HR20/HR21 and Receiver questions

[tjreid]

I have used this forum many times for valuable input but this is my first post.

I have been a subscriber of D* since '97 and am finally making the plunge to HD. I have ordered the HDTV but am having problems selecting an appropriate receiver. Currently I have a Pioneer VSX35TX which I have been very happy with but it has no HDMI connectors.

I would like to spend less than $1000. I have researched a number of receivers on CNET and some reviews have reported problems with HDMI audio and D* HDDVR's. The high end Sony produces no audio and the Onkyo has a slight audio delay.

I would appreciate any input on receivers that you have had good performance with the new HDDVR's.

I will be hooking up to DEF 5.1 speakers.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bob Nielsen]

There are three versions of the HDMI spec and often they are interpreted differently by different manufacturers.

Most people seem to have good results using an optical digital audio connection. All Directv HD DVRs support this (the HR20-100 and HR21-700 also support coaxial digital audio). Your current receiver probably supports one or both of these. I use an optical connection with my Pioneer VSX-D711 (not high-end) and it works fine.

 

[tjreid]

Thanks for the info Bob. I will probably wait for the HDMI spec to sort out before upgrading the receiver. My current receiver are now connected with digital coax and receiver also supports optical.