I'm looking for a Rx with HDMI. I have a Philips plasma, Pioneer Progressive Scan DVD (with component outputs) and a Charter MOXI cable box (no HDMI output).
So, this Rx would fit me pretty well. I especially like the upconverting capabilities and can use the HDMI output to my plasma as it has 2 HDMI inputs.
I'd like to NOT spend upwards of $700 on a Rx as I only use a Center and a Fronts and don't need all the extras you get when you upsize to those boxes so I don't want to pay for a bunch of features I will never use in my HT.
I've found a few reviews online, mostly good for the 401 and not so good on the quality side for the 701.
I own this unit and I am satisfied with the price to performance. However, it does not up-convert signals via HDMI. It will pass through whatever source signal it receives with the exception of 480i. If the 480i source is analog, it will de-interlace to 480p and pass that through the HDMI output as 480p. Overall, it is a great, inexpensive HDMI switchable receiver.