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| AV Receiver |  Surround sound is a term applied to several types of processes that help the listener to undergo sound coming from all directions, depending on the source material.
If you want to get surround sound, you need a component that can decode and reproduce surround sound from a source, such as a DVD. Most commonly, this component is referred to as an AV Receiver (Audio/Video Receiver), Home Theater Receiver, or Surround Sound Receiver.
An AV Receiver include the functions of three elements:
1. A radio tuner for AM/FM and, sometimes, HD (High Definition Radio) or XM-Satellite Radio.
2. A Preamplifier that switches and regulates which audio and video source is chousen (such as a DVD player, VCR, CD player) and processes the stereo or surround sound signals that come to receiver and sends them to the proper amplifier channels and the subwoofer output.
The preamp in an AV receiver can also regulate video signals coming from source components (such as a DVD player) and allow them to come to the television.
3. A built-in Multi-channel amplifier that transmits the surround sound signals and power to the speaker system.
The AV
receiver is the key point of a home theater system and offers most, if not all, the inputs and outputs that you connect everything, including your television, into. An AV Receiver offers an easy and comfortable way of centralizing your home theater system.
Nevertheless, there are a lot of higher-end installations, where the functions of an AV Receiver are often carried out by separate components: Preamp/Processor, Tuner, and either a single multi-channel amplifier or even separate amplifiers for each channel. Such a setup offers more flexibility in switching out and/or modernization the separate aspects of the system as well as isolating any interference that is caused by having all these functions united in a signal chassis and sharing the same power supply. Nevertheless, a good AV Receiver will function good for the average consumer.
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