AV Receivers

The Home Theater receiver is the nucleus of a home theater system and provides most, if not all, the inputs and outputs that you connect everything, including your television, into. An AV Receiver provides a way of centralizing your home theater system.

Home Theater Receiver’s combines the functions of three major components:

1. Radio tuner for AM/FM and, in some cases, HD (High Definition Radio) or XM-Sirius Satellite Radio.

2. Preamplifier that switches and controls which audio and video source is selected (such as a Blu-ray or DVD player, VCR, CD player, etc...) and processes the incoming stereo or surround sound signals and distributes them to the correct amplifier channels and the subwoofer output. The preamp in an AV receiver can also route video signals coming from source components (such as a Blu-ray player or Cable / Satellite box) and direct the video signal to the television.

3. A built-in Multi-channel audio amplifier (5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 channels) that sends the surround sound signals and power to the speaker system. Many AV Receivers today also have extensive multi-room capabilities that allow you to distribute audio into other rooms in your home.

Also Known As: AV Receiver, Surround Sound Receiver