I'm real new at this HT business so please work with me.

I'm shopping for a 5.1 HT receiver in the $400 - 500 price range. In looking at the user reviews I've notice that some people are have problems getting everything to work right when running all components thru the receiver using HDMI cables. Is this a common problem and should I be looking at running HDMI cables directly from the cable box and DVD player to the TV instead of going thru the receiver?

I know of at least 1 receiver that states in their user manual that an HDMI connection is required between the receiver and the tv to do advanced adjustments to the audio options. Another requires a component connect even if a HDMI connect is already there.