the same time maybe. Then only turn on the stereo when they need it.

another tip: these people usually dont care about s-video vs composite vs component vs whatever. Heck they can't even tell the difference. So keep it simple.

one more tip: Whatever ever "universal remote" that comes with the tv or receiver....throw it aside. Never use it. Don't go to radio shack and get some pos one either.

There is only one remote I have ever used that actually works for everything I have, and every single button. It's a company called Home theatre Master. Even the woman can use it easily.

hmmmm, link....???

 

[chuyler1]

have yo checked out the Denon 1705? its $400 and it has all the features you are looking for.

Video up conversion -> so anything you plug in will output to the component outs to the hd tv.
PrologicII/DTS/DolbyDigital
4 composite inputs
4 svideo
3 sets of component inputs

only thing is the remote is pretty complex. But it does have the labeled buttons.
So they can hit DVD,TV,VCR and it will switch it.

Excellent find. $400-shipped on Crutchfield. I think I can convince them to buy it. I will probably just hide the remote on them and setup the cable remote to turn it on/off and change the volume. You have to get up to put a dvd in so they can just turn the input selector knob instead of worry about pressing buttons on the remote. I'm reading the manual on Denon's site and it looks like you can configure everything all at once (video input modes for each input device, surround modes for each input device, etc) and not worry about making changes once it is setup.

I wish I had the money to spend on a nice receiver...I gotta get the HD TV first though. I just inherited their old 27" so I'm in no rush at the moment though.

 

[Wwing49]

Denon AVR-5805, o wait, thats 6000$ and it has a s*** load of buttons. Also, you have to configure it with ur comp using an ethernet jack in the receiver. But it is intense, it does things according to placement of you, the tv, the speaker, how high the speaker is, what direction it is pointed. Yea its dope. And to control it via remote, thats another 300$ ish.