A/V Configuration

Configuring the audio and video sections was fairly straightforward. All of the audio and video I/O's are user assignable. Each input has priority settings for audio and video signaling along with auto detect. The most outstanding feature I found was the receiver's ability to remember surround modes for each input and source type independently!

For example, on the DVD input, I selected PLIIx Movie mode for Dolby Digital Sources and PLIIx Music mode for DTS. The AVR-5805 remembered this configuration each time I toggled between different formats and inputs. If the surround mode doesn't work well for your particular disc you a reusing, don't sweat it. The remote control has hot keys for toggling between surround modes. This even works for two-channel sources. I would have really liked the option of permanently storing PLIIx modes for each input and source type like on the Integra Research RDC-7.1, rather than it just remembering the last setting. But, I am nitpicking here, especially given the flexibility the AVR-5805 has and the fact that the user is likely to select different surround modes depending on the source material anyways.

Configurable Power Up Volume and More

Alas, Denon has finally included a configurable power up volume control and max limiter feature. This was a necessary feature missing on their receivers until now. They also provided for independent master trim settings for e a ch input. This fe a ture is import a nt when two different sources of signific a ntly different signal levels are utilized in the same system. This ensures you won't get blasted out of your couch when switching between a music CD and your CableTV, for example. Another useful feature (especially if you have kids or estranged visitors frequenting your home theater room) is the ability to enable a max volume level setting as well as a stored power up volume setting. I can't tell you how many times a family member tried to operate my system while I wasn't present, couldn't get any sound, and figured the only cure was to keep pumping the volume up only later to happen on pressing the right input and getting scared out of their pants while a lmost blowing out a speaker or, in my case, tripping a circuit breaker. Denon recognized this and made a failsafe option to prevent your system from self destruction caused by the neophytes attempting to operate something they shouldn't. This is the best solution short of electric shock treatment.

For all you video buffs, you will be happy to know the AVR-5805 has independent A/V Sync in 1ms step sizes (up to 200ms), so you can resolve any lip-sync issues that may arise when using the scaling and video processing capabilities of front projection systems or external processors that may delay the video signal.

Got Triggers?

One of the biggest contentions I have with many of the receivers a nd processors on the market is their anemic trigger system. Sure most of them have the standard 12V trigger, but read the fine print. In most cases, they supply 12V to 20mA or less. This is not enough current drive to operate most power centers and motorized screens. Refreshingly, Denon supplies four (count them 4) high current 250 mA triggers configurable for Zones, inputs and even surround modes which is useful for toggling trigger-enabled speaker systems between dipole, bipole or monopole assignments making it the most comprehensive trigger system ever conceived in a home theater receiver. Denon really did their homework here and I am sure many custom installers are as delighted as myself about this.

Note: Be sure to enable "on" for all inputs if you require certain devices to be always on whenever the receiver is powered up. I forgot to do so for my CD player and found it kept shutting off each time I toggled to a different input until I realized why.

Video Setup

Yet another cool new feature of the AVR-5805 is the inclusion of HD M I video switching and audio processing. The AVR-5805 is one of a scarce few receivers or dedicated processors that offer this feature. In fact it is the world's first HD M I 1.1 consumer compliant product (a point which Denon doesn't tout as much as they should). While we're certain others will eventually catch up, currently, Denon has the only commercially available product line of HD M I 1.1 compliant receivers and DVD players via the latest Silicon Image chipsets,. Considering the fact that HD M I 1.1 has yet to receive approval for digital transmission of SACD, IEEE 1394 is still the only all-inclusive digital interface for all mainstream digital multi-channel formats. Thus the best solution in this case is HD M I for video and IEEE 1394 for audio.

I was thrilled that Denon included I/P conversion and scaling video processing for zone 1. They even provided for video conversion, but no scaling for Zone 2. Denon realized that many of today's antiquated recording devices such as VCRs require Time Base Correction (TBC) circuitry to operate properly when engaging video processing. M any of the newer econo box VHS machines no longer offer this as a standard feature. With this in mind, Denon provided this feature which I found to work flawlessly on my JVC VCR (yes I still use it). TBC will help video sync the signal for such instances.

Video Processing

Denon offers some very unique video processing features in their latest flagship receiver found only on a few competitor super receivers. Digital video upconversion and DCDi processing is powered by Faroudja. The integrated digital processing in the AVR-5805 lacks the picture adjustments (brightness and contrast, sharpness, saturation, 3D NR and cross color suppression found on the Yamaha RX-Z9 . But, considering the RX-Z9 applied this globally for all inputs, it almost made these features impractical to use. Since most modern displays have independent picture settings per input, it's better to do all of your picture adjustments at the display. The AVR-5805 also does video scaling and upconversion of interlaced 480i signals to 480p/576p, 720p and 1080i as well as aspect ratio control or pass-through for both PAL and NTSC display types. Be advised however that copyrighted signals such as DVD, will not be processed above 480p via the AVR-5805 even if you select higher resolution settings. If you have a DVD player such as the Denon DVD-5900 which does video upconversion to 1080i via DVI, you may be better off going that route to your display. In fact, I found that when the Denon Video Processor was enabled (1080i), the Avia resolution test was now displaying resolution limits of about 480 lines, as compared to over 500 lines of resolution when the DVD-5900 did the de-interlacing via its component analog outputs at 480p. The 6.75 M Hz test window was displaying discernable vertical lines, but not as sharply as when the DVD-5900 was used as the de-interlacer. There was however a tad less jitter with the AVR-5805 deinterlacer, but only when engaged in 1080i mode. Since component video outputs of compliant DVD players are limited to 480p, this wasn't an apples to apples comparison. The end result is use the AVR-5805 video processing features on poor quality video sources and/or DVD players with sub par deinterlacers. I used the AVR-5805 for all of my composite video and s-video sources. For progressive video sources such as those from progressive scan DVD players, the digital processing of the AVR-5805 is bypassed, as it should be, even if you have it set to a particular scaling mode.

Even on old VHS tapes such as one of my favorites, Mars Attacks, I noted a slightly more dynamic and smoother, almost film-like picture with the AVR-5805 video processing engaged. M ars Attacks was a great demo tape to really show off the AVR-5805's ability to transform an old VHS classic into a modern day pseudo 7.1 surround sound spectacle approaching DVD picture quality. In contrast, my daughter's tapes such as Cinderella looked equally as bad. Luckily no flickering was introduced into VHS tapes with the AVR-5805 video processor engaged as it was when using the RX-Z9. The TBC feature on the AVR-5805 was responsible for eliminating this as an issue.

I found the HDMI video switching to work flawlessly . My only gripe was the AVR-5805's inability to support OSD via HDMI. However, this will soon be remedied with a firmware upgrade late in the summer of 2005. When using HDMI check to see if your DVD player provides squeeze modes to this format - many players do not. Squeeze mode is essential to properly play back 4:3 DVD material on 16:9 displays. Thankfully the newer DVD-5910 (review pending) has an auto squeeze mode that also works for HDMI. It was a bit of a pain each time I viewed a 4:3 source on my 16:9 display to go into the user control menus to select the correct aspect ratio. I am hopeful that all new HDMI-enabled DVD players will offer an auto scaling feature via HDMI to eliminate this inconvenience.

Editorial Note on HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface)
HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) is a trademark of HDMI Licensing, LLC. Developed by Sony, Hitachi , Thomson (RCA), Philips, Matsushita (Panasonic), Toshiba and Silicon Image, HDMI was created as a digital interface standard for the consumer electronics market.

The HDMI protocol combines high-definition video, multi-channel audio, and inter-component control in a single digital interface. This lone interconnect has the ability to transmit uncompressed digital video and up to eight channels of audio from source to display. Even more, the HDMI connection enables audio/video components to share data and commands, thus unifying an oft-disjointed collection of "boxes" into a real, working system. Based on Silicon Image's TMDS technology, HDMI is also fully compatible with PCs and display devices incorporating the Digital Visual Interface (DVI) standard.

For more information on HDMI Connections check out Audio & Video Connections - Definitive Guide