Rating: 
Summary: Fine equipment?- awful user manual
Review: This is a very nice receiver which works fine if you can figure out how to connect it to your other components. The tradeoff in producing an extremely versatile receiver in todays home environment is that it is complex. No problem if a really good manual is provided with lots of examples of how to use the equipment. In this case, the manual explains and diagrams how most but not all devices can be connected to the receiver, but shows no diagrams of systems using the receiver. You are on your own as to how to get DirectTV Dolby signals to your system. I'm still groping with that problem. Panasonic needs to look at the RCA satellite receiver manuals which show their equipment interfaced with a number of variant complexity systems. The RCA manuals will even help you get the XR25 talking to the rest of your system if you are lucky enough to have one of their receivers and its manual. They are excellent. Panasonics XR25 manual is the pits.
There is no way of hooking both a DVD drive and a satellite receiver to the XR25 using the Video/L audio/R audio three cable method. The only way to get Dolby digital audio from both of these inputs is by use of the optical digital jacks. You may be able to get both DVD and Satellite into the system to your TV using the component video cables, but lacking a component video input to my TV, I am unable to test this. Many satellite receivers (like mine) have no optical or other digital output, so you will have to go buy one that does (RCA DRD486RH for instance, which Amazon doesn't list yet) if you want Dolby. You can only use the same audio/video outputs to the TV as you input to the receiver. It will not take in component and output V/L/R. Whatever goes in, that's what comes out. No translation provided.
There is no antenna input for FM 300 Ohm antennas such as rabbit ears, and you'd better live near a lot of strong FM stations if you plan to use the FM receiver for classical music, since the included antenna is a little piece of wire you plug in the 75 Ohm jack, and the reception is very poor. Same for the AM loop included. Forget the tuner without large, sensitive external antennas.
Those items covered, it's otherwise a great receiver in a very small, very nicely designed package. The back panel is crowded because of the small size for the many interfaces, but patience in hooking it up will be rewarded with simple operation with a highly versatile remote which operates my receiver, DVD, VCR (all three Panasonic), and TV monitor right out of the box without having to enter any codes - but not the satellite receiver. They must not have DirectTV in Maylasia, which is where this thing is made. The manual for this thing is really sad. Even the operating instructions need lots of study and simply don't cover everything the box will do. You will have to experiment and apply extensive trial and error. The XR25 is fortunately pretty intelligent and recognizes what you feed it and furnishes outputs to the appropriate speakers automatically. (Which the manual also fails to mention.)
My system remains RF from the satellite receiver through the VCR to the TV for DirectTV until I go buy a 486RH to get the Dolby surround from the satellite. It works great from DVD already.
The Amazon price is a winner - a good buy. You'll learn a whole lot about your system hooking this thing up.
Two months after installing this receiver, a severe audio "warble" developed when playing DVDs. Switching back and forth from DVD to DVD 6 channel removes the warble, but it does it again after 30 or so minutes. Unit installed with lots of ventilation, so heat is not the problem. Probably a problem in the digital circuitry.
--This text refers to
an alternate option.
Rating: 
Summary: Awesome product!! You won't be disappointed!
Review: This receiver is awesome. Lightweight, ergonomic design, and all the power and clarity of something much more expensive. I upgraded from a sony dts receiver, and I must say that the sound is much clearer on this receiver. I guess the digital filtering really helps out! I agree with the previous reviewers that the manual is hard to make sense of because it doesn't explain things adequately, but I also agree that with a little trial and error, just about anyone could figure this receiver out. And, I don't think the poor manual should be reflected in the rating of this high quality product! I recommend it for its sleek and stylish design, it's crystal clear sound reprouduction, and because of the additional features this beauty boasts. Go out and buy one today! You won't be disappointed!
Rating:
Summary: A very nice little reciever.
Review: This was my 1st video receiver, and I am quite happy with it. There is a lot of power in a small package. Although the receiver has a fan, I have never heard it running.You might want to consider this unit's big brother, the SA-XR45. For a few dollars more, you get on screen programming, a better remote, and an extra video input. Amazon lets you read the manaul on-line, and since the manual covers both models, you can see the differences between them before you buy. One caveat: ALL of the video inputs have to be the same type as the video output. I had 2 S-VHS inputs and a VCR with composite input, and the receiver would not output the VCR signal using the S-VHS output. A call to Panasonic revealed that the receiver was "working as designed." My only real complaint is that I wish the remote control were lighted. But for the price, Panasonic has made an excellent receiver.
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