I think that's a good list of options, but the $2,500 price seems impossible - the video processing alone (at the level we're talking about here, at least) would probably account for $1,000 all by itself.

I'd call it inevitable that an HDMI v1.3 processor will be offered by Outlaw, most likely within the next 12 to 18 months. I think it goes without saying, though, that the January announcement will not be related to HDMI v1.3 - it's too soon for them to have gotten anywhere close to production, and an HDMI v1.3 processor is likely to appear much like the 990 did.