Most AV receivers/pre-pros have multiple input types for each device. While there may be 5 'video' inputs defined (and maybe 3 pure audio ones) you have a choice on each one to use component, composite, S-video, or HDMI. There are also choices of audio input: analog 2ch, digital coax, digital optical, and 5.1 or 7.1 analog (usually only ONE of these). The video inputs usually block one composite and one S video together, but it probably doesn't HAVE to be that way.

So why no let the end user decide how to lash all this up? Since a micro processor is doing the swithing, the end user could define as many 'inputs' as he wants, each input would select one video source (or none if it's an audio only device) and one audio source. Also there should be no reason why a source couldn't be used twice, IE: shared between two inputs. The limit to the number of inputs defined would be a processor memory issue (though there are a limited number of buttons to assign on the front panel and remote control, a click wheel or up/down menu scroll would solve that). The user should also be able to name each input he/she creates and have it appear on the OSD and front panel display menus.

The 950 actually had a limited version of that as you could select an input, then change the audio and video source (the change would then stick for the next time you selected that input though).

A user defined switching matrix would allow one to use ALL of the inputs (especially with transcoding from the active input to all provided outputs) thereby allowing hookup of MORE sources. (Hey, I have a VCR, DVD recorder, DVD player, computer, mp3 player, cable box, tv tuner output, cassette tape deck, Laser disk player, phono turntable ... how am I going to hook them ALL up!)

On a different topic, anybody know how many 970s, 990s, and 1070s have been sold?

User defined digital inputs has been possible with all of Outlaw's receivers and processors: each input can have any coaxial or optical digital input assigned to it, even if another input is also already using it. I've used that feature for a long time now when using a DVD player as a CD player. The Model 990 takes it one step further: component video and DVI inputs are also assignable in exactly the same manner and coaxial and optical inputs. I am using the same DVI input for both the "DVD" source and the "7.1 Direct" source in this manner, and I have even at times configured the front video input to use a rear panel digital input and component or DVI input when tinkering around with something. The Model 990 also allows the user to edit the names of nearly all inputs (7.1 Direct, Phono, and Tuner being the three that cannot be renamed). The one limitation that crops up is that component and DVI video inputs can't be assigned to audio inputs (tape, CD, aux, or phono) - I get around this with CD's by having my remote macro switch to the DVD input first, since the 990 will leave the video switching input on the last video source used when going to an audio input. I agree that this sort of addressability is a great feature.

As for sales figures, Outlaw has historically not talked about actual numbers. I think that about a year or so ago someone reported having heard a sales figure of 2000 units for the 990, but that was some time ago and I don't know the background of that number.

Gonk, I know that you can assign the individual input jacks as you please, but what I meant was that there are (afaik) only so many input positions on the 'source switch'. What I wanted was to be able to expand on that.

Say the available sources are (default names) cd, dvd, video1-4, and aux. dvd is assigned to the component video input and optical audio input. I've connected my aux to a turntable via a preamp. video 1 is my vcr (analog audio and s video). video 2 is my cable box (component video and coax audio). video 3 is my laser disk player (composite video and audio). video 4 is my tv's composite video out and analog audio out). cd is connected to my mp3 player's analog audio. I've used up all the input positions. So I define a new one! The unit adds the extra position on the 'switch' I call it dvd-cd and assign the 5.1 analog inputs to it. I add another position and connect my dvd-s hdmi 1.3 outputs to the hdmi input. This is the up-converting dvd player. I then assign yet another video input and connect it to an unused s video and analog audio input to my computer.
I've added 3 'positions' to the input source switch and assigned unused connections to them.
Can I do THAT today?

There will always be one limit: the number of inputs that can be selected on the remote. After all, the ability to define two dozen different inputs isn't going to do you much good if you have to scroll through a huge list to get to two-thirds of them. Discrete input selection is pretty indispensible, at least in my opinion. That's the reason that you don't see anybody building a processor that allows you to "add" sources. If we accept the limitation of a finite number of inputs, then the scenario that you describe is actually more or less feasible right now with the 990 (as long as you can work around the fact that analog inputs and s-video/composite video inputs are permanently assigned to their respective sources).

Oh, and just to be nit-picky (and because it's so often a source of confusion), HDMI v1.3 will probably never be included in standard DVD players because the features that it adds are not applicable to players like that.

guess you can do what I suggested with remote control 'macros'.

You can do a lot with macros, as long as you have some codes to start with. That's why I think the 990 already strikes a good balance in this regard.

I can envision a design that simply has banks of different input types (coaxial digital audio, optical digital audio, stereo analog, composite, s-video, component, HDMI, and a 7.1 analog) that each have a unique ID (coax1 through coax3, opt1 through opt5, stereo1 through stereo 4, composite1 through composite4, s-vid1 through s-vid4, component1 through component3, HDMI4 through HDMI5, tuner, ...) and a group of eight or ten "sources" (source01 through source10) that allow for editable names and can each have any one audio and any one video input assigned to them. You would have to establish a fixed number of such inputs simply so that it can be controlled, but aside from that you'd have complete autonomy. The drawback to this scheme for a company like Outlaw (which caters to the consumer and not the custom installer) is that the casual user now has to do more to get the system working. Custom installers would be fine with it, as would more sophisticated end-users (the geek in me thinks it's a cool idea, for example), but a more casual end-user would struggle with it.

Well if Outlaw would supply the raw, discrete, ir
codes needed to do the switching, then the company
I work for has the answer. Niles Audio makes a
home theater controller called the Intellicontrol
Home Theater Automation System. This device must
be professionally installed (only sold through
installers). If anybody is interested, here is
the link.
http://www.nilesaudio.com/product.php?pr...rdcdID=FG00 477

An upgraded version of this product will be
introduced later this year at CEDIA.

Basicly, this gizmo is a Harmony remote on
steroids. Of course, if you know the discrete ir
codes, you can do the same thing with lesser user
programmable remote controls. The trick is to
issue the right codes in the right order. Many
receivers respond to ir codes that the remote
normally does not issue. For example, while many
remotes just issue a power toggle command, the
receiver does have a power on, and power off
command.

The biggest problem with a scheme like this isn't the IR codes themselves. A Pronto CCF file would be easy to create and would let almost anybody with a computer-programmed remote (Pronto and Universal can both use the CCF file, and Logitech/Harmony could add it to their online database). I would assume that Niles' Intellicontrol would also handle CCF's easily enough, as would similar centralized control systems like Crestron. The problem is providing them to all consumers in a useful form, because this scheme would be an "all or nothing" sort of affair. This page lists pricing for the Intellicontrol as being $3000 on up. A more basic system may be possible, but that's still a major investment. This scheme would have to work with the remote that is shipped with the processor, and without need for a custom installer to configure any of it.

There really has to be a pre-defined limit to the number of inputs that are available, at least at the price point that Outlaw focuses on. The concept of highly-definable inputs appeals to me (as I've said, it's one of the things that I've really enjoyed about the 990), and I think that there are several input types that deserve this sort of assignability (coaxial/optical, component, DVI/HDMI) along with editable input names. Beyond that, an unlimited supply of inputs isn't going to be practically feasible for an Outlaw processor for a long time, if ever.

The page you've referenced talks about a different Niles product (the names are similar). The ICS product line is a whole house audio system, and yes it is pricey. The Intellicontrol system I linked to is an intelligent ir system, installed it runs about $1500.

I agree with you on the issues you've mentioned. Like you I am a tech freak, but what the two of us might think is easy to set up would bamboozile the average guy into avoiding such a product!

Bingo. There's a very difficult balance to maintain. Provide enough controls that the techy crowd can do what they want to with it, but not so much that the more average user can't get it working without major frustrations. The 990's solution really is a good balance: have component inputs assigned by default to a specific input, and have the coaxial/optical inputs totally independent. You could potentially take it one step farther and have the coax/optical, component video, and HDMI inputs all just numbered and pre-assign some conveniently.