Poll: What's hooked up to your AV receiver?

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm guessing 70 percent to 80 percent of you have a maximum of four sources hooked up to your AV receivers.

You've got a Blu-ray/DVD player, cable/satellite box, maybe a game and a VCR wired up, and you're done. Most of the jacks remain empty, nothing wrong with that, but all that extra capability adds to the complexity and cost of the receiver. Has connectivity gone wild?

(Credit: Pioneer Electronics)

How many sources do you have hooked up to your receiver?

Do you use mostly analog or digital inputs?

Yes, I'm sure, some of you have a turntable--did you buy a receiver with a built-in phono section, or did you buy an add-on phono preamp?

iPod or iPod dock?

Anybody still using a CD player at home?

SACD or DVD-Audio player?

Sirius, XM or Internet radio?

Do you have more than one game? How did you hook them up?

Did the number of HDMI inputs sway you?

How many HDMI sources do you have now?

A Laserdisc player?

Cassette, reel-to-reel, or 8-track tape machine?

Digital audio recorders? CD recorder or DAT machine?

What about USB or Bluetooth sources?

Did the total number of inputs and input types play a role in your buying decision?

Do you ever use your receiver's front panel inputs?

[john55440]

Does anyone make audio-only receivers anymore? I have one that needs to be replaced, and I have zero interest in video. (My only DVD player is my computer.)

My current receiver is connected to a CD-player, a turntable that doesn't work, a super-fancy cassette player that is never used, and two big floor speakers.

[ikramerica--2008]

Yes, in stereo only, which is likely what you want. Onkyo, Harmon Kardon, Yamaha, all make stereo receivers. But they also make quality AV receivers that you can use as audio only. HK, for example, provides more power to the L and R speakers when you keep it in Stereo mode, effectively making it an audio receiver.

[John-Drake]

>>> Does anyone make audio-only receivers anymore? <<<

I agree, who needs 5 speakers to listen to music? I picked up this high quality stereo receiver from Outlaw Audio and I'm lovin' it:

http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/rr2150.html

[WhyFi]

If you can do without the internal AM/FM tuner, you'll find a ton of great stereo integrated amps.

[plaguester]

- Currently 2 sources: DVD Player and a Wii (recently got rid of cable as I am about to move).

- I try to use all HDMI, which normally works out as my receiver has 2 HDMI inputs (Wii is on component cables).

- Too young for the turntable...

- My wife has Sirius radio that she uses in the car, but not the AV (it has a port for XM).

- No CD player, I use the front AUX jack for playing from my Zen or my wife's iPhone.

[thing-fish]

The number of inputs was completely a factor in choosing the receiver I bought; we were using an external switchbox with my old receiver. I have an HK AVR 7300 with 5 video inputs plus CD and tape. I have the following connected to it:

A/V inputs:
Tivo
VCR
DVD
Video Game (one cable with multiple plugs that we swap between PS2 and Wii)
Front panel jack, which I have the laptop plugged into to watch Netflix or play Team Fortress

Audio-only inputs
CD: I have an Audio Technica turntable with a built-in preamp and have it plugged into CD.

So the only input I have open is the in/out for the Tape, and I wish I had at least one more video input so I could leave multiple game consoles plugged in and do ALL of the switching through the receiver. And as much as I love the receiver, BOY do I wish I'd waited one year so that I got one that had HDMI and upconverted to at least 720p instead of what I have, which is all component and only cleans up the rarely-used VCR from 480i to 480p. When I get a second Squeezebox, I'll move the analog turntable to the Tape input and use the "CD" digital input for the Squeezebox.

[giyad]

i don't actually have one yet, in the process of getting one.

I'm going to have likely 3 inputs and 1 HDMI output to the TV.
-DVD (maybe Blu ray) player
-Cable Box
-Popcorn hour or some other media extending device to get all my PC's contents

[rodonnell12]

just bought a new onkyo, fully hdmi capabe...

unfortunately it doesn't seem to be hdmi friendly.

I have hooked up, Cable, PS3, TV, computer/ipod(via rca)

tried to put everything in via hdmi and then connect out via hdmi to my tv

For some reason when I do that my cable box would revert to 480 and then my tv wouldn't support the picture. And my ps3 went from working to not working at all during this period...so after getting it fixed i have been fearful of connecting it directly to my receiver.

Had to reconfigure to have the cable box and ps3 go directly into the tv via hdmi and then have the tv output all audio to the receiver via rca

...good thing i got a receiver with 4 hdmi inputs

[binarystatic]

HDMI from DISH, HDMI from Blu-ray, DVI-HDMI + optical from MacBook Pro (though sometime the optical goes into an Airport Express). XM. VHS. XBOX 360 (using component + optical since I only have 3 HDMI inputs).

I bought the Onkyo receiver for the HDMI inputs and the HD audio decoding, but quickly realized I need more than 3 HDMI inputs, so yeah, that's a big factor. And no I don't use front-panel connections. At least all the video goes through one HDMI to the TV.

[AdamCErickson]

I've got:
Wii, Playstation, Playstation 2, Xbox 360, Upconversion DVD player, DVR, Laptop, and a Dreamcast on mine. Soon it'll have my Playstation 3 as well.

...far too many items.

[mccst05]

CD/DVD
Tivo (HDMI)
VCR (never used!)
Game system (Leappad for the babies)
Camcorder cables - I leave them plugged in so I can connect my hard disk camcorder at any time
Front panel inputs I use to connect a v-amp to amplify my acoustic/electric guitar

[ngmt50t]

1 Tivo Series 2
1 Tivo Series 3
1 Directv HD DVR
1 Blu-Ray player
1 AppleTV
1 Wii
1 Sony 400 DVD Changer

[mobycat]

I have a bare bones receiver - it doesn't take video.

TV
Technics 1200
Cable
DVD
Tivo
iPod
XM

[mwsmith824]

1 - Xbox 360
1- PS3
1- Wii
1-AppleTV
1-DVR
1-XM Satellite Radio
1-TV

[hfjacinto]

Before I purchased the Hi-Def LCD TV, I had a large cabinet that I could fit everything so I had the following items hooked up:

1) Single DVD Player
2) 5 Disc CD Changer
3) Dual Cassette
4) DVD Recorder
5) S-VHS
6) Standard VHS
7) Turntable
8) WII
9) Camcorder Cable for easy connectivity
10) Cable Box

After I purchased the TV and purchased a smaller cabinet I now have the following:

1) 6 Disc DVD changer
2) Cable Box
3) WII
4) S-VHS (I have some old kids movies and Sting in Soul Cages on VHS otherwise I would sell it also)
5) DVD Recorder (which I never really use)
6) Turntable

I was able to sell the DVD player for $10, the standard VHS for $45 and the old 32 inch tube TV for $100. I still have the 5 Disc CD Changer and Dual Cassette Deck on sale at Craigs List for over a year and no bites. I still couldn?t believe I got more money for the VCR than I got for the DVD player.

[bringer666]

How many sources do you have hooked up to your receiver?
4

Do you use mostly analog or digital inputs?
analog

Yes, I'm sure, some of you have a turntable--did you buy a receiver with a built-in phono section, or did you buy an add-on phono preamp?
my receiver has a phono section, not used.

iPod or iPod dock?
no

Anybody still using a CD player at home?
use dvd player for CDs occasionally.

SACD or DVD-Audio player?
?

Sirius, XM or Internet radio?
no

Do you have more than one game? How did you hook them up?
no game machines

Did the number of HDMI inputs sway you?
no hdmi inputs

How many HDMI sources do you have now?
none on the receiver. Only HDMI cable is from Cable HD box to TV.

A Laserdisc player?
never had one.

Cassette, reel-to-reel, or 8-track tape machine?
no cassette player anymore

Digital audio recorders? CD recorder or DAT machine?
no

What about USB or Bluetooth sources?
no

Did the total number of inputs and input types play a role in your buying decision?
no, bought it many years ago to upgrade to 5.1 surround.

Do you ever use your receiver's front panel inputs?
i don't think it has any

[skwales]

Eight Sources:
playstation - hdmi
hddvd - hdmi
tivohd - hdmi
xbox - component
cable box - component
wii - component
cd - optical
router - ethernet

even split of analog or digital inputs

still using a CD player for quick convenience if I don't have something ripped and streamable

2 game systems, one via hdmi, one via component

needed at least three HDMIs, figure I'll probably need more

I had to have a lot of inputs of different types and a receiver that could map/re-map them all

sometimes use the front panel inputs for my zune

[BirdDog01]

Cable box, TV, DVD player, Cassette deck, 2 VCRs

The higher end audio only system in the living room has a turntable, cassette deck, CD player, broadcast monitor FM only tuner, and iPod dock

[scribbble]

1. iPod Dock
2. Wii
3. PS3
4. Motorola FiOS cable box/DVR
5. DVD Player

[davey54]

I only connect digital audio to my AVR since I only use it when watching movies. For TV shows I mainly use the TV speakers. I use an S-video switcher for analog video and the HDTV to switch HDMI video. The AVR does not support digital video.

My AVR has the following connected digitally:
Laserdisc
DVD Changer (also used for CD playing)
DVD Recorder
2 DVRs

My S-video/analog audio switcher has the following connected:
VCR
DVD changer
DVD recorder
Laserdisc
2 DVRs

My HDTV has the folling connected:
2 DVRs via HDMI
S-video switcher

I've only used the front panel connections once to connect an MP3 player. The AVR does have phono inputs, but I've never used them.

[sillywillydilly]

Who cares...dumb question.

[ME_Terp93]

How many sources do you have hooked up to your receiver? 7
Digital: DVD Player; Optical: DirecTV, Portable Minidisc, Apple AirPort Express
Analog: VCR, Neuros OSD, Cassette deck

Do you use mostly analog or digital inputs? Digital (4 versus 3)
Yes, I'm sure, some of you have a turntable--did you buy a receiver with a built-in phono section, or did you buy an add-on phono preamp? No

iPod or iPod dock? No

Anybody still using a CD player at home? No, I used iTunes via my Apple Airport Express for playing music.

SACD or DVD-Audio player? No

Sirius, XM or Internet radio? No

Do you have more than one game? How did you hook them up? N/A

Did the number of HDMI inputs sway you? Yes for the future.

How many HDMI sources do you have now? 3

A Laserdisc player? No

Cassette, reel-to-reel, or 8-track tape machine? Cassette

Digital audio recorders? CD recorder or DAT machine? Portable minidisc player/recorder, Sony MZ-NHF800 (optical recording).

What about USB or Bluetooth sources? No Bluetooth but USB via my Neuros OSD.

Did the total number of inputs and input types play a role in your buying decision? Yes, but not as much as having the ability to remap input sources on my receiver, Sony STR-DG1100.

Do you ever use your receiver's front panel inputs? Not that much.

[cbibbs]

Cable Box, DVD Player, DVD Recorder, CD Player, AirTunes, XBox, and DLO Dock so 6.

Video - Analog, Audio - Digital

Built-in phono amp, but the turn table isn't hooked up right now.

Only the cable box is HDMI, but I've got a few open for my future Blu-Ray player and next-gen game console.

I've got a beefy receiver, but the driver for the purchase were my speakers (B&W 704s) not tech features.