I use and Onkyo AV receiver to control my living room AV however I have hit a snag.?

Question

My receiver does all my Video and Audio switching and the TV stays on AV1 with the volume down. It is very convienient. I have an old CRT TV and control digital TV via SD set top box via onkyo learner remote. It all works great. One remote. I am looking at buying a HD intergrated LCD TV. These TVs with the tuners built in don't seem to carry HD video outputs, or am I wrong about that. I guess why would they as the screen is right there incorporated. The problem is now when I move between DVD or Pay TV to Free to air digital TV I will have to change inputs on the TV and then go back and still change the Onkyo to get the audio matched up. It is so nice switching one piece of gear and the video and audio follow. I have the wife convinced its now easy to use and this will stuff it up again. Any solutions? My only thoughts are possibly HD set top: although waste of money really. User training the only answer I think. Thanks

Answer 1

Yes you will now have to switch inputs on the TV if you switch to the built in tuner. This doesn't have to be a nightmare...as long as you go with a major brand TV and get yourself a universal remote. If you thought it was easy before then you will love having a universal remote with macros. I recommend an MX-350 if you don't want to spend too much. Also make sure the TVs remote has discrete inputs. This means that you don't have to press a sequence of button pushes to get to the right input but just a single button push to get you to whichever input you want. This way you can program the remote to turn everything on with 1 button push and switch everything to the correct input with the next. No matter what input it is already on. You can look at Harmony remotes too. They are good for a standard hookup but lag when it encounters weird system hookups. But you can call the Harmony tech support guys and they will help out.

Otherwise switch to DirecTV so you don't have to switch to an internal tuner. You will also get way more HD channels.

Answer 2

Just run everything through the receiver.  You may need to upgrade to one that supports HD.  Onkyo makes sever...look at the tx-sr605.