[warren112]

I am also looking at the Integra DTR 7.8 and 8.8 receivers. I feel it is mostly a matter of video upscaling and and extra $1000.

I plan on going with the DTR 7.8 as video upscaling is not important to me. The Sony 52xbr4 displays 480i perfectly great, and also displays 1080i great. These are the outputs of my Tivo series 3 HD dvr connected using a HDMI cable. I will also be getting a (Sony?) blu ray dvd player which I will use for both blu ray disks and for regular dvds.

The 7.8 does not do upscaling on the HDMI inputs and only does a 480i to 480p upscaling on the other video inputs (such as S video or composite video). It has 3 HDMI inputs and is 130 watts per channel.

The 8.8 has the HQV Reon VX chip. This allows it to do upscaling to 1080p. It also has 4 HDMI inputs and 140 watts per channel. Video upscaling is by default turned off and must be enabled as part of setup.

Even with black bars on the sides, the Sony TV looks great. I would be interested in anyone who has experience with the HQV Reon upscaling and whether it is worth it. I hate video distortion.