With all this talk about DTS 96/24, and 1394 firewire for dvd-a, and last but not least DVI. How many out there are thinking this 950 is outdated before its shipped? All I know is that my reservation was at 10:02 and i'm actually dying of excitement waiting for it to come. If we wait for the newest and latest that will certainly never come.
Well the ball just dropped and another year is gone Outlaws.

I don't think it's outdated, because a lot of this is still not ready to be implemented. How many displays out there offer DVI? And how many DVD players? If you have DVI on both, why not just go directly from one to the other -- there's no need for DVI switching in a pre/pro. The firewire stuff for DVD-A is all well and good too, but I'm not sure that it clears hardware manufacturers to proceed -- there's no approved encryption scheme included that I could see, and you'd also need to add in the "brains" to do DVD-A decoding when there won't be a DVD-A player to connect it to for the forseeable future.

It's dangerous to wait for the next new feature before releasing -- there's always one more on the horizon that's "worth waiting for." If you used that logic, you'd never ship a product.

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Gonk

I feel what you're saying JM, but I've started looking at things in a 'what is it worth to me' frame of reference, instead of 'what is the coolest thing.' I used to be a total computer junkie and that is one arena where you are sure to lose a huge amount of cash if you play the 'newest technology' game.

So when I think about my HT hobby, I try to evaluate if a change is something I really want or just something that would be cool. I recently decided to go with an ICBM and new interconnects from my 1050 to my amp instead of selling my 1050 and buying a 950. I am still only running 5 speakers, but wanted true stereo subs, which the ICBM would do and the 950 wouldn't. And while 7 channels would be cool, in my situation (room arrg't) it would be tough to pull off with both function and aesthetics.

But back to the 950. There is definitely going to be an 'outdated' factor to it and just about every other processor except truly modular pieces, but the 950 seems to be one of the best values out there when compared to everything else with its features.

You bring up good thoughts on the paradox of technology vs. timing, which I think everybody purchasing any brand of component should be up to speed on, but if its a waiting game, you could be putting off a purchase for a year or two and then be miffed by the newest technology that's only '6 months away.'

S.

It shouldn't be too outdated, the 6.1 receivers have been out for a year or so and there is still just a handful of 6.1 movies much less 7.1. The dvd players with firewire aren't out yet, there isn't even many dvd slash dvd-a or sacd players. If you by smart and sound the components will work for a long time, there is alot of 20yr old macintosh stereo amps out there in smoking home theatres.

m-mmeyer

While firewire and DVI are the future I don't see substantial integration of either for at least two years and even then they'll probably be relegated to higher end equipment for another two years. So you're quite possibly looking at four to five years before it trickles down to the Best Buy and Circuit City run o' the mill set. By then the next latest and greatest is out and we'll be discussing something that doesn't even exist today like Dolby 1XobZ.938x1.2.4 or centrifugal floor speakers.

So to answer your question no, it's all relative to the individual consumers wants or needs at the present time.

The reason I mentioned it is because it was something that will be here next year not down the road. At CES 2002 in 9 days, you will see manufacturers with their latest gear and I guarantee, you will see firewire incorporated in new recievers as well as tvs.
In fact all satellite boxes from direct tv and dish network will incorporate this. As we speak Mitsubishi tvs have 1394 firewire. Jvc D'ahlia 36" has DVI. The wait is over the technology is here today. You just got to know where its at Mr. Vox

Jeff,
I agree completely. Mitsu and Sony's higher end Hd Tvs already have firewire as does Mitsu's latest DVR.

As it stands I don't think DVI has a leg to stand on against firewire, but I do believe there will be a playout of the two before there is a standard, just as in HDtv, DVD vs. Divx and the like. That is why I say it will be relagated to the higher end ( first adopter segment).

I was comcuring with gonk in that if we wait for the next great product we'll never have anything.

I do know for a fact that a new protocol standard for firewire is coming out which will increase it's data transfer considerably. Will it be compatible with firewire 1? That I don't know, but we all adopted usb1 when it came out and now usb2 is out. I can't remember which way it is but either hardware or plugs of the two are not compatible with each other. If that is the case with firewire then those first adopter will be out when firewire 2 comes out.

Speaking of waiting I just read an article that described PC in 2004. It said 4 to 5 GHZ microprocessor with 512mb of DDR memory and a 600 MHzsystem bus. The hard drive will have 300GB to 400GB. Not to mention a 18" to 21" flat panel display. Now, by the time you read this, if we add 10 days, we are not getting our 950 at least for another three weeks. 2 years, three weeks, any way you look at it feels like eternity.

I thought it was only being delayed three weeks past the 24th... So I was hoping to at least hear something by a week from Monday.

Either way, though, doesn't affect me too much since I can't use a 950 until the 770 is released, and that's being delayed into February.

They said they would contact us 10 days before its ready to be shipped. You might here something today then add 10 days plus shipping, your talking 2 to 3 weeks. It will be here before you know it. Then all of our posts will be about the new product they are announcing next tuesday. Hey the ces show is just two days away so the outlaws should be telling us something in the next couple of days for sure by tuesday we will see that new product.

[This message has been edited by JeffreyMercado (edited January 06, 2002).]