Need Hdmi Upgrade Help With Compatability And New Equiptment

[airblue23]

I utilized this excellent forum years ago when I bought my first "home theatre" system and with excellent feedback I was quite happy. I went by the motto ignorance is bliss and haven’t upgraded anything since then. I recent purchased a 52" Sharp LC52D92U LCD TV and figure I am due to make sure I do not any GLARING pieces of equipment that will be handicapping my performance.

I currently have a B&K AVR 202 Receiver with a pioneer elite DVD player (don’t know the model, but im sure it needs to be updated?). My speakers are Dynaudio Audience 70s up front , C120 Center , 42s in the rears and the bigger sub.

I am not going to change the speakers. I am not versed on HDMI very well, but how critical is it to the sound/video of the system, as my receiver doesn’t have it. Do I need to update the receiver? Can I use this one to great performance as it is? What steps would you update and in what order? ANY INFO IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.

For what it is worth, I got an email from B&K when I asked about the receiver being upgradeable and here is what I was told---is this worth it?

Email begins: "We actually offer two different options for upgrading the AVR 202. The options include Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS ES, DTS Neo:6, and THX Ultra II, Bass Management, Room EQ, Notch Filtering, DVD Audio Inputs, Component Video Inputs/Output, RS 232 control and an SR 10.1 remote. The first option would give you a Ref 31 preamplifier and the price is $998 not including shipping. The second option would give you a Ref 31 and also a Ref 125.7 S2, a 125 watts per channel 7 channel amplifier. The price is $2198 not including shipping. If you would like to set up a Return Authorization for the unit to come in for the upgrade, please call customer service at 1-800-543-5252.
B&K Components
1-800-543-5252"

[Mr Peabody]

I'm not all that familiar with your receiver but based on what it don't have I'd get at least the 1st upgrade. If you are happy with the way your amp drives the Dyn's now, I wouldn't worry about the 2nd.

The multi-channel analog inputs in upgrade package one is all you will need to stay current with future HD disc formats. I wouldn't worry about HDMI unless you can't live without video switching from the receiver.

If your DVD is so old it doesn't even have Progressive Scan, it is time to upgrade in order to get your money's worth out of the new TV. Then you have to decide whether to jump on one of the new HD disc formats, which both will play standard DVD and upsample the signal, or just get an upsampling DVD and wait to see what happens with the format war. You can get one of the universal disc players which will play DVD/CD/SACD, this way one player for all your disc needs, except HD of course.

BTW, nice speakers, and you are correct, those will be good for quite a few steps up in gear.

A pat on the back of B&K for answering your email, and providing upgrades.

[gman086]

I'm not all that familiar with your receiver but based on what it don't have I'd get at least the 1st upgrade. If you are happy with the way your amp drives the Dyn's now, I wouldn't worry about the 2nd.

The multi-channel analog inputs in upgrade package one is all you will need to stay current with future HD disc formats. I wouldn't worry about HDMI unless you can't live without video switching from the receiver.

If your DVD is so old it doesn't even have Progressive Scan, it is time to upgrade in order to get your money's worth out of the new TV. Then you have to decide whether to jump on one of the new HD disc formats, which both will play standard DVD and upsample the signal, or just get an upsampling DVD and wait to see what happens with the format war. You can get one of the universal disc players which will play DVD/CD/SACD, this way one player for all your disc needs, except HD of course.

BTW, nice speakers, and you are correct, those will be good for quite a few steps up in gear.

A pat on the back of B&K for answering your email, and providing upgrades.

Correct me if I'm wrong but he wouldn't even have to do upgrade 1 if he bought a universal player that decodes DTS, Pro Logic II and THX, correct? The new DV-7001 Marantz I have on order supposedly does that and even has bass management. But he would need the multi-channel inputs to play SACD's; $1,000 is a lot of jing tho for just that, more than the price of a new DV-7001! If it were me I'd just get a new universal player for now and run an HDMI cable straight into the HDTV with optical or coaxial for digital sound into the B&K and a quality pair of analogs for CD playback. Then again, I don't own any SACD's. :-))

Cheers,

G

[Mr Peabody]

From the things that would be upgraded I'm assuming this receiver is pretty old, it doesn't even have Pro Logic 2. The bass management would be a good thing to have but that also can be found in the player. The analog inputs is the big hold up, as you say. $1k is more than most mass market receivers with the bells & whistles but the B&K is a step above those in quality and worth the $1k to upgrade because a new B&K would cost much more. And, when you consider they are basically saying he would have the same insides and features as their stand alone processor, it's not all that bad of a price.