What Your Audio Receiver Can Do

29.11.2010 | Author: Lonnie Shanley | Posted in Product Reviews

If you are not familiar with the term audio receiver, this is a device that takes an audio signal and gives it amplification in order to improve your home theatre experience. They evolved from the three-part stereo receivers, which consisted on a pre-amplifier, a power amplifier, and a tuner. Since then, its functions have expanded as well as its other features, and it is now known as an audio receiver. For the unaware, however, it can be misleading, because most audio receivers of today do not just process audio signal, but video signals as well. They are more correctly named audio video receivers, AV receivers for short. Sometimes, they are also called home theatre receivers.

Unlike its predecessor, the modern audio receiver has a lot of features.

Reception for Radio

You can access both AM and FM radio from an audio receiver. This is because it is usually built in with a tuner for both frequencies. New models have an innovative new feature- satellite radio tuner. They come with an antenna which can access other satellite frequencies. The user can tune into this by signing up for a subscription to special radio stations. There are other kinds of radio tuners available too, like those of higher density and those that can stream AV files through a computer through Internet or Ethernet connections.

Decoder Formats

Decoders are usually provided by an audio receiver. They can provide multiple decoders for multiple channels containing audio data. The first format for movie soundtracks to be used was the Dolby Pro Logic, which had center and surround channels that were integrated into right and left channels through matrixing. Because most receivers of that time came with decoders for the Dolby Pro Logic format, they were able to separate these two formats.

The Dolby digital format was introduced with the advent of DVD. It soon became the standard format, and most receivers were compatible with it, which meant that they came with amplifiers and inputs to accommodate the added channels of DVD. Even to this day, most audio video receivers in the market come with a decoder for the Dolby Digital format, and have available S/PDIF input that can connect to a source for the Dolby Digital output.

New AV receivers also have a DTS sound decoder. This is because DTS and the Dolby group introduced the rear center surround channel, and the AV receivers in turn, accommodated these new developments by integrating decoders in their systems. One way to tell if the audio receiver has technologies for both is if it has six amplifiers.

Likewise, all audio receivers have been incorporating new decoders to keep up with the new kinds of players that came into the market.

DSP Technology

DSP stands for digital signal processor, which is responsible for balance and equalization of sound in a receiver, as well as audio effects. There is no more need to transfer to a specific location to achieve the acoustics of a particular recorded sound. Field simulations featured in a DSP make it possible for the user to choose and control his type of sound through echo and surround sound.

Amplification Channels

Each audio receiver has an average of 5 amplification channels, and almost always more than two.

Audiovisual Connectors

There are many different connectors for audio and video, such as analog audio, digital audio, component video, HDMI, SCART video, S-video and composite video.

These are the basic features of an audio receiver. More advanced AV receivers may include upscaling and conversion options, on top of the necessary ones.

Find out more about the products your are about to buy. Get independent reviews of the best home audio receivers and the best penny stock pick from reliable websites.. This article, What Your Audio Receiver Can Do is released under a creative commons attribution license.

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