Sony has announced four new high-end AV receivers. All of them are capable of 1080p24 output, and in some cases can upscale standard-definition video to that maximum resolution, so long as owners connect to a similarly-equipped TV with HDMI input. The best of the receivers are the STR-DG820 and DG920, which can produce 110W for each of their 7.1 channels of audio; supported sound codecs include Dolby TrueHD and Digital Plus, as well as DTS-HD High Resolution and Master Audio.

The 920, specifically, is capable of the Deep Color output associated with HDMI 1.3, and has an onboard upscaling chip. It also uses a separate icon-based menu system for control and configuration. The 920 will be ready in June for $600, while the 820 is expected in May for $400.

The 7.1-channel DG720 outputs 105W for each speaker, but scales back to three HDMI inputs. The DG520, meanwhile, is only a 5.1-channel system, and likewise has just two HDMI inputs. Both receivers will be ready in March, with the 720 costing $300 and the 520 $200.