If you’ve got the jones for a Blu-ray or HD DVD setup but have balked at the price of components to power a home setup taking advantage of all the new technologies have to offer, Onkyo would like to grab your attention wth its new mid-line TX-SR674 and TX-SR604 AV receivers, which boast HDMI switching (with built-in repeaters) and full 1080p support at prices substantially lower than similar components from other makers.
Both units feature HMDI switching with built-in repeaters which enable the systems to switch digital video at resolutions up to 1080p while processing digital audio feeds through the same HDI connection. The systems support 7.1 surround sound processing, as well as 7.1 multichannel inputs to future-proof them against the HD and lossless audio formats that are part of the Blu-ray and HD DVD technologies. The systems also feature the Audyssey 2EQ acoustic calibration system to enable users to tailor performance to particular rooms.
Need to integrate your portable devices? The units work with Onkyo’s iPod docking stations, and both are XM Satellite Radio-ready. To keep everyone in the family happy, the systems offer multi-zone, multi-room connection options.
“Home audio and video entertainment is changing at a dramatic pace right now, and the job of making all these technologies work together falls on the A/V receiver,” said Onkyo Marketing Manager Paul Wasek in a statement. “By implementing high end features like HDMI switching, video transcoding, automatic speaker calibration, and XM satellite radio tuning into our mid-priced models, Onkyo is giving consumers the control and performance they need without the sticker shock that cutting edge products often inflict on them.”
Onkyo says the TX-SR604 is probably the lowest-cost AV receiver capable of handling 1080p video and audio over the same HDMI connection; it offers seven 90-watt audio channels, analog component video upconversion with time base correction (TBC). The TX-674 can also convert analog video to HDMI (so modern HD displays can be hooked up using just a single HDMI cable) and offers 95 watt audio amplification.
The units are available in both black and silver finishes; the TX-SR604 will carry a suggested price of $599, while the TX-SR674 will run $799. Both are available now.
