That's what HDMI ARC is for - the TV can be connected to a normal speaker amplifier (so the TV acts as the receiver, basically). I'm wary of using HDMI AVRs to

That's what HDMI ARC is for - the TV can be connected to a normal speaker amplifier (so the TV acts as the receiver, basically). I'm wary of using HDMI AVRs today because they add input lag.