I do not own the unit but what about:

1)Channel level adjustments at .5 dB instead of 1 dB.

2)At least one more component video in and out

3)HDMI with audio support instead of DVI

4)More precise settings for distance (than 1ft) when setting channel delay.

Please correct me if I am wrong on any of the above. These are the things that have kept me from trying the unit to replace my Yamaha RX-V2500 I am currently using as a pre/pro. That and the fact that I could not get a discount on the 990 after buying 2 of the Outlaw 755 amps because it was not within 30 days. I am also hesitant to lose the "Presence" channels the 2500 has as they add a lot to the front image and the dialog lift function really helps with the 92" screen.

There has been some discussion of changing the level adjustment and distance settings as you suggest, but since Outlaw has commented elsewhere (in response to a review of the Model 1070) that they feel that the benefits of going from 1.0dB to 0.5dB and from 1 foot to 0.5 foot are effective indistinguishable I'm guessing that it's not high on their list. Adding a fourth component input to a future processor is not likely because we're likely to see more and more hardware moving from component to HDMI. The 990's DVI switching was a way to get digital video switching without getting tied up in the uncertain status of HDMI's audio side. Odds are that a successor to the 990 (which would not be likely to appear until 2007 or 2008 based on the 950's production life) would include three or four HDMI inputs as well as probably conversion of analog video to digital so an HDMI monitor output could be used with all video inputs. For the time being, the DVI switching seems to have been a pretty effective solution.

This was actually asked about in another forum but I was teaking my system and found it would be great to have. I would like a digital out and digital in - similar to the old fashion 'processor loop' functionality. Here's how it would work:
The digital out would be after the input selection, but prior to any processing. It would remain the the stock format, PCM, Bitstream, etc.
It could then be used with external digital processors and return in the same format (or converted) to the digital in. Then the 990 would do whatever it needed in terms of processing, volume, etc.
It could be bypassed with a switch just like the old processor loops.

The necessity for this came when using my DEQ2496 to do some equalization on my mains. The DEQ has digital in/out so why not keep everything in the digital domain until the last and let the 990 do it.

Also I would like to see AES/EBU digital I/O, just because it seems a lot of pro equipment (like the DEQ) is being used in HT these days.

Wouldn't you want it to be after the DD and DTS decoders, so that whatever device you were using only had to worry about PCM format? Otherwise you'd need to have DD and DTS decoders (and maybe encoders) in the outboard device.

Yes gonk. For my use that would be perfect. I started to write that in but I would want it as an option along with the others. The problem I foresee is what the PCM signals would be. The main L/R and surround L/R's would be OK as pairs but what about the sub and center? Separate? Would they all be separate? I'm not sure but I don't believe the PCM stream can handle greater than 2 channels ata time (anyone know?) I suppose that could be a PCM pair as well but I guess it doesn't matter as long as its accessible.
I assume that other multichannel processors would be on the market, i.e. multichannel EQ and the like, so having a native DSD or Bitstream would also be nice.
But for now, multiple PCM channels after decoding would be great for me.

Each channel would be a separate PCM stream. The PCM format can support this (HDMI 1.1 and 1.2 will work with DD+ and the other future HD disc formats by decoding the source to eight channels of PCM audio). I think that PCM would really be the only way to go with this - by the time you put a separate external processor that does DD/DTS decoding as well as EQ, you may as well just drop the first unit out and use the second one for everything.

Thanks gonk. I agree but with existing 2 channel pro equipment, the PCM is done in stereo pairs. My preferrence is to account for that. That way its all backward compatible.
I found after doing some equalizing last night that the digital I/O loop would be great.

Compatability with multichannel HDMI audio.... Need something to plug the playstation 3 into!

Having just learned that VIDEDO-1 input does not feed thru to the RECORD-OUT loop, it should be included in next generation.

Perhaps the OUTLAWS could make a software upgrade.

Also another (usual)plug from me to have the 19 inch rackmount option, which should also exist for the amps.

Having just learned that VIDEDO-1 input does not feed thru to the RECORD-OUT loop, it should be included in next generation.

Perhaps the OUTLAWS could make a software upgrade.

Also another (usual)plug from me to have the 19 inch rackmount option, which should also exist for the amps.