A/V Receiver recommendations - Details inside

[leeland]

Hello all,

I am looking for recommendations for a midrange A/V receiver for a pretty basic use in our schools athletic 'activity room'

Currently the A/V receiver is old...doesn't have HDMI / Bluetooth...basically is used for the radio...

What I am looking for is something that can output (via HDMI) to two screens at the same time, integrates well with an AppleTV (primary) / Roku (secondary) and has some form of bluetooth connectivity so (if possible) could be controlled via a phone or ipad.

One of the main functions of this setup would be to (broadcast / project) from an ipad (either an app / video / internet browser) via the AppleTV (I don't think this is that difficult to do)...

Other requested functionality would be to be able to control volume and / or input channels possibly from an app via bluetooth...(example would be, start workout session, crank volume...when session ends, mute volume...)

I think our budget would be under 500 dollars...

I just don't know A/V stuff well enough to try to make a decision and do not want to go to BB to get bent over by some 18 year old kid.

Would like it to be 5 channel as we have that speaker configuration already.

Thanks for any input.

 

[kitkat22]

I am a fan of Yamaha's receivers, but for the most part you could probably get away with any reasonably priced 5.1 vs 7.1 receiver. The two screen output won't happen at the receiver, but can be easily accomplished with an HDMI splitter. I am not aware of an app that controls a device by bluetooth. Most are wireless vs IR. you could do an IR blaster/remote similar to the Logitech Harmony remotes.

Amazon - Yamaha RX-V485B

Amazon - HDMI Splitter 1x2

 

[mdram]

many manufactueres have apps that control the avr ' but they work via network

other than that anything should work, as the apple tv, and roku would connect via hdmi

if you get a splitter, make sure its active and supports the hdcp 2.2, to avoid any issues

 

[Meghan54]

I am a fan of Yamaha's receivers, but for the most part you could probably get away with any reasonably priced 5.1 vs 7.1 receiver. The two screen output won't happen at the receiver, but can be easily accomplished with an HDMI splitter. I am not aware of an app that controls a device by bluetooth. Most are wireless vs IR. you could do an IR blaster/remote similar to the Logitech Harmony remotes.

Amazon - Yamaha RX-V485B

Amazon - HDMI Splitter 1x2

Denon does have apps to control their receivers, well, at least a few. For instance, the 540BT:

AVR-S540BT (2018) 5.2 Ch. 4K Ultra HD AV Receiver with Bluetooth and Dolby Vision AV Receivers | Denon

Bring amazing audio to your home with the AVR-S540BT (2018) 5.2 Ch. 4K Ultra HD AV Receiver with Bluetooth and Dolby Vision. Home theater receivers from Denon integrate your home entertainment flawlessly.

usa.denon.com

"Better control in your back pocket. The Denon 500 Series Remote app for iOS and Android makes using the AVR-S540BT even easier — adjust volume, turn it on or off, mute the music, and select a source. Download the Denon 500 Series Remote app today. "


Denon has a few others, as does Marantz (but that shouldn't be surprise since Marantz and Denon are from the same company.)

Others do exist, too, but I'm too lazy to find them.