Buy new receiver?

[RJC]

I just bought a Toshiba 30'' widescreen HDTV which has HDMI input.My current receiver is a Rotel RSX 1055.I am considering replacing it with a pioneer VSX-56Txi in order to have 1)Auto set-up/calibration , and 2) i-LINK.Ideally,I would like to have all components connected through digital input/outputs.My concern is that I am taking a step down in terms of sonic quality, or is the Pioneer comparable to my Rotel? Also, do any other manufacturers use i-LINK or am I limited to buying a Pioneer elite dvd player in order to make use of this connection on the receiver? And, is there such a thing as an i-LINK to HDMI cable that would allow me to connect a dvd player with i-LINK to my T.V. which has HDMI input?

 

[mtrycrafts]

I just bought a Toshiba 30'' widescreen HDTV which has HDMI input.My current receiver is a Rotel RSX 1055.I am considering replacing it with a pioneer VSX-56Txi in order to have 1)Auto set-up/calibration , and 2) i-LINK.Ideally,I would like to have all components connected through digital input/outputs.My concern is that I am taking a step down in terms of sonic quality, or is the Pioneer comparable to my Rotel? Also, do any other manufacturers use i-LINK or am I limited to buying a Pioneer elite dvd player in order to make use of this connection on the receiver? And, is there such a thing as an i-LINK to HDMI cable that would allow me to connect a dvd player with i-LINK to my T.V. which has HDMI input?

The speaker you are driving will have an input on this
If they are an easy load and sensitive, no problem.

 

[djoxygen]

I could be wrong on this, but I'm not aware of a way to go from i.Link to HDMI, at least right now. I believe that most, if not all, DVD players that have i.Link only use it to pass audio anyway. If you don't want to hold out for a receiver or pre/pro that has HDMI switching or is at least upgradable (like the Anthem D1 or unreleased Integra Research RDC-7.1) I'd recommend getting a new DVD player that does HDMI and connecting that directly to your TV while running your digital audio (and analog 5.1?) to the receiver you already have. Then if/when you get HD cable or some other HDMI source you can worry about a receiver or pre/pro that will do your source switching.