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Receiver Help... 3 zones, HDMI, powered zones -- jeez...

post #1 of 5
1/1/13 at 7:44pm
Thread Starter 
I feel like I am on overload of various receivers research. Can the Onkyo 818 do it? Elite SC-67? Denon 3313? Marantz? Yamaha?? I am strugging to find a receiver that can handle 3 zones in powered fashion and give me the HDMI distribution. Can anyone tell me which receiver(s) can accommodate this?

Hopefully, someone can help... here's my quandary:

New house construction is wrapping in 30-60 days.... I have a a great room area with a 5.1, and 2 'zones' -- kitchen & back patio. These are all home-run'd to the great room control center.

Details:

Wiring for the great room aka Primary Zone:
-5.1 surround (works best for the room layout)
-Emotiva XPA-5 powers these speakers (need pre outs for the main zone)
-HDMI sources only (cable, blue ray, xbox, etc)
-Primary use for TV, movies, music...

Zone B --- Kitchen
- 2 speakers in the ceiling
- HDMI to a television location

Zone C -- Back Patio
- 2 speakers
- HDMI to a television location


What I'd like:

1) Both a video & audio channel over HDMI to the televisions in each zone. Pri 1 is that it's the same signal as the primary zone. Pri 2 - independent HDMI based sources managed by the central receiver

2) Speakers for both zones are 'powered' by the receiver. Independent volume control via an 'app' or ip controlled remote.



Example Scenarios:

1) Adults are out on the back patio watching the game and having a few beers. Kids are watching cartoons on the great room TV. Kitchen is turned off.

2) Superbowl. All 3 TVs are on, all speakers have the game on
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post #2 of 5
1/2/13 at 3:05am
AFAIK, although some of the 2012 AVR models added an independent Zone HDMI output to a parallel/dual set of HDMI outputs in the main zone (eg. Denon 3313CI, 4520CI ), that would only give you video from two independent sources. To go 3 independent sources you would need to add an external HDMI switch (eg. 4x2, 8x2). Also the 3313CI is only a 7.2 model and so could be setup to power the 5.1 in the main zone, pass HDMI audio/video to Zone 2 (to either the TV speakers or another AVR that would power the Zone 2 speakers), and then could power the Zone 3 speakers with the stipulation that you would have to connect an analog cable (in addition to the HDMI cable) from any source you wanted to pass to Zone 3 (as HDMI audio will not pass to Zones 2/3 via the speaker posts or pre-outs). The Zone 3 video would come from either the 2nd main zone monitor output (and therefore be the same source that is selected in the main zone although not necessarily have to be playing in the main zone) or as mentioned previously, an external HDMI switch. For all three zones to be powered by the AVR, you would have to step up to the newer 4520CI (9.2). You would have a similar setup as with the 3313CI except it uses a Zone 4(HDMI) instead although you would use the AVR to power the Zones 2 and 3 speakers with the Zone 2 source being the same source selected as the Zone 4 source. The 4520CI also features an ALL ZONE STEREO mode which would allow the same HDMI audio source playing in the main zone to also be directed to Zones 2/3 without having to add the analog cables, although the analog cables would still be required when passing an independent HDMI source than is selected for the main zone audio.
Edited by jdsmoothie - 1/2/13 at 3:10am
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post #3 of 5
1/2/13 at 4:40am
+1

No current receivers, including the Pioneer SC67/68 can do more than 1 separate zone with HDMI & 2 sources. jds is correct, you'll need to add external matrix switchers.
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post #4 of 5
1/2/13 at 9:36am
Thread Starter 
So, what I'm hearing is that I can do this with a 'zone 2' with the receiver, but to do it with a 'zone 3', I run into challenges - correct?


If my Zone 1 was the great room zone... and my Zone 2 was a back patio that could feed a full audio/video (not just a monitor) signal to the TV - and power 2 speakers as well --- that would be great.


I could either split the zone 3 HDMI signal off the zone 2 for the tv... but then the kitchen ceiling speakers become my challenge? Could I pre-out to a small amp to power those 2 speakers by themselves -- and that would be the official zone 3... and I could switch between sources?
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post #5 of 5
1/2/13 at 4:53pm
There's no problem if you can live with the same video to the main zone and Zone 3. Connect the Zone 3 TV to the 2nd main zone HDMI monitor out. The Zone 3 speakers would be connected to the Surr Back/Amp Assign speaker posts on the 3313CI. For Zone 2, connect the Zone2(HDMI) to the TV and then pass audio out from the TV via the analog red/white outs to a 2CH amp to power the Zone 2 speakers.
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