In the next week or so I'll be buying a HD DVD player. Most likely the Toshiba HD-A35. I know HDMI passes along audio and video, but DVI only passes video.

so with the HD-A35 player I can use the analog 5.1 outputs from it to the 990 pre.. and be able to get high res audio formats. That's a simple one.

But, what about the video conversion from the Toshiba's HDMI to the 990's DVI input. WIll I be able to benefit from the adapter. ALso my TV only has DVI inputs and component too.

so my set up would be. Toshiba out via HDMI, into the 990 via DVI, from 990 via DVI to my TV via DVI.. will this work?

That will work just fine - it's exactly the same thing I'm doing right now with my HD-A2 (and my BD30, and my 981HD, and my cable box, for that matter). I use an HDMI-to-DVI cable in one case (from my 981HD) and an HDMI-to-DVI adapter in the other case (from the HDMI switch that the other three go through).

that's good to know... I feel better knowing that you and other's have had success in using adapters from HDMI to DVI. that was really the only thing holding me back from getting a HD player.

gonk, have you tried using component output from one of your HD Players to the 990? if so.. then it also has to go component to your TV right? it can't be a mixture of DVI and component if I remember right.

I haven't bothered using component out of my HD-A2 or BD30 because both are quite far away from the 990 (too long for existing component cables I have on hand) and because it offers no advantages for me.

The 990's DVI switching is entirely independent of the analog video switching (component, s-video, and composite), which is why I have both component and DVI connections from the 990 to my HDTV. I need the component connection for my old DVD recorder and the SMS-1.