High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! AV receivers or audio-video receivers are one of the many consumer electronics components typically found within a home theatre system. Their primary purpose is to amplify sound from a multitude of possible audio sources as well as route video signals to your TV from various sources. The user may program and configure a unit to take inputs from devices such as DVD players, VCRs etc. and easily select which source you want to route to your TV and have sound output for.