Comments for Ultimate Wii Gaming

Comment on ExerBeat Reviews by Mercedes L. Johnmeyer "The Most Happy"

Mercedes L. Johnmeyer "The Most Happy" — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:51:48 +0000

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

Definitely gets you moving!!..., May 19, 2011

Mercedes L. Johnmeyer "The Most Happy" (Summerville, SC) -

= Fun:

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: ExerBeat (Video Game)

As a 30 year old SAHM mom who's looking to tone up some 'soft' areas, I always keep my eyes out for Wii games that incorporate exercise. As soon as I saw this, I pre-ordered it (I've been waiting over a month for it!). I love the Wii Fit Plus games as well as the dance games, and ExerBeat seems to be a hybrid of those two games. You've got party games, dancing, karate, yoga, pilates and stretching. There's really something for everyone here. I will say though, this game is pretty much ALL ABOUT exercise, so your kids probably won't like it very much (unless they're looking to get fit). The games are more about moving around than really trying to achieve some goal.

Getting started is quick and easy and if you have a Mii already set up, then you're half-way there. Just put in weight and what hand is your dominant and you're finished. You can play this game with one controller, two controllers, or none. I played using 2, so that's all I can comment on. There are some exercises that utilize the Wii balance board, but you don't HAVE to have one to do those sections. It will ask you before you start if you want to use the board or not.

The only thing about this game that I'm not too crazy is the 'Around-the-World' section. I think it's a cute feature, but I wish you had the option to turn it off. I also don't like how some of the trainers can get a bit chatty at the end of your workout. I found this most noticeable in the Stretching section. After each segment there was about 30 seconds of her saying things like 'Great job, you doing really well', then she'd go on about the benefits of stretching. I didn't mind at first, but by the third or fourth segment, I just wanted to get on with the game. Especially since I knew the 'Around-the-World' still followed (that pops up after each segment you complete).

Once you spend about 15-20 minutes playing the game, you start to unlock more and more things. After about 10 minutes I unlocked the 'Daily Challenge'. Each day you get a new challenge that you need to complete at least 70% of. Today it was 3 different dance warm-ups. There's a personal calender that is VERY much like the calendar on Wii Fit Plus (there's even a stamp for each day), and the score board of each game is almost identical to WFP as well.

Overall, I really like this game! I spent about 45 minutes playing it today, and I think it's something I'll turn on at least 4 days a week. I'm not sweating too much now since I'm still in the beginner stages of most things, but some of those dance sections (like Latin) really get you moving! Once you unlock the personal trainer (took me about 15 minutes) you can skip the little individual segments and do a full, uninterrupted workout. If you click the trainer button it will ask you to set the length of time you want to workout. I did 10 minutes just to see how it works, and I really liked it. It incorporated some aerobics, karate, and dancing in my workout (I chose Random, you can choose to work on specific areas of your body, or specific exercises). I really think this is a great mix of exercises and dancing, and if you're looking to get your butt off the couch and get moving, then this is as good a place as any to start as far as Wii exercise games go!

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comments (2)

Comment on ExerBeat Reviews by NeuroSplicer

NeuroSplicer — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:30:14 +0000

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

GET FIT TO THE BEAT!, May 20, 2011

NeuroSplicer (Freeside, in geosynchronous orbit) -

= Fun:

This review is from: ExerBeat (Video Game)

After more than a year of using the Wii Fit Plus, my wife was looking for a new Wii exergame. Zumba Fitness is a nice fun diversion but it offers little in the area of structured aerobics and calorie control. In contrast, ExerBeat seems to be the perfect blend of new activities and a fitness program.

A PERFECT COMBINATION
More than 150 exergames, including yoga/pilates, karate forms, boxercising and dance-exercise (aerobics, hip-hop & latin). Only some of them are unlocked from the very beginning, the others become available as you progress, as is your personal trainer So, not only you get having fun with dancing aerobics (something missing from Wii FIT PLUS) but you also get to monitor your progress, intensity of workout and calories burned (something ZUMBA FITNESS is lacking). Your routines are customizable and can be focused on problem areas. What is more, to keep things interesting, you are presented with daily and weekly exercise challenges that are not considered successfully completed unless you score 70% or better.
Moreover, whereas in the Wii FIT PLUS you had to set your own stretching through yoga exercises, ExerBeat comes with its own stretching routines to keep your joints and muscles safe from stains.

CONTROL(LER) ISSUES
The game can be played in its entirety with a single controller (Wiimote), the game will be asking you which hand you are favoring. Although two controllers are recommended for more precise results, they are not required. Similarly, up to two persons can join simultaneously, each with either one or two controllers. Just remember to setup the game accordingly.
The WiiMotion Plus and the Balance Board accessories are required for a number (but not all of the exergames). Moreover, there is a non-competitive video mode where you try to match what is on the screen without having to carry the controller.

AT THE HEART OF IT ALL
Before actually starting a cartoon music note, named Rhythm, asks about your age, weight and dominant hand. Later on you will be asked whether you will be using one or two controllers. Since one needs to monitor his or her heart rate in order to reap the most benefits out of aerobic exercises, the game reminds you of this - but offers no way of actually measuring or calculating it. You can use an electronic heart-rate monitor or can measure and calculate it using a stopwatch. For some of the yoga/pilates exercises you may also need an exercise mat.

WALK THE EARTH
I appreciated the game developers' retro humor, because this motivational gimmick reminded me of a childhood TV-series, Kung Fu, where David Carradine did exactly that: he walked the earth enforcing his morality code with his martial arts skills. No morality code enforcing here but your cumulative efforts (workout time + rhythm points) are translated in distance covered ...walking the earth. Whenever landmarks are reached new exercises are unlocked, to give you a visual sense of accomplishment.

PARTY GAMES THAT BURN
My favorite is the Pirate Attack, where you get to swing your sword (...Wiimote) in the correct angle and direction in order to fend off pirate attacks. You get so into it you forget you are playing until your shoulder muscles burn. As will with Swimming and Pizza Toss. There is also Wall Smasher (a boxing game) and Dance fever (dancing face off).

The Nintendo Wii is the gaming system that was designed from start to finish keeping in mind that the person using it should be having fun. Otherwise, why bother? Sure, getting fit for the beach or loosing those extra pounds, leftover from the winter indulgences, should be equally important motivation - but who are we kidding right? It is so much easier to get into your workout outfit and sweat yourself to better fitness when you know you will be having fun.

And EXERBEAT excels in this.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comments (3)

Comment on ExerBeat Reviews by PT Cruiser "PT Cruiser"

PT Cruiser "PT Cruiser" — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:33:21 +0000

142 of 145 people found the following review helpful:

Get up off the couch and lose some inches!, May 19, 2011

PT Cruiser "PT Cruiser" (CA USA) -

= Fun:

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: ExerBeat (Video Game)

I have to admit, when I saw this game at such a reasonable price (not that I'm complaining!), I wondered, "Just how good can it be?" Thank goodness I didn't put off buying it. It's a wonderful exercise game and a huge bargain! Namco has done it again. I've been their biggest fan of their We Cheer and We Cheer 2 games and now they've added a game with some of the same features, like the circles and other shapes showing arm or body movements, with that familiar little "Bling!" when you get it right and earn points. This is a high energy set of workouts and games with something for everyone. I love the dance aerobics which includes Latin Dance and Hip Hop and aerobics. And this game includes the best yoga instruction that I've seen so far on any Wii game. The instructors and clear and easy to follow and the graphics show exactly how to do the exercises. It's like being in an actual yoga class. And the Wiimote lets you know if you're doing the poses correctly.

You can use one or two Wiimotes although I highly recommend using two. If you've played We Cheer or We Cheer 2, you'll know what I mean. There are also exercises that use the balance board, although not as many as I might have wished for.

So, here are the details:

When you launch the game the first thing it asks is to create a new avatar or use your existing Mii. I chose my Mii and then you see a little musical note avatar, very reminiscent of the Wii Balance board that you see in Wii Fit. He talks to you, calling you by name (Don't you just love that?) and he asks for all your info like birth date, weight, and dominant hand for playing the games. Then he asks if you'd like to see a short tutorial on how to play the game. It's not too long and I recommend watching it. You can skip any parts you might already know by pressing the + button and holding it down. There's a short practice aerobics exercise in the tutorial to give you the feel of how it works. You can see on the screen the current workout time, points and the remaining time of the workout. (I love this feature!)

Now you're ready to go. Choose the one or two player mode and tell it if you're using one Wiimote or two. It also asks again for your dominant hand. The next thing you see is the main menu so you can choose what type of workout you want to do. Here are the categories:

Dance Exercises - When you click this you have a choice of 3 different categories: Aerobics, Hip Hop and Latin Dance. Each of those categories has 20 different exercises. There are 5 open to start and more open as you play and gain points. The only ones that use the balance board are 10 of the Latin Dance exercises. All of these that I tried so far are high energy and fun. It's like a dancercise class with great instruction and the graphics are clear and easy to follow.

Martial Arts Exercises - You have your choice of Boxing, Karate and Karate Forms. There are 5 open under each to start and more open as you gain points. Boxing and Karate each have 20 exercises and Karate Forms has 10. Great instruction and a good workout.

Body Conditioning - The categories are Yoga/Pilates which has 20 exercises and Stretching which has 10. This is the best Yoga instruction that I've seen on any Wii game. 6 exercises are open to start on the yoga and 5 on the stretching.

After you finish your workouts the results screen appears showing your Rhythm Points, Success Rates and other stats. You can press the A button to see your workout time, calories an history so far. Players with a high number of points make it onto the ranking board where you can win bronze, silver or gold medals. After seeing your ranking, you go to an Around the World screen which shows your progress based on your workouts and weekly challenges. Any Mii that completes their journey around the world appears with a crown on their head and it displays the number of trips around the world. So there's always something new to strive for.

Party Games - There are 5 really fun games included which sort of remind me of the games on Wii Fit. They are: Swimming, Dance Fever, Pizza Toss, Wall Smasher and Pirate Attack. Pirate attack uses the Motion Plus and Balance Board for the Wii.

There is also a My Exercises tab where you can set up your own routine for a personalized workout program. Nice touch!

I love this game! The controls are very responsive, the menus move quickly and efficiently and it has so many nice features and exercises that I don't think I'll ever get tired of it. Namco has done... Read more

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comments (12)

Comment on Superior Loftek Rii Touch N7 Mini Wireless Keyboard 2.4 GHz super long range (30M max) removable battery full QWERTY keyboard adjustable DPI touchpad for PC, Apple, Xbox360, PS3, HTPC (black) by longcut

longcut — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:52:55 +0000

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

Title: Great Keyboard for HTPC, January 24, 2011

longcut -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Superior Loftek Rii Touch N7 Mini Wireless Keyboard 2.4 GHz super long range (30M max) removable battery full QWERTY keyboard adjustable DPI touchpad for PC, Apple, Xbox360, PS3, HTPC (black) (Personal Computers)

I finally found a mini keyboard that I can recommend without hesitation! First of all, I hate having to install any extra weird drivers or software on my computer, and with the Loftek N7, I simply plugged in the little USB receiver and it was immediately recognized by my computer, which is running Windows 7.

I was looking for a keyboard to use with my HTPC system, and liked the idea of having something handheld instead of a full-sized keyboard. The keys are situated on either side of the touchpad which makes typing easy and fast, considering its small size.

Physically, The feel of the keys is nice, they are not super hard and have something like a rubbery finish that is quiet and feel solid. The size and weight are the same as a remote control, so its easy to move around with you, and even with the small size, there are keys for different shortcuts and controlling the media center. The numeric keypad is across the top of the keyboard, just like on laptop keyboards. and the left and right mouse buttons are below the touchpad, on either side of the internet shortcut button.

Another good feature for HTPC users is that the N7 uses a wireless connection rather than Bluetooth, so you can be a relatively long distance away from the PC, and it doesn't need to have line of site, which I needed for my setup because the computer is under my desk. According to the manual, the range is 30 meters - I haven't tested that far; I use it in my living room without any problems. Right now I'm about 10 or 15 feet away from my TV, and the response from the keys and touchpad is perfect.

I can find no flaws with this keyboard, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a well-made, convenient small-sized wireless keyboard.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comments (2)

Comment on Superior Loftek Rii Touch N7 Mini Wireless Keyboard 2.4 GHz super long range (30M max) removable battery full QWERTY keyboard adjustable DPI touchpad for PC, Apple, Xbox360, PS3, HTPC (black) by digitalboomx

digitalboomx — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:04:57 +0000

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

excellent device,hoping to see future improvements, March 25, 2011

digitalboomx -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

this is my first review for anything ive ordered on amazon. i got this device and explored it very well and ill share with you my honest views. the n7 is well designed, size, and weight is great. it took me a while to find the usb receiver, i thought it was on the side like on the older model but its behind the battery cover. plugged it in to charge for while then plugged in the dongle, it picked up instantly on windows 7. before the n7 i was using a wireless mouse and the win7 keyboard... click click click. i have a 46 in. tv hooked up to my pc displaying at 1920 at 1080 with extra large fonts. ill never go back to that wireless mouse again! the keyboard has a soft rubbery feel, very solid and well spaced keys. i did wish that maybe 4 of the symbols by HJKL were in those letters soo the enter key could of been there and where the enter key is now... the shift key would have been perfect. but it is what it is for now, still great.

onto the mouse movement, its good and responsive, between changing the dpi resolution key combination, it goes from green to red. as far as i can tell either when red the mouse travels farther across the screen, switch to green and the mouse moves slower, maybe for smaller tvs. i wanted to see more info on this in the manual. another thing that is important, is in your mouse properties, increase your pointer speed and check enhance pointer precision, also lower your horizontal and vertical scrolling to 1. ive also used another mouse tweaking utility, but just using that alone will be great.

the backlight on the keys is superb, a few number of keys are a little dim but dont worry its great lighting, its also great that the button is a separate key so turning on and off is a thumb away. i also did let the keyboard sleep to see what would happen, the RF light blinks steadily and the dpi light stays on, i wish it did not, i forgot to leave on the caps lock to see if that would cut off too but i did not... i wished when it went in sleep mode only the RF light should blink every 20-30 secs or so, just to conserve more battery life. i have not tested as yet how long the battery will hold on continuous use, but so far so good.

i did have one minor issue when it went to sleep for the first time, it would not wake up when touched i have to turn it off and back on to reconnect, it may happen more then once, so i rather just take it fully off no big deal. i was even more suprised it had a D-pad, i was totally unaware, two thumbs up for that, great to use when surfing the web or folders. i also like to point out that this a wireless mini keyboard which will take some time to get used to from a full sized wireless keyboard.... with no mouse built in, just imagine what your gonna get your hands on, i already know. i hope the next one that comes out is waterproof. AND last but not least.... there are dozens of key combos to use for web and files, learn and use them it will save time. thanks for reading and enjoy.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comments (2)

Comment on Superior Loftek Rii Touch N7 Mini Wireless Keyboard 2.4 GHz super long range (30M max) removable battery full QWERTY keyboard adjustable DPI touchpad for PC, Apple, Xbox360, PS3, HTPC (black) by Rev.CornDog

Rev.CornDog — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:21:11 +0000

37 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

I really wanted this to work..., March 15, 2011

Rev.CornDog -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

Well, unfortunately it appears as though I am the first to write a negative review for this product.

Before I do, let me clarify, I wanted to love this little guy. It seemed to be the answer to everything I was looking for in an HTPC keyboard. The reviews were all glowing and I wanted in on the action.

When I received the unit everything seemed great. Right out of the box it performed beautifully. Connected immediately, great range, light weight, comfortable to use, smaller than my universal remote, great design, etc, etc.

In my mind the clouds had lifted, the sun was shining, birds sang and children played. All was right with the world.

And then it happened.

I noticed almost immediately that the DPI adjustment wasn't functioning. I was using the keyboard in conjunction with a 46" LCD. Not a small display, but certainly not a monster either. It was taking almost 6 swipes on the touch pad to travel across the screen. I followed the manuals instructions for adjusting the touchpad DPI and noticed absolutely zero change in sensitivity.

I was so happy with the rest of the product functions that I wrote this off as a minor inconvenience and decided to love my new toy anyway.

The next day the keyboard began to experience problems waking up from the sleep mode. It got to the point that I would have to turn the power off and on to wake it up when, according to the manual, pressing any key should have done the trick (and did so for the first day).

Two days after the wake function ceased to work I lost the little guy all together. While browsing Hulu it lost the RF connection. I realized that after watching a movie earlier that day, I had left my wireless surround sound rig on (I turn it off when not in use so as to conserve energy... gotta think green people). It dawned on me that, until then, I had not used the keyboard while the wireless speakers were on. I automatically assumed some sort of RF interference between the two, so in an attempt to resolve the issue I powered off the keyboard and then the speakers. I turned the keyboard back on and still no RF connection.
I followed the manuals troubleshooting guide for RF loss which consisted of all of 2 options... Remove and replace the dongle and try switching RF signals. Neither of these worked.
I tried a few other things like pulling the battery, installing it on another PC, etc... nothing worked.

Finding product support for this device is near impossible. After a fruitless search my only remaining option was to return it to Amazon. On top of that, Amazon will only offer a refund. They will not replace the item.

I understand that all consumer electronics are capable of experiencing a failure of some sort and I am willing to accept that to some degree. However, this particular products lack of available support coupled with the previous models apparent laundry list of flaws and issues (which seem to mirror some of the issues I experienced with this model) makes me think I need to go in a different direction.
Once I receive my refund I will probably be purchasing the Logitech diNovo Mini.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comments (8)

Comment on Onkyo TX-NR609 7.2 Channel Network THX Certified A/V Receiver by Bragadish Sureshkumar

Bragadish Sureshkumar — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:43:55 +0000

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

Fantastic receiver, June 27, 2011

Bragadish Sureshkumar -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Yamaha RX-V671BL 7.1-Channel Network AV Receiver (Electronics)

I bought this receiver recently after trying Yamaha v667 and Denon 2311CI. This one simply blew the other two away... particularly Denon, which to my ears didn't sound impressive.
Pros:
* stunning sound - crisp, clear. currently hooked up with Harman Kardon HTKS 30BQ
* quality onscreen menu, very easy to use
* network player, plays music from ipod, iphone and mp3 from usb flash drive
* 1080p upscale output, support for 3D and ARC

Yet to come across any con so far... I love this receiver a lot.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comments (8)

Comment on Onkyo TX-NR609 7.2 Channel Network THX Certified A/V Receiver by RT

RT — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:06:33 +0000

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

Perfect for audio enthusiast, October 11, 2011

RT -

This review is from: Yamaha RX-V671BL 7.1-Channel Network AV Receiver (Electronics)

After reading a number of good and fairly good reviews, I decided to pick one of these up to replace my older Yamaha receiver. My other one had served me very well but it was time to move up to HDMI.

My criteria for a new receiver were the following:
- Ability to take all my input devices: PS3, XBOX360, XBOX, DVD Player
- One HDMI connection to the TV to avoid having to change TV's input back/forth
- At least a 5.1 system, with ability to go up to 7.1
- Ability to watch the inputs with the Receiver on or off
- Since my older Yamaha receiver had it, the ability to tune the speakers automatically

Reading the reviews, there were some comments about Yamaha having cut out the support for pre-out. As long as I was concerned, this receiver still has a "pre-out" for the sub-woofer and any other pre-outs aren't necessary. Pre-outs aren't needed for somebody who wants more than the basic home theater systems offer but is not an audiophiliac.
This receiver is great for all I wanted.
- 6 HDMI inputs for all my devices
- Ability to pass through the HDMI even when the unit is in standby. This is off by default and has to be turned on
- Ability to upscale Component input to HDMI so the old Xbox can be connected
- Comes with a Yamaha microphone for setting up the speakers automatically. This is a nice feature since it tunes the output to speakers to adjust for audio level, delay, etc
- It supports 7.1, but isn't really needed. As far as I can tell, all my xbox360 and ps3 games are 5.1.
- This receiver also supports either a second zone, or "presence" speakers. Neither of which I care about .

Couple of nice surprises after hooking up the receiver.
- After hooking it up to my home network with an Ethernet wire it detected that there's new firmware available. Downloaded and upgraded itself in 15 minutes! No fooling around with finding it, copying to USB, etc, etc
- My Vista/Win7 machine detected the receiver and asked me if I want to share my media with the Yamaha receiver. If you have audio files on a windows machine, this receiver can play them without any crazy configuration
Anyways, from opening the box and unwrapping the receiver, remote, etc to having a full setup: 30 minutes.
Run an hdmi cable to the TV
Run an hdmi cable to each of the devices
Run a component cable (with optical for audio in my case) to the old Xbox
Connect an Ethernet cable
Connect the speaker wires
Plug everything in
Done

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comments (3)

Comment on Onkyo TX-NR609 7.2 Channel Network THX Certified A/V Receiver by K. A. Jones

K. A. Jones — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:20:37 +0000

56 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

A Winner for a HT Enthusiast, July 24, 2011

K. A. Jones (Nashville TN) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Yamaha RX-V671BL 7.1-Channel Network AV Receiver (Electronics)

Hello

We were in the market to replace our old (10+ yrs) but trusty Denon 1801 to move into a modern updated unit with the latest connections and mainly BR sound with DTS-HD and True-HD. Like the Denon I looked for reviews and mainly reader feedback. I picked at least one model from the mjor manufactures...Onkyo, Pioneer, Denon, Harmon Kardon and Yamaha. I came away with two out of the list..Yamaha RX-V667 and Denon AVR-891 (same as 2311CI). Both fit my list of needs and budget. I did look at the newer RX-V671 but being new was out of my price range. But the day I made my choice, which was the Denon 891, it went off sale. The next day a RX-V671 "open box" got listed at almost the same price and I grabbed it.

Yamaha's as long as I can remember alwy have had good sound. They don't get the same reconignition as Denon or the amount of mega reviews of Onko but they've alwys been fairly good. They made great strides since the 'RX-Vx65" series with the "x67" series last year. And the newer line of the RX-Vx71's improve on it.

One thing you can count on from Yamaha is n abundant of sound fields and choices. This 671 carries on that tradition. The sound is clean and clear thanks to the 7 channel discrete amps. Besides HD Audio with Cinima DSP 3D and it's 17 programs Yamaha offers a unique "7.1 w/Presence Speaker" setup which I'm using. It's basically a 5.1 with two added speakers preferably on the outside of the main fronts. It addsa more deminson of sound to the listener. The Presence Speakers are set at about 35% instead of 100% to fill in in. I'm sold on it and can tell the difference.

While Denon and Onkyo uses the highly touted 'Audyssey' for sound fine tuning Yamaha has it's own YPAO. It's a real gem and takes out the guess work of trying to get the best sound out there. I did both auto and mnual and whatever the YPAO does it does right. In the sound menu it'll show your configuration, distance, dB levels and so on but it doesn't stop there. You can fine tune the speakers even more. The only cavet in the YPAO was it constantly labled my fronts as small when they are large. But you can change an override the settings and also save custom settings.

The look and design of front and back is well thought of. I like the split gloss & satin metal look on the front and as always a good size volume knob. lso the readout on the front is very good. I can read anything from 10ft away easy. You have a set of inputs on the front and the inclussion of a USB port (the RX-V667 doesn't have) for Ipod or USB stick. The back has plenty of inputs but for thos looking for a set of pre-outs or 6 channel analog look at last years 667 or even the highly touted 867 model which is loaded. Still plenty for the average user. Just make sure you use "Banana Plugs" for speakers as it's tight for bare wire connections.

One thing I read which was a big plus on the Yamaha was it's GUI interface and navigation. When you turn it on it blends in with the current picture and not on it's on so you don't miss a step. It's also easy to get around and make changes to say sound fields with the current input. Very useful for radio, Ipod, MP3's and network music. This was a big part in choosing Yamaha. And speking of Network this usint has it which was another reason. Within five minutes o hooking it up it found a new firmware update and DL it. I had no issues with playing my MP3's thru WMP connected thru AT&T Uverse to a Netgear switch to the 671. And with the "Compressed Music Enhancer" and the 7.1 Presence Speaker setup the sound was the best I've heard in a long time. I'm still playing with all the various sound fields.

The 671 does has HDMI pass thru and so far no issues except ith the Xbox 360 due to it having component connection. While it does pss thru the signal and sound you have to leave the AVR on to do so. ith AT&T and the BR Player (both HDMI out) you don't. Just hit the correct input, light blinks on the front and presto your signal on the TV. I ended up getting a "component-to-HDMI" box which does th trick. I have it,a BR Player and AT&T Uverse all going thru the 671 with one HDMI out to TV. So far I haven't seen or heard any degradation. It's now streamlined my connection to the TV to one cable and now the TV is hung on the wall. And if anything it's improved the sound especially to BR discs ten fold over the old Denon which provided standard DTS and DD 5.1.It's a good unit for the middle-of-the-pack choices. I'd suggest for those looking check over at the AVS Forum [ ... ] for additional input and user reviews on this and other models.

TV - 52" Sony KDL-52Z5100
Game - Xbox 360
SAT - AT&T Uverse
BR Player - Sony BDP-S360
Speakers - Boston Micro 9000 5.1 with PSB 500 Century Series as main fronts in a 7.1 setup

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comments (6)

Comment on Onkyo TX-NR609 7.2 Channel Network THX Certified A/V Receiver by Aurthur760

Aurthur760 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:05:34 +0000

61 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

Love it, love it, love it!, April 6, 2011

Aurthur760 -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Onkyo TX-NR609 7.2 Channel Network THX Certified A/V Receiver (Electronics)

We just got our TX-NR609 yesterday. The sturdiness of the product harkens to decades ago, when you could still pick up a stereo amplifier with a real metal case and it weighed something. At 32 lbs. shipping weight, it surprised us in a good way.

We purchased the unit as a replacement for an entry level Dolby Digital/DTS HD 5.1/6.1 receiver, primarily for the ability to use HDMI connectivity throughout the home theater system, for uncompressed audio signals and ease of signal switching. Also, THX certification at this price point is positively amazing. Don't let the name of the certification fool you - the certification level is based on room size, and this unit is certified for the vast majority of home theater sizes.

Connecting the components and speakers was extremely easy and required only one configuration change in the unit for a device which does not have an HDMI output and had to be connected via component video and stereo audio.

Running the system setup was, I'm sorry to say, a little bit daunting at first. The remote is a bit on the complicated side and not particularly well marked when you first see it (two volume controls two buttons apart, for example), but easy to adapt to once you understand the layout. Once we managed to find the right place to start in the positively huge manual, it was actually quite easy to finish. The number of options for listening modes is enough to make your eyes glaze over trying to decide on one. This system is probably not for the entry level person in that regard. However, once you get it dialed in, it is very easy to use. Consider professional tuning if you are an entry level person.

The Audissey2 system built in was amazing and saved hours of the usual tweaking with the EQ and individual speaker levels.

The HDMI video pass-through left very little sign that the signal was being passed through the receiver, and for those who had not seen the switching between modes without it, I doubt they'd notice what was there. On the contrary, the noise reduction and edge enhancement features worked very well if you need them and the up convert to 1080p for all input types worked amazingly well.

The sound output blew us away. We hooked this unit up to the entry level receiver's speakers for the time being until we can afford a good set, and we didn't even recognize them. The volume, the clarity, the channel isolation and the cleanliness of the crossover made movies we thought we had heard good sound out of before sound completely new. We spent the whole night re-watching old favorites and noticing sound effects and background conversations we never knew existed.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you?

Comments (7)