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Yamaha's 2015 receiver lineup offers 4K video support and Spotify Connect

​Yamaha has announced four new receivers in its 2015 RX-V range, which now includes support for 4K video and streaming via Bluetooth and Spotify Connect.

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Ty Pendlebury is a journalism graduate of RMIT Melbourne, and has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.
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yamaha-rx-v679.jpg
Yamaha

Yamaha has announced four new receivers in its 2015 RX-V range, which now includes support for 4K video and streaming via Bluetooth and Spotify Connect.

The receivers include the 7.2-channel RX-V779 ($849.95), RX-V679 ($649.95) and RX-V579 ($549.95), as well as the 5.1-channel RX-V479 ($449.95). All receivers feature 4K Ultra HD connectivity with HDMI 2.0 and support HDCP 2.2 for playback of future 4K video streams and UHD Blu-ray.

All units feature Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity -- the later of which enables AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Pandora and vTuner Internet radio. In what seems like an unusual distinction however only the top two receivers feature SiriusXM Internet Radio and Rhapsody.

The RX-V779 and RX-V679 support 4K at 60p 4:4:4 -- which is a measure of how a signal incorporates color information -- but this is best for PC users right now, as no other equipment currently supports it.

The top of the line RX-V779 also includes a Zone 2 HDMI for siphoning audio and video to another room.

Other features include decoding of both Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master audio streams, the company's own YPAO calibration and lastly the frankly weird Virtual Cinema Front technology which lets you put all five speakers at the front and then "simulate" surround. None of the models include support for the object-based surround formats DTS:X or Dolby Atmos.

The receivers will be available in the US this month with no pricing or availability yet announced for the UK or Australia.