The BasicsThe Yamaha RX-V1900 Seven Channel Home Theater Receiver falls in the mid-to-high end category for 7.1 channel AV receivers. At a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $1,399.95, this model features 130 watts/channel power, 4x HDMI 1.3a inputs, high definition audio decoding of Dolby TrueHD and dts HD-MA, and video upscaling of 1080p of analog video.Compared to previous models like the Yamaha RX-V1800, the RX-V1900 also adds HD radio, Bluetooth capability (A2DP with optional YBA-10 wireless adapater), Sirius radio, and an 8 point YPAO automatic system calibration.The Yamaha RX-V1900 packs a lot of power all packaged in a premium, very minimalist body featuring hidden buttons and AV inputs to preserve its sleek looks. These are all well-camouflaged behind a panel under the display.The Yamaha RX-V1900 features 192kHz/24-bit DACs for all channels, low-jitter phase-locked loop circuitry, and assignable amps for Yamaha’s ...

The BasicsThe Yamaha RX-V863 7.2 Channel Home Theater Receiver is a surprise buy at an affordable $999.95. It is a surprise since it doesn’t hold back on features despite being priced significantly lower than comparably loaded models.First, you can play all the latest audio formats since the RX-V863 supports native decoding using 3 in/1 out HDMI 1.3 ports. In addition, this model also fully supports up to 36 bit Deep Color, 120Hz refresh rates, and 108024Hz transmission. As a result, you have access to many great sources. 192 kHz/24-bit Burr-Brown DACs and ADCs add a confidence that encoded and decoded audio is optimized for final presentation.Second, the RX-V863 also has 2 (out of 7) 105 watt amplifiers that can be assigned for bi-amp or Zone 2 configurations. Furthermore, it is very generous with connections to accommodate almost all of your ...

Introduction It should come to no surprise that flat panel televisions are all the rage these days, and rightly so. They look great, can be hung on the wall for mega-wow factor and are the reason for marital bliss in countless homes nationwide. The fact that flat screens are as much a fashion item as they are a source of entertainment has done wonders to ease the age-old conflict between a man’s desire for a huge video screen for watching football and a woman’s desire to have an orderly living room. It is my belief that this conflict was a primary motivation for manufacturers to create televisions thin enough to hang on the wall in the first place. I can hear the meetings now: “Make it look nice, so wives will like it and will let their husbands go crazy and ...

Introduction With technology changing so rapidly, especially in the areas of high-definition content and flat panel displays, the rest of the consumer electronics industry has been forced to play catch-up. While many have stepped up, there are those who still seem painfully behind the curve. Well, the designers and engineers over at Yamaha haven’t fallen into that latter category with their new RX-V861 receiver. The RX-V861 represents the current state of the art, not only for Yamaha, but for receivers everywhere, with its seemingly endless array of features. The most important of these is its complete support of 1080p video through its HDMI inputs. When you consider that most receivers boasting the same claims as the RX-V861 cost upwards of two grand or more, the rather modest price of $999.95 for the RX-V861 makes it a relative steal in more ways than one, before even opening the box. However, like all things HDMI (and perhaps, ...

Introduction CD-R and CD-RW technology continues to offer faster ways of recording and archiving media, whether it be copying MP3 files, burning copies of your favorite CDs for your personal use or backing up your computer files, just to name a few. Yamaha’s latest offering, the CRW3200, addresses the need for speed with a CD-R, CD-RW, and CD-ROM drive that has the capability to write data at a blazing 24x. Able to rewrite at 10x and read at 40x, the CRW3200 will also support a wide variety of formats such as CD-DA, CD TEXT, CD-ROM, Mixed Mode CD-ROM (CD-ROM and CD-DA), CD-ROM XA, photo CD, Video CD, CD-i, and CD EXTRA. The CRW3200 is also the first kid on the block with CD-MRW (CD Mount Rainier Rewrite) format. This format allows much easier manipulation of your CD-RW data, eliminating the need for special applications or proprietary drivers to be able to read the disc to ...