From you experienced peeps -- I am redoing my HT and will get my first big screen HDTV. My question - is it better to run everything through the AVR and let it do the switching and upscaling? Or let the HDTV do it? Since I am also a ReplayTV nut, I will be recording and sending from that as well. (I know, no HD) I have had sync problems previously, when splitting the video and audio signals from a source - so my question. TIA for your comments.

Chances are if you get a receiver with HDMI it will allow you to adjust the timing to bring everything into sync so that is not an issue any more.

There are a number of newer AVR that upscale very well and some not so much. Some people feel the Processing the AVR is subject to interference from the amps in the receivers causing some issues, but I have not seen this in any research I have found so far.

It looks to me to be alot easier to let the AVR do the switching etc especially with HDMI sources with the added benfit of only 1 cable to the TV which is usually the longest and most expensive one.

One caveat: if your TV allows separate tweaking of setups by input, you are better off running HDMI to the HDTV for your cable/satellite, dvd, etc.

For example, I have my Sony dvd input calibrated for optimal processing of DVD's and my DVR/satellite with different settings for TV viewing. All audio is running to the receiver via optical.

Occassionally I have lip synch issues, but I then adjust the receiver delay.

Another caveat, if you eventually get into the HD-DVD or Bluray stuff, you might need HDMI to your receiver, anyways, to send the new audio formats, depending on your setup.

Easy to switch later though.