Customer Reviews
Nice receiver, but not perfect... 
2008-09-19
Good: HDMI switching and video conversion make life so much easier! Nice sound quality, plenty of power, lots of configuration options. It's worked perfectly with my Tivo HD, Xbox360, Wii, PS3, and PC input.
Bad: Doesn't decode the latest HD formats (DTS Master HD, Dolby True HD). Not a huge deal, but kind of unforgivable at this price. Only 3 HDMI inputs. Automatic speaker calibration made my system sound worse.
Verdict: Now that Onkyo has released their TX-SR606, the DG910 is pretty much obsolete. More HDMI inputs, HD format support, and it's only a few bucks more. Sorry Sony. Game over.
Great Receiver for the Price 
2008-05-14
I bought this receiver for my boyfriend as an anniversary present. He's a big a/v nerd and really wanted a better receiver for the new hd-tv that he was getting. I looked around and really couldn't find anything better than this (without being twice the price)... it has 3 hdmi I was pretty worried that it wouldn't be up to his standards, but he was thrilled and said that it was easy to hook up and had all of the outputs/inputs that he needed. There haven't been any problems with it, and we've had it for a while. Like I said, great receiver for the price!
Exactly what I needed 2008-05-09
I needed an AV receiver that can switch all of my video sources:
Tivo S3
XBox 360 (older component only)
PS3
Wii
and that is not too deep (<14 in) so it can fit into my cabinet.
This is exactly what I needed. It has just the right number of inputs. The analog -> HDMI transcoding allowed me to put XBox 360 and Wii in from component inputs, and run one HDMI cable to my TV, which greatly simplified my universal remote macros.
The receiver has worked flawlessly for > 2 months now, driving a set of Polk Monitor front/center speakers, Pioneer rear booshelf speakers, and a Velodyne sub, producing great sound. I also liked the auto-speaker set up. I have a 5.1 setup, and it detected my speakers just fine. When I swapped out my old satellite front/center speakers with the polk, it correctly detected that the speakers are now "Large" instead of "Small" and adjusted accordingly.
I don't mind Sony losing the S-video inputs, I haven't used those in ages, and glad to save some cost and bulk off the receiver by not having them.
I looked at comparable Onkyo (605, 705), but they are just too big to fit, or no/bad analog-HDMI transcoding. I'm sure they are nice, but this Sony is the perfect one for me.
Good performance, weak remote 2008-04-05
Bought the Sony STR-DG910 unit to power a fairly high end home theater system. Price was much better than other units with similar features.
Setting it up was quite straightforward and the instructions were clear and simple to follow. Performance is excellent. It has an impressive number of options and ways to connect equipment.
It has a very poor remote that is poorly explained, difficult to program and inconvenient to operate. Buttons are too small and confusing (such as two marked "TV" right near each other). Remote codes are always a mess and so far I have not gotten this unit to work (although the remotes for my other units do).
The menus (to set speaker levels etc) are also difficult and not intuitive, but at least more clearly explained.
Overall, a lot of features for a good price, but poorly engineered menus and remote.
A surprisingly great receiver 
2008-04-02
I wanted to get a receiver but not break the bank. This model was the premium of the mid-brand Sony receivers. It has several SPIDIF connections, 3 hdmi inputs, component, everything you really need for hd entertainment.
It is connected to:
Polk RM6880 speakers and sub (great speakers by the way)
LG BH200 (Blu-ray/Hd-dvd)
PS3
They are all connected via hdmi. Sound quality is fantastic; the STR-DG910 has more wattage than the Onkyo 605. While I did like the Onkyo 605 there have been several complaints on different postings about speaker pops, overheating, and general unreliability.
This receiver has pre-set sound options specifically for concerts, sci-fi/action, and more. I watched Sigur Rós concert/Documentary dvd in DTS the other night and I head sounds I never noticed before. Action films sound equally fantastic.
A weird quirk: When I used the automatic set up with the microphone it said that not all my speakers were set up. I called tech support and they said that mic is set up for 7.1 set-up and I have a 5.1 set up. That was a little annoying.
Another negative side is that it's a real pain to set-up. I'm still getting used to the remote. Still, for this price, I can't complain. I bought it for 20% less than what it is online at a local electronic store.
Sony did something right for a change. Take advantage of it.
Sony STR-DG910 2008-03-22
Impress your friends and wake the neighbors with this earth-shaking, 770-watt audio video receiver. The STR-DG910 not only has 7.1 channels for intense Blu-ray Disc movies, it also boasts an array of features that will make your home entertainment more immersive. Watch breathtakingly crisp video via two HDMI inputs that are capable of accepting resolutions up to 1080p. A "one-touch play" remote control feature allows you to easily manage select Sony HDMI A/V components with a single remote. The Digital Media Port allows you to connect optional DMP accessories to play music from a PC, Bluetooth devices, Network Walkman(R) music players or iPod music players (requires optional adapters). Composite Video Inputs - 5 (1 Front, 4 Rear) /Composite Video Outputs - 3 (Rear - 1 Monitor Output, 2 Video Outputs) / Optical Audio Inputs - 4 (1 Front, 3 Rear) / Optical Audio Output - 1 (Rear) Coaxial Audio Digital Inputs - 2 (Rear) / RCA Audio Inputs - 8 (3 Dedicated, 5 Audio/Video) RCA Audio Outputs - 3 (Rear- 2 Audio/Video Outputs, 1 Output) /Multi-Channel Input - 1 (Rear, 7.1 Channel) / AM/FM Memory Presets - 30 FM - 30 AM Subwoofer Output - 1 (Rear) / Headphone Output - 1 (Front- Gold) HD Component Video Inputs - 3 (Rear) / HD Component Video Output - 1 (Rear) HDMI Connection Inputs - 3 (Rear) / HDMI Connection Output - 1 (Rear) Repeater / Digital Media Port Input - 1 / Sound Fields - Cinema - 3; Music - 4; Auto Format Decoding - 11; 2 Channel - 1 Dimensions - 16-15/16 x 6-3/16 x 13-3/16 inches (430 x 157.5 x 351.5mm) Weight - Approx. 23 Lbs. 5 oz. (10.6Kg)
Long time listener, first time caller.... 2008-03-07
This is my first time writing a review, but I thought it was important since these reviews were instrumental in my purchase decision.
First of all let me say that this is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Here were my requirements:
1. BUDGET-minded
2. HDMI pass-through with at least 2 inputs
3. 7.1 channel surround sound capable
4. Future proof, for when I'm ready to upgrade
Here are the results:
Ringing in at only $399.99 (the lowest I could find for this product) it seemed about right for my budget. It has 3 HDMI inputs and plenty of other inputs (should I need them). Currently I have my PS3 (Blu-ray) and my Brighthouse HD cable box connected through HDMI, leaving room for one more device via HDMI later. The reciever is connected to my Sony 40" XBR2 LCD TV (purchased last year). The speakers I'm using are a set of Harmon/Kardon HKTS-18 5.1 home theater speakers (read my review on that later). I have chosen not to go 7.1 since the room I'm set up in is comparatively small (1bed luxury apartment).
I still haven't had a chance to put this system fully to the test, but so far I'm VERY satisfied. The only thing I can say needs improvement is ease of use. The menus aren't intuitive and requires reading the manual. I thought about getting a universal remote, but since the PS3 works on Bluetooth instead of RF, I'm still going to need more than one remote. Fortunately the receiver remote works for my TV and cable box (not all functions though).
As far as delivery, I'm trying out Amazon Prime. I ordered the reciever on a Friday and it was here by Monday (since most carriers don't deliver on Sundays).
And to take it one step further, I originally bought this at the price of $424.99, but a couple days later it went down $25 to $399.99. I called up Amazon and they refunded me the difference. They guarantee the price for 30 days so you won't feel cheated if there's a sale the day after you buy something. Way to go! Thanks Amazon!
Garbage with no support 
2008-02-23
I originally had a DG800, which only had HDMI passthru. When I purchased a Blu-Ray player, I decided to upgrade to take advantage of fewer cables. I purchased a DG810, which had upgraded HDMI capability, but alas no audio and the video was a disaster. Called Sony tech support, assuming I had done something wrong. First they said it wouldn't handle my TV, as it had DVI connecter. However, when I pointed out that it worked on 800 and supported per their manuals, they agreed it wasn't the problem with the video Still no audio. Next they insisted it was my cable, that I couldn't use the $80 Monster, but I had to go all the way to the $120 cable. OK, what the heck. Still no audio. Now they pass me to 2nd level support and I go through pretty much the whole sequence again. Solution is send it in and they will fix it, might take a few weeks. That's a non-starter as I just purchased it. So, back to the store I go to do an exchange. Circuit City tells me they are out of 810's and they are being discontinued by Sony. OK, option is to pay another $80 and get the 910. Back home and hook it up. Picture is great. Still no audio. Now I'm really ticked off. Get on the web and find out from non-Sony posting that this is a common problem. One poor guy had to exchange his 4 times, before he got one that worked. Then HDMI audio quit after 6 weeks! This AV reciver provides good sound and works fine if don't use the HDMI inputs for sound and stay away from Sony support, they are either incompetent of dishonest.
A good receiver, but you should know... 2008-02-02
UPDATED 10/23
OK.
First, I bought this receiver from CCity, not Amazon, because I was impatient and didn't want to wait for it to be shipped. Besides, I knew they'd use FedEx and leave it sitting out in a plain box ready for theft.
Anyway...I needed a receiver to replace my old receiver. The first reason was because I have a ton of electronic components that needed to be hooked up, of various connection qualities and needed to consolidate. For the record I have:
- HD-DVR (supports HDMI but was using Component and optical)
- 360 (supports Component, but was using VGA and optical)
- PS3 (using HDMI)
- Wii (using Component)
You can imagine how many cords were all over the place.
I did a lot of research and stumbled across this nice little expensive unit. The one thing that caught my eye about it was the fact that it not only transcoded HDMI, it also upconverted source signals to the highest resolution possible regardless of what that source cable was. That meant that I could have 5 devices plugged into the receiver and just one HDMI cable out to my TV and be fine in the knowledge that it's the maximum resolution it can be. AWESOME.
So now my setup looks like this:
- HD-DVR (using HDMI)
- PS3 (using HDMI)
- 360 (using Component/optical and upconverted through HDMI)
- Wii (using Component and upconverted through HDMI)
- Receiver outputs through HDMI and I use it to switch input signals, the TV only uses on and off.
Should I decide to invest in an Elite 360, I'll then have HDMI there, which is even less cabling. Then the only cable nightmare is the Wii, which I suppose I can't do anything about.
It's really nice because I really only use two remotes instead of 5 (no, I'm not kidding, I had 5 remotes going on).
However, it does have some flaws.
- The HDMI inputs are named the same as some of the Component/Composite inputs. Meaning I can't have the PS3 on HDMI Video 2 and the 360 on Component Video 2. I'm sure I could alternate the two, but I would much rather the HDMI inputs have their own dedicated selections.
- The receiver's remote is unwieldy and confusing. Way too many buttons, I mean you have to click three different buttons just to set subwoofer level.
- The HDMI upconversion doesn't always play nice with DirecTV's HR20 HD-DVR. If the HR20 is turned on before the receiver, the receiver won't output all colors to the TV, so it'll show up pink/green. The receiver has to be powered on first, then the HR20. the HR20 might just be picky, but I think it shouldn't matter in either case.
- I had some issues getting the 360 to play nice with the receiver. I actually had to turn the little switch on the component cables to the non-HD setting to get it to work. Which is weird, because it IS in HD.
- I would have liked some sort of attenuation setting, so I could drop the volume to bare minimum with a single button press (in the case of phone calls, visitors, etc).
All in all, yes I do recommend this receiver as a great value, but then again, a receiver is only as good as your setup/speakers/etc.
UPDATE: I finally experienced my first HDMI-related issue. The receiver keeps defaulting itself to PCM, not recognizing DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 or any digital audio sound. I have to power it off and back on to get it to process the sound input properly. Even if I leave the receiver on, it still does the same thing. Also, when I power it off and back on, instead of remembering what input it was on last, it goes back to "TV", which nothing is connected to. It's quite annoying, to be sure.
UPDATE 2: I figured out the PCM issue. For whatever reason, it requires Bitstream in order to acknowledge any digital signal. The 360 works fine. It's the PS3 and the DirecTV receiver that have the issue. Also, the automatic TV setting seems to have been a symptom of my TV (Samsung DLP...I wrote a review about it) and automatically doing something with the HDMI. As to the first problem, the deal with Bitstream is that Blu-ray apparently is optimal with Linear PCM...so I'd have to change it if I were watching a DVD vs. a Blu-ray. I don't know how to deal with that.
Great product... especially for the price 2008-01-27
Pros:
- HDMI functionality
This receiver provides the most HDMI functionality at its price range than any other receiver. The HDMI pass-through, switching, and component upconversion allowed me to hook up my PS3, DVR, and Media center to my TV via one HDMI cable. Before I had my speakers, I was using the TV speakers and its good to know that this system will pass audio through HDMI as well so I needed minimal cables from all of my devices. I was originally looking at the Harmon Kardon 347, and the Denon AVR, but the sony was the only one which passed audio. The Denon does have a HDMI 1.3a port which supports deep color, but I do not have any blu-rays yet which support this feature. I am not sure where else you can use a deep color output since Fios does not support it as well for their HD programming.
Other Pros are the on screen setup and the easy automated setup. The sound quality is decent, but I could have used some more EQ options.
Cons -
- No network port
For this price I wasn't looking for a network port, but having one would have been nice.
- No USB port
This receiver does have the DMPort, but having a USB port would have been nice. For now, I just use the PS3.
All in all, this receiver provided exactly what I needed with a great picture, quality sound, and many extra features.
