What kind of hdmi surround sound receiver do I need to get hd to my tv and sound to home theater speakers?

If a receiver is labled hdmi pass thru it does not process the audio portion of the hdmi cable so if you are using a device that sends the audio and the video through 1 hdmi cable an hdmi pass through receiver will not play the sound unless a separate audio cable is hooked up along side the HDMi cable.draw it out on paper and write down the actual out puts and inputs and their types that you need. every type of device has outputs and inputs...so just draw them all out and lable them and use that as a puzzle to pick the receiver. for example your x-box and your dvr box....let say thats all you want to hook up thats one hdmi output and lets pretend the the dvr is hdmi. so you need a receiver that has at least 2 hdmi INPUTS to accept the sent signals and audio lets say both devices have optical audio outputs. so add those to the list....and you will eventually be able to visualize the receiver you need.

Just about any receiver in the market are capable of power any speaker you may purchase out in the market. The "Pass Through" means the receiver is not precessing the sound at all leaving it intact. Go online to Home Theater Magazine and read the reviews on receivers and any other item for the home theater. Pioneer and Onkyo are the best entry level receiver in the market and are recommend by home theater magazine. I have personally used Pioneer Elite and Onkyo receivers for well over 30 years and have never had any problems. Hope this will help you out.