Six reasons receivers shouldn't be media streamers
If you're looking to buy an AV receiver this year, one of the major step-up features you'll be tempted to pay for is built-in networking. All the receivers we're looking at in the $500 price range have an Ethernet port on the back and support for a variety of streaming-music features, such as Pandora, Rhapsody, Napster, Slacker, and Internet radio. As much as we're fans of those streaming-music services, we'd hesitate to recommend paying extra for getting them built-into a receiver, since AV receivers are our least favorite way to access them. Here's why.
1. Mediocre graphical user interfaces
Just a few years ago, AV receiver user interfaces were terrible, if you even got one at all. Crude white text with a black background was the norm, even on high-end models.
Things have gotten better, but AV receivers' graphical user interfaces (GUIs) still look archaic compared with every other modern home theater device. With Blu-ray players, game consoles, and media streamers all featuring colorful high-def graphics, we've come to expect that from home theater components. Sure, to some extent it's just eye candy, but a well-laid-out interface makes it easier and more enjoyable to use a product.
2. Sluggish navigationAgain, compared with other home theater devices, AV receivers feel sluggish when you're navigating menus. Even something as simple as bringing up the setup menu takes a few moments, compared with the instant response you get on something like the PS3 . And if you're trying to navigate your Rhapsody library (or even worse, search for an artist), all those delays really add up and become frustrating. We're willing to overlook a mediocre GUI, but sluggishness really deters us from using a receiver as a streamer.
3. Expensive to replace
Streaming-media services are still evolving at a rapid pace. Any device you buy now is likely going to feel outdated in two to three years as more services becomes available and existing services improve.
If you're relying on an inexpensive streaming-media box like the Roku XDS or Apple TV , it's not too painful to buy a new $100 box in a few years to get new features. But that's not the case with an AV receiver that costs more than $500. Many buyers tend to hold on to receivers for more like five to 10 years, and the streaming-media features that seemed cutting-edge in 2011 are going to seem ancient in 2021.
4. Don't expect regular updates
Game consoles and media-streaming boxes are regularly updated to get new streaming-media features. (The PS3 didn't even have disc-free Netflix streaming until the end of 2010 and now it's responsible for 30 percent of all Netflix streaming .) I'd be surprised if the same kind of updates were available for this latest round of AV receivers. We expect a similar update cycle to Blu-ray players, where current models may get a few added services this year, but will be left behind once new models come out in 2012. That's not good news for a product you're likely to have for several years.
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Cheap Crap. by aeiben (12 comments ) June 13, 2011 8:52 AM PDT How do you fail to mention the nusic best streaming product out there: SONOS? by visio_del_amor (79 comments ) June 13, 2011 10:20 AM PDT Onkyo, Yamaha, Pioneer, Denon and other AV/Receiver
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