YAMAHA RX-V565 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Pros: HDMI, HDMI, PRICE,.... I replaced my Yamaha vx-r361, with this new baby b/c i lacked hdmi connections on the older model, which i really liked. the connections and set up were easy, if you know what are you doing, reduced the cable clutter by 75 % while giving astonishing picture quality and sound. . the ability to change setting wit on screen display, osd, for every input: rename, chnage audio quality and video from pass through to upscaling, etc,.. very easy. . THE CALIBRATION VIA INCLUDED MICROPHONE: very easy and helpful . appearance: real nice . does not get warm, unlike what some reviewers mentionned. just make sure to allow enough room for the machine to breath. lots of input, but i do not understand why the satellite receive for xm and sirius were present on my older, cheaper model, and not on this one??,..however with logitech squueeze box who really needs satellite radio anymore,...i have it hooked to the receiver and the sound could not be more perfect....

Cons: remote, remote, remote,... did some body wake up at yamaha's HQ angry one day, and came up with this remote>>????? WHO knows what were they thinking, The remote lay out, buttons, and lack of specifications of av input is absolutely horrible. i loved my older model remote, at least it made sense.... now i find my self trying to remember what av is for what,..good luck reading the small screen when you are 15 feet away,....shame on you yamaha,..we deserve a much user friendly remote.

Overall Review: 329 dollars, free shippiong,.. r u kidding me,.. try onkyo entry level sr 606 you pay almost 500 dollars,...i have an excellent receiver and the best sound through my ceiling speaker for under 350 dollars.

Pros: Great features and solid sound performance. The big selling point is obviously the HDMI audio/video decoding and passthrough, but I also really like the sound processing feature. That gives you tailored settings for dramas, sports, action games, etc. The 1080p upconversion is a very nice feature as well to improve the look of your non high-def sources (it spruces up my standard DVD player and Wii). The YPAO sound calibration feature is an easy and awesome way to optimize your speaker settings for your room.

Cons: My only legitimate complaint is that you can't pair an HDMI video source with a separate audio source. It doesn't really affect me too much, but I know that before a recent update, my U-verse box could only ouput video via HDMI, with 5.1 sound via optical. (Note: Yamaha has come out with a firmware update that allows you to use different audio inputs with different analog inputs, for things like the Wii)

Overall Review: 1080p upconversion is not the default setting, so you will need to turn that on in the setup menu. I've seen a lot of complaints about the spring clip terminals for the center and surround speakers, and while this is a cheap move by Yamaha, it doesn't really affect my listening experience. How often do you really need to change out speakers anyway? Others have also complained about the quality of the on-screen menus, but again, how often do you need to setup your AVR and how pretty does it really need to be? If you can get this for a good price, I would highly recommend it.

Pros: This receiver has an amazing feature set and sound quality, and the value is incredible at Newegg's prices. Setup and calibration took just minutes. I LOVE the ability to plug inputs from several different sources (HDMI, component, even composite), and have the receiver output everything via one HDMI. The deep color feature makes my HDMI sources (PS3, Cable box) look amazing. I couldn't be happier with this receiver- it was a STEAL at 329 with free shipping.

Cons: Would be nice if speakers other than the two fronts could plug in via banana plugs, but since I will probably not adjust them for years, this is not a big concern.

Overall Review: I saw someone complain that their Wii wasn't compatible with this receiver- that is not true. You can definitely attach a Wii to this receiver easily. For two bucks (bought mine at Beach Audio) you can buy a converter to accept analog audio and output optical or coax, which will allow it to work with either of the 565's component inputs.

Pros: Does video upscaling, which allows you to input multiple video sources and have a single HDMI out to hook up to the TV. The 4 scene buttons make it easy for the kids and wife to easily select what they want to do. I have a DVD player, PC and DVR hooked up via HDMI and a Wii hooked up via composite. Lots of features I will never use.

Cons: Had to update the firmware to get the Wii to work. Doing so will allow you select a different audio source to go with the 2 composite video in sources since the options they provide are pretty stupid. Most devices with composite video out will use RCA audio out, not SPDIF or Coaxial. This requires a DVD player and burning a CD: http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=5028042&CTID=5000300&RLTID=1505&DETYP=RELATION Firmware download requires registration, another negative. PC loses connection via HDMI. I have to switch from to a different video source then back to the PC. Rarely I have to power cycle the PC for it to see the TV again. I believe this is a Windows problem though, if I turn off the TV and leave the stereo on, Windows makes the sound of removable hardware being removed (like when you remove a pen drive)

Overall Review: Very good deal for the price since I got a free set of 5.1 surround speakers when I made my purchase. If it weren't for that, I would have purchased locally for the same price out of convenience.

Pros: Features. More than enough HDMI inputs. Excellent upscaling to 1080p, didn't see any degradation compared to what my Samsung pn650a can display. Has the pass through feature but will still decode audio and does a great job at that. Connecting a Wii via component (outputs from the receiver via HDMI, a big plus) and resolution improved over direct input to TV as it also did for my DVD player, a Pioneer DV 400 connected via HDMI, and even for Standard TV via cable. YPAO setup worked well, the graphical setup interface was tough at first as i'm not used to having so many tweaks but I now appreciate having them all and continue to discover new functionality. Customizing sound for each input is a nice feature as is the stand-by pass through HDMI feature, uses only 3 watts and allows for your signals to pass through to your TV when you only want the TV to handle sound.

Cons: Nothing major. It's a bit complicated at first but reading through the manual and having a bit of patience pays off.

Overall Review: What a deal. Picked it up for 329. At that price nothing out there beats it for its features.

Pros: Four HDMI and four digital audio inputs, supports 7.1 speakers. Easy setup, especially with the self-optimizing feature.

Cons: Only two Component inputs, no S-Video input

Overall Review: This unit was perfect for me, since I don't need more inputs than it provides. I noticed a big improvement in sound quality as soon as I hooked it up, using the exact same speakers, cable box, DVD, etc. The remote is fine, but I'm using a Logitech Harmony so I didn't play with it much.

Pros: Plays all modern Dolby formats, four HDMI jacks, easy set up. Took my WDTV to the next level.

Cons: Some would say the spring clips but for the price I'm not going to complain.

Overall Review: If you can snag it when it's selling for $100 off DO NOT HESITATE TO BUY IT! Amazing receiver at retail price and an outright steal at the discounted price.

Pros: This is a great unit. This unit let me replace both my old HTiB as well as an audio/video selector i was using. I choose to pair mine with a set of Klipsch Quintet speakers as well as a Klipsch Sub and i don't think i could be more impressed. My roommate had Polk Speakers on his and i honestly think i have better overall sounds and i spent a good deal less.

Cons: Remote isn't the greatest buy my Logitech Harmony was able to be setup for it so the stock remote is merely a backup now.

Overall Review: This is easily the best head unit i have dealt with for under $700, and i have experience with multiple units from Sony, Pioneer, Onkyo, and Denon. Denon is definately one of the nicer brands out there but the unit i used was easily triple the price i paid for this one.