Howdy..
I'm new here. I'm using a Marantz SR880 as a pre/pro with a Marantz MM9000 amp. I want to upgade to a pre/pro. I have read enough about the Outlaw products. I'm not interested in wideband analog componet switching for HDTV. DVD players will be "popping" up with DVI/HDCP outputs & I have DirecTV (they have DVI/HDCP outputs). Why not have the input/output of this copy protection on a pre/pro NOW. Also, firewire will be "happen'in". Is there any plans for this "option" on a pre/pro from Outlaw? I'm "checking" for a HDTV right now & do not want CRT or tube(burn-in, always adjusting contrast etc) but i love DLP & now LCoS (Toshiba 57HLX82...$8999..ouch). Any ideas???

No-one seems to want to answer this question (its been posted before here...Marantz..nothing..Rotel..nothing...why is this such a hard question.....why ?..I've been asking this since last summer)

[This message has been edited by Barney (edited February 01, 2003).]

I would imagine that since the copy protection and interface situation is in such a state of flux right now, it would not make sense for a pre/pro manufacturer to sink money into a moving target.

Barney:

I agree with you that it would be nice to have DVI/HDMI connections, but I think that we need to give all the companies out there a bit of a break, instead of saying that they should have it NOW. While you are quite correct that there are a number of set tops with DVI and a growing number displays that have DVI, HDMI is still a while off in the distance. THey need to get the parts such as the driver chips and the connectors, and those simply aren't in production yet for HDMI. THere are also quite a number of issues relating to this that are before the FCC and Congress right now. They need to be settled before any company, Outlaws or others, can build this capability into an A/V receiver or surround sound processor.

It looks as though the best bet for this is about this time next year, at the earliest.

But what do I know, I'm only a dog!

ARF ARF says Iggy.

Thanks guys. I understand all that. But to see a company: example, Marantz to manufacture DLP HD2 chip projectors with DVI/HDCP inputs but not offer a "controller" with a DVI/HDCP switching, I don't fall for not being sure...when that projector sells for well over $10,000....
Also, you would think that manufactures would drop the analog component connects due to being able to record like a hot potatoe. That is one of the issues now, people with HDTV's with only these analog connections "might" get left "high & dry".
By the way, soundhound, are you the same that posted about Horn speakers on another forum?

Anyway, there are more important matters right now..Columbia....my future son-in-law shipping out to "battle"....My prayers....

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Hook'em Horns

Yep. This is my main home

SH, I'm honored to share "space" with you.
Well, I'm waiting for the "copy-protection issue" to somehow clear up a little before I get my video section update (can't wait for HDTV).
As far as pre/pro's, well, I'm not real happy with how the manufactures are going here. Marantz is "closed lip" about an updated pre/pro & their only one is "limited avalible". The prices are just going up to, Rotels new pre/pro coming out, twice as high if not more than their 1066 pre/pro.
I've lurked in & out with this forum, so I thougt it was time to say....Howdy!
Outlaws 950 sounds so good to me and I need an update, real bad. Bass management is a sore spot with me also...here comes Outlaw ICBM....
So, if you guys/gals see my questions, bear with me. The options have narrowed down, at this point to....Outlaw or...Outlaw!

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Hook'em Horns

Me too, but mostly what I want is HD-DVD, so until that gets rolling I'm pretty happy to sit by the sidelines and let others take the 'early adopter' hit. For once.

I hope the HDMI/DVI/ABC and the digital display technologies like DLP/LCoS/XYZ all converge and mature a bit around the same time, so I can feel good about jumping in at that time. I figure 12 - 24 months and things should be rolling out, with early bugs mostly understood and somewhat sorted out. Fall of '04, anyone?

Charlie I really hope we are not all waiting an inestimable amount of time. But after watching an interview with. Powell (chairman of the FCC) and the pres? Of CES. His answers to the industry on whether or not the FCC were intending on stepping in and mandating one method or the other appears slim. I just guessing but I think a lot of manuf. are worried if they jump early (and guess wrong) or the FCC does mandate something they will have possibly wasted R & D. He’s very ambivalent in his replies concerning what the FCC might do and when they might do it. Regarding the 2006 deadline he even waffled on that one…commenting that the FCC was ‘flexible’ to industry needs and some deadlines might represent only ‘optimum timetables’ which might need adjustment. But he would not rule out the FCC getting ancey and moving deadlines forward either. He almost appeared to mentality ‘rub hands in glee’ when he commented that it was the FCC policy to let industry and consumer demand dictate final choices whenever feasible. Leaving Manufactures having to make some costly choices regarding which way the market will move and whether or not something will occur to roust the FCC to mandate choices.

Michael Powell did however seem highly interested in HD, and his new purchase this Christmas of a ‘Tivo’ which he commenting clapping his hands, was one of the best purchases he had ever made and the ‘box was a gift from God”. Not bad news for those nervous on which way the FCC, if any ruling is forced might swing on the fair right use of purchasing consumers to copy for personal and lawful uses.

I can tell you as an ‘early adopter’ ending up with RGB and DVI connections and then watching several a announcements concerning IEEE-1394 about to launch on several audio products this and next year, but with the majority of display manufactures leaning to DVI this year and next. I don’t think its going to come together in 12 months, I think at the earliest your 2 yr estimite, -or your a lucky enough consumer to not mind limiting your purchase (brand range) by half and be satisfied to get the display/audio/etc that comes with that one connectivity device on all. They don’t seem willing to foot the expense too quickly of having both versions on most products. (Hope I’m wrong) And if they don’t come up with something that makes higher compression through bandwidth possible with the right decoders on the receiving end to uncompress it beautifully (or some method as yet not conceived) than I’m a monkeys uncle. Our society is becoming extremely bandwidth hungry and the finite limits of it will force technology to come up with an alternative.

I have lived in the past with a component that did not have the latest connectivity for its life-span in my system rendering more recent purchases’ advanced connectivity, inaccessible. Guess I’ll be forced to do it for the conceivable future also. (this is just my loosely trying to understand it all grasp of the situation).

Hey SLL!

You might be right, I'm just hoping for once things converge in a timely manner. But why would it work out this time?

I'm happy with what I have now (IDTV, DVD, HT) and there's nothing on the market that entices me to upgrade - yet. Watching the ball game or discovery in HD is cool, but I'm not going to upgrade my monitor for that. Once there is a decent amount of content I actually want to watch (movies!) it will interest me.

This looks to be HD-DVD most likely. Once that is on the market and there are significant titles out I'll be shopping for a system to optimise that experience. I'll probably try to get a digital HD display that has the same native resolution as the majority (or all) titles are in and at that time I'd like to see a digital video interface, but it's not a requirement.

The wind seems to be blowing towards HD-DVD being 720p, but for now I'm OK, and I'm tired of taking the hit. I'll buy second generation or later, most likely. I paid $1100 for a DirecTV unit, $3000+ for the IDTV (glad I did that, actually) and countless other $$$ to be an early adopter. It's MOSTLY out of my system now.

HD-DVD....I'm in the 'One Format Only' Fan club.

When they get THAT sorted. I imagine that will coincide with my next large expenditure revamping my AV.

Looking forward to it now that I've had some OTA and Sat. HD time and have aquired a taste (and wish) that all my viewing look THAT good!.

Sometimes I wonder if those of us who currently follow latest models (new tech) out, must have SUCKER stamped on our foreheads! Leading me to the conclusion that if I could just turn my AV bugitis off and activate it to purchase only in 5 yr increaments I'd be more satisfied with the progress acomplished.