Nov 18 Podcast #505: Black Friday 2011 and Receiver Buying Guide
Podcast Tags: Black Friday, Buying guide, Deals, Receiver 
Its that time of year again where the HT Guys get to spend your money. We start of our buying guides with receivers. BTW, this guide is not necessarily about getting the latest product. Its about getting a good product at a great price so you may see some of last year’s gear on the list. All these receivers are readily available online or at a big box store. This year there are some fantastic deals to be had! Enjoy!
Listen to the show
Today's Show:
Blu-ray Reviews:
News:
- 2012 Olympics to be broadcast in resolution that blows HD out of the water
- Sony Considers Internet Rival to Cable TV
- OLED TVs to Be Mass Produced in 2014?
Other:
- Check out www.debtpodcast.com & if you need a Bankruptcy attorney: www.ctbankruptcy.com
- Hide the cords?
- How to Calibrate Your HDTV and Boost Your Video Quality in 30 Minutes or Less
Black Friday 2011
Best Buy:
Samsung 32" Class 720p LCD HDTV - $277.99
Panasonic 46" Class 720p 600Hz Plasma Smart HDTV - $399.99
Sharp 42" Class 1080p LCD HDTV - $199.99 *
Sharp 60" Class 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV - $799.99
Sony 55" Class 1080p 120Hz LED Smart 3D HDTV w/1000-Watt Home Theater System - $1,698.99
Sony BDPS185 Blu-ray Disc Player - $79.99
Samsung Blu-ray Disc Player - $99.99
Pioneer 625-Watt Receiver - $199.99 Model 821K
Logitech Harmony 650 Advanced Remote - $39.99
All kinds of DVDs and Blu-rays
Target:
Samsung 32" 60Hz 720p LCD HDTV - $277.99
Westinghouse 46" 60Hz 1080p LCD HDTV - $298.00
Element 40" 60Hz 1080p LCD HDTV - $265.00 *
Sony WiFi Enabled 3D Blu-ray Player - $109.99
All Kinds of DVDs and Blu-ray movies $2 - $13 New titles too!
K-Mart:
Seiki 40" 1080p LCD HDTV - $299.99 *
Hitachi 32" 720p LCD HDTV (Model # LE32H405) - $299.99 *
LG 47" 1080p, 120Hz, LED HDTV (Model #47LV4400) - $679.99 *
Panasonic 50" 720p 600Hz Plasma HDTV (Model # TCP5032C) - $499.99 *
Sony Wi-Fi-Ready Blu-ray Disc Player - $79.99
All kinds of DVDs and Blu-ray $3 - $13
Sears:
Panasonic 42" 1080p LED Smart HDTV (Model #TCL42E3) - $599.99 *
Panasonic 55" 1080p 600Hz 3D Plasma Smart HDTV (Model # TC-P55ST30) - $1,099.99
Sharp 70" 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV (Model # LC70LE632U) - $1,999.99
Sharp 60" 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV (Model # LC60LE6300U) - $999.99 *
Samsung BD-D5700 Blu-ray Disc Player w/Built-In Wi-Fi - $99.99 *
Sony BDP-S380 Wi-Fi Ready Blu-ray Disc Player - $79.99 *
Panasonic 5.1 Channel 1000 Watt 3D Blu-ray Home Theater System - $299.99
Samsung HT-D5300 5.1 Channel 1000 Watt 3D Blu-ray Home Theater System - $259.99 *
Receiver Buying Guide
Its that time of year again where the HT Guys get to spend your money. We start of our buying guides with receivers. BTW, this guide is not necessarily about getting the latest product. Its about getting a good product at a great price so you may see some of last year’s gear on the list. All these receivers are readily available online or at a big box store. This year there are some fantastic deals to be had! Enjoy!
Less than $500
Yamaha RX-V671BL AV Receiver (Street Price $499.95)
OK so at the time of this writing this receiver barely makes the price cut off. We used to pay well over a $1000 for a receiver like this when we first got into the game. This bad boy has 6 HDMI inputs, supports next generation audio, supports 7.1, and an iOS app for remote control. There are many more features but we don’t have time to get into them all. This is perfect for someone just starting out or someone ready to move up. The 671 is priced for higher end of the entry market but can compete with receivers in the mid tier.
Denon AVR-1612 5.1 Channel A/V Home Theater Receiver (Street Price $349)
We are big fans of Denon and are happy to have such a capable receiver at this price. The 1612 is a 5.1 system that supports HDMI 1.4a. So if 3D is important to you you might want to consider this model. The 1612 has four HDMI inputs, iPod Connectivity and support for Audyssey MultEQ for optimal sound.
$500 - $1000
Pioneer Elite Vsx-53 Av Network Receiver - 7.1 Channel 3D (Street Price $765)
You can’t go wrong with a Pioneer Elite especially at this price! The VSX-53 is an Airplay capable receiver that supports HDMI 1.4a which means that its 3D capable. There are 7 HDMI inputs and two outputs, iPod support, iOS Air Jam app for control of the unit, and its network capable just to name a few if its features. As far as video processing goes, the VSX-53 scales both analog and digital signals up to 1080p/24fps with the Marvell QdeoTM Video Scaler.
Harman Kardon AVR 3650 7.1-Channel, 110-Watt Audio/Video Receiver with HDMI v.1.4a, 3-D, Deep Color and Audio Return Channel (Street Price $999)
Making this category by $1 the HK 3650 is a tough competitor in this price range. The unit has 6 3D capable HDMI inputs and one output, network connectivity, iPod Support, and Dolby Volume.
Onkyo TX-NR809 THX Certified 7.2-Channel Network A/V Receiver (Street Price $689)
Each year we have at least one Onkyo on the list. Onkyo typically has great value for some higher end features. The 809 continues in that tradition with 8 HDMI Inputs and 2 Outputs with support for 3D and Audio Return Channel, remote apps for both Android and iOS, support for both Dolby Volume and Audyssey Dynamic Volume, THX Select 2 Plus, and so many more! This is truly a bang for the buck receiver!
Greater than $1000
Marantz SR7005 Audio Video Receiver (Street Price $1699)
Besides having a cool design that would look great in any one's equipment rack, the Marantz SR705 is loaded with features:
- Ver.1.4 3D ready 6 HDMI inputs(including 1 front input) 2 selectable outputs
- USB input for music playback with iPhone/iPod and USB memory
- Bluetooth capability with option RX10
- Network player function for music/photo streaming, Compatible with Windows7,
- Audyssey Dynamic Volume, Dyamic EQ, DSX and MultEQ XT room acoustic calibration
- Airplay Compatibility
Integra DTR 80.2 9.2 Channel Network Receiver (Street Price $2800)
When you are ready for some serious AV processing power look no further than the 80.2. Again this unit is loaded with features including Dolby Volume, 8 HDMI inputs capabale of 3D, Network capability, front USB port with iPod support, DLNA certified, Audyssey Dynamic Volume and HDMI Video Upscaling to 1080p/24 with HQV Reon-VX. The DTR 80.2 also has plenty of features for the custom integration crowd including:
- Bi-Directional Ethernet and RS232 Port for Control
- Powered Zone 2/3/4 and Zone 2/3 Pre Outs for Distributed Audio Playback in Multiple Rooms
- Zone 2 and Zone 3 Subwoofer Outputs
- Zone 2 Monitor Output (Component and Composite Video)
- Independent Zone 2 and Zone 3 Bass/Treble/Balance Controls
- Max & Power On Volume Settings for Main Zone & Zone 2/Zone 3
- Dealer Settings Memory Store & Recall with Lock/Unlock
- Permanently Stored Settings
- 2 IR Inputs and 1 Output
- 3 Programmable 12V Triggers (with Adjustable Delay)
- Optional Rack Mount Kit Available (IRK-180-4)
- RIHD (Remote Interactive over HDMI) for System Control*
Reader Comments (5)
Hey Guys,
Thanks for the run-down of Black Friday deals. Even though I think I am a pretty informed shopper, you guys are more informed! I heard a lot of amazing values mentioned during the podcast that I just have to go check out! As you said Ara, "We enjoy spending your money!"
Henry
Ara,
You said you have your eye on the Onkyo TX-NR809. I am looking at the next model up, the TX-NR1009 because I think it hits a real sweet spot. It is 9.2 channels and I'd like to try the new width and/or height channels. It also adds the new DTS Neo:X processing. The 1009 lists for $300 more than the 809 but it looks like there might be better deals on the 809. I would like to get Audyssey MultEQ XT32 processing but that's the next step up to the 3009 which is $800 more. I can't see any other features added to the 3009 (except even beefier amplification) so that seems like a real premium to get the XT32. If I'd go that amount I'd probably go to the Integra 70.3 which also adds Audyssey Sub EQ HT and is $200 more than the Onkyo 3009. The Pioneer Elite SC-55 and SC-57 are also worth a strong look in that price range. Just don't know if I like the idea of their proprietary room processing instead of Audyssey.
I love the buying guides :)
In Canada a lot of the electronics retailers have been doing "Black Friday" like sales to keep consumers shopping in Canada. I was able to pickup the Yamaha RX-V671 mentioned above for $480 CDN at FutureShop. I'm upgrading from a previous low end Yamaha HTR model without HDMI and love the simplicity of getting rid of all those Optical audio cables. Now I have proper video upconversion which makes the kids cartoons look less blocky! My 4 year old runs the whole setup via our Harmony One remote. Looking forward to doing a complete setup/tweaking in the coming weeks.
Amazon has dropped the price on the LG BD630 Blu-ray player. It was $67.99 on December 1 and now it is $59.98 with free Super Saver or Prime shipping.