It Burns!

Recently, today actually, someone in my cabal of fellow Xbox gamers mentioned that some member of his family was in the market for a new A/V receiver. As I am drawn to the A/V desires of others like a moth to the flame, I couldn't help but offer my assistance in researching possible options. Some would call me nosy, others would call me helpful. This is something I do. I enjoy researching A/V stuff, so when I see someone in need, I swoop down and offer to Google things for them. Not sure what about their lives is so compelling that they themselves can't Google things, but obviously they have more going on than I do. I am ok with this.

His list of features is as follows:

• THX certification
• HDMI switching
• auto setup with microphone
• $1000 ceiling
• ability to have HDMI audio out to speakers and TV at the same time

Not really sure why that last one is important, but it sounds like something a wife would ask for, so it becomes more necessary than the other parts. I haven't found anything yet, at least not with all of those features but I remain undaunted. This is the part I enjoy the most of the hunt, the comparing and contrasting of the various units, further whittling down the choices until finally the best choice stands alone, gleaming in the sun. I know it's strange, but it's either this or pornography and frankly, I have a better chance of getting with a Yamaha RX-V2600 than I do a Playboy playmate, so forgive me if I hedge my bets towards the hardware.

What this does though, is make me want all new A/V equipment. When I see the joys of HDMI switching, I want it, I crave it despite the fact that in my basement I have a grand total of 1 item that can output an HDMI signal and said item, when hooked up to my projector via HDMI, doesn't look any better than via component video. I want 7.1 processing, even though there aren't any 7.1 dvd's out there, and my receiver is smart enough to take 5.1 and make it 7.1. I want THX certification even though I have no idea what that is, nor what that will give me other than the approving gaze of a one Mr. George Lucas. I want 1080p upconversion even though I don't have any displays in my house capable of such a glorious picture, nor would I of the altered flaps notice any difference between that and 1080i. I want these things because they're out there, I'm reading about them and I can get them in a receiver that's the same price as the one I bought a year ago.

Bah! No sense pining over things I can't have. I guess I can calibrate my tv in the meantime to help take the edge off of things and I'll always have my Radio Shack sound meter for those cold, cold nights. 80 dB never felt so good.