I need to replace an aging Sherwood AV receiver with something more current. This is being driven by the purchase of a new TV without RCA plug audio outputs.
The TV is Samsung 4k 3D (40", it's not a big room). The vast majority of video content will come from the TV (eg via its Netflix, Amazon or Plex apps), although I also have a Samsung 4k 3D BluRay player which won't see a lot of use but I want to take advantage of when I do. I have a Virgin cable box but rarely use it.
I am really confused about what I actually need in AV functionality.
4k upscaling: both my TV and my BluRay offer this. Why would I want that in my AV? Out of a £800 TV, a £80 BluRay player and (say) a £200 AV receiver, surely I should expect the TV to do the best upscaling?
The TV likely has sufficient HDMI ports for my immediate requirements, so surely I only actually need to process the TV's audio output? If so, optical or ARC? Do I care how many HDMI ports the AV receiver has, or even whether they support 4k?
From an audio only point of view, I'd like to bring in my old turntable and probably other audio only sources (Bluetooth if the receiver doesn't support it directly, DAB at some point, etc.) (Why isn't DAB routinely provided alongside FM/AM these days?)
I'm not an audiophile, but I'd like to do better than the TV speakers. I currently have a 2.1 setup, so 5.1 would easily suffice although I'm not sure I'd ever get around to cabling rear speakers.
The TV is wall mounted with a stack underneath of separates, a bass speaker and two floor standing front speakers either side of the stack (ie only about 20" apart). There doesn't seem an obvious way to mount a soundbar which might otherwise be an obvious option.
Where do I start?
The TV is Samsung 4k 3D (40", it's not a big room). The vast majority of video content will come from the TV (eg via its Netflix, Amazon or Plex apps), although I also have a Samsung 4k 3D BluRay player which won't see a lot of use but I want to take advantage of when I do. I have a Virgin cable box but rarely use it.
I am really confused about what I actually need in AV functionality.
4k upscaling: both my TV and my BluRay offer this. Why would I want that in my AV? Out of a £800 TV, a £80 BluRay player and (say) a £200 AV receiver, surely I should expect the TV to do the best upscaling?
The TV likely has sufficient HDMI ports for my immediate requirements, so surely I only actually need to process the TV's audio output? If so, optical or ARC? Do I care how many HDMI ports the AV receiver has, or even whether they support 4k?
From an audio only point of view, I'd like to bring in my old turntable and probably other audio only sources (Bluetooth if the receiver doesn't support it directly, DAB at some point, etc.) (Why isn't DAB routinely provided alongside FM/AM these days?)
I'm not an audiophile, but I'd like to do better than the TV speakers. I currently have a 2.1 setup, so 5.1 would easily suffice although I'm not sure I'd ever get around to cabling rear speakers.
The TV is wall mounted with a stack underneath of separates, a bass speaker and two floor standing front speakers either side of the stack (ie only about 20" apart). There doesn't seem an obvious way to mount a soundbar which might otherwise be an obvious option.
Where do I start?