Onkyo Expands HDMI 1.4a AVR Selection

By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 6/1/2010

Upper Saddle River, N.J. - Onkyo will expand its selection of A/V receivers (AVRs) with HDMI 1.4a connections with the July shipment of three mid- and upper-mid models at suggested retails of $899 to $1,399.

Networking features in Onkyo AVRs start at a suggested $899 in the TX-NR708.

The three models will join three lower-priced models already shipping with 1.4a inputs and outputs at $299 to $599.

In AVRs, HDMI 1.4a connections support 3D broadcast content in the Side-by-Side Horizontal and Top-and-Bottom formats. They join HDMI 1.4's requirement to support Blu-ray disc and game content in frame-packing formats.

The new AVRs are the $899 TX-NR708 and $1,099 TX-NR808, shipping early July, and the $1,399 TX-NR1008, shipping at the end of July.

They and the three new models shipping earlier this year are the brand's first AVRs with HDMI Thru, which simplifies home-theater connections by letting video content pass through to a connected TV while the receivers are in standby mode. All six models also support HDMI 1.4a's Audio Return channel (ARC) function.

All three new models are networked models certified as Windows 7- and DLNA 1.5-compatible, bringing the opening price of a networked Onkyo AVR with Internet radio capability to $899 from $1,099. Like last year, the networked models deliver networked access to vTuner-supplied Internet radio stations as well as to the Internet music services Pandora, Rhapsody and Sirius Internet Radio. The new models, however, add access to the Napster, Mediafly and Slacker Internet music services.

The three models are also the brand's first with iPhone/iPod-compatible front-side USB port to select songs from a connected iPhone or iPod for playback through the AVRs. As with last year's models, the trio features a back-panel connection for an add-on Onkyo dock to play iPod/iPhone-stored music and video through the connected AVR.

Features common to all three new AVRs include THX Select2 Plus certification, 1080p video up-scaling of all video inputs via Faroudja DCDi Cinema technology, and the Dolby Pro Logic IIz and Audyssey DSX post-processing technologies. The former delivers two front-height channels, and the latter adds height or front-wide channels, or both.

The three models due in July and one model introduced earlier this year are also the brand's first AVRs with RGB PC inputs, and like the three AVRs introduced earlier this year, they are the brand's first with transparent graphical OSD, which enables adjustment of AVR settings during a viewing session.

The TX-NR808 and TX-NR708 are 7.1-channel models, and the TX-NR1008 is a 9.2-channel model. The latter adds ISF video calibration controls for independent optimization of each connected video source.

In multi-room capabilities, the TX-NR708 delivers powered zone 2 or zone 2 line out. The TX-NR808 provides powered Zone 2 as well as pre-outs for zones 2 and 3. And the 9.2-channel TX-NR1008 deliver 5.1-channel surround sound in the main room plus powered stereo audio from two different sources to zones 2 and 3.

From Internet radio or MP3-player sources, the AVRs will play music in the MP3, WMA, WMA lossless, FLAC, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, AAC and LPCM formats.