If you know what a home theater receiver is, you know that it receives audio signals from various components and then decodes them to power the home theater system. The next big thing to hit home theater systems is 3-D. Onkyo has jumped on board to embrace this new technology with a range of AV receivers in its new model, Onkyo TX-SR308 Home Theater Receiver; this model boasts all of the latest technology.

This particular model has three HDMI 1.4 inputs and a 5.1 channel receiver. They should support 3-D playback and audio return channel. The simple front layout makes it easier to use. The volume control is on the right and standby button is on the left. There’s a digital display, but it’s faint enough not to be distracting if you are watching your movie in a dark room. There are also inputs for headphone jack and mic, for easier interaction with a single user.

Connectivity is easier, too, with one HDMI output and three HDMI inputs. There are also 4 sets of composite video inputs and two component inputs, for low-resolution devices. The universal port on the Onkyo TX-SR308 is included for the iPod or iPhone. A large market uses these devices, and the company wanted to tap into this most valuable resource.

The unit also supports 3-D video, which means you, the user, can utilize up to three high-definition sources, including popular components of the video like a satellite tuner, gaming console, and BluRay player. Burr-Brown DACs optimizes analog audio performance, and cleaner video and audio sound is possible because of less jitter, thanks to the DACs.

The receiver posts on screen set up menus, which overlay the video image, so that the user can adjust settings without having to navigate back and forth from video to blank screen. There’s direct connectivity for front panel audio input, which means those that use MP3 players or iPods can connect quickly to playback through the front panel. It also has music optimizer technology, which allows users to enhance the quality of musical files that have been compressed in portable music players.

The receivers can be used for multiple rooms, optimized so that it’s not only usable in one main room, such as the living room. Music from outside the home can be listened to on this system as well, for enhanced quality sound, possibly brought in via wall speakers or ceiling speakers.

Home theater receivers do offer certain features, but the Onkyo TX-SR308 Receiver sets the standard even higher. There are many products of this type on the market today, so it will take some time to figure out whether or not this home theater system can deliver on its promises, becoming the new standard in home entertainment value.

Tags: home theater, home theater installers, home theater installation