AV Receiver Help me narrow it down

Butrflynlambie,No Receiver has preamp outs,that I know of. Look at Audioadvisor.com. They sell a few AV receivers in your price range and they are very helpful with any questions you have. Marantz,NAD,Cambridge,NuForce AVP-18. This NuForce is a digital preamp/processor 7.1 channel, this unit might be just the ticket. good hunting.

Matt

Mattmiller, most av receivers have preamp outs.

Butr...
The pass through is not equal on all units. Some are finicky, most only pass through the last hdmi selected. Some only pass through video. Denon along with a few more sell optional ipdod docks.

If it's in the closet, make sure it has an IR input so you can run a remote eye. Keep in mind that some receivers handle 7 channels better than others. Marantz cannot handle 5 or 7 channels below 8 ohms if I'm correct. I think Yamaha had a lower limit of 6 ohms on multi?

Finally, more than 7 channels? That's a lot of speakers.

I'd look at either the emotiva umc-200 or outlaw. Both are about $600 and would leave a ton of room for a nice used amp. Now you are in separates, better quality, with everything you ever wanted.

If your in the closet (no pun), then you likely have no ventilation if the doors are closed. And, if movies only, that sounds like a perfect candidate for a DIGITAL AV RECEIVER! That equals low heat, and likely no fan or issues. Again, since it's movies only, any pickiness on ultimate sound quality preferences would be more of a moot point, as long as it's clear sounding and offers good enough dynamics and power for the speakers you're driving.
The Panasonic SA-XR55 and JVC RX-D20 are Class D digital Amplifier units, and will do what you need, likely.
If you go the tradiational Class A/B type power amp route, you can also go with very efficient horn loaded Klipsch loudspeakers, and that will draw much less current from your AV reveiver, making it run cooler than standard 86-88db loud speaker designs. It's a thought.
What gear are you using besides the receiver?