Advantage to receiver with HDMI?

I'm curious about this also - I understand wanting to go from the components to the receiver (or Pre/Pro) with HDMI but doesn't HDMI also cary the audio signal? Don't we all want the audio signal to be heard thru speakers other than those built into the TV? If so, why would I want to connect to the TV with HDMI? I've asked several sales people and have not gotten an answer.

In addition to the above statements, some recievers will upsample all video to HDMI or DVI therefore you will only have to use one input on the TV. This much simplifies watching and listening because when you switch inputs on your reciever, the picture on the TV changes to the same as the reciever.

So I have a question to go with this.

I only have 1 piece of equipment thats HDMI and its my DV-59avi. Which way should I go?

dvd player -hdmi- reciever -hdmi- Media Reciever -standard cable- plasma
or
dvd player -hdmi- Media Reciever -standard cable - plasma
dvd player -digital coax- reciever
or
dvd player -hdmi- plasma
dvd player -digital coax- reciever

with so many options on cabling I'm having a hard time deciding which would be better. all hdmi would be more expensive but if theres an advantage in some way I might do it.

thanks

If you only have one video device, I would go strait to the plasma. I would go through the reciever if multible video devices are to be used. But I would only do so if the reciever upsamples everthing to HDMI. Since the 59 has it's own upsampling, use HDMI in and out of the reciever with the 59. I don't know what you mean by Media reciever.

The last answer is best for your situation at this time. So DVD player to plasma. Be sure to not get too long a length for your HDMI connect. Anything over 15 feet degrades video quality as a stand alone cable at this time for HDMI cabling.

Then COAX digital ( or optical) audio out from DVD player to your receiver. The use of HDMI ( high definition multimedia interface) allows HDCP to be passed along with both the video and audio signal for copywrite protection purposes allowing and requiring data handshakes to occur along a signal path; any disruption/interference means no picture signal and no sound and probably an equipment player shutdown in the future. HD-DVD makers want to ensure no copying of their high def DVDs etc in the future.

The final HDMI plug type, not yet decided, will likely be different than current. Audio codec will be called DTS-HD at this point and no currernt receievrs can decode it fully...yet. The point- possibly new equipment in the future that doesnt yet exist so might not want to sink a whole lot of cash in to stuff unless money isn't an issue.