Thanks for the advice, gentleman. In this situation, the room and furniture do not allow for surround sound speaker set up. I am really looking to be able to use a DVD player both for movies and cd in a system that gets very little use. I was mostly concerned with the signal loss/contamination associated with the switches in these components and was looking for any "red flags" from experiences out there, (i.e. are the $350 receivers so bad that they are not worth the convenience.) Thanks again for your time. Charlie
AV PreAmp vs. AV Receiver
I would like to be able to easily switch from VCR to DVD to DVD/CD use in an inexpensive 2 channel system by/for the TV. I have a cheap (in place) Onkyo two channel receiver and another integrated amp that can be considered for use. None are "AV" designed. Would I do best to get a cheap new "AV" receiver, or would the addition of an "AV" preamp give me the best performance, (within the same price range?) This is not for critical listening, just for TV/movie sound and background music. Will be pumped through some PSB 300i speakers. May add a sub later. Thanks for your help. Charlie