{"id":83323,"date":"2026-09-22T11:56:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T09:56:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/ratgeber\/allgemein\/what-is-an-av-receiver\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T06:39:02","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T04:39:02","slug":"what-is-an-av-receiver","status":"publish","type":"ratgeber","link":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/guide\/setup-tv\/what-is-an-av-receiver\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an AV Receiver"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>\n.fa-article{\n--fa-font:\"Figtree\",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\n--fa-accent:#F63D28;\n--fa-accent-hover:#066A6D;\n--fa-badge-bg:linear-gradient(100deg,#E07444 0%,#F63D28 100%);\n--fa-badge-fg:#ffffff;\n--fa-badge-shadow:0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,.38);\n--fa-ink:#000000;\n--fa-ink-soft:#3d4b50;\n--fa-surface:#F4F0E8;\n--fa-border:#e3ddd0;\n--fa-radius:6px 0 6px 0;\n--fa-radius-soft:0 6px 0 0;\n--fa-badge-radius:6px;\n--fa-intro-color:#000000;\n--fa-toc-link:#000000;\n--fa-link:#066A6D;\n--fa-link-hover:#043E51;\n--fa-hl-bg:#066A6D;\n--fa-hl-fg:#ffffff;\n--fa-hl-title:#F4F0E8;\n--fa-hl-mark:#F4F0E8;\n--fa-hl-border:0;\n--fa-hl-radius:0;\n--fa-pro:#066A6D;\n--fa-con:#B82E1E;\n--fa-h2-pad-top:1.1rem;\n--fa-h2-bar-display:block;\n--fa-h2-bar-bg:linear-gradient(100deg,#E07444 0%,#F63D28 100%);\n--fa-rule:#F63D28;\n--fa-h1-weight:700;\n--fa-h1-size:2.4rem;\n--fa-h2-color:#000000;\nmax-width:780px;margin:0 auto;padding:0 1rem;font-family:var(--fa-font);font-weight:400;color:var(--fa-ink);line-height:1.7;font-size:1rem}\n.fa-article *,.fa-article *::before,.fa-article *::after{box-sizing:border-box}\n.fa-breadcrumb{font-size:.75rem;color:var(--fa-ink-soft);margin-bottom:1.25rem;margin-top:1rem;line-height:1.4}\n.fa-breadcrumb a{color:var(--fa-ink-soft);text-decoration:none}\n.fa-breadcrumb a:hover{color:var(--fa-accent)}\n.fa-breadcrumb span[aria-current]{color:var(--fa-accent);font-weight:700}\n.fa-cat{display:inline-block;font-size:.78rem;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.1em;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--fa-badge-fg);background:var(--fa-badge-bg);text-shadow:var(--fa-badge-shadow);margin-top:.5rem;margin-bottom:1.25rem;padding:.45rem .95rem;border-radius:var(--fa-badge-radius)}\n.fa-article h1{font-weight:var(--fa-h1-weight);font-size:var(--fa-h1-size);letter-spacing:-.035em;line-height:1.15;color:var(--fa-ink);margin:0 0 .75rem}\n.fa-meta{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:.5rem;font-size:.8rem;color:var(--fa-ink-soft);margin-bottom:1.5rem;flex-wrap:wrap}\n.fa-meta time{color:var(--fa-ink-soft)}\n.fa-meta .fa-sep{color:var(--fa-border)}\n.fa-meta .fa-readtime{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:.25rem}\n.fa-meta .fa-readtime::before{content:\"\";display:inline-block;width:14px;height:14px;border:1.5px solid var(--fa-accent);border-radius:50%;background:transparent;position:relative}\n.fa-hero{margin:0 0 2rem}\n.fa-hero img{width:100%;height:auto;aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover;display:block;border-radius:var(--fa-radius)}\n.fa-toc{background:var(--fa-surface);border-left:3px solid var(--fa-rule);padding:1.25rem 1.5rem;margin-bottom:2rem;border-radius:var(--fa-radius-soft)}\n.fa-toc-title{font-size:.85rem;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.05em;color:var(--fa-ink);margin:0 0 .75rem}\n.fa-toc ol{margin:0;padding:0 0 0 1.25rem;list-style:decimal}\n.fa-toc li{margin-bottom:.4rem;font-size:.9rem;line-height:1.4}\n.fa-toc a{color:var(--fa-toc-link);text-decoration:none;border-bottom:1px solid transparent;transition:border-color .2s,color .2s}\n.fa-toc a:hover{color:var(--fa-accent);border-bottom-color:var(--fa-accent)}\n.fa-article .fa-intro{font-size:1.05rem;line-height:1.8;color:var(--fa-intro-color);margin:0 0 1.25rem}\n.fa-article .fa-intro:last-of-type{margin-bottom:2rem}\n.fa-highlight{background:var(--fa-hl-bg);color:var(--fa-hl-fg);border-radius:var(--fa-hl-radius);padding:1.5rem 1.75rem;margin-bottom:2.5rem;border:var(--fa-hl-border)}\n.fa-highlight-title{font-size:.8rem;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.08em;color:var(--fa-hl-title);margin:0 0 .75rem;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:.5rem}\n.fa-highlight-title::before{content:\"\\2605\";font-size:1rem;color:var(--fa-hl-mark);flex-shrink:0}\n.fa-highlight ul{margin:0;padding:0 0 0 1.25rem;list-style:none}\n.fa-highlight li{position:relative;padding-left:.25rem;margin-bottom:.5rem;font-size:.95rem;line-height:1.5;color:var(--fa-hl-fg)}\n.fa-highlight li::before{content:\"\\2713\";position:absolute;left:-1.25rem;color:var(--fa-hl-mark);font-weight:700}\n.fa-article h2{font-weight:700;font-size:1.65rem;letter-spacing:-.035em;line-height:1.25;color:var(--fa-h2-color);margin:2.5rem 0 1rem;padding-top:var(--fa-h2-pad-top);scroll-margin-top:100px;position:relative}\n.fa-article h2::before{content:\"\";display:var(--fa-h2-bar-display);position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:52px;height:5px;background:var(--fa-h2-bar-bg)}\n.fa-article h3{font-weight:700;font-size:1.15rem;letter-spacing:0;line-height:1.35;color:var(--fa-ink);margin:1.75rem 0 .75rem;scroll-margin-top:100px}\n.fa-article section[id]{scroll-margin-top:100px}\n.fa-article p{margin:0 0 1.25rem;font-size:1rem;line-height:1.7}\n.fa-article strong{font-weight:700}\n.fa-article .fa-content a{color:var(--fa-link);text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-underline-offset:2px;transition:color .2s}\n.fa-article .fa-content a:hover{color:var(--fa-link-hover)}\n.fa-article .fa-content ul,.fa-article .fa-content ol{margin:0 0 1.25rem;padding:0 0 0 1.5rem}\n.fa-article .fa-content li{margin-bottom:.4rem;line-height:1.6}\n.fa-article .fa-content figure{margin:1.5rem 0;padding:0}\n.fa-article .fa-content figure img{width:100%;height:auto;aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover;display:block;border-radius:var(--fa-radius)}\n.fa-article .fa-content figcaption{font-size:.75rem;color:var(--fa-ink-soft);margin-top:.5rem;font-style:italic}\n.fa-table-wrap{overflow-x:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;margin:1.5rem 0}\n.fa-article table{width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:.9rem;min-width:480px}\n.fa-article thead{background:var(--fa-surface)}\n.fa-article th{text-align:left;font-weight:700;padding:.65rem .75rem;border-bottom:2px solid var(--fa-accent);font-size:.85rem}\n.fa-article td{padding:.6rem .75rem;border-bottom:1px solid var(--fa-border);vertical-align:top}\n.fa-article tbody tr:last-child td{border-bottom:none}\n.fa-table-summary{font-size:.85rem;color:var(--fa-ink-soft);margin:.5rem 0 1.5rem;font-style:italic}\n.fa-infobox{background:var(--fa-surface);border-left:3px solid var(--fa-rule);padding:1.25rem 1.5rem;margin:1.5rem 0;border-radius:var(--fa-radius-soft);font-size:.95rem}\n.fa-infobox strong{display:block;margin-bottom:.35rem;font-size:.85rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.05em;color:var(--fa-accent)}\n.fa-faq{margin:2.5rem 0;border-top:1px solid var(--fa-border);padding-top:1.5rem}\n.fa-faq-title{font-weight:var(--fa-h1-weight);font-size:1.65rem;letter-spacing:-.035em;color:var(--fa-h2-color);margin:0 0 1.25rem}\n.fa-faq-item{border-bottom:1px solid var(--fa-border)}\n.fa-faq-q{display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;width:100%;padding:1rem 0;font-size:1rem;font-weight:400;color:var(--fa-ink);cursor:pointer;background:none;border:none;font-family:inherit;text-align:left;line-height:1.4;gap:1rem}\n.fa-faq-q::after{content:\"+\";font-size:1.25rem;font-weight:300;color:var(--fa-accent);flex-shrink:0;transition:transform .25s}\n.fa-faq-q[aria-expanded=\"true\"]::after{transform:rotate(45deg)}\n.fa-faq-a{max-height:0;overflow:hidden;transition:max-height .3s ease}\n.fa-faq-a-inner{padding:0 0 1rem;font-size:.95rem;line-height:1.7;color:var(--fa-ink-soft)}\n.fa-sources{margin:2rem 0 3rem;border-top:1px solid var(--fa-border);padding-top:1rem}\n.fa-sources-toggle{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:.5rem;background:none;border:none;font-family:inherit;font-size:.85rem;font-weight:700;color:var(--fa-ink-soft);cursor:pointer;padding:.5rem 0;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.05em}\n.fa-sources-toggle::after{content:\"\\25BC\";font-size:.6rem;transition:transform .25s}\n.fa-sources-toggle[aria-expanded=\"true\"]::after{transform:rotate(180deg)}\n.fa-sources-list{max-height:0;overflow:hidden;transition:max-height .35s ease}\n.fa-sources-list ol{margin:.75rem 0 0;padding:0 0 0 1.25rem;font-size:.8rem;line-height:1.6;color:var(--fa-ink-soft)}\n.fa-sources-list li{margin-bottom:.35rem}\n.fa-sources-list a{color:var(--fa-link);text-decoration:none;word-break:break-all}\n.fa-sources-list a:hover{color:var(--fa-link-hover);text-decoration:underline}\n.fa-procon{display:grid;grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr;gap:1rem;margin:1.5rem 0}\n.fa-procon>div{background:var(--fa-surface);border:1px solid var(--fa-border);padding:1.15rem 1.35rem;border-radius:var(--fa-radius)}\n.fa-procon strong{display:block;margin-bottom:.6rem;font-size:.85rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.05em}\n.fa-procon .fa-pro strong{color:var(--fa-pro)}\n.fa-procon .fa-con strong{color:var(--fa-con)}\n.fa-procon ul{list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0;font-size:.95rem;line-height:1.6}\n.fa-procon li{position:relative;padding-left:1.4rem;margin-bottom:.45rem}\n.fa-procon li:last-child{margin-bottom:0}\n.fa-procon .fa-pro li::before{content:\"\\2713\";position:absolute;left:0;color:var(--fa-pro);font-weight:700}\n.fa-procon .fa-con li::before{content:\"\\2013\";position:absolute;left:0;color:var(--fa-con);font-weight:700}\n.fa-procon .fa-procon-col p{display:block;margin:0 0 .6rem;font-size:.85rem;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.05em}\n.fa-procon .fa-procon-col:first-child p{color:var(--fa-pro)}\n.fa-procon .fa-procon-col:last-child p{color:var(--fa-con)}\n.fa-procon .fa-procon-col:first-child li::before{content:\"\\2713\";position:absolute;left:0;color:var(--fa-pro);font-weight:700}\n.fa-procon .fa-procon-col:last-child li::before{content:\"\\2013\";position:absolute;left:0;color:var(--fa-con);font-weight:700}\n@media(max-width:600px){\n.fa-article h1{font-size:1.75rem}\n.fa-article h2{font-size:1.35rem}\n.fa-meta{flex-direction:column;align-items:flex-start;gap:.25rem}\n.fa-procon{grid-template-columns:1fr;gap:.75rem}\n}\n@media(prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){\n.fa-article *{transition:none !important}\n}\n<\/style>\n\n<article class=\"fa-article\">\n\n  <nav class=\"fa-breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Brotkr\u00fcmelnavigation\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/\">Home<\/a> \u203a\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/ratgeber\/\">Guide<\/a> \u203a\n    <span aria-current=\"page\">AV Receiver<\/span>\n  <\/nav>\n\n  <span class=\"fa-cat\">Set Up &#038; Connect TV<\/span>\n\n  <h1>What is an AV Receiver?<\/h1>\n\n  <div class=\"fa-meta\">\n    <span>By Faller Audio Editorial Team<\/span>\n    <span class=\"fa-sep\">|<\/span>\n    <time datetime=\"2026-09-22\">Updated September 22, 2026<\/time>\n    <span class=\"fa-sep\">|<\/span>\n    <span class=\"fa-readtime\">5 Min. Read Time<\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <figure class=\"fa-hero\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Wellen-als-Symbol-fuer-Empfangsart-1.jpg\" alt=\"Waves as a Symbol for Reception Type\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" loading=\"eager\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/>\n  <\/figure>\n\n  <nav class=\"fa-toc\" aria-label=\"Inhaltsverzeichnis\" role=\"navigation\">\n    <p class=\"fa-toc-title\" id=\"toc-heading\">Contents<\/p>\n    <ol aria-labelledby=\"toc-heading\">\n      <li><a href=\"#aufgaben\">The Functions of an AV Receiver<\/a><\/li>\n      <li><a href=\"#verwechslung\">Three Devices All Called Receivers<\/a><\/li>\n      <li><a href=\"#technik\">Channels, Connections, and Calibration<\/a><\/li>\n      <li><a href=\"#sprache\">AV Receivers and Speech Intelligibility<\/a><\/li>\n      <li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/li>\n    <\/ol>\n  <\/nav>\n\n  <p class=\"fa-intro\">The AV receiver is the device where everything comes together in a home theater. It receives picture and sound from consoles, players, or streaming boxes, forwards the picture to the TV, and distributes the sound to the connected speakers. AV simply stands for Audio and Video.  <\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"fa-intro\">Many people today use a soundbar or a TV voice amplifier instead of an AV receiver. However, if you want to operate multiple speakers in a room for a classic home theater, you usually still need a central solution for picture and sound. The name can be particularly confusing because three different things in the living room are called &#8220;receiver&#8221; or &#8220;AV.&#8221;  <\/p>\n\n  <aside class=\"fa-highlight\" aria-label=\"Zusammenfassung\">\n    <p class=\"fa-highlight-title\">Highlight Box<\/p>\n    <ul>\n      <li>An AV receiver combines an amplifier, switch, and decoder for multi-channel audio in one housing.<\/li>\n      <li>It powers passive speakers, meaning those without their own power supply.<\/li>\n      <li>The receiver for TV reception is something completely different, even if both are called receivers.<\/li>\n      <li>Specifications like 5.1 or 7.2 describe the setup of the multi-channel system and provide information about the speaker and subwoofer configuration.<\/li>\n      <li>With a center speaker, an AV receiver can reproduce dialogues more precisely, but this does not automatically make speech more intelligible.<\/li>\n    <\/ul>\n  <\/aside>\n\n  <div class=\"fa-content\">\n\n    <section id=\"aufgaben\">\n      <h2 id=\"h2-aufgaben\">The Functions of an AV Receiver<\/h2>\n      <p>An AV receiver performs several tasks simultaneously. Previously, individual devices were needed for this, but today everything is contained in one housing. Accordingly, these devices can be large and heavy.  <\/p>\n      <h3>Control Center for Picture and Sound<\/h3>\n      <p>On the back of the device are several HDMI inputs, where game consoles, Blu-ray players, and streaming boxes can remain connected simultaneously without having to touch any cables when switching between them. The receiver passes the picture from the currently selected source to the TV and keeps the sound. Switching is done on the receiver, not the TV.  <\/p>\n      <p>Practically, this means the TV stays permanently on a single input. The receiver&#8217;s remote control handles everything else. Many devices even turn on together via device control.  <\/p>\n      <p>A TV often has only two or three HDMI ports. If you operate consoles, players, and streaming boxes simultaneously, you would constantly have to swap cables without an AV receiver. <\/p>\n      <h3>Amplifier for Passive Speakers<\/h3>\n      <p>Passive speakers do not have their own amplifier or power outlet; instead, they need a device to supply them with power, and the receiver performs exactly this task for each connected channel individually. This is identifiable by the screw terminals on the back, where bare speaker cables are clamped. <\/p>\n      <p>The power output per channel is listed in watts on the data sheet. However, these specifications are hardly comparable between manufacturers because they are measured differently. In a normal living room, devices operate far below their limit anyway.  <\/p>\n      <h3>Decoder for Multi-Channel Audio<\/h3>\n      <p>Audio from movies and television usually arrives compressed, for example, as Dolby Digital or DTS. Someone needs to unpack this data stream and distribute it to the individual speakers. In a home theater, this is the receiver. For more complex formats like Dolby Atmos, it also calculates height information. If only stereo is available, many devices can artificially create multiple channels from it. Whether one likes this or not is a matter of taste. However, it can also simply be switched off.      <\/p>\n    <\/section>\n\n    <section id=\"verwechslung\">\n      <h2 id=\"h2-verwechslung\">Three Devices All Called Receivers<\/h2>\n      <p>In the living room, &#8220;receiver&#8221; can mean very different things. It can refer to the AV receiver, the reception box for satellite or cable, or sometimes just the old colored jacks on the TV. <\/p>\n      <h3>The Receiver for TV Reception<\/h3>\n      <p>The term &#8220;receiver&#8221; also appears in TV reception. However, this does not refer to an AV receiver, but rather a box that receives the TV signal and passes it on to the television. Such devices exist, for example, for satellite or cable reception.  <\/p>\n      <p>This reception box only shares the name with an AV receiver. It handles TV programming, while the AV receiver processes picture and sound signals from various devices and powers the connected speakers. <\/p>\n      <p>Many modern televisions already have built-in receivers for satellite and cable. Therefore, an additional box is often only needed if the provider requires it for specific programs, functions, or reception methods. <\/p>\n      <h3>The AV Connection on the TV<\/h3>\n      <p>On older TVs, AV refers to the three colored RCA jacks: yellow for video, red and white for audio. These were previously used to connect VCRs and game consoles. They are usually missing on new devices because HDMI transmits both over a single cable.  <\/p>\n      <p>This has nothing to do with the AV receiver, apart from the two letters in the name.<\/p>\n    <\/section>\n\n    <section id=\"technik\">\n      <h2 id=\"h2-technik\">Channels, Connections, and Calibration<\/h2>\n      <p>Numbers like 5.1 or 7.2 are often found on the packaging. These are power specifications and indications for automatic calibration. Among other things, they show how many speakers and source devices can be connected and what setup options the receiver offers. Additionally, there are indications of supported audio formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X.   <\/p>\n      <h3>The Number Combinations on the Packaging<\/h3>\n      <p>The first number represents the possible speakers in the room. The second, in an audio format like 5.1, stands for the additional channel with deep effects. For a device specification, however, it usually indicates the number of subwoofer outputs. Behind 7.2, there are correspondingly seven speakers and two connections for subwoofers. If a third number appears, it indicates height speakers for the ceiling or up-firing speakers that reflect sound from above.    <\/p>\n      <div class=\"fa-table-wrap\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Kanalangaben bei AV-Receivern\" tabindex=\"0\">\n        <table>\n          <thead>\n            <tr>\n              <th scope=\"col\">Specification<\/th>\n              <th scope=\"col\">What it means<\/th>\n            <\/tr>\n          <\/thead>\n          <tbody>\n            <tr>\n              <td>2.0<\/td>\n              <td>two speakers, i.e., classic stereo without a subwoofer<\/td>\n            <\/tr>\n            <tr>\n              <td>2.1<\/td>\n              <td>two speakers and one connection for a subwoofer<\/td>\n            <\/tr>\n            <tr>\n              <td>5.1<\/td>\n              <td>three speakers in front, two in back, plus the channel for deep effects<\/td>\n            <\/tr>\n            <tr>\n              <td>7.2<\/td>\n              <td>seven speakers distributed in the room, plus two subwoofer connections<\/td>\n            <\/tr>\n            <tr>\n              <td>5.1.2<\/td>\n              <td>like 5.1, plus two height speakers<\/td>\n            <\/tr>\n          <\/tbody>\n        <\/table>\n      <\/div>\n      <p class=\"fa-table-summary\">More channels mean more speakers in the room and more cables to lay.<\/p>\n      <h3>HDMI Inputs and the Return Path to the TV<\/h3>\n      <p>The number of HDMI inputs determines how many source devices can remain permanently connected. For the return path, there is a special port, marked with ARC or eARC. This allows the TV to send the audio from its own apps and TV programs to the receiver without needing a second cable.  <\/p>\n      <p>If this connection is not available, TV audio can also be sent to the receiver via the optical output. However, the audio formats there are limited, and the volume is then usually controlled on the receiver. <\/p>\n      <h3>Automatic Calibration<\/h3>\n      <p>Many AV receivers come with a small calibration microphone that you place at the listening position. The receiver plays test tones and then adjusts the levels and delays of the individual speakers. This way, levels and delays are adapted to the different distances and conditions in the room.  <\/p>\n      <p>However, calibration cannot compensate for all audio problems in the room. Strong reverberation, for example, will persist. Afterward, each channel can be individually fine-tuned, which can be particularly useful for the center speaker.  <\/p>\n    <\/section>\n\n    <section id=\"sprache\">\n      <h2 id=\"h2-sprache\">AV Receivers and Speech Intelligibility<\/h2>\n      <p>Many people buy a system because their TV sound sounds thin. For impact and spatial effect, this indeed makes a big difference. However, if you primarily want to understand dialogues better, an AV receiver does not automatically provide more. In this case, it is often more sensible to consider a TV voice amplifier.   <\/p>\n      <h3>The Center Speaker<\/h3>\n      <p>In a large surround system, the center speaker primarily handles voices and dialogues. It is usually placed directly below or above the TV and can be adjusted louder or softer separately on the AV receiver. So, if you want to emphasize speech a bit more, this provides a direct point of adjustment.  <\/p>\n      <p>For multi-channel audio, there is a dedicated center channel. This channel is absent in stereo. While the receiver can distribute the signal to multiple speakers depending on the mode, this is not true separate dialogue control and optimization.  <\/p>\n      <h3>Space, Cables, and Operation<\/h3>\n      <p>For a classic home theater with multiple speakers, the AV receiver is a central component. This involves laying cables throughout the room, finding optimal placements for the speakers, and an additional device that needs to run and be operated every TV evening. However, those who primarily watch regular television and do not want to set up a surround system often do not need this effort.  <\/p>\n      <p>The distance between speakers and the listening position still remains. Therefore, those who have difficulty understanding speech do not automatically benefit from more speakers. If speech intelligibility is the main priority, a solution closer to the seating position can address this problem more effectively.  <\/p>\n    <\/section>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n  <section id=\"faq\" class=\"fa-faq\">\n    <h2 class=\"fa-faq-title\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n    <div class=\"fa-faq-item\">\n      <button class=\"fa-faq-q\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-0\">What is a Receiver for a TV?<\/button>\n      <div class=\"fa-faq-a\" id=\"faq-0\" role=\"region\">\n        <div class=\"fa-faq-a-inner\"><p>That depends on who you ask. In reception technology, &#8220;receiver&#8221; refers to the box that decodes the satellite or cable signal and delivers the program to the TV. In audio technology, &#8220;receiver&#8221; refers to the AV receiver, which is the amplifier with a switch for multiple sources. If you want to know which device you have, turn it around. Only the AV receiver has screw terminals for speaker cables.    <\/p><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"fa-faq-item\">\n      <button class=\"fa-faq-q\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-1\">Do You Need an AV Receiver for Your TV?<\/button>\n      <div class=\"fa-faq-a\" id=\"faq-1\" role=\"region\">\n        <div class=\"fa-faq-a-inner\"><p>Mainly if passive speakers are to be used in the room, if a surround or Atmos setup is planned, or if multiple source devices are to remain permanently connected. For normal TV viewing with two devices connected via HDMI, it is overkill. Active speakers, a soundbar, or a solution near the seating position can do without it. So the question is less about sound quality and more about the planned setup in the room.   <\/p><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"fa-faq-item\">\n      <button class=\"fa-faq-q\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-2\">What Differentiates an AV Receiver from an Amplifier?<\/button>\n      <div class=\"fa-faq-a\" id=\"faq-2\" role=\"region\">\n        <div class=\"fa-faq-a-inner\"><p>Even a stereo amplifier can have multiple inputs and additional functions. An AV receiver additionally processes video signals and multi-channel audio, selects the source, and powers five, seven, or more speakers. A stereo amplifier remains at two channels and does not pass video to the TV. In older systems, these tasks were distributed among several devices.   <\/p><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"fa-faq-item\">\n      <button class=\"fa-faq-q\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-3\">Who Benefits from an AV Receiver?<\/button>\n      <div class=\"fa-faq-a\" id=\"faq-3\" role=\"region\">\n        <div class=\"fa-faq-a-inner\"><p>It is useful if multiple passive speakers are to be placed in the room, if a surround or Atmos setup is planned, or if multiple source devices are to remain permanently connected. For a simple TV setup with one or two devices connected via HDMI, it is not necessary. Soundbars now cover this area and do not require cable laying. The decision therefore depends on the planned setup and not solely on sound quality.   <\/p><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"fa-faq-item\">\n      <button class=\"fa-faq-q\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-4\">How to Connect an Older TV to an AV Receiver?<\/button>\n      <div class=\"fa-faq-a\" id=\"faq-4\" role=\"region\">\n        <div class=\"fa-faq-a-inner\"><p>If the TV lacks an HDMI port with ARC, the optical output remains as a path to the receiver. This allows stereo and common compressed multi-channel formats to pass through, but the path is too narrow for high-bitrate versions. Very old devices only offer the red and white RCA jacks, which exclusively provide stereo. In both cases, an additional HDMI cable from the receiver to the TV is needed if video from a source device is to be displayed.   <\/p><\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n  <\/section>\n\n  <aside class=\"fa-sources\">\n    <button class=\"fa-sources-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"sources-list\">Sources &#038; References<\/button>\n    <div class=\"fa-sources-list\" id=\"sources-list\">\n      <ol>\n        <li>ITU. Recommendation ITU-R BS.775-4, Multichannel stereophonic sound system with and without accompanying picture. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.itu.int\/dms_pubrec\/itu-r\/rec\/bs\/R-REC-BS.775-4-202212-I!!PDF-E.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">itu.int<\/a>. <\/li>\n        <li>HDMI Licensing Administrator. Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hdmi.org\/spec2sub\/enhancedaudioreturnchannel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">hdmi.org<\/a>. <\/li>\n        <li>IEC. IEC 61937-1:2021, Digital audio, Interface for non-linear PCM encoded audio bitstreams applying IEC 60958. <a href=\"https:\/\/webstore.iec.ch\/en\/publication\/62828\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">iec.ch<\/a>. <\/li>\n        <li>Audio Engineering Society. AES TD1009, Improving Dialogue Intelligibility in Media. <a href=\"https:\/\/aes.org\/community\/technical-council\/aestd1009\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">aes.org<\/a>. <\/li>\n      <\/ol>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/aside>\n\n<\/article>\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Was ist ein Receiver beim Fernseher?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Das h\u00e4ngt davon ab, wen man fragt. In der Empfangstechnik meint Receiver die Box, die das Satelliten- oder Kabelsignal entschl\u00fcsselt und das Programm an den Fernseher liefert. In der Tontechnik meint Receiver den AV-Receiver, also den Verst\u00e4rker mit Umschalter f\u00fcr mehrere Quellen. Wer wissen will, welches Ger\u00e4t vor ihm steht, dreht es um. Schraubklemmen f\u00fcr Lautsprecherkabel hat nur der AV-Receiver.\" }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Braucht man f\u00fcr den Fernseher einen AV-Receiver?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Vor allem dann, wenn passive Lautsprecher im Raum stehen sollen, ein Surround- oder Atmos-Aufbau geplant ist oder mehrere Zuspieler dauerhaft angeschlossen bleiben. F\u00fcr normales Fernsehen mit zwei Ger\u00e4ten am HDMI-Anschluss ist er \u00fcberdimensioniert. Aktivlautsprecher, eine Soundbar oder eine L\u00f6sung am Sitzplatz kommen ohne ihn aus. Die Frage ist also weniger die Klangqualit\u00e4t als der geplante Aufbau im Zimmer.\" }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Was unterscheidet einen AV-Receiver von einem Verst\u00e4rker?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Auch ein Stereo-Verst\u00e4rker kann mehrere Eing\u00e4nge und zus\u00e4tzliche Funktionen haben. Ein AV-Receiver verarbeitet zus\u00e4tzlich Videosignale und Mehrkanalton, w\u00e4hlt die Quelle aus und treibt f\u00fcnf, sieben oder mehr Lautsprecher an. Ein Stereo-Verst\u00e4rker bleibt bei zwei Kan\u00e4len und reicht kein Bild an den Fernseher weiter. In \u00e4lteren Anlagen waren diese Aufgaben auf mehrere Ger\u00e4te verteilt.\" }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"F\u00fcr wen lohnt sich ein AV-Receiver?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Sinnvoll ist er, wenn mehrere passive Lautsprecher im Raum stehen sollen, wenn ein Surround- oder Atmos-Aufbau geplant ist oder wenn mehrere Zuspieler dauerhaft angeschlossen bleiben. F\u00fcr ein einfaches Fernsehsetup mit einem oder zwei Ger\u00e4ten am HDMI-Anschluss ist er nicht erforderlich. Soundbars decken diesen Bereich inzwischen ab und kommen ohne Kabelverlegung aus. Die Entscheidung h\u00e4ngt also am geplanten Aufbau und nicht an der Klangqualit\u00e4t allein.\" }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Wie verbindet man einen \u00e4lteren Fernseher mit einem AV-Receiver?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Fehlt am Fernseher die HDMI-Buchse mit ARC, bleibt der optische Ausgang als Weg zum Receiver. Damit kommen Stereo und die g\u00e4ngigen komprimierten Mehrkanalformate durch, f\u00fcr die hochbitratigen Fassungen ist der Weg zu schmal. Ganz alte Ger\u00e4te bieten nur die roten und wei\u00dfen Cinch-Buchsen, die ausschlie\u00dflich Stereo liefern. In beiden F\u00e4llen braucht es zus\u00e4tzlich ein HDMI-Kabel vom Receiver zum Fernseher, falls Bild von einem Zuspieler kommen soll.\" }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script>\n\n<script>\n(function(){\n  document.querySelectorAll('.fa-faq-q').forEach(function(btn){\n    btn.addEventListener('click',function(){\n      var expanded=this.getAttribute('aria-expanded')==='true';\n      document.querySelectorAll('.fa-faq-q').forEach(function(b){\n        b.setAttribute('aria-expanded','false');\n        b.nextElementSibling.style.maxHeight=null;\n      });\n      if(!expanded){\n        this.setAttribute('aria-expanded','true');\n        var panel=this.nextElementSibling;\n        panel.style.maxHeight=panel.scrollHeight+'px';\n      }\n    });\n  });\n  document.querySelectorAll('.fa-toc a').forEach(function(a){\n    a.addEventListener('click',function(e){\n      var target=document.querySelector(this.getAttribute('href'));\n      if(target){e.preventDefault();target.scrollIntoView({behavior:'smooth',block:'start'});history.pushState(null,null,this.getAttribute('href'));}\n    });\n  });\n  var srcBtn=document.querySelector('.fa-sources-toggle');\n  if(srcBtn){srcBtn.addEventListener('click',function(){\n    var expanded=this.getAttribute('aria-expanded')==='true';\n    this.setAttribute('aria-expanded',String(!expanded));\n    var list=document.getElementById('sources-list');\n    list.style.maxHeight=expanded?null:list.scrollHeight+'px';\n  });}\n})();\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An AV receiver is the central component of a multi-speaker home theater system. It amplifies, switches between sources, and processes multi-channel audio. However, for those simply seeking better TV sound, there are simpler solutions for the living room.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":83325,"template":"","ratgeber_kategorie":[61],"class_list":["post-83323","ratgeber","type-ratgeber","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","ratgeber_kategorie-setup-tv"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is an AV Receiver - faller<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/guide\/setup-tv\/what-is-an-av-receiver\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is an AV Receiver - faller\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An AV receiver is the central component of a multi-speaker home theater system. It amplifies, switches between sources, and processes multi-channel audio. However, for those simply seeking better TV sound, there are simpler solutions for the living room.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/guide\/setup-tv\/what-is-an-av-receiver\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"faller\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-25T04:39:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Wellen-als-Symbol-fuer-Empfangsart-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"564\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/en\\\/guide\\\/setup-tv\\\/what-is-an-av-receiver\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/en\\\/guide\\\/setup-tv\\\/what-is-an-av-receiver\\\/\",\"name\":\"What is an AV Receiver - faller\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/en\\\/guide\\\/setup-tv\\\/what-is-an-av-receiver\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/en\\\/guide\\\/setup-tv\\\/what-is-an-av-receiver\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/Wellen-als-Symbol-fuer-Empfangsart-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-22T09:56:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-25T04:39:02+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/en\\\/guide\\\/setup-tv\\\/what-is-an-av-receiver\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/en\\\/guide\\\/setup-tv\\\/what-is-an-av-receiver\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/en\\\/guide\\\/setup-tv\\\/what-is-an-av-receiver\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/Wellen-als-Symbol-fuer-Empfangsart-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/Wellen-als-Symbol-fuer-Empfangsart-1.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":564,\"caption\":\"Waves as a Symbol for Reception Type\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/en\\\/guide\\\/setup-tv\\\/what-is-an-av-receiver\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Start\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/en\\\/home\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Guide\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/en\\\/guide\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"What is an AV Receiver\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"faller\",\"description\":\"Sprachoptimierter Fernsehton direkt an Ihren Platz\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/faller-audio.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What is an AV Receiver - faller","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/guide\/setup-tv\/what-is-an-av-receiver\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What is an AV Receiver - faller","og_description":"An AV receiver is the central component of a multi-speaker home theater system. It amplifies, switches between sources, and processes multi-channel audio. However, for those simply seeking better TV sound, there are simpler solutions for the living room.","og_url":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/guide\/setup-tv\/what-is-an-av-receiver\/","og_site_name":"faller","article_modified_time":"2026-09-25T04:39:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":564,"url":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Wellen-als-Symbol-fuer-Empfangsart-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/guide\/setup-tv\/what-is-an-av-receiver\/","url":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/guide\/setup-tv\/what-is-an-av-receiver\/","name":"What is an AV Receiver - faller","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/guide\/setup-tv\/what-is-an-av-receiver\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/guide\/setup-tv\/what-is-an-av-receiver\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Wellen-als-Symbol-fuer-Empfangsart-1.jpg","datePublished":"2026-09-22T09:56:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-25T04:39:02+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/guide\/setup-tv\/what-is-an-av-receiver\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/guide\/setup-tv\/what-is-an-av-receiver\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/guide\/setup-tv\/what-is-an-av-receiver\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Wellen-als-Symbol-fuer-Empfangsart-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Wellen-als-Symbol-fuer-Empfangsart-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":564,"caption":"Waves as a Symbol for Reception Type"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/guide\/setup-tv\/what-is-an-av-receiver\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Start","item":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/home\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Guide","item":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/guide\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What is an AV Receiver"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/","name":"faller","description":"Sprachoptimierter Fernsehton direkt an Ihren Platz","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ratgeber\/83323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ratgeber"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/ratgeber"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"ratgeber_kategorie","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faller-audio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ratgeber_kategorie?post=83323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}