Yamaha unveils five AV receivers
updated 04:15 pm EST, Wed February 27, 2008
New Yamaha AV receivers
Taking its own turn after Sony, Yamaha has announced five new AV receivers for 2008. The base model is the RX-V363, which supports 5.1 channels with 100W of audio each. It is 1080p-capable, but has only two HDMI inputs (plus three component ports), and is only compatible with iPods and Bluetooth devices through optional accessories. Pricing is set at $230.
The V463 upgrades to 105W per channel, and is both XM- and Sirius-ready. It also adds a display, and supports automatic speaker calibration. The V563 makes the leap to 7.1 channels, but only produces 90W per channel. This is compensated for with the addition of component video upconversion, as well as a second audio zone, and four S-Video inputs. The 463 is $350 while the 563 is $450.
The high end starts with the V663, armed with 95W per channel. It still has just two HDMI inputs, but it supports the HDMI 1.3 standard, and can decode both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Also in place is HDMI upconversion, with the ability to deinterlace analog sources to 480p. Five S-Video inputs are present. At the top is the V863, which returns to 105W per channel, has three HDMI 1.3 inputs, and can tune in HD Radio. The 863 also boasts the most digital audio inputs, with three optical and two coaxial ports. The 663 and 863 cost $550 and $1,000, respectively. [via Crave]
