What will be the 'next big thing'? (1 Viewer)

[Kenneth Harden]

In a few months, I might pull the trigger on a Denon 2805 or 3805, depending on the price and some other factors.

I got to wondering: a few years ago we had 5.1, then 6.1, and now 7.1 is the norm on most receivers.

We have new versions of DD and DTS. That sort of stuff.

As I don't have the money, room, or reason to go with anything more than 5.1, I am not concerned with that. However, what will be the next big thing in receivers and surround sound? I figure it will not be adding more speakers, but better processing and new, better formats?

Is there anything on the horizon that I should look for, or should I buy a 3805 for my 90% stereo listening?

Just thinking out loud. At a certain point, people cannot put up any more speakers (unless that have a big room and are doing custom work with mixing multiple channels and such) and we will just be working with 7.1 or whatever.

 

[Dan J S]

I don't think there's any new audio formats on the horizon, but the connectivity in high dollar pre/pros like the D1 are already being expanded to include:

- HDMI and DVI video switching
- iLink for all in one video/DVD-A digital audio interface (that's assuming anyone except Denon wants to use it)
- firewire for same reason

The most interesting development to watch will be the digital amplifiers like the one currently used in the Panasonic SA-XR50. I haven't heard of any flagship recievers going that route but I think it's only a matter of time.

 

[Rob Kramer]

Sony's upper line of ES receivers are digital.

 

[Danny Tse]

i.Link digital output for SACD to be available next month on the Sony C2000ES 5-disc SACD/CD changer (no video section for this player). MSRP US$400.00.

And it looks like SACD will be coming out with video....on one side of the disc, no less!!

http://www.stereophile.com/news/081604sacs2cd/

 

[Dan J S]

Very interesting. And article I read about DD+ says it's intended at the moment for OTA broadcasts at a lower bit-rate than DD5.1. I hope if HD-DVD goes this way they bump up the bitrates higher than DD5.1 is. It seems pointless to me to lower the fidelity of the 5 channels in order to accommodate 2 more. At least it'll be backward compatible, so our 5.1 systems aren't going to be useless.

Back to the original question - the Denon 3805 is very up-to-date and includes the i-Link should you decide to get one of the high-end Denon DVD players.

 

[Rob Kramer]

No it does not. It has Denon-link, a completely different standard (only to be used w/ Denon DVD players - and does not pass SACD).


DD+ supports bitrates up to 6 Mbps. The broadcast industry is just interested in using a low bitrate in order to squeze 7.1 on the same bandwidth.

 

[Steve_AS]

in addition to these NBTs, I predict that the enxt generation of HT receivers will have built-in wireless network antennae/receivers (i.e., be a wireless digital media receiver), so that people can send music and video from their computers to their AV systems, wirelessly. It would be nice also if the receivers could decode more than just mp3 (e.g., lossless formats like FLAC and APE and WMA lossless).

 

[Garrett Lundy]

Auto calibration will probably be a big seller. I think its reason mid-line Yamaha models sell as well as they do.

*DVI switching
*HDMI switching
*video processing n the reciever.