Currently, I have a Yamaha HTR-5063 which gets the job done OK, but its missing some new features that I'd love to have. So I figured I'd throw a few of those features up against the wall and see what sticks, and include a few candidates for replacing the Yamaha. And of course, we all have that nagging question... Is it the right time to invest in a new AVR? LOL I'll also note that 90% of the use of the system will be TV-Related (Movies, Sports, News, Series).
AirPlay - This is a must have item for our next receiver because my wife and I both have iPhones & iPads. It would be nice to be able to stream some music easily through the speaker system.
WiFi - I'm on the fence about whether I really _need_ WiFi, maybe somebody can tell me what benefits that a WiFi-enabled receiver has over one that has AirPlay and network capability built in.
Network Ready - This I think would be more important to me since even for streaming on a gigabit network... it'd be faster than WiFi, might be good for firmware updates too?
HDMI 2-Zone - I think this could be kind of cool to have it you can actually use different sources of A/V material on 2 different HDMI out ports. Right now I have a wall-mounted 22" Samsung in my kitchen that receives my HDMI DirecTV feed from a HDMI powered splitter so I don't have to have another DTV box in the kitchen. I have DTV remotes programmed so that I can change channels in either room. A 2-Zone HDMI setup might eliminate the splitter, allow for more than one source. Just thinking out loud.
HDMI Ports - My current AVR has Four HDMI Inputs and One HDMI out. All four are filled (DirecTV, AppleTV, Chromecast, BDPlayer), so if I upgraded I'd definitely want say 6 Inputs, 2 Outputs because I'd like to be ready for more HDMI sources.
HDMI v.2.0 - This one is a dilemma. Is it _really_ important? Is it like USB 2.0 vs USB 3.0? I confess that I don't know enough about HDMI v.2.0 yet to understand its worth to _my_ current setup.
Bi-Amp Capable - This is a nice feature to have, whether your using the output to boost a set of 4-Ohm speakers or just add more dimension to your HT experience.
Room Setup - My current AVR should work fine in a 7.1 setup, I dismantled my Bose stuff, will be going with basic Polk stuff for Fronts & Center for now. Might tie in Surround speakers and a powered sub but not a monster.
Speaker Setup - My Yamaha has the YPAO remote microphone feature and that seems to work pretty well, or well enough for me, so any new AVR would have to have a similar means of setting up the speakers and optimized listening location.
On-Screen Menu - The HTR-5063 has on-screen menus for setup, but it cancels out the video and the menu itself isn't terribly attractive to boot. Not a big deal, but some of the newer units have much nicer GUIs.
AVR Candidates - Yamaha, Denon, and Marrantz would be the three top candidates... and I might consider a Sony. I would definitely consider a refurbished unit, if said unit had the features I like, and had a decent history as far as reliability. I've had two Yamaha AVRs in the past 15 years, and both are still working 100%, neither has _ever_ had a problem.
Price Point - Typically when somebody says $500, there will always be a few people who insist on telling you to save up and spend a few hundred more whether its speakers, AVRs or whatever. Thats _my_ ballpark... though if an amazing AVR was available for $699.99 I might take a long look at it.
4K/3D Ready - I don't have a 4K TV, don't really anticipate getting one very soon, and don't know what 4K media sources will be in the next 5 years. Nice to have feature, but I'm quite happy with my 65" DLP Mitsubishi WD-65737. This set is 3D ready, but I dislike 3D glasses, so I never bought into the whole 3D pitch.
I'll list a few models in my next post, going to do some comparison research. But if anyone wants to tell me about feature value, or suggest some specific model they have experience with... I'm all ears.
Mike
