I asked this in the amps forum but thought I'd get the HDMI experts opinion also.

I've been waiting over a year to upgrade my 6 year old Sony V444ES to a receiver with HDMI
My problem is that even the mid to high end receivers only have 2 or 3 inputs.

I was looking at the Sony STR-DA5200ES but it only has 3 inputs & I already have 3 HDMI components & will soon have a couple more.

While it has 3 HDMI & 3 Component HD inputs it also has 5 composite, 5 S/video 12 Composite stereo inputs & 4 Toslink inputs.

Just look at all these analog inputs!
http://www.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2006/09/receiver-ass.jpg

Why so many analog inputs & so few HD/Digital?
It's not just Sony all the receivers I've looked at in the $1500-$2000 price range were like that as well as more expensive ones.
At this price level who needs that many analog inputs?
I only have the need for 1 & it's S/Video in an old /VHS VCR I keep hooked up in case I need it.

Is wanting 6 HDMI inputs wanting too much too fast?
Have the Manufactures just not had time to get multiple HDMI units out even though HDMI has been around 3 years or are they just dragging their feet?

Some say it is the Manufactures some say it is the HDMI spec folks...

The History

Tutorial: HDMI - The Ins & Outs (http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=81499#81499)

Lexicon MC-12 HD has 6 HDMI inputs.

Lexicon MC-12 HD has 6 HDMI inputs.
Yea & it's $7,500 too!!!
The Denon AVR-5805CI has only 5 HDMI inputs but you can have that for the low low price of $7,200!!

That's out of my price range!
If they can put that many HDMI inputs on the flagship model why not on something the regular guy can afford in the $1500 range, it's not like $1500 is cheap!

No question that the trend is for more connectors to be put on the devices. 3 HDMI inputs is now quite common on TVs, with one of them being on the front or side for a portable peripheral. As for AV receivers, these guys have to balance their costs & connector real estate to hit what they think is their main target market. This dilemma of needing more inputs is what has given rise to a huge market of HDMI switch box products, which seems to be one of the easiest and most economical ways to purchase devices yet maintain the ability to scale up to more added devices. In short, you might consider buying an AV receiver that has the audio & video capabilities that you need, and rely on a separate switch box for your expansions. Since HDMI is digital, nothing is lost with the use of a switch box, although you will have one more remote/IR code to deal with.

I've have the same question as TheMoose, and just feel it is nothing more then planned obsolescence. Everyone doles them out one more at a time like they are at the forefront of technology. My feelings on this will be born out when one company drops a 6 connector sub $1000 receiver on the market and then everyone else will start offering them. Same with a HDMI connector on the front of the receiver.
If wanting 6 now is wanting too much too fast, then why have so many people wanted it for a year now. It seems like if there is a whole market for switches, there is the same market for having it built in.
Anyway, I have been wondering about HDMI switches. Does anyone make one that is controlled by the receiver? The extra remote or physical switch just strikes me as the least elegant solution they could come up with (in two years we will laugh about how stupid an idea this was). It seems like if it already is sending a digital signal, it may as well be able to control the switch itself. These things should autodetect and work just like USB hubs, plug in a device and it just pops up on your receiver. Need more ports? Just chain on another hub.

The Pioneer VSX-84TXSi has 4 HDMI inputs, and does up-scaling. However, I think it upscales to 1080i only (not p). For more than that, with reasonable pricing, you have to look at a HDMI input switcher (which, with a programmable remote, you can set up to be pretty well integrated).

That Pioneer & this Marantz SR8001 (http://us.marantz.com/Products/1875.asp#) are my fall back contenders right now.
They both only have my bare minimum reqired HDMI inputs & I'm still hoping for some news from the Sony Line show this month & I'm still looking for current receivers that meet my requirements.

But that's not the point, why after 5 years of knowing about HDMI is there so few receivers with enough HDMI inputs?

i also cant believe the way even high end manufacturers and most others are putting so many composite and s video inputs/outputs on all their gear. i admit i use the s video circuits to hook up my dvd recorders but thats it. who uses that stuff anymore?

i once tried hooking up my old vcr to my 720 pj thru composite hah! a waste of time. what works better is to record vcr tapes to my pan dmr es15, it worls pretty good and the images look better thru the pj

Well no help from the Sony line show! :(
No ES reveivers at all!!

My local shop says they are expecting new releases of AVR's at the end of March or the first of April.
Looks like I'm going to have to wait a bit longer to find what I'm looking for.