- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 28 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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24 out of 24 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Great price and features for HDMI switching/upconverting"
Pros: HDMI switching and up converting other sources to component or HDMI
Cons: can't rename inputs
Summary: I have been searching for a midpriced, full feature reciever for several months. I have looked at the Pioneer Elite series, JVC and several others and when i read the review and saw the spec for this one, none could compare for the price. I picked mine up at Fry's for $599 on sale. This is the first component for my new HD home theatre setup and I am now waiting for the price to drop on the Samsung 61" DLP 1080p.
Now for the setup of this reciever, it was pretty straight forward and the Audyssey speaker set up worked pretty well. I still had to do some fine tuning to get it to sound just right for my ear. The Audyssey setup left my main left and right channels not producing enough bass. Currently I am using it to upconvert all my sources (Directv w/tivo, Xbox, Xbox 360 and PS2) from S-video to Component and it works flawlessly. I have not tried upconverting to HDMI yet but found that the HDMI output had to be turned on in the setup menu. The other poster mentioned the picture staying on when switching to another source that does not have video and I think this is a GREAT feature!!! Ever want to listen to the radio broadcast instead of the TV announcers and still watch the game? I know i have and this allows you to do it. The unit does run hot so good ventalation is a must. I would have liked the ability to rename inputs as well. I found the manual to be slightly confusing and had to read sections several time to really understand it. This units menu and settings are not for the novice audiophile. I found myself tweaking the setting several different times after the initial setup.
Overall this is an excellent reciever for the price, the upconverting of ALL sources to HDMI and the HDMI switching are worth the price alone.Updated
HDMI upconverting works flawlessly, plugged in HDMI from reciever to the Sammy, changed input on TV to HDMI and BANG, everything auto upconverted to HDMI. The upconverting does a great job of correcting overblown colors that come through the Component ouput. My directv tivo is connected to the 674 through S-video(best ouput available on tivo) the component upconvert/output looks soft and fuzzy and red colors are way overdone. When i switch to HDMI upconvert/output of the same source the picture is much sharper, cleaner with less noise and the colors are much much closer to standard, reds are much more natural. I was surprised that the onscreen menu worked through HDMI output since the manual said it would not work. I am about to get Directv HD DVR in the next weeek, if I find something to report I will update again. Based on what I have seen with this reciever i would give it an 11, it does everything and it does it well.
- 3 replies to this review
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Hockeyfan, appreciate your continud feedback on this, as I am looking for similar gear in a similar price range - the options are bewildering to say the least. Its good to hear from someone who has actually purchased the gear.
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I have connected my Direct TV HD-DVR directly to my Samsung HLS-6767W DLP-1080p television and the screen reads low or no connectivity signal. I am now connected with Component and it works fine. I have used either HDMI inputs 1 & 2. If you have a problem or not, I would appreciate to hear about it!
dscorpio67 -
I have the Onkyo TX-SR674, 61" Samsung HL-S6187, and a Denon DVD1730 upscaling player. Running everything thru HDMI, both the picture & sound are awesome! Hockey, Football, Basketball, Boxing, Music Concerts are ALL a real treat to watch on this combination!
Where to buy
Onkyo TX-SR674 (black):
$599.99
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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PaylessMerchandise.com
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$599.99 | No |
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