Thinking of upgrading to this receiver from the ht-r520 6.1 - just purchase a 46'' toshiba hdtv plus adding a blu ray along with a wii - we have comcast for cable (hd) - also may be adding an apple tv to this too. any help with set up - i know enough to get myself into trouble - thanks.
In's go to out's and out's go to in's. Beyond that there are numerous ways to connect and set up any one system. The retailer who sells the receiver should offer after the sale service should you get confused.
Is there something specific you need an answer to? If not, then you sort of have to follow the owner's manual and try a few set ups. Always keep track of what you did and what you changed in case you need to return to where you began.
Other than a desire for one button switching convenience, there is seldom a need to run video through the receiver or audio through the monitor. Running video directly to the monitor and audio directly to the receiver most often results in the best quality from each.
If the receiver features video upscaling or other enhancements, consider just how well these features might perform in the budget oriented package of a feature laden receiver. (A truly high quality, stand alone video scaler is likely to cost as much as the entire receiver you're looking at.) There's the main problem with most AV receivers, too many features which under perform and not enough power supply to actually be useful in the real world of driving loudspeakers with dynamic music or video based effects. We should all understand and be able to agree on the fact there is "X" amount of money to go towards the cost of buliding a receiver. If the manufacturer spends the money on more features or filling the back panel with more connectors, then the money isn't there for the actual parts which make for a good amplifier. In general, when I was selling, I would advise a client to look at the least feature laden receiver and probably the lowest watts per dollar but expect better performance from a better built component where the money was directed at things they couldn't so easily see. But some buyers like convenience and there's plenty of that to go around nowdays. If that's your priority, then that's where you should focus your search. Be aware, however, there is typically more than one way to arrive at your desired end game when you look at today's market.
If, for example, your receiver doesn't include a universal remote control (which would allow most commands to be performed on one remote through no more than,say, two buttons per switching function), then you might want to opt for an after market universal remote. Macro commands can be built into most universal remotes and these are IMO almost always a good idea. (A universal remote with learning capabilities would be even better since you'll be able to "teach" one remote the entire vocabulary of commands for an older or off brand component.) Push one "macro" button and the remote sequentially performs up to five commands which makes the need for; 1) multiple remotes, and 2) running videoto the receiver/audio to the monitor all but obsolete. You pick the level of convenience you desire and work around that. HDMI's and optical digital audio connections can be run to any one component to serve the best function.
There's the next issue with most receivers, they are sold not on how they sound but on the number of features and multiple connectivities they offer along with how convenient the remote is to operate. For decades receivers have been sold more on the front and back panel than on sound quality. A good number of the AV receivers sold today are never asked to actually play music before the sale is completed. As time progressed salespeople learned to sell the remotes as a convenience item rather than discuss the amplifier. So when you are shopping for a HT receiver you'll probably be told about features, connectivity and convenience. It's doubtful the salesperson will dwell on how well the receiver actually sounds and there's no way to tell what it will do in your home should you listen through a demo room switching system.
So connect the sources directly to the component piece that will be doing the job required; video to the monitor and audio (from the video based sources) to the receiver. That should provide the best quality in each situation. Then, if you care to, try a more convenient connection and see if you notice any degradation of performance. There is no right or wrong in most cases if you simply follow a logical path to making things work. It comes down to what you prefer in terms of switching vs performance vs convenience and you might not even notice the difference between a direct to the monitor video feed vs one through the receiver. The same applies to the audio sources, I can't tell you what you might hear.