Advantage to receiver with HDMI?


Can someone please explain the advantage to having a receiver with HDMI? I thought the best way to set up a system is to connect the HDMI from DVD player directly to TV and digital cable between DVD and receiver. Why get a receiver with HDMI??
thanks
suprflly
Or you could just buy a standalone HDMI switch...

Muzikat, HDMI = DVI + Coax Digital, more or less. Small form factor connector.
I'm curious about this also - I understand wanting to go from the components to the receiver (or Pre/Pro) with HDMI but doesn't HDMI also cary the audio signal? Don't we all want the audio signal to be heard thru speakers other than those built into the TV? If so, why would I want to connect to the TV with HDMI? I've asked several sales people and have not gotten an answer.
In addition to the above statements, some recievers will upsample all video to HDMI or DVI therefore you will only have to use one input on the TV. This much simplifies watching and listening because when you switch inputs on your reciever, the picture on the TV changes to the same as the reciever.
So I have a question to go with this.

I only have 1 piece of equipment thats HDMI and its my DV-59avi. Which way should I go?

dvd player -hdmi- reciever -hdmi- Media Reciever -standard cable- plasma
or
dvd player -hdmi- Media Reciever -standard cable - plasma
dvd player -digital coax- reciever
or
dvd player -hdmi- plasma
dvd player -digital coax- reciever

with so many options on cabling I'm having a hard time deciding which would be better. all hdmi would be more expensive but if theres an advantage in some way I might do it.

thanks
If you only have one video device, I would go strait to the plasma. I would go through the reciever if multible video devices are to be used. But I would only do so if the reciever upsamples everthing to HDMI. Since the 59 has it's own upsampling, use HDMI in and out of the reciever with the 59. I don't know what you mean by Media reciever.