When Onkyo released the budget TX-SR605 AV receiver last year, it rocked the industry with its low price and high-end features such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio decoding. Other manufacturers pretty much had to stay on the sidelines as TX-SR605s flew off the shelf, but it looks as if Sony is ready to fight back with its new line of budget AV receivers. The company’s 2008 line of AV receivers includes four new affordably priced models–the STR-DG520, STR-DG720, STR-DG820 and STR-DG920–and they look pretty good from the spec sheet. Here are the details:
The STR-DG520
(Credit: Sony)Key features of the Sony STR-DG520:
- 5.1 channels, 100 watts of power
- Two HDMI inputs
- Supports 1080p pass-through at 60 and 24 frames per second
- Available in March for about $200
The STR-DG720
(Credit: Sony)Step-up features on the STR-DG720:
- 7.1 channels, 105 watts of power
- Three HDMI inputs
- Can handle eight channels of LPCM audio
- XM-ready
- Available in March for about $300
The STR-DG820
(Credit: Sony)Step-up features on the STR-DG820:
- 7.1 channels, 110 watts of power
- Four HDMI inputs
- Onboard decoding for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-High Resolution Audio and DTS-HD Master Audio
- Supports x.v.Color
- XM-ready with Neural Surround Sound
- Includes a Sony Digital Media Port
- Available in May for about $400
Posted by claudiomeira 
Unofficial Sony Blog 