02-10-09: NsxxtremeOnkyo has been leading the entire industry in HDMI switching, extraction, and processing. Their Integra DHC9.9 pre/pro is right in your budget. Japanese companies have a different business model than US ones. In pianos, Yamaha makes everything from a pressed wood mass-produced piece-o-crap to totally handbuilt concert grand pianos that equal and in some ways surpass Steinways.
My budget is around $1k-2k for a reciever or processor.
...I have never really been a fan of Onkyo. Marantz and Denon are basically the same thing aren't they?
It's the same with electronics. On one hand Onkyo makes home-theater-in-a-box products for under $1K, but on the other hand, they make some seriously good gear. Their A-9555 integrated amp is shockingly good for its going price; they offer a similar amp topology under the Integra name as a 7-channel power amp for $3K.
Finally, Denon and Marantz have been bought up (rescued) by the same holding company, but they are still distinct companies with their own R&D dep'ts and designs. Other audio companies in this group include Boston Acoustics and McIntosh.