Sony STRDG920 7.1-Channel Audio/Video Receiver

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Wow! Wow! Wow! That is all I can say about this superb multi channel receiver. I have a new 37" flat screen tv, a new blu ray player and my existing speakers for a 5.1 surround experience. The receiver is what makes or breaks a home theater experience so which one you purchase is very important. Price is not a factor for me when purchasing a receiver. I did much research of professional reviews, user reviews and looked at its true capabilities. This one looked like the perfect fit for me.

And that proved to be an understatement. Setting up a piece of equipment has never been easier. The instruction booklet and on screen menu are so simple to use and very explicit in describing why each step is taken and what each option will provide. HDMI cords provide the best and highest quality of sound and video. I simply attached my DVR, blu ray player into the slots in back of the receiver. This receiver has 4 available hdmi inputs so you can attach 4 different pieces of eqiuipment for hdmi connection. Amazing - such a bonus. Then I easily followed the instructions to attach my speaker wires, hooked an HDMI cord from the receiver out to my tv and I was set to go.

SET UP IS SO SIMPLE. There is a first step that performs initial setup of the receiver and is a step that can always take you back to the original settings if you make some mistakes and need to start fresh. The auto calibration works amazingly well. I performed the task with the steps given and it accurately measured the distance of each speaker from sitting position and set levels perfectly. You also have 3 different calibration settings for 3 different listening locations. So when I am in bed I click position 2 and the speakers adjust to my new location. Awesome!

The unit also has a dynamic range compressor with settings to blend the loud and soft noises more closely together. I needed this for I live in an apt. and without using this features the noise level on action blu rays got very loud. There is also a night setting which lowers the base but keeps the audio at a perfect listening level.

Finally, for the first time, I have my regular tv always in surround sound and I am blown away. This receiver also has excellent audio with the blu ray using tru audio and all audio options available on blu ray are here. You will be blown away by the experience it provides. All speakers work amazingly well. Another plus is my tv accepts up to 1080p hdmi and this receiver delivers it. There are 3 different movie audio modes and so many other options I have had no need for yet.

Many electrical components now come with a simple set up guide and a cd you must use to print out or look at the actual users guide. This receiver has a 115 page user guide and everything is laid out step by step. And as I said the menu that appears on the tv is very user friendly.

I have written such a lengthy review for recievers are very important and deciding which one to get is a difficult task. I have never had a receiver that worked this well, was so easy to set up and had so many features. Also important is that it has the capacity for any new advances that may come out in blu ray or hi def services. This unit also has set up for up to 7.1 audio. I only have 5.1 and that was so easy to set up. But it has the capacity if I ever want to get more speakers or blu rays start releasing in 7.1 audio.

I highly recommend this receiver. It is not settling in any way. It has all the features you need and performs superbly. You will love it.

If you're fan of fancy menus, colored lights, and lots of buttons, look elsewhere. The DG920 receiver is very bland and has nothing fancy about it.

If you are browsing this item, then you likely want a mid-class receiver that'll handle your audio-video signals & also act as an HDMI switch repeater. This Sony model does it perfectly.

The manual is so poorly organized that I threw it aside and just plugged my cables in. Everything works right off the bat, and there's no complicated setup. I have HDMI output to my Samsung 52" LCD TV, and I've used all 4 HDMI inputs for my PS3, Xbox360, Digital Cable PVR, and a 4th connection that goes in-wall all the way to my computer desk (a total of 35 feet worth of HDMI cabling for this one). No signal problems whatsoever from any of the inputs, including a 1080p PS3 test on my 35 feet connection. Absolutely no degradation in image quality. I've also plugged a Nintento Wii via analog cables and everything's fine too.

I would have maybe given 4 stars instead of 5 because the receiver is IR only ... unless you don't mind constantly aiming when you have to adjust volume. The remote also feels very cheap.


P.S. It runs kinda hot, so a heads-up for you guys using cabinets with glass doors. My old Sony receiver did the same and it never worried me, even behind glass doors.

The product didn't have HDMI output working out of the box. I took it to a local authorized repair place and they fixed it in a couple days at no charge. SONY wanted me to pay to send it to Texas, but the local place is only a few miles away. They said it was a damaged IC. Once I got it hooked up it worked great. The sound is very impressive and the HDMI switching and upscaling works great. It automatically takes care of video switching. Even the VCR plays thru the HDMI cable. The xbox 360 and the Directv box have had no problems.

Other than the total lack of knowledge at SONY support(they're best advise - try unplugging it), I would recommend this unit. But as others have said, the manual needs work. If you need help setting it up - try calling a friend before customer support!

For the benefit of other greybeards like myself who may still want to be able to play their old vinyl, I should like to add that of the STR-DG520, STR-DG720, STR-DG820 and STR-DG920, only the last-named has a phono input!

I bought this receiver to replace my old Sony STR-K502, which was part of a dvd home theater system, and recently was having problems with the center channel speaker output. I did some research between the STRDG820 and 920 and found that the 920 allows output of all connections through the HDMI port.
I recently purchased a Sony Bravia Z-Series KDL-40Z4100/B 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV, Black, and planned to add a Blu-Ray player, the fact that this receiver could handle multiple HDMI inputs, most others could only handle 1 or 2 unlike the 4 on this unit. I wanted something that, i felt, would be upgradeable for a few years.
I have been very pleased with the performance of this unit since I purchased it.

Pros for me so far-
HDMI output of all connections
Onscreen setup menu
Control for HDMI- Like the fact that it sets the input to the correct device I am using at the time
4 HDMI inputs

Cons-
I have tried to think of some problems that I have had with it but haven't run into any yet.