The Japanese giant has just introduced two new 8K AV receivers titled RX-V6A and RX-V4A that can dramatically enhance your home-cinema experience without breaking the bank. The pursuit for 8K-home-theater has begun.

Yamaha amplifies (and simplifies) 8K home-cinema

According to Yamaha, those two new receivers were designed from scratch. The new RX-V line supports the latest trends and specifications for home cinema, like 8K 60Hz, HDMI 2.1, and HDR10+ to maximize the viewing experience. This lineup has two new models: The RX-V4A and RX-V6A which offer 5- and 7-channels, respectively. Whether you already subscribe to 4K content or want a receiver that’s ready for the 8K content to come, both new models are built to support and pass through the highest resolution content available. Those models have the capabilities to deliver a powerful and advanced home theater experience with the latest technology regarding video processing and Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD Master Audio, app control, wireless streaming, and more. Yamaha claims that no other AV receiver on the market offers as many 8K HDMI inputs as these new models.

Main video features

4K/60Hz, 8K/60Hz, and 4K/120Hz

The new receiver supports end-to-end 8K/4K resolutions and higher refresh rate solutions with a single upgraded cable for seamless integration within the HDMI ecosystem. 8K delivers a super-immersive viewing experience with 2x the horizontal and vertical resolution of 4K, and 4 times as many pixels; and combined with 60Hz refresh rate enables smooth and sharp viewing of content with high-speed action. Furthermore, 4K/120Hz enables ultra-fast motion UHD images to be crisp, allowing sports, action movies, high-performance gaming, and VR to benefit significantly. The 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz capabilities will be activated via a future firmware update.

HDR and HDR10+ support

HDR (High Dynamic Range) video provides high contrast, smooth tone, and rich, bright colors—giving you full, high-definition enjoyment with an exceptionally realistic and natural picture quality. The HDR10+ greatly improves dynamic range (the ratio of light to dark) of video content on a scene-by-scene (or even frame-by-frame) basis. Also, using frame-by-frame metadata, it improves the scene characteristics between bright and dark so that important detail can remain. This enables displays to reproduce images more realistically, adhering to the creator’s intent. This HDR10+ support will be available via a future firmware update as well.

Features highlights

RX-V6A

• 7.2-channel 100 Watt surround sound with Zone 2
• 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz HDMI (with future firmware update) with HDCP 2.3 and eARC (7 in/1 out)
• Supports enhanced media and gaming – ALLM, VRR, QFT, QMS (with future firmware update)
• Dolby Atmos with Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization (with future firmware update) and DTS:X
• Wi-Fi®, AirPlay 2®, Spotify Connect, and Voice Control
• MusicCast multi-room audio app control
• Pandora®, Spotify, Amazon Music, SiriusXM, TIDAL, Deezer, Napster and more
• YPAO automatic room calibration with R.S.C. and Multi-Point
• Phono input
• MusicCast Surround capable: add optional MusicCast speakers to provide wireless surrounds for a 5.1-channel setup

RX-V4A

• 5.2-channel 80 Watt surround sound with Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD
• 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz HDMI (with future firmware update) with HDCP 2.3 and eARC (4-in/1-out)
• Supports enhanced media and gaming – ALLM, VRR, QFT, QMS (with future firmware update)
• Wi-Fi®, AirPlay 2®, Spotify Connect, and Voice Control
• MusicCast multi-room audio app control
• Pandora®, Spotify, Amazon Music, SiriusXM, TIDAL, Deezer, Napster and more
• YPAO automatic room calibration
• MusicCast Surround capable: add optional MusicCast speakers to provide wireless surrounds for a 5.1-channel setup

Have a look at the table below which compares between those two models in the lineup:

Price and availability

The price of the receivers is quite fair and ranges between $400 to $600 (depends on the specific model). You can preorder the product from the B&H website.

Laying the groundwork for 8K streaming

Last month we’ve reported about a new codec invented: H.266. The H.266 or VVC (Versatile Video Coding) allows half of the bit rate compared to H.265 (HEVC) without a reduction in quality due to its high coding efficiency. According to its developers, the goal is to allow streaming 4K or 8K videos on a flat-screen TV. That statement means a lot for streaming services. Imagine watching your preferred Netflix series on 8K. For further reading, make sure to check our article that reported this announcement: ((H.266 (VVC) New Codec Announced: Laying the Groundwork for 8K Streaming)). The new 8K AV receivers by Yamaha is strengthening the proof that we are heading right into the mainstream of 8K viewing experience from home.

The new 8K AV receivers by Yamaha is strengthening the proof that we are heading right into the mainstream of 8K viewing experience from home.

When do you think 8K becomes the standard? Take your bet!