The main transmission and processing device in a home cinema is an AVR, also known as a receiver. Signals from linked components can be received by it, and it can then send them to various devices. AVRs are also sometimes referred to as "amplifiers" because one of their main purposes is to enhance an audio transmission before transmitting it to the speakers.

All equipment is attached to the HDMI connections on the rear of the AVR in a standard home theater configuration. Speakers, such as a Dolby 5.1 sound system, receive the music (five speakers plus one subwoofer). Usually, the footage is transmitted to a monitor. Since the AVR processes the audio in a contemporary home theater and a cable box, Apple TV, or other device handles the visual feed, the TV may act as a display. Smart Televisions are an exception because they serve as both an output device (displaying video from built-in applications or other devices) and an input device (sending music and video data to the AVR).

Background on AVRs

Due to the fact that they only managed aural data, early receivers were not dubbed AVRs. Except for a Toslink or S/PDIF connector for optical audio connections, the inputs and outputs were mainly analog. Later, transmitters were developed to transmit both audio and visual data.

Receivers began to play a more important role as the main digital driver of a home entertainment system as digital devices became more widely used. Now that mutual contact is possible thanks to HDMI, gadgets can talk to one another. For instance, a TV can instruct an AVR to adjust the level while an AVR can instruct a TV to switch on or off.

Current AVRs

Compared to earlier receivers, which only enhanced radio signals, audio cassettes, and Disc player signals, modern AVRs are much more useful. They now act as the majority of home cinemas' management panel. Numerous AVRs also support Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, allowing you to remotely transmit audio to speakers attached to the receiver.