HW-C700 Features and Build Quality

With the advent of Blu-ray players and advanced, hi-def gaming systems and all that they require, it has become increasingly important to have a centralized unit that can handle not only the latest audio formats, but also the centralizing of your HDMI sources. A recent quote from a popular TV show comes to mind, "Is there anything that money can't do?" If you have the means, you can get any number of high-end pieces to act as a video and sound hub for your AV/gaming needs, but for those without limitless resources, but with enough to get Blu-ray and the occasional Xbox 360 or PS3, there needs to be an economical answer to this need. The $399 HW-C700 receiver is Samsung's answer which packs many of the functions of a full-size receiver into a smaller chassis. This is a unit that can work with a large system but is also good for smaller living spaces where a larger component system is simply too much for the budget to support.

Features and Connectivity

The HW-C700 Surround receiver is the answer to the middle class' search for a device to bring all of those AV/gaming sources together into one good looking unit. For example, the system will handle four HDMI devices - that's enough for your DISH or cableTV box, a couple gaming devices and a Blu-ray player. In addition it has three composite and three component video inputs, but it won't up-converts those signals to its single HDMI output. This means that users with legacy equipment, such as older DVD players and set top boxes, will need to connect these up to the HW-C700 and still get that output to their televisions with an additional cable. We call this 'garbage in, garbage out.' For those looking to wall mount a new flat panel display, or with remotely-located equipment, you'll need to keep this in mind. For those who have fully taken the HDMI plunge, you won't have to switch inputs on your television when going from source to source. These days, convenience gets a lot of weight in home theater product decisions, so be aware that spending a little extra may go a long way if you require upconversion. while the HW-C700 switches incoming HDMI sources, it doesn't scale the output. That means that if you send a 720p signal in via HDMI, it will go out the HDMI output at 720p. This is actually a good thing, since we've seen lots of AV receivers do worse jobs at processing video than displays. If you have a great TV, let's let it do something!

In terms of audio the HW-C700 has 7 pairs of five-way binding posts for all channels except the parallel analog line level outputs for the subwoofer. There are two component inputs, a sufficient number given that there are four HDMI inputs which also support multi-channel audio (including the uncompressed Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD formats). There are also four digital audio inputs (3 optical TOSLink and one coax). For stereo analogue sources there is an Aux stereo input in the front of the receiver and 5 rear connection pairs as well. It also has a multi-channel (7.1) input for a legacy DVD player with multi-channel outputs. The way Samsung handles its sources is that the digital inputs are assignable but you cannot rename inputs or move the actual analogue audio or video sources around.

Once again, S-video is, thankfully, nowhere to be seen

Build Quality

The receiver has a sleek, minimalistic and modern front with a subtle, white, digital display against a dark gray background. It has a decent size to it and looks heavier than it actually is (13.7lbs). It presents a smooth charcoal grey front with only a large volume knob in the front to break up the solid wall of understated cool. That is until you pull down the front panel which reveals numerous knobs, buttons, controls and analogue RCA inputs. If you lose the remote, you can still manipulate all controls with this front pull down panel. The power button, in typical Samsung style, functions off of a capacitance style sensor rather than pushing on it like a button. It’s really cool to swipe your finger and have it power down, but the downside is that it can be a little tricky at times and you find that you didn’t cover the area or swipe it to the sensor’s satisfaction. Still, it’s an innovative feature and feels like it belongs on a really high end system.