Slim AV receiver required

[admin_exported]

I'm after a slim AV receiver to plug the following in:

1 x Sky+

1 x DVD player (not blueray)

In addition, I have an old X-Box which I'l like to keep handy (although it's not been used in some time).

In the future I'll look to plug in, the following:

1 x iPod

1 x Laptop

1 x Wii (when the new one is released)

These will all be going into a SD Panasonic Plasma so needs Scart output, but will consider upgrading to HD screen later in the year maybe. I've got a 5.1 speaker setup.

Sadly the unit I would have choosen (Yamaha) was 15.1cm high which is exactly 0.1cm too high to fit. Budget is around £200-300.

Any recommendations?

 

[The_Lhc]

These will all be going into a SD Panasonic Plasma so needs Scart output,

I'm not aware of any AV receivers that had SCART output (or input) and certainly no new ones, so you'd need an appropriate cable, component to SCART might work if the TV can accept component input via SCART.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, component output will be fine - I've got the cables. Anything worth a look?

 

[The_Lhc]

Marantz do a number of AV receivers that are only 10.5cm tall.

 

[Mr. Iceman]

Marantz NR-1402 / NR-1602 (I have 1601) and Pioneer VSX-S300 / VSX-S500 spring to mind.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Iceman. What made you pick the Marantz over the Pioneer when you bought it?

 

[Mr. Iceman]

I wasn't even aware of the Pioneers back in Feb when I got the 1601.

1602 is a much better proposal than 1601 being DLNA enabled, with front stereo channel pre-amp out, improved OSD etc. It lost a pair or amps/speaker sockets in the upgrade process (7.1 i/o 9.1) and one of each optical and component inputs and a couple of stereo RCAs. There's still plenty left though!

If I was spoiled, I'd say the only thing lacking is the phono preamp but that would be unfair as they must have used every cubic inch of available space with all that's included in its (relatively) small casing.

Mind, 1601 still does a remarkable job with sound.

Pioneers look to have similar connectivity and power rating (50Wpc), but they are only 5.1 (which is your setup) and without component input (Wii alert!). They're even slimmer than Marantz so which one to choose is down to personal preference. In any case, try demo both.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Only problem is that none of those Marantz receivers offer video downconversion, so sources connected via HDMI can't be output via component or composite video, and neither will the Marantz upconvert from composite input to component output. The Pioneers, meanwhile, only offer HDMI or composite output, again without downconversion from HDMI to composite.

Composite is going to look pretty rough on the TV, so the solution might be to connect everything direct to the TV, with additional cables to carry audio to the receiver.

If your DVD player and other sources can output component video and your TV can accept component (not RGB) over Scart , you can connect two of your sources using the component inputs on the Marantz models, but again you'll need extra audio connections from sources to receivers.

Things will get simpler when you have a TV with HDMI inputs

 

[Fuzzy Bear]

Of the units mentioned I think the Pioneer vsx-s300 is the only one within your budget 275 or thereabouts . The vsx-s500 and NR1602 are closer to the 500 mark.

I don't know if you plan to listen to music as well and reviews seem to be few and far between as all three are newish.

Andrew are any of these three due to be reviewed soon?

 

[Mr. Iceman]

Only problem is that none of those Marantz receivers offer video downconversion, so sources connected via HDMI can't be output via component or composite video, and neither will the Marantz upconvert from composite input to component output. The Pioneers, meanwhile, only offer HDMI or composite output, again without downconversion from HDMI to composite.

Very true Andrew, and shows importance of reading the manual!:read:

 

[Anonymous]

OK, let me try and get this straight, are you guys telling me that assuming I connect my Sky+ box to the AV receiver via HDMI, I can't then get SCART back out to send to the plasma, or it will look rubbish?

 

[The_Lhc]

OK, let me try and get this straight, are you guys telling me that assuming I connect my Sky+ box to the AV receiver via HDMI, I can't then get SCART back out to send to the plasma,

Not with those Marantz receivers it appears, no.

 

[Anonymous]

OK, let me try and get this straight, are you guys telling me that assuming I connect my Sky+ box to the AV receiver via HDMI, I can't then get SCART back out to send to the plasma

Yes. And that is not Marantz' fault, but your favourite many-lettered media corporation.

It is illegal for hdcp-certified receivers to downconvert their inputs. If any manufacturer would do so, they would lose their hdcp license. Or so I'm told.

Of course, there is also the economic argument that passing through a video signal requires no circuity, but generating an analog video signal from a hdmi source requires a hdmi decoder, a scaler and a signal generator for any of the world's analog video formats: at least five flavours of PAL and two flavours of NTSC