Has any one heard if outlaw is working on a new processor which would include dolby true hd and dts hd processing? I Think these formats are only compatable with hdmi 1.3 which I know is not out yet though. I am trying to wait to upgrade until these next generation formats are included. I dont want to buy now and have to buy again in 6 months to a year.

There's been a lot of discussion about this. The 990 and 970/1070 are still pretty new, so we won't see anything to replace them for at least a year (more likely two or a bit more). Those next generation processors will of course have to support the new formats, but first the formats have to really arrive - Toshiba's HD-DVD players will only decode TrueHD in stereo, and there's no sign of DTS-HD content in the near future.

Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD are all compatible with HDMI v1.1 if the player does the decoding to multichannel PCM (an approach that allows the most complete support for interactive content). HDMI v1.3 (which has not yet been released by HDMI as a standard and is not likely to appear before fall at the earliest) will allow a digital bitstream of these formats to be passed across HDMI for decoding at the processor.

I haven't heard, and I wouldn't worry about it either. You're referring to formats that would be included in the new Bluray/HD-DVD players, neither of which is a standard yet.

From all of my recent research it seems outlaw is the way to go regarding best bang for the buck. But with HDMI 1.3 arriving this fall it seems outlaw will be a little behind the curve if they wait 2 more years. Do they ussually wait this long on newer technologies? It seems like they would lose a lot of sales from guys who want to jump right in.

It's not just Outlaw - all smaller manufacturers keep products around a good bit longer than the large outfits (product lifecycles run closer to 3 years rather than a year or less), and HDMI 1.3 will be arriving solely in the sense of announcing the standard. HDMI 1.2 was adopted last August, but I haven't seen any products (receivers, processors, or source components) actually using HDMI 1.2 yet. They may lose a few sales, but the folks who want a processor with HDMI right now and who actually get one are the folks who have $5000 to spend on a processor - which is not Outlaw's main target market to begin with. If you want to be really out on the bleeding edge and actually get HDMI on your processor in the next 12 to 18 months, you'll need to be ready to spend about $3000+ and you'll only benefit from the HDMI support for HD-DVD or Blu-ray material. On the other hand, you could spend $1,100 now, use multichannel analog output for HD-DVD or Blu-ray, and sell that $1,100 unit in three years for around $500+ (Model 950's sold for $900 in 2002 and sell used today for between $400 and $500) and buy something with HDMI support for $1,500 or less when HDMI support will be more beneficial.

will analog outs support dolby truehd and dtshd when they arrive in atleast 5.1

Yes - exactly the same way that the Toshiba HD-DVD players already support Dolby Digital Plus. The players (which have to decode the signal to PCM anyway as long as HDMI 1.3 isn't a standard feature on receivers and processors) decode the signal to analog and you have 5.1 or 7.1 analog outputs on the players.

It seems that using this route defeats the purpose of buying a hi end processor. Im allowing the hddvd or blu-ray player to process the surround. I use ht about 90% of the time. I'm just hesitant to buy now since the industry is going through it's biggest change in ten years. I'm still thinking of buying a 7125 and using my current reciever's pre-outs for now. Although if these products really do hold their value, selling a 990 in two years for atleast 500 would be a good option.

It's a definite change in approach and it may not last in the long term, but it's the only game in town for HD-DVD and Blu-ray for at least another year (even if HDMI 1.3 were finalized tomorrow, it would take time for products to be brought to market with it).

Thanks for the advice. Im still a noob at this. My buying decisions take a little longer than most. I have a wife that just doesn't care for this stuff. For her a $200 wal-mart boxed system gets the job done. That's why when I do make a purchase I try to make sure it will last me 5-10 years without wishing I got something else. I obviously get some latitude. I have invested in my speakers. They are all klipsch reference. I just know they can do so much more with the proper equipment.

I think you're taking the right approach. Good speakers and good amps can easily last 10 years. Processors are a bit more difficult - if you pursue the new formats, you're likely to want to upgrade processor in two or three years unless you drop some big money now (something like Anthem's AVM50 or Statement D2 for $4500 or $6500). That's one benefit to the 970 or 990: you can get a good quality unit now and (based on older Outlaw gear like the 950 and 1050) be able to sell in a few years and reclaim 50% or more of the original cost, which goes a long way toward new gear.