You'll want to make sure your home theater receiver has enough speaker outputs to support the number of speakers in your surround sound system and enough HDMI inputs to support the AV components (Blu-ray player, media streamer, cable or satellite box, etc.) you want to connect. You should also make sure it has enough power for your speakers.

Most home theater receivers include Bluetooth for easy music streaming from your phone or other compatible device, and many also have built-in Wi-Fi for better integration with popular music streaming services. Some Wi-Fi equipped AV receivers work with wireless multi-room music platforms that let you stream to compatible wireless speakers and components in different rooms throughout your home.  

Read our guide to home theater receivers for more information on what to look for.