Q. Have you either tested or used a stereo receiver that promised to upconvert analog video signals, as from a VCR?

Recently, I was in Best Buy looking at receivers. The kid I talked to said that some receivers will upconvert all analog signals from devices that are plugged into its video inputs, while other receivers will only upconvert signals fed into the receiver's HDMI inputs.

In looking at the specs for various receivers, I did notice that some receivers promise to upconvert DVD signals, while others claim to upconvert "video" signals, saying, "Video upconversion (that) automatically converts degraded analog video signals to stable, distortion-free video."

The BB kid also said that he thought an old phonograph player could be plugged into the back of any receiver as long as the player's ground wire was attached to one of the screws on the back of the receiver. Do you know whether that actually works? —Gordon Walter, Ackley, Iowa

A. I have tested receivers and other components featuring video conversion, but at the lower price points, I have yet to find one that I thought improved the picture.

Good video processing and conversion is expensive. In fact, unless you have a relatively expensive component (say, more than $1,000), I don't even recommend using the receiver to switch analog video signals as running the analog video signal through the receiver usually degrades it. I suggest that you hook up the VCR directly to the TV's analog inputs. Switching digital video such as HDMI is different as digital signals do not degrade as analog signals do, so if you want to run HDMI through an inexpensive receiver, that's fine.

If you do have the budget for top-grade video processing, I do recommend it, especially if you have a screen of more than 55 inches. I recently tested Anthem's AVM 50 surround sound/video processor, which uses high-end video processing technology called Gennum VXP. Besides the spectacular sound quality, the processor cleaned up and improved almost every signal I fed it, including HDTV signals from my Dish Network receiver, which looked even more pure and perfect after being fed to the AVM 50. The only situation where it did not improve video was when I used it with a DVD player and an older TV that did not have HDMI inputs. In this case, the progressive scan component connection from the DVD player direct to the TV looked a bit better than the processed signal.

At $4,700, the Anthem AVM 50 is not for everyone, but if you are building a top-notch system and can afford it, it is well worth it. Anthem's policy of upgrading old units at a nominal cost makes it a fairly future-proof investment, as well. You can read about it at anthemav.com.

Onkyo has recently announced products using Realta HQV processing, a competitor to Gennum's VXP that is also well-regarded. The products are the TX-SR905 receiver and the DTC-9.8 preamp-processor from their Integra Home Theater line. You can read about them at onkyousa.com and integrahometheater.com. I have not tested them so I cannot vouch for them as of yet.

Finally, to use a turntable you MUST have a phono input! You can add a phono preamp for $120 if the receiver does not have the proper input.

— Read past columns by Don Lindich at www.soundadviceblog.com, and contact him using the "submit question" link on that site.