-Hi, I'm Matthew Moskovciak, Senior Associate Editor at CNET.com, and we're here with the Onkyo HT-RC260.
This is a midrange AV receiver from Onkyo and is currently selling for about $320 online, which is much less than many competing receivers we've seen this year.
Now, the receiver has a typical Onkyo look with a big, bulky design and an all black finish.
There are some additional connectivity on the
front panel, including an HDMI input in the lower left and an AV input in the lower right.
If you turn the unit on the Onkyo's graphical user interface also has a utilitarian feel.
It's a step up from the text-only interfaces available on competing brands and Denon receivers, but it doesn't look quite as nice as what's offered on Yamaha and Pioneer's models.
Still, you'll probably only see these menus during the setup, so, it's not a huge loss.
Around back, you'll find the real strength of the Onkyo, which is connectivity.
There are 5 HDMI inputs on the back, plus the front panel input, which is 6 HDMI inputs total.
That's an outstanding value considering it's selling for about $320.
Those HDMI inputs are also all 3D compatible and support audio return channel functionality.
But they don't support standby passthrough, which is something that's offered on some competitors.
There are also plenty of analog video connections on the back, and the
Onkyo is capable of upscaling them to 1080p over its HDMI output.
One thing you may notice is that there's no iPod connectivity out of the box.
So, you'll have to purchase Onkyo's proprietary iPod dock if you're looking to connect an iPod.
Now, while we're generally big fans of the sound of Onkyo's AV receivers, we were under-whelmed by the sound quality of the HT-RC260.
We're guessing Onkyo had to make some compromises to hit the lower price point, and we felt that sound lacked detail, and it was a full step
behind competitors like the Pioneer VSX-1020-K and the Denon AVR-1911.
So, altogether, the Onkyo HT-RC260 offers an extraordinary value for a receiver with 6 HDMI inputs, but it wouldn't be our first choice for audio files on a budget.
I'm Matthew Moskovciak from CNET, and this is the Onkyo HT-RC260.
