I really didn't want to buy a receiver. On top of that, I really didn't want an Onkyo--I didn't know much about it and the Yamahas were something I'd had a good track record with. I had to get a receiver because mine was just too old for any of these connections--Composite Video was the best it had to offer. I passed on Yamaha because the price difference at the time was insane.
Consider me impressed: the back of the TX-SR 806 is bristling with connectors, just about anything I could imagine. It even has plugs for Sirius or XM Satellite Radio adapters. You should know that Satellite Radio will require purchase of an antenna and visible access to the sky--in a specific direction, depending where you live. [...]
As for the rest, I purchased HDMI cables...and was a bit exasperated. We had a few video problems on my Samsung PN58A550 television that were specific to the receiver, and, ha-ha, we didn't specifically buy HDMI 1.3a. Seems like an industry-wide scam, given the quick version changes and the added cost, but purchasing 1.3a stopped screen flicker and audio weirdness.
There is one other problem you should be aware of: on the PS3, some Blu-Ray titles will broadcast blue snow in the black spaces. It can get especially bad--I noticed it most in Gran Tursimo 5 Prologue--and again this is an issue with the Onkyo, not the PS3. I tried multiple configurations and the only solution was that the Onkyo can't properly pass-through a 1080p signal, so you have to downgrade your console a notch to output 1080i (I've read this happens with XBox 360s, too). You take care of this problem by stepping through a configuration wizard on the PS3: in the System menu, there's an option for video output settings, and in one step is a series of checkboxes for the different resolutions. Uncheck the top-most resolution and your signal will pass through without the blue snow. On the Onkyo, I have told it that HDMI is "Pass-Through", which means, "Don't do anything with the video signal you get coming in"...because I'm letting the PS3 handle it. You may also find the problem fixed if you don't send audio through the HDMI--maybe all that traffic on one HDMI cable is what's corrupting the signal? I don't know. These minor annoyances keep the TX-SR 806 from a 5-star rating.
When it comes to sound, the Onkyo rises back to the top: it really does an excellent job of cleanly separating signals in my speakers, dumping speech into the Center channel and beautifully moderating subwoofer output: I noticed less *whump* than my Yamaha produced, and a lot more even transition into the lower ranges. The TX-SR 806 also does surprisingly well at using a 2.1 setup to make sounds positional: I spent half an hour with the included Audyssey microphone and easily set it up to properly produce sounds. That alone probably saved me hours of tinkering with menus and details that are beyond my comprehension. Flipping from one audio mode to another is easily accomplished on the remote, and I can very noticeably tell the difference: for example, "Dolby ProLogic II" for a movie, works best on a movie, while for a game, you're better off switching to "Dolby ProLogic II Game". When you want to crank up the home-theater fun, pure unfiltered lossless digital audio will blow you out of your seat and it's as easy as pressing a button.
There's a lot more that I could say--the menus offer a huge amount of options, but are not complicated, nor do they go more than 3 levels deep. The sound quality is top-notch: I think the DSP and Faroudja processing take it to the level of more expensive amplifiers, and I'm surprised at how much of a difference they make. Connections are easy to manage, can be custom labeled, and you can make your own preset configurations. If it weren't for the poor PS3 processing, I'd highly recommend this model to anyone. As it is, the adjustment is minor, and DVD upmix quality is still quite clean and colorful.Get more detail about Onkyo TX-SR806 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black).
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