The chipset can do all of the v1.3 spec'd capabilities (we assume, in the absence of proof one way or another), but nobody bothered to include an option in the firmware to enable bitstream output. That's all code that is going to be tied to an individual player manufacturer's interface design, so I can see where no amount of embedded code would solve that - you can't force bitstream output, after all, so you need to rely on the manufacturer to stick in a setting somewhere to select between decoded PCM or raw bitstream. I suspect that the rationalization (assuming that either company would comment on it) would be that when both the Samsung BD-P1200 and the Sony PS3 were released, no hardware existed that could accept said bitstreams, so they didn't want to give the consumer the option of turning on a feature that then would not work. That would match well with the industry-wide history of DVD players whose default DTS output is PCM rather than bitstream - it took us until the last three years or so to start seeing players consistently default to bitstream, even though DTS decoding in new receivers has been common for easily six (or maybe even seven) years. Is it a good rationalization? No, it's a pretty poor one, so hopefully firmware updates will start addressing this before too long.

Unfortunately, gonk there ARE HDMI 1.3 chipsets floating around that no amount of code can add features to. There is a fairly strong rumor going around about the PS3, for instance, that they used an early HDMI 1.3 transmitter chip that cannot do advanced format bitstream output... that's why Sony hasn't added the feature and some insiders are pushing for internal DTS Master Audio decoding instead.

If true that sucks because I have a PS3 and wanted to hear DTS MA lossless (all Fox/MGM titles) via one of the current and upcoming products that would handle it.

There may be other HDMI products in the same boat as the PS3. They say they have such and such a version, but the chipset used doesn't even HAVE the capability on board where you couldn't just turn it on with firmware.

Well, they pushed pretty dang hard to get v1.3 into the PS3 with just five months between official publication of the v1.3 spec and launch of the console. Bitstream output of DTS-HD MA and TrueHD would have seemed like an important thing to get right, but considering the compressed time frame it's certainly possible that there was some snag nobody saw until it was too late (particularly regarding DTS-HD MA, since that particular standard has been pretty late in getting itself ironed out). I'd be curious to see if that PS3 rumor is proven true. From what I've been reading in the last day or so, the BD-P1200 uses a newer chip that has just been rolled out. I haven't dug real deeply into that chip's inner workings, but the indications I've seen suggest that it should be pretty solid. So far, though, nobody else seems to have v1.3 players in or even reasonably close to production that I've been able to find, which just adds to the uncertainty. None of the HD-DVD players are trying to offer v1.3, which makes perfect sense since HD-DVD's have so far all been mastered in a mode that prevents bitstream output even if the player supports it - not much point including bitstream output support when all of your software is going to deny you that ability anyway.

Remember that a product's availability to offer the features that are part of the HDMI 1.3 spec require more than "1.3 chips". THe features are not just made possible by the HDMI stack, but by other aspects of the product's circuitry.

For example, the lip sync feature requires all upstream products to have an EDID statement that reports their latency downstream with the "first" unit in the chain having sufficient buffer capability to do the needed delay. Similarly, xvYCC color and Deep Color require the proper organization within the product.

It is true, though that the 48 bit Deep Color is HDMI receiver/transmitter dependant, and there are no chips yet that handle the 16 bit per channel signals.

This is only part of what makes it all such fun to design a product these days, and then use it in a system.

My suggestion to be included in the new replacement for the model 990 preamp/processor and the model 1070 receiver is a "black out" option that can be activated for the LCD front display.

When this button on the pre/pro or receiver (or on their remote controls) is hit it turns off the front LCD display completely, as if the equipment had been turned off with the power switch, but leaves the machine on and functioning normally (no volume reduction of any kind). If you use the remote to change the volume (or the volume dial on the machine itself), or any other button, then the display will light back up for 5 seconds so you can see what volume adjustments you are making, then it would go right back to turning the LCD off. It would automatically stay in this completely dark mode for as long as you want (no annoying timers to have to set, please), until you hit the black out button again or until the machine was turned off, which would reset the LCD display to light up again next time you turn the machine on.

This is so that when you are watching movies you don't have the irritating visual distraction of the LCD being lit, even if your machine has a "dim" option for it's LCD, it's still distracting.

I've only seen a few machines, usually higher end equipment, that have an option to turn off all the lights on the front of a pre/pro or receiver so you can have that great darkness when you're watching a movie. And yet, this is a feature that wouldn't cost a lot or be hard to implement, just add one button to the machine itself and to the remote and put a circuit inside the machine that will turn the power to the LCD lighting mechanism off/on when that button is hit. It would be great to have this really cool feature on the new Outlaw pre/pro and receiver!

On a related note, please make the main power switch light (that tells you the machine is turned on) as dim as you can, so it's not a needless distraction when watching a movie. It's only needs to be bright enough that it can be seen to be on when the room is darkened. Bright, gaudy power lights are really annoying. And no lights at all when the machine is turned off (no red "power off" lights), the machine should just go totally dark. Thanks for listening to these ideas!

How about a "motherboard" type change to the panel inside the 990 to allow the acceptance of the HD Audio formats?

I would rather pay a couple hundred in shipping and materials/labor and have a new circuit board put in so my 990 can accept these audio formats than to buy a whole new pre-pro.

The magnitude of that change would be far more than a simple board swap, unfortunately. Digital input board(s) and the entire rear panel would have to change to provide for HDMI, the DSP would have to be replaced and probably more than one board revised to accept a chip that offered the new audio formats, and before you know it the cost to develop, manufacture parts for, and then rebuild individual units would be as much as a brand new, factory line produced unit.

Random Musings...

I want a switch to change the rear speakers from surround duties to main channel duties. When I'm listening to 2-channel music I do NOT want some phony baloney surround scheme, I want full range pumping through the front and rear speakers.

I expect to run some passive Linn DMS (have now) in the rear for surround duties, and some active DMS (may buy) in the front. Or at the least run the passive DMS up front and maybe some full size Magnepans in the rear suspended from the (vaulted) ceiling. Room is about 19.5 by 21.

I say 'Screw it, I'm not going to spend 10's of hours moving my junk around fractions of an inch at at time. I want set and forget!' And furthermore, my junk needs to sound good everywhere in the room, not just in a space the size of a hatbox floating just above the center of the couch.

On the off chance that I somehow get a stick lodged where it can massage my prostate, then I'll turn off the rear speakers and pretend to be a statue in the 'sweet spot', all the while marveling at the . EDIT: can you tell I've had a recent frustrating experience with some 2-channel purists (read: suckhole losers)?

I've never understood the overwhelming desire many folks exhibit to 'hear what the recording engineer heard, or wants me to hear.' I say he can go sit and spin. I want to hear the music I want to hear, the way I want to hear it.

Another bottle of mulled vitriol at a later date.

Your first random musing made me think immediately of the 5/7 Stereo mode on Outlaw's processors: it will take a stereo source and copy the left/right signals to all the speakers (left to left side/rear surrounds, right to right side/rear surrounds, and a summed signal to the center).

For the Next Generation 990, I'd make it HD. A name like Model 1000HD

I would add the following:

I would have 5 or 6 HDMI inputs and a two outputs.

Video up conversion to all the HD formats.

The latest audio codecs and processing.

Balanced Sub output.

Balanced Inputs.

I'd add another 7.1 channel input.


What I'd remove:

I'd remove all Composite Video and S-Video inputs and just have HDMI and Component with audio digital inputs and outputs.

Remove the USB port on back and put it on the front for firmware updates.

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Aesthetically it could change, but I wouldn't be bothered if it didn't.

I'd like smaller increment adjustments in the crossover filter. For that matter, it wouldn't bother me if you had smaller increments across the board. Then you won't have any more complaints for that sort of thing whether it truly makes a difference or not.