John always beats me to it!

If you purchase Onkyo, Denon, Harman Kardon, or Yamaha, they will also have similar performance.

I do tend to lean towards Denon and HK simply because I find their amp sections to be somewhat more robust. You say you live in a remote area, so I am assuming you have a detached house, and can therefore play your movies and music very loudly. If that is the case, my personal preference would be go for the receiver with the most power.

Don't discount Sherwood Newcastle either. Axiom sells it. I have heard excellent reviews about their products.