Marantz SR7500 Receiver

[Tommy]

Hello I just recently ordered this receiver and on another board was asking questions about selecting a HDTV Plasma when someone pointed out that the receiver I ordered wouldnt be able to be hooked up to the plasma because its missing certain HDTV connections.

In order to watch HD DVD's and cable what do I need to do? Should I send the receiver back and get something else or buy additional components or a certain type of plasma?

I thought by the reviews and it being $800 I was getting a good one and would just need to go get a tv now. I hate to think I spent that much and still need to go purchase other components if I didnt have too.

[Sonnie]

Hmmm... that receiver has HDMI and Component inputs so it should accept about any type of HDTV output there is. I'm not sure what connection it would be missing.

Have you found a particular Plasma that you like?

Btw... welcome to the Shack!

[Tommy]

Sonnie wrote:

Hmmm... that receiver has HDMI and Component inputs so it should accept about any type of HDTV output there is. I'm not sure what connection it would be missing.

Have you found a particular Plasma that you like?

Btw... welcome to the Shack!

Guy from another site bought up that it did not have the HDMI inputs. I downloaded some specs and I'm not showing any on what I'm looking at either.

If your seeing them somewhere please let me know. I'm ready to cancel the order if I can.

[Sonnie]

OOH... yeah, I now see that it DOES NOT have HDMI inputs/outputs... only component. Component is fine for HDTV but you'd have to get some kind of conversion from DVI or HDMI to Component if you wanted to use the receiver as a switcher.

Personally I'd go for NAD or Denon. I have the Denon 3806 and it is awesome!

[NorwegianDawg]

Tommy, you can still use that reciever...it's just if you have more than one HDMI connection, you'll have to get an external switcher...that's all.

[Tommy]

Receiver came today, it's sitting here in the un-opened box. To sources of video I will be watching, from the cable itself and most often, the dvd player itself.

Sounds like you are both saying this receiver will work for now and down the line I may need to add or change it, which is fine. Not sure what there talking about but hearing there are video changes comming down the line anyway.

Ok, unless someone says I'm wrong here, I'll keep it and move onto more questions, like how to hook it up...

I'll start a new thread with other questions.

Thanks all

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

I recently did some research of receivers in this price range for a friend, and found the 7500 notably lacking in features compared to some of the competition, and it’s remote looks pretty tedious and not-user-friendly. However, as I understand it, a lot of people like Marantz for its discrete amplifier sections.

I guess it largely boils down to whether or not you need HDMI switching, or think you will in the foreseeable future. For instance, you noted that your plasma has HDMI, but it doesn’t do you a lot of good unless you have source components with HDMI.

Others more knowledgeable please comment, but I think component video should give you as good a picture as HDMI. My friend ended up with a Yamaha RX-V1600, so I got a chance to see some of the shortcomings of the format (or perhaps this particular receiver), specifically the upconversion of lower-grade video signals. For instance, when you fast-advance a VCR tape (i.e., through commercials), the picture goes out, until you hit “play” again. I imagine you’d get the same thing with a TIVO or other DVR.

It also irritates me that the HDMI connection is highly insubstantial. It just slips into the socket, not much more secure than the even more insubstantial optical cables. I don’t know why consumer manufactures can’t come up with a secure connection scheme like pro equipment has (i.e., BNC, XLR). Well, at least it’s a single cable, that’s at least some progress. Three separate cables for component video was pretty freakin’ ridiculous.

As far as an outboard HDMI switcher goes, IMO that’s as unappealing as sending all the video signals to the TV, which means you have to deal with separate audio and video switching every time you change sources. But I guess someone likes it, otherwise they wouldn’t make them...

Regards,
Wayne

[bricor]

HDMI is in such a transitional phase right now that I wouldn't worry about your receiver not having it. Run the sources direct to the display and get a universal remote to change inputs automatically (macro's) when you change sources.