AV Receiver Reviews

The Integra’s video switching and HQV Reon-VX video processor performed superbly with only one exception: the 2:2 SD test (see table). One test I conducted that does not show up in the table was to connect the best 480i native composite source I had on hand (a Pioneer Elite CLD-99 laserdisc player) to the receiver and upconvert it to a 1080p HDMI output. The receiver’s individual input video controls enabled me to closely match the direct player-to-projector composite feed to the route through the Integra—at least with respect to standard video parameters like brightness, contrast, and color. But both looked quite poor overall (clearly the fault of the source), and it was a toss-up which one was more tolerable. Don’t assume that cross-conversion of an older composite or S-video source component or HDMI will necessarily improve it.—TJN