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This is the type of remote that Denon should develop and include in their high end products. But regardless several years ago it was a wasted feature but today is pretty neat. The second remote is nice to have to control zone 2, which is probably not going to be your complicated zone. I have an old turntable hooked up as well as a pioneer elite blueray and Kuro plasma. I happen to meet a Denon rep and asked him why their remotes haven't kept pace with the receivers. With the way they have advanced their receivers, they should advance the remote. So they don't invest the money into a universal and usable remote.
This amp can handle pumping out a lot of power without a problem. It can easily be set up to handle multiple rooms- for example, I seet up a great surround setting in one room and have it power the outdoor speakers also. Playing it now is pretty awesome. It has the right combination of power and style. The remote. I played with this several years back and I thought it was all hype.
To fix the problem, I purchased Harmony One by logitech. No matter what components you have to hook up to it, this is the amp can handle it. So why only 4 stars. It has all the options you could want not matter how complex your environment is and how you may want to use it. That is probably because the internet backbone of america is a lot better now. This is the worst Denon remote that I've used. But the old remotes were great compared to this main remote.
His response was that they think that they people buying this level of receiver will be going out to buy a universal remote anyway. You can adjust the volume in one zone without affecting the volume in the other zone. I like how you can control everything on your tv screen. This is a truly fantastic AV receiver with an awesome amp with the worst remote possible. The on screen menu is well laid out, but you can also read the information on the front of the receiver, which is very nice. This is my third Denon amp in 15 years and i must say that this receiver is truly awesome.
I also got the ipod dock is great. and blow you away. I love the internet radio. 7 star receiver 1 star main remote 3 stars for including a zone 2 remote
That apart, the sound and video quality are superb. I have been having som issues with the Internet radio as the signal strength of the WiFi is not all that great. Had to buy the Z5 projector, which offer 720p, sadly. The setup is :Denon AVR 4308Denon DVD 1940Polk ATi 7 family of speakers with Polk CS 5 center speakerSanyo PLV Z 5 projectorAs am based in Bangalore, India, I have constraints on access to the latest goodies, especially media, and at price that folks in US/UK enjoy. The amp + Dvd player combo is simply awesome. However, the overall quality and experience is great. It was almost on impulse that I bought the 4308 in Dec 2007, especialy with the Internet Radio feature. The SACD audio quality is OUT of this world.
3808CI vs.4308CI. I have however occasionally noted video artifacts. In comparing the two models side by side before purchasing, the 4308CI simply looked better. The Sony has more HDMI hookups and a longer warranty (5 years vs. I opted for the Denon over the Sony for a few reasons. It offers great sound and picture features at an attractive price point. Have had the 4308CI and the 3800BDCI paired for the last three weeks. HD radio signal reception is pretty strong and so far no interference despite living in a New York City Apartment building.
Denon 4308CI Receiver Strengths: Great quality picture and sound, excellent build quality, nice display, GUI interface, easy to assign/rename imputs, HD radio, 4 HDMI, 140 Watt multizone output, good value for price point.Weaknesses: Complicated user manual, Useless remote, Faroudja vs. The display on the Denon is much larger. I really like the fact that you can rename the inputs so when you select them from the function selection dial it will display whatever name you decide on. So far after 4 months of use I have been very pleased with the Denon. The Sony display was rather small. However, overall picture quality on standard 1080i and 720p cable source material is excellent. However, HD radio, increased power handling and WiFi capability were the primary reasons I opted to spend more to purchase the 4308CI. Video processing is excellent.
Conclusion: I've been very happy with the 4308CI. (Please do not ask which one as I was given an insider price)Summary: After considerable research I purchased the Denon 4308CI to upgrade a prexisting Sony STRDA555ES receiver. This reciver uses a Faroudja DCDi FLI2310 processor which is simply not as highly regarded by professional reviewers as the Silicon Optix Realta HQV processor used by Denon's flagship 3800BDCI Blu-ray player or the Silicon Optix Reon chipset used by receivers such as the Onkyo TX-NR905 and Integra DTR 8.8. Pricewise the Denon was a few hundred dollars more then the Sony but I felt that it had a more "modern" feature set. I prefer optical connections so I had to reassign some of the optical connections. I ruled out various other comparable recievers for a variety of reasons, including heat generation as my components are enclosed in a audio rack partially recessed into a closed media room. The 4308CI appeared to have a slightly more "attractive" build quality and appearance.
Sound is fantastic and the GUI was intuitive. 2 for the Denon) but the Denon has increased power handling and full 1080P upscaling. However,if you are interested in better video processing you may want to check out the Onkyo TX-NR905 and Integra DTR 8.8 as well. Still havent taken advantage of the 1080P upscaling as of yet. As a longtime Sony fan and owner of three ES AV recievers, it came down to a choice between the STRDA 5300ES and the Denon 4308CI. I disagree with some of the other reviews that I have read regarding the ease of setup.
The unit gets warm but not hot after a few hours of use. My main desire in upgrading was to obtain HDMI connection capability and take advantage updated sound processing and 1080P upscaling. 4308CI and 3800BDCI blu-ray combo. Harmony 880 Universal Remote works better then supplied remotes.
The Blu-ray picture is simply amazing. Will never purchase another standard DVD again if available in Blu-ray format. Rear connections seem pretty sturdy. Silicon Optix processorPrice paid: $1,780 (2/08)from a reputable retail store.
It took a little longer then I anticipated to set up but as I previously noted the GUI was fairly intuitive. It might sound silly but I like to see the information displayed on the receiver from where I'm listing to music. I also liked the fact that the Denon has internet streaming capability and HD Radio reception. Review system components: (used in review) Panasonic TH-50PZ750U 1080P (limited Ed) Artcoustic DF-65's Artcoustic DF-Multi (center) Denon 3800BDCI (DVD)(used three weeks)Sony ES 5 Disc changerSony SACD player Monster HPS7000 Signature Series Monster AVS2000 Signature series Polk XM Radio Tuner
Just one example: the receiver comes with two HDMI monitor outputs. Still haven't figured out how to do it on the remote.
Switching from one to the other should be easy, right. Well, it is, but it's taken me a week to figure out how to do it in the grahical user interface, since its buried a couple of levels down in a HDMI setting menu.
I have had the 4308ci for about a week. I actually thought the unit might be defective.
The picture quality and sound are outstanding, but as others have noted, this is a complex receiver with lots of options and a very poorly written manual. I have spent hours figuring things out by trial and error.
So, this is a receiver for those who want great quality with lots of options and are willing to work to get it.
The quality of the product is amazing. The item is one of the best I've ever bought. I already have an AVR 4306, but without a doubt the AVR 4308CI is better and worth the money.
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