Yamaha379

Yamaha introduced Tuesday its first A/V receiver offering 4K Ultra HD video pass-through with support for the HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2 connection and copy protection standards.

Model RX-V379 (available in May at a $299.99 suggested retail price), which is the new entry level model to the RX-V receiver line, supports 5.1-channel surround and is capable of accepting copy projected 4K Ultra HD signals and passing them on to a  4K UHD television over an HDMI 2.0/HCDP 2.2 output.

Other features include: Bluetooth support for wireless music streaming from smartphones and other devices, and support for Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio format decoding.

More on the RX-V379 after the break:

Yamaha couldn’t say whether the HDMI 2.0 connection in the new receiver could be updated to support the newly announced HDMI 2.0a standard that provides support for high dynamic range (HDR) metadata information from forthcoming HDR media players, including yet-to-be-introduced Ultra HD Blu-ray players.

A company spokesman told HD Guru: “We are studying feasibility of HDMI 2.0a implementation. There is nothing to announce at this time.”

The first 4K Ultra HDTVs capable of reading and playing back HDR metadata from specially produced content are hitting the market this year. The capability is expected to become increasingly popular as supporting content and products roll out.

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The HDR Forum said that whether or not an A/V receiver can accept the HDMI 2.0a update through firmware alone is dependent on each manufacturer’s implementation.

In a statement announcing the receiver, Bob Goedken, Yamaha, AV Division, general manager, said: “With Bluetooth and HDCP 2.2, it will provide years of entertainment from home components and mobile devices, as well as from eye-popping 4K Ultra HD video titles.”

The company’s specs indicated the RX-V379 will support HDMI with 3D and Audio Return Channel, however.

Other features in the RX-V379 include full discrete amp configuration that drives enhanced audio for movie and TV viewing, and Yamaha’s exclusive Compressed Music Enhancer, which has been optimized to reproduce vivid and lively sound from Bluetooth audio transmissions.

Yamaha said the RX-V379 offers 4K Ultra HD video pass-through via HDMI 2.0, enabling 4K/60p, 4:2:0. The receiver is equipped with 4 HDMI inputs (one of which is labeled HCDP 2.2)/1 output (labeled HDCP 2.2). Also included is Yamaha’s exclusive YPAO automatic system calibration, which optimizes speaker placement for the best possible listening experiences on all content.

The company has also added to the RX-V379 Virtual Cinema DSP, providing virtual speaker technology for those who don’t have an appropriate location for multiple speaker placements. The feature Virtual Cinema Front lets consumers place all five speakers at the front of the listening area and still achieve a surround sound effect, while Virtual Cinema DSP creates a virtual surround sound field from only two standard stereo speakers.

By Greg Tarr

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Tags: AV receivers·HDMI 2.0a·HDR·HDR-ready TVs