The kind of AV receiver that your home theatre system needs depends largely on three main things:

  • Main use of the room, Example – Gaming, Movies etc.
  • What Inputs you require
  • Are you after a Multi Zone option.

All recent receivers have HDMI inputs which allow top quality video signal to be sent from the devices plugged in, example e.g – Blu Ray players, gaming systems, digital set top boxes, Foxtel, Hard drives. Using HDMI connectivity allows for the best possible picture (1080p), audio and uses less cabling than other forms of video and audio connectivity. Most televisions have one or two HDMI inputs and as it is the only way you can connect to high definition players like Blu-ray players, it’s a good idea to choose an HDMI-enabled receiver.

Multi-zone – Define your need for a multi-zone functionality. If you want to set up speakers around your house for multi-zone audio, you will need an AV receiver with such capabilities. Most high end receivers have at least one additional audio zone commonly known as Zone 2. There are other options for multi zone audio as well such as Sonos. Please refer to the Sonos link on website for more information.

A few other factors to keep in mind while choosing an AV receiver are the video processing, radio and network streaming options. We commonly recommend Yamaha for our amplifiers. Please leave your details in the Contact request form so one of the Friendly Universal team can contact you to find out your requirements