Why an A/V receiver? (1 Viewer)

[jason_hussey]

Ok, so that's a little misleading. I understand the premise of the A/V receiver and completely graps the necessity for surround sound.

My real question is that if an A/V receiver has to process video signals, isn't that just one more link along the chain that could degrade your source?

For example, if I'm using an HD source (PS3, Cable, etc) and it goes to the receiver...does the receiver have to alter that signal at all to send it to my TV? I think I read that if its 1080p, it'll pass through unmolested, but what if say I have a 720p signal coming from the football game on TV...and my receiver tries to upconvert to 1080p...am I running a chance of ending up with a worse picture than had I just sent it straight to the television?

The root of the question is not knowing how a receiver's 'video capability' affects the overall image and why its not harmful to go to a receiver vice going straight to the TV with the video signal.

Thoughts?

 

[Robert_J]

Most receivers are just video switchers. Very few will alter the signal.

-Robert

 

[jason_hussey]

so as long as the receiver is rated to handle HDMI and output 1080p, then it won't degrade the quality of the image by switching a 480/720 signal to 1080?

 

[Robert_J]

I don't know of any receivers that will take a 720p signal and convert it to 1080i or 1080p. I'm sure there are but they are out of my price range. There are a lot that take a 480i composite or s-video signal and convert it to component or HDMI. But it's still a 480i signal. It doesn't scale the picture, it just converts the delivery format.

-Robert

 

[jason_hussey]

ok, tracking. but are there any quality of picture issues when it upconverts the signal like that which would encourage one to bypass an A/V receiver and hook straight into the TV itself?

 

[Jeff Gatie]

There is always the chance for degradation when upscaling from lower to higher. This is the tradeoff for ease of use (i.e. switching at the receiver vs. switching audio at the receiver and video at the display). It is up to the individual to decide if the tradeoff is worth it. I personally did not like the component to HDMI upconversion on my Onkyo 605 (it takes 1080i and converts it to 720p, which is then scaled to 1080p by my display), so I just routed the component directly to the TV. However, if I didn't have a Harmony remote to simplify switching, I probably would have kept it routed through the receiver. YYMV!