Is there a half decent all in one Receiver/Amp/Dolby 5.1 amp

[philmalik23]

I am looking to get one of the better brands of receivers (i.e. NOT Sony, NOT JVC, etc)
If I want something half decent (i.e. I think Arcom is good), to plug my CD player, speakers, and my home stereo into to give me Dolby 5.1 or AC-3, can one piece of equiment do this, or is it better to have another piece of equiment do the Dobly decoding and send it back to the amp?

Is anything out there with 2 AC-3 inputs? i.e. one for my TIVO, and one for my DVD.

I apologize if this is a basic/easy/stupid question. It's been many a year since I've looked at stereo equipment.

[markw]

Dolby 5.1 is AC-3 or, more to the point, has been quasi replaced with 6.1, 7,1, DTS, DTS es, et al.

In any case, an "AC-3" input generally consists of either a digital coaxial input ofr what's called a "toslink" input, which accepts a fibre optic cable.

I don't see what the problem is. There's probably dozens of recevers that accept more than one digital input.

[AVMASTER]

if i understand you inquiry correctly, you're wondering if it's better to use a a/v receiver or amplifier and preamp/processor ?
the answer to that depends on the level of quality and control YOU'RE willing to pay for.
There are $300 a/v receivers out there that will give you exactly what you asked for( 2 digital inputs and 5.1 processing) but you might find it underpowered for your speakers. You could get separate components ( amp and prepro) within your budget but you might find it more complicated to operate. While these are basic examples, you can narrow your search by setting a budget, check out the remote control of prospects, take another look at the room the gear is going in--will you need something to enhance acoustics? Look at some of the features--will they provide functions that benefit you or are they just bells and wistles? You've already determined inputs,processing and eliminated two brands; just a few to go now