Review on Sony STR-DH520 7.1 Channel 3D AV Receiver (Black) - Discontinued Model by Rodney Sample

Wanted a new receiver to complement my other new home entertainment/HTPC. I wanted an inexpensive receiver to connect everything via HDMI. It took some time and a little reading of the instructions to figure out how to do it right. The menu navigation on the receiver is quite confusing, but I think the little effort is made up for by the lower price. It's only been installed for a few days, but performance seems good. Pros: - Price - lots of features for the price - HDMI reduces the clutter of cables used in RCA/Component based setups - HDMI Pass-Through - this is a great feature. I was concerned about having to leave the receiver on at all times, but turning on the pass-through feature will pass the HDMI signal through even when the receiver is in standby (sleep) mode. This basically means you can only use the TV audio out if you don't want to use external HT speakers. Cons: - When connected to an HTPC, the receiver didn't like the high refresh rate. I had the frequency set to 60Hz and the screen was showing dots that came and went as the PC refreshed the screen frequency. I lowered the refresh rate to 30Hz and it looks like the speckle issue has been fixed. The menu system is cluttered, difficult to navigate and requires the receiver's remote control. I have a Bravia TV but can't figure out how to get the sync to work. Overall I am very satisfied with the purchase. It doesn't have all the features of some of the newer receivers, but for about half the price, you get most of the basic benefits you need for new components. The audio output is more than I need for my application, so basically a thumbs up. Would have Given 5 stars if Sony had taken a little more time and made an adjustment on the screen to make things a little less confusing.