home theatre receiver under $1,000


hi...haven't posted here for a long time...more into hifi...got a Linn rig etc...
my question is what is out there for a home theatre receiver for under a grand, i don't want to go balls out on the home theatre but have as good as i can get quality wise for the dollar
What i want is a super simple set up,i'm NOT interested in these hall reverbs and jazz sounds that the Japanese receivers offer...i want a superb plug in and play deal,MINIMUM features and caters to the HDMI blue ray crowd...i am a bit naive on this subject but must emphasise on the MINIMUM front panel digital features(reverbs ect)..
i guess its 7.1 now isnt it??
anyway...sorry if this is confusing
j
jroutensowhat
Ckorody: Excellent post!

Jroutensowhat: Spend a few more $$$ and go for the Onkyo-876 or, better yet, the 906.

I've been using the 876 ($1200 @ Amazon) for a few months now and am very happy.

Now if we can just talk Victor at BAT into making an AV receiver...
buy a denon 101 system, i own one and for watching movies and listening to music video it is great, simple set up ,good looks and does the job..i know it doesn;t cost enough. you can get one, the entire system for 600.00 incl.speakers, dvd,cd and subwoofer....check it out..dwhitt
(I just posted something similar on another HT thread)
The Denon 2809CI can be picked up at Sixth Ave Electronics (6ave.com) for $900 shipped. Its listed at $1199 but this coupon code gives you 25% off: AFLAUD25. I don't know why but it works for current model receivers including Denon and Yamaha.

6th Ave is an authorized reseller and listed on Denon's site as such.

I did a bit of research and narrowed my choice down to the 2809CI for these reasons:
7.1 (or 5.1 with a 2nd zone)
4 HDMI 1.3a inputs
Audyssey MultEQ XT for room calibration
115 wpc
1080p upscaling (but only for analog inputs, not HDMI)

The Onkyo's looked like a better value on paper but I didn't like some of the reviews I read (sorry, I don't remember which ones so I can't cite the sources).

Also, I'm upgrading from a Denon 3802 which has performed flawlessly but doesn't have HDMI inputs or the latest codecs.
I admire the NAD style but do they support the newest digital high def surround formats?