The Denon 1712 has an HDMI out port that can be configured as a pass through. Using this port for the cable box will allow you to watch TV with the Denon off. Then, if you turn the Denon on it will automatically redirect the audio to your speakers, an awesome feature. One thing you should be aware of with the 1712, which drove me crasy with my ipod until I finally figured out what the mysterious manual was talking about, is that this unit will not convert analog video to digital. This means that if you run only HDMI to your display then you can only display a digital signal, to display an analog signal such as from an ipod or the component out from your BR you would have to also run component cables to your display.
