What is the difference between a home theater receiver and an A/V receiver?

The terms home theater receiver and A/V receiver (short for audio/video receiver) are generally interchangeable. Both can handle audio and video signals. In this web site (with home theater emphasis), these terms are essentially equivalent. Home theater receivers are sometimes distinguished from A/V receivers by the number of channels they process and amplify. Home theater receivers can handle the inputs and outputs for a 5.1-channel system and has at least five channels of amplification. (The .1 low frequency effects (LFE) channel is not amplified and is output to an active/powered subwoofer.) A/V receiver , however, refers to a broader class of receivers that handles two or more channels of audio. From this perspective, think of home theater receivers as a subset of all A/V receivers. A/V receivers differ from stereo receivers in that the former can handle video signals, while the latter is constrained to just audio signals. ... more