I do need amplification for 7.1 speakers. I was under the impression that 205 can do that. Also, there will be multiple devices to connect to the display. My original plan was to get a Yamaha rx-v685 and udp-203 but if the 205 can be "avr" as well.... might as well get the single 205 and hdmi switcher... thanks.
Well, as far as having simple volume control and 8ch preamp outputs... they both do. As far as
features there are almost no differences, as far as components and measured quality - the 205 has the
obvious edge (the question is whether that's worth the extra ~$1500 or not at current prices). So either one can drive a 7 channel amp and a subwoofer. They even have limited DSP capabilities where you can choose between fullrange or small speaker settings, set a crossover point for the sub, and provide coarse level trims and distances to the speakers to correct delay issues and level matching.
However, they do not do this automatically - they just play a test tone so you can use an SPL meter to adjust trims and you have to enter distances manually as well as specifiy downmix options if you're not running a full setup. I'd say (admittedly completely subjective assessment on my part) that even the
worst room correction in a cheaper AVR will likely produce slightly better results - and
much better if it has bass managment and is at least
attempting to deal with room modes.