I think jhunt1 is referring to the fact that today's HDMI is an intermediate step, one that may not be compatible with tomorrow's (full fledged) HDMI - until it is fully developed and ready to be implemented, any use of HDMI (and there is certainly a significant and growing share for HDMI) is a sure-fire video approach alongside an audio form of "planned obsolescence." TV's can risk it because we're not going to care that we can't pipe SACD or Dolby Plus to our TV. Universal players can do today's formats fine (Dolby Digital, DTS, and DVD-Audio - and in another HDMI generation SACD will join those ranks, although that may require buying a new universal player). Budget receivers (like Panasonic's digital amp receivers) can do it because they are something of a "throwaway" product bought mainly by folks who aren't going to get as deep into the hobby as we are and won't mind that their HDMI port won't handle all HDMI sources. Surround sound processors with a four-figure price tag (even ones with a "1" in the first spot) could generate some serious consumer disgust if they have a port that is perceived as "half useless" in a year or two - that's why I believe they are lagging behind (that and the longer development cycles for these products, since they lack the resources of the electronics giants like Sony and Matsushita).