Question for Onkyo 674 owners

[treyrog]

Hello, I'm building a new dedicated HT room from scratch (first timer with HT) and getting all components at one time. Been scouring this forum and a few others for weeks now, getting ideas and then validating and then re-validating. So, ready to take the plunge on an AV Receiver but still looking for that validation and one or two more questions.

I am going with Polk RTi8's and CSi5 for front/center, FXi3s for side and back surround and Velodyne VRP-1200 for sub. This will be almost 90% movies with 10% HD sports events and gaming (PS3) - almost no pure music listening. So, will have an Oppo 981, Cox Cable HD box, and PS3 hooked up to AVR feeding to a Panasonic PT-AE1000u projector. Based on the capabilities I need, I think the Onkyo 674 best fits the bill at a great price ($539 at OneCall). However, I have read some posts that indicate a possible handshake problem between the 674 and PS3.

Has anyone experienced this before and is this a known issue with a work-around? Also, some people have mentioned a clicking noise when switching between inputs on the receiver and a 5-second delay. Finally, and maybe most importantly, I have seen posts on some review sites (CNET and Amazon) on the 674 having problems with 1080p - supposedly it cuts out every few minutes because the rcvr is not fast enough to decode the audio while passing to video, even though Onkyo specs say it can handle it. Any experiences with that?

My goal is to get all components that can handle 1080p (some "future-proofing") but I'm still having a tough time understanding all the upscale vs. upconvert vs. switching, etc, and making sure I get a receiver that can do all of these. Also, I want to make sure that the receiver puts out great 7.1 audio - I think the term was matrixing 5.1 to 7.1 for current DVD's. I don't have a problem going up another $100 or $200 if I need to for another receiver that can process my fairly modest demands. Thanks for any inputs or for making me feel comfortable with my selection. Cheers! -Trey

 

[MDS]

I don't know first hand about any of the supposed 1080p issues but HDMI can be problematic in general.

All Onkyo receivers 'click' when you change inputs (also on turn-on when the volume ramps up). It is a short click and nowhere near a 5 second delay. Usually when you notice a delay (on any receiver) it is because the 'auto' setting takes a second to identify the type of signal so it can switch to the proper decoder for that signal type. In my experience, Onkyo is very fast and I notice no appreciable delay.

The 674 does not 'upscale' and you don't need it to upscale. The Oppo player upscales and of course the projector will scale any signal that does not match its native resolution. The 674 does 'upconvert' meaning you can feed it any analog video and have it convert it to HDMI so you can use a single HDMI cable to the display.

7.1 is only possible using a matrix decoder, like ProLogic IIx, and the 674 is capable of that.

 

[mikeyj92]

As far as your PS3 and Oppo goes, you may want to hold off on buying the Oppo and check to see how good the firware update for the PS3 is. I read they are either getting or have recently recieved a firmware update that allows the PS3 to Upscale regular DVD's to HD output 720p/1080i/1080p.

I can't access the articles here at work, firewall won't allow it.

Google: PS3 upscales dvds and read on. Might be good enough to save you on the Oppo. Might not...

 

[treyrog]

MDS, thanks for the clarifications. It sounds like the 674 is more than suitable for my needs. Truly appreciate you taking the time to respond.

Mikeyj92, I will definitely research the firmware update for PS3. Have the same firewall issue at work so will check tonight at home. Would be awesome to use a single device for gaming/movies. Thanks!