Just a slight correction here...while the Onkyo 605 can decode Dolby TrueHD, it can't do so from the PS3, because the PS3 is not capable of bitstreaming TrueHD (or DTS-HD MA for that matter). However, the PS3 will decode the Dolby TrueHD internally and send it as multi-channel PCM to the Onkyo 605. that said, there are a number of HDMI receivers from various manufacturers that will play multi-channel PCM, so the 605 is not essential when paired with the PS3 (because the decoding capabilities are moot).

^ What receiver would you recommend for pairing with a PS3?

If I understand his post correctly he's not saying the 605 is bad to get for the PS3, just not essential. Meaning you will get the new audio formats you are trying to get, it is just that the PS3 is doing the work, not the receiver.

kefrank, please correct me if I stated that wrong...

Thanks kefrank, I stand corrected. Since the PS3 can decode TrueHD, even an older model of receiver that has an earlier version of HDMI, and no on-board decoding for lossless codecs, would be able to take advantage of the lossless sound. And when the PS3 gets decoding capability for DTS-HD-MA, as seems to be widely expected, it could output that as PCM also.

This is good news for Dane Marvin because the number of receivers that have a basic HDMI input/output is larger than models with HDMI 1.3 and on-board decoding of lossless codecs.

One caveat when buying an HDMI capable receiver: I recall some reports that some receivers were not able to use the audio portion of the signal and then pass the video to the display. Make sure that any receiver purchased can do this. Other than reading reviews, I don't know how to determine this for an individual receiver.

So, please be careful when receiver shopping. This is an advantage to receivers such as the Onkyo 605/705, because they are used by a number of DVD Talkers here.

yep, that's all i was trying to say. the 605 will be great with the PS3, but it's primary selling point (the ability to decode advanced audio codecs at a bargain price) is moot in that particular pairing, so it might be worth considering other receivers which may be even less expensive and/or may produce better sound (to your ears - everyone has their preferences).

lizard is right, just because a receiver has HDMI does not mean it can handle multi-channel PCM over HDMI. if you decide to shop around, you'll want to be sure the receiver has that specific capability.