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"Great 7.1 Sound Good Picture - but..." on by pedromj
Pros: All connections you might need plus wireless USB; Excellent 7.1 sound quality
Cons: Quality problems - TV connection thru HDMI fail after 2 -3 minutes
Summary: I got this unit last Friday from Vann's and spend most of the weekend hooking up connections and setting it up - I'm connecting my XBOX unit thru component connection to the receiver and using the HDMI connection to output video to a Panasonic Plasm TV. After 2 to 3 minutes the picture cease to appear on the TV and and HDMI light indicator on the front panel of the receiver starts to blink - switching the unit off for one hour get me another 2-3 minutes of video - sent to service and will need to wait 3 weeks...
Updated
More than one month later the unit is still in service at a JVC Authorized Service Center. I’ve been calling the service center every 2-3 days and they keep telling that they’re waiting for JVC to respond their request to replace the unit. I’ve called JVC and they say that they don’t know about the request from the service center. After many tries I got an Issue open at JVC - they provided an issued # and told me that I’d be contacted in 48 hour. In addition to not getting any call from then, when I called back about the issue nobody at JVC knew about it – they provided me with another phone number to call to check the issue. Called the number and an attendant let me waiting from more them 30 minutes with no answer. Another call and the guy found the issue and told me to wait that he’d try to call the service center – another long wait and the guy told me that the service center didn’t answer the call. This attendant asked me to call the service center myself since he was about to leave for the day. I called the service center right after just to verify that they answered on the first try. What a shame JVC!
p.s. I’m not including all the frustration with support via e-mail that I also tried to not get too long – you should guess what the outcome is….Updated
Yesterday marked the two month anniversary since I dropped the unit at a JVC authorized service center. JVC doesn’t have minimum respect for their costumers: the service center keeps waiting for an authorization from JVC. JVC “Costumer Care” doesn’t provide any update other than: keep waiting.Updated
Comment by pedromj (see profile) - April 16, 2006
After 5 months JVC managed to solve the problem and I got a new unit. It's working like a charm
As I said, the picture and sound is really great. If not for the problems with the original unit and the level of service; I'd change my rating to 8.5.
Regards,
Pedro -
"Quality questions" on by jpm150
Pros: HDMI switching, digital amp clarity
Cons: Died after 35 days
Summary: Two HDMI inputs are great, the switching worked as promised, the video upscaling looked good, but I'm not sure JVC is really ready to produce a legitimate $800 receiver. One HDMI input died as I was watching TV just 33 days after I bought the unit (with a 30-day return limit). Now it's at the local service contractor who has no idea when he'll receive the necessary parts to repair it.
Too bad -- it sounded great and worked well once I got it set up correctly. But at that price point, I shouldn't be facing quality and customer service headaches.Updated
JVC's customer service leaves a lot to be desired. The local repair place they sent me to has been told by JVC that they aren't authorized to repair receivers under warrantee. When I call JVC, they send me right back to the same repair center. They keep promising to solve the problem and get back to me, but of course they don't. I'm angry enough that the unit failed after only 35 days, but this kind of incompetent run around is infuriating. So, I bought an $800 A/V receiver and now am without music, videos, etc. Who knows how long this will go on.Updated
It's now Dec. 13 and at this point I'm waiting to receive a mailing label so I can ship the unit back to JVC's factory repair site. This is insane. When I complained to the customer service manager, I was essentially told, that's the way it is. When you introduce an entirely new product line into the mid-level audio market, you'd better be prepared to step up if there are initial quality problems. JVC is not, that much is clear.Updated
It took forever to get a promised replacement, but now that I've had the new unit for a few months I can report that all is well. Sound quality is great, and the real surprise is that it really improves the video quality of standard definition channels with its deinterlacing chip. As the memory of my tech support hassles fade, I'm getting happier and happier with my choice. -
"I'd wait longer to get HDMI switching" on by stangboy68
Pros: Good sound, inexpensive, great features
Cons: Heat, poorly written manual, HDMI switching
Summary: I had the slightly less powerful D402 but there essentially the same. It was a great receiver except for one thing, the HDMI switching feature was useless. It would work just fine with my HDMI DVD player, but when it came time to use my cable box it didn't work. Apparently the HDCP handshake couldn’t take place and the picture would go black after a few seconds. This seems to be a problem with many HDMI receivers out there. It’s a pity because it’s my cable boxes fault. I would stay away from these types of receivers until these cable boxes will work with them.
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"Problems with RX D702" on by goldebar
Pros: Good Looking
Cons: Operation manual and JVC service bad
Summary: Just received the receiver and tried to send the HDMI signal from the cable box through the receiver to a new Sharp 45"Aquos TV. The JVC instruction manual is impossible to follow and so I had to call JVC help line. They were courteous but also unable to assist. They suggest I send the receiver to their California Repair shop but left little doubt that they did not know very much about the HDMI capabilities and workings of their product.
From the cable box to the TV work Great. Through the receiver I get nothing. Two days old and I have to sent to the factory for repair. Bad deal JVC Lets get it right. -
"Strong price-feature ratio makes this a competitive option for those starting a home theater" on by dan596
Pros: - Price-to-feature ratio unbeatable, nice slim-line case, quality sound, set-and-forget appeal
Cons: - Remote is lacking, forget your CD player, runs hot, this top-of-“new”-line, is feature lacking, setup requires geek friend
Summary: This my initial, very long, review after having just set the unit up and used it for 3 weeks. I have followed JVC products for some time and have always found them to meet my needs. I purchased my first set of JVC components back in ’92 based on the good collection of features, quality sound, and the one-touch compulink system. My JVC RX-809V was a great step into surround sound (Pro Logic) and continues to be a stable unit. However, I’m building a entertainment room and using an HTPC (Home Theater PC) to store and play movies, images, MP3s, etc. for which I wanted a receiver that a)processed the latest 5.1/7.1 formats, b)provides video switching, and c) handle HDMI for future HDTV resolution handling. I’ve been strongly considering the new HDMI handling units from Denon and Onkyo than retail in the $1500-2000 range. However at a retail of $700-800, the JVC unit became a strong consideration. I read the previous postings and noted the troubles with the HDMI switching as a concern but when I found this refurb unit for $280, shipped, it seemed worth a test.
Installation
The unit has a standard footprint, but is small otherwise. However, it still carries the heft of a unit with significant power. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long to realize was the small size has cost: Lack of connectivity. JVC obviously made the decision that the CD player is obsolete. While this is fine with my long term goals (all CDs stored as MP3 on the HTPC), in the mean time I had to connect it as DBS in. Second, my composite cables to/from the VCR are a bundled 3 lead cable. However, the video and audio connections are far enough apart on the receiver that they couldn’t reach the distance. There is no line-level out on this unit either so expandability is not an option. Speaker posts worked fine albeit a little close for finger tightening. Finally, it lacks the “gold post” connections that are standard on its competition. Then again, I think the only noticeable benefit I’ve ever gotten out of the gold is they don’t corrode over time like the non-gold and it is not like I’m changing up the connectors frequently. For the USB connection I’m torn because my computer will be located right next to this unit so a direct line is preferable but the only USB line in is behind the front cover. I guess I will have to rely on the wireless connection.
Setup
My experience was similar to that of CNET and the others posts. Setup is confusing. Again, I think this is partly a result of the small size which resulted in a small display and therefore the information displayed is cryptic. On the RX-D702B, this is made even more complicated by the fact that some things are communicated on the units display and some in the onscreen display via your TV. Combine that with most things set from the remote and a few on the unit. Hopefully the next version of this machine they will put everything onscreen and use the space to really explain what you are configuring. The manual does talk you through how to set each parameter. Unfortunately it is not organized logically for the average consumer who wants a step-by-step setup. My experience with A/V receivers is limited, and it is my opinion they tend require extensive configuration and patience. That said, once you are done, this unit is performing nicely.
Once set up this unit does automatically configure a lot setting for you depending on what source you have selected. On my old receiver this was clearly highlighted as CSRP. On this new unit, it is referred to as “One Touch Operation” but it is not nearly as prominent. I had to go hunting in the manual just to find the full story on it. To me, knowing that my settings are stored for each source and I don’t have to go configuring things every time I turn it on is one of the single most important features.
My other current problem is I have yet to get the Compulink to work. I half don’t expect the CD player to get recognized, by my TV, VCR, and DVD player all have yet to synchronize with the receiver. I’ll keep trying to figure this one out, because it is really nice to just press the Open/Eject button on the DVD player, pop in a disc, and press the play button and from there have the receiver and TV both turn on and go to the right setting. Jury is still out on the HDMI switching as I have yet to get there.
Setting up the sound processing takes even more studying of the manual to understand what you have for a room, how to configure it, and which setting are the desirable ones. I can’t imagine this being much different for other receivers aside from the auto-balancing microphone some units come with.
Operation
I believe JVC probably hit their intended mark with this unit. Yes, it is complicated to set up and I can see the average consumer calling their geek friend over for the evening to help them out. Once set up though, for most it becomes a turn on and forget type-of-relationship and for that it works flawlessly. In fact, that appears to be a design focal point as the two dials on the front indicate: One for source selection, one for volume. I’ve played an array of music and DVDs and the sound is very satisfying. I can’t say I’m an expert at sound quality but I appreciate enough to notice the crystal clear (compared to old unit) nuisances in surround sound and the even sound production at higher volume.
The remote is a big disappointment, if for no other reason, then purely in the fact that it is not backlit. The remote I have with my RX-809V is not only nicely backlit, you could also press a button and it would light up the functions that worked with the source or feature you had selected. This is a 15 year old JVC remote. In comparison the remote with RXD702B is small, not lit, and has a delicate plastic cover that will get opened enough making to be prone to get broken. Functionally, it has the bases covered and again, has probably hit the mark for the masses but it doesn’t meet my needs especially when I consider that 15 years have passed since my last remote was developed by JVC and this is a big step back. In fact, probably the biggest missing feature is the ability to control another device without changing the source on the receiver. For example, watching a DVD, but you want to turn on the VCR, change it’s channel and record. Can’t do it without interrupting your DVD. Bonus for me that my old remote still works in part for this new unit.
Finally the remote doesn’t have much strength or spread in its signal so expect to be pointing it directly at the unit.
It appears the radio tuner doesn’t pick up or display the enhanced song and station information broadcasted these days. It’s a small thing, but I half-expected it on all new receivers this day since it is in my 1999 car.
Afterthoughts
I have a few these to still figure out and test so I will update my review when this happens. Over-all I believe JVC has a winning receiver for the masses as it provides the most popular features and sourcing for the foreseeable future and at a very competitive price. I’m interested to see whether this will be it or if we will see replacements for the previous generation flagships like the RX-DP20VBK that will have all the bells-and-whistles. It certainly won’t beat out the front runners like the Denon AVR-3806 on features and function, so the question still remains will I miss the extras as much as the extra $$ they will cost me?
