The rule of 3 comment got me thinking. Can it currently apply? What IF 3 of the big names do have THIS, but 3 of the other big names have THAT. And you never tend to buy the SAME name in every product?

Don’t you think that possibly the lay consumer might be in for some nasties in the next few years as they go to purchase the latest/greatest STB or PVR unit for their fairly new or 1 to 2 yr. old HD display and bring it home expecting plug and play. Its all the latest best gear isn’t it? But jeepers it won’t ‘connect’ to their theoretic highest quality latest technology connection. Or maybe they will experience 50 % ‘Sheer dumb luck’ and what they happened to buy several months ago will happen to go with what they buy 9 months later.
You can wait awhile sometimes after the first PR on the latest current highest end STB to come out for Dish or Direct TV, and it comes out....but....

RGB coming and going (mostly going) on this product or that. Sony going DVI-HDCP (well maybe for a while or maybe not). Mitsy going Firewire. Each STB or futuristic DVD deck offering different combos of connective options. With no rhyme or reason. RGB with DVI with Composite. Or Component with FIREWIRE with RGB. Another with DVI with Component and Composite.

Guy walks into to Electronics B&M and asks salesman why his Web purchased DVI cable won’t work and what does he need: “Well, I know it is confusing but there IS more than one type of DVI cable. I understand you thought that DVI cable from a computer store would work on your set now that you just purchased a used late model STB from your friend and had to buy a cable, but Sir, you see your display is a DVI-D slot and this is a DVI-A only cable you purchased and where did you find that most times you see DVI-I instead, hummm but that’s not what you need either. You need this DVI + HDCP cable to work on your monitor to your STB. Oh you want to hook your laptop up also to your display like your neighbor did? Sorry no can do. Yes sir I understand you have the same display as your neighbor who used the DVI to connect his laptop. But sir your computer soundcard has DVI-A and A won’t talk to D.” And so forth and so on.

What do you think ‘Lay Person’ is going to think of their display when they hear that XXX STB is the latest greatest to ever come on the market, it has a really great picture. IT has that new thing-a-ma-gig called ‘DVI’ they have vaguely seen mentioned. But their 3 month old display has that firewire thing and “Are you telling me my display salesman was LYING to me when he said this was the most advanced current technology on the market, well I bought it right here at this same store that’s why I came back!!! What was my set maker thinking?? I’ll think twice before purchasing that brand again, they weren’t smart enough or cutting edge enough to have put that thing I need right now so I can buy this HD box now that I wanted to add to my HD display. Well Can I use one of those other connections?” Well sir I wouldn’t recommend it because you see this STB has DVI and RGB and composite and you really would not want to use composite on that display you have at home. “Well, what about RGB?” Well no sir your display has 1394 and Component which is very nice but no RGB. I can direct you to this ‘breakout’ RGB to Component cable which cost 200 on top of that 800 box there really is hardly any degradation. Or you could wait for model XXX which is coming out with these exact same features as this box but with DVI instead of 1394 like this one in 2Qtr next year. Of course this model was supposed to be out in 3 quarter last year and just came out now. (3 qtr current year) so I wouldn’t count on it for sure in just 9 months. And by the way did you hear they might be coming up with a next generation of 1394, because it will increase……
Meanwhile the guy with the DVI display is saying the same thing because he wants the latest STB and the salesman tries to explain, your Display has DVI and won’t accept a firewire cable, you will have to use your component output.

Out or upcoming HD STB’s.
Dish network 211:
IEEE1394 , No analog HDTV output.

Dish PVR 921
DVI / HDTV, 1394 iLINK (possb.for connection only ?to a D-VHS), Component

Dish JVC TU-PVR9000
DVI / HDTV, 1394 iLINK (poss. for connection only? to a D-VHS), Component

Dish Model 6000:
RGB, Component

Direct HD-SAT520:
RGB, Component, S-Video, DVI + HDCP

Direct SAT-HD200:
RGB, Component, S-Video, Composite

Direct DTC200:
DVI + HDCP, RGB+HV (15-pin D sub) and Component

Direct DST-3100:
DVI + HDCP, Component, Composite

EchoStar Selects 1394 Solution
LITTLETON, COLO.— EchoStar announced it will add IEEE 1394 digital connectors to next-generation set-top decoder boxes, using VividLogic's FireBus Home Entertainment Infrastructure. VividLogic's FireBus software will provide digital connectivity and...
From the 07/08/2002 issue of TWICE

Correction
Hitachi's SWX and UWX series of HDTV rear projection monitors will have DVI digital connectors but will not have IEEE-1394 digital jacks as reported in the June 3, 2002 issue. As reported the XWX integrated HDTV sets will have both connectors....

Sony Unveils New TV Line
PARK RIDGE, N.J.– Despite the inclusion of Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connectors on 15 new HDTV monitors, Sony Electronics is expected to continue to support the alternate digital connector iLINK (IEEE-1394) in future model digital televis...

Sorta of like the recent comment on the endlessly changing history of AV mentioned in recent threads, IS it really getting worse? OR just appears this way and is the same old upgrade song and dance?

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[This message has been edited by Smart Little Lena (edited December 11, 2002).]