TechDad Central is a big fan of the Iron Chef shows. First it was the Japanese-produced Iron Chef that ran from 1993-1999 and now I'm hooked on the domestic sequel; Iron Chef America. These shows combine 
two of TechDad Central's favorites; sport and food! If you haven't yet seen an episode, check it out -- especially if it features my personal hero, Iron Chef Mario Batali.
So in the spirit of great Iron Chef battles past, I present:
Battle Video: A/V Receiver vs. Plasma TV
Where our judges (actually just me) decide which component will be the main controller for our media center; managing all of the audio and video sources. Let's introduce our combatants:
The Challenger - my new Panasonic Plasma TV
Traditionally, TV's were not the center of your media system. The duties were split between video -- TV; and audio -- receiver. This meant that for every component in your system; DVD players, CD jukeboxes, gaming consoles, etc. a set of video cables went to the TV and a separate set of audio cables went to your receiver.
The introduction of digital media technology changed all of this; specifically the standardization of HDMI as a single cable that will carry both audio and video signals.
Now, instead of a matrix of separate cables, one component can act like the hub for all of your video/audio sources. You would think that the A/V Receiver is the logical choice but the good folks at Panasonic have made this less than obvious.
My new 50" plasma came equipped with a veritable battalion of input jacks; 4 HDMI, 2 composite video, 2 S-video jacks and even a PC input in case you want to use the plasma as a giant monitor. It also has a digital audio output jack so that I can feed the matching audio signal back to my receiver. That way, whatever video source is showing on the TV, my receiver could play the matching audio through all of my way cool speakers ... as opposed to the horrific-sounding speakers that are standard issue for all thin, flat screen TV's today.
If I were using an Old School receiver that only handles audio, this would be a simple decision. This new TV would become the central component. But wait ... the Iron Chef has a few tricks up his sleeve!
The Iron Chef - my Panasonic A/V Receiver
Similar to the new Iron Chef America series, today's receivers are considerably updated from their ancestors, hence the name change to Audio/Video Receiver.
My Panasonic SA-BX500 A/V Receiver also manages both video and audio with style. With 3 HMDI inputs and one HDMI output (to the TV) plus a vast array of other audio and video jacks (you name it, this unit has it -- including an optional iPod dock). This A/V Receiver makes a serious bid to be the central component of the system.
The key here is the HDMI jacks. This means that my new BluRay player, Roku Netflix box and satellite receiver can connect to the A/V Receiver via HDMI ... with a single HDMI cable going out to the TV.
As the Chairman would say, "Allez Remote! Let the battle begin!"
First Course:
The plasma TV comes out of the blocks quickly with its 4 HDMI input jacks versus only 3 for the A/V recevier. This means that I can hook up one more additional HDMI component ... you never know when you'll need 4!
Second Course:
The A/V Receiver counters with surround sound, a crushing blow to the TV. Turns out that audio coming back out of the TV, although digital, loses it Doby Surround Sound capabilities. If I can't use those rear speakers to hear explosions or the sound of a great slapshot whistle by my head during the Stanley Cup play-offs, then why did I spend 8 hours running speaker wire under the floor to get them connected?
Third Course:
The plasma TV follows this lead and slams the A/V Receiver with its lack of video upconversion. Upon closer inspection, the A/V Receiver will only send high-definition signals up to the TV over the HDMI jacks. I tried hooking up my old VCR using a composite cable to the A/V Receiver and no video appeared. After some research in the manual (a first for me), I learned that the A/V Receiver sends the video "out" via whatever type of connector it came "in" on. Since I have an old VCR and a camcorder that I want to connect via composite and S-video, that means another set of cable for each going up to the TV ... what a pain. I was sure that this high-end receiver would upconvert any incoming video signal and send it back out again over HDMI. TechDad Central was crushed when my cherished VHS copy of "Stop Making Sense" sounded great ... but no video appeared ... when played on the VCR.
Fourth Course
The A/V Recevier was falling behind fast, but like every great Iron Chef it turned to a trusted sous chef in the heat of battle. In this case, my cherished Harmony One Universal Remote was summoned to the fray. The gourmet challenges on Iron Chef are just like setting up a media center; how do you blend together different items to make the final product greater than the sum of its parts?
In this case, it's a universal remote. I first tried to program my universal remote for all of my components with the plasma TV as the centerpiece and it was just too complex. I then repeated the exercise with the A/V Receiver and was successful getting all of the components, including my legacy VCR and camcorder to work.
Judgement
The verdict was handed down and it was unanimous .... my A/V Receiver became the central component. Although the plasma TV showed some serious skills, the combination of a lack of surround sound coming back out of the TV coupled with the Universal Remote issues resulted in a clear margin of victory. I ran a composite video cable for the VCR and an S-video cable up to the TV to connect my old stuff, and everything was in place.
As always ... keep your remotes within reach.
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