I have some general hookup questions but let me first explain that I have the Outlaw 990 with everything (Direct Tivo, outboard OTA tuner,dvd & vcr) hooked directly to it. I use a component cable ran from the 990 to my older 57" HDTV since it has neither DVI or HDMI. I also run the RF out of the Direct Tivo to an upstairs bedroom and I'm using a MX-600 with RF base station to control it.

While I'd like to get a newer HDTV with HDMI I'm still willing to wait it out another year for the prices to drop on 60" or so screen sizes. Since my 57" Toshiba lacks it's own digital tuner I use an older Zenith 420 to get my hi-def OTA local channels and despite only being able to run component from the 990 to the Toshiba the hi-def channels look pretty good to my eyes.

Okay in the coming months I'm either going to upgrade my Direct Tivo to one of DTV's HD models or maybe even wait for the upcoming Direct Tivo although that could be a long wait.

Now some questions:

1. Since the newer DTV HD receivers all use HDMI and the 990 only had DVI, do you recommend getting a HDMI to DVI cable or using a HDMI cable (already have) with an HDMI to DVI adapter? Is there a difference in quality? Or would I want to stay with component since that's the way the Direct Tivo is hooked up now and the best connection to my tv would still be component also?

2. As far as I know most newer Direct TV HD receivers loose the RF out so I need to think of a way to still get that signal to an upstairs bedroom. I'm assuming that all newer HD receivers would still have analog audio and video out am I right in assuming this?

3. If all new HD Sat receivers do still provide both audio and video analog out would they still be active while you would be using either HDMI or component to the 990?

4. Providing answers to 2 & 3 are yes, would there be any issues running analog cables A/V 50ft to 75ft to the upstairs bedroom? I see Monoprice has cables pretty long for a decent price.

There's no difference. I've done both (DVI-to-HDMI cable and HDMI cable with HDMI-to-DVI adapter). The only caveat is that I would not run a DVI cable with a DVI-to-HDMI adapter because of the weight and stress applied to the HDMI connector.
Well, once you change TV's you will no longer have the component-only limitation. In my experience, I've found no difference in picture quality between component or DVI/HDMI with HD cable service. For other sources, though, HDMI may be preferable (Blu-ray, for example, or some DVD players with good upscaling that only works via HDMI).
I don't know enough about DirecTV gear to know what outputs they offer, but as a general rule any video source today will still offer some basic "legacy" analog outputs (both audio and video). You may not be able to run RF without adding an RF modulator, but you should still have analog audio and video outputs.
Again, I don't use satellite so I don't know. With cable boxes, you generally can use both outputs at once (although HDMI generally disables component output in my experience). You may have some issues with aspect ratio control - I know that I can archive things from my box's DVR to my DVD recorder with the proper aspect ratio while I watch something else via HDMI, but I don't remember if SD content gets squeezed & pillarboxed at other times. I think it may.

I do have a friend with satellite (not sure what provider) and he has two receivers that share a single DVR - one is an HD unit with the DVR, and the other is an SD unit that can pull recordings from the HD unit's hard drive.
You have to be a little careful about runs that long and possible interference (being parallel to power wiring, for example). It can be done, though. If you already have the coax cable run up there, though, you could also just get an RF modulator from Radio Shack for $30 and connect the AV cables to that.

Thanks Gonk for the reply! Sounds like it's okay to use either an HDMI cable with DVI adapter or a HDMI to DVI cable so I'll check the prices at Monoprice.

Interesting that there's not a big difference using HDMI or component with cable or Sat HD at least it gives me more options.

I will assume for now that I will still be able to use the analog outs of the DTV receiver while at the same time using either component or HDMI.

Okay I've never used a RF modulator before should it:
A. provide as good as signal (tv picture) as my currently ran coax from Direct Tivo RF out?

B. Compared to running analog A/V cables to the upstairs tv should the RF modulated signal be about the same?

I actually like the idea of the RF modulator since I wouldn't have to run more cable is the Radio Shack model decent? For a little more money I've found a CE Labs 1001ST Stereo RF modulator http://www.amazon.com/LABS-1001ST-Stereo...32213346&sr=1-1 would this work with my Sat receiver? Even though CE Labs website says it's discontinued it still seems to be available several places.

Just curious with the RF signal I'm currently sending from my Direct Tivo to my upstairs tv, is the audio it's sending mono or stereo?

RF modulated video and audio is the "lowest common denominator" of quality. Depending on the quality of the modulator, it should match what you're getting now - after all, the Tivo is using an internal RF modulator to create the signal, and all you're doing is moving that process outboard. It's not guaranteed to be equal, but it should be comparable. As for stereo vs. mono, RF can carry stereo and I would expect that your Tivo is outputting stereo now.

Running analog cables can be better quality, but depending on the quality of the TV at the other end and the path that the cables follow to get there the differences may be subtle.

The CE Labs unit you linked to looks a bit more robust than the typical Radio Shack units I've used in the past. I've had mixed results with those - some work just fine, but I've had one die on me.

I really don't have a preference to running analog cables or using a RF modulator as long as the quality is equal to what I'm getting now, it sounds like you're saying either should work. The upstairs tv the signal is going to is a top of the line 20" Panasonic maybe 5 years old.

If I go the RF modulator route and use the CE Labs 1001ST it has selectable channels UHF 14-69; Cable 65-94, 100-125, do I just pick any channel to set it on and then set the tv to the same channel?

I suppose if I decide to run analog cables I won't actually know how well it will work until after I've already bought and ran the cables. I guess that could also apply to the RF modulator.

Either way, you won't know until (unless) you try it. As for the modulator, you have it - select a channel, and then leave the TV on that channel.

Gonk just a couple more questions after I get a new HD sat receiver I know I need to run a HDMI cable with DVI adapter from the receiver to one of the 990's DVI 1 or 2. Currently with my Direct Tivo the best connection is S-Video so the 990 is set to use that input, do I just change it to DVI in the 990 menu for that device and it's ready to go?

Would I only use the 990's DVI Out when I got a newer tv with HDMI? Would I loose the OSD and if so are there any work arounds?

First, the DVI switching is independent from the analog video switching - you will not get the 990's setup menu or any composite, s-video, or component video inputs via DVI out. All you will get is DVI inputs. That means that if you have any non-HDMI/DVI sources you will need to keep an analog video output from the 990. You'll need that for the 990's setup menu, anyway. That's why I use a combination of component and DVI outputs from the 990: DVI for my HDMI sources, component for everything else.

I guess I didn't know that.

Okay then with a new HD receiver using HDMI to 990 DVI in and 990 component out to tv (doesn't have HDMI) are you saying the HD receiver won't show up as a device in my 990 menu? If you're not saying that then it looks like under Inputs in the 990 menu where it will list the new HD receiver the video input should be set to DVI?

No. I'm saying that the DVI switching is just a pass-through. Thus, the 990's DVI output only gets a signal from a DVI input - and if a source is selected that uses any analog video input (composite, s-video, or component), the DVI output does not get that signal.
Right. Once you hook a couple sources to the 990's DVI inputs, you go into the 990's setup menu, go to input setup, and set the "Video" input for those sources to their corresponding DVI inputs. Exactly like you select "Comp-DVD", "Comp-Vid1", "Comp-Vid2", "Composite", or "S-Video" now.

The part of this process that you need to keep in mind is that you still need a separate analog video connection to your HDTV. The easiest thing to do is to use a component connection, although depending on the sources that may be using it there are cases where a composite or s-video output will suffice. Let's use an example: I connect a Blu-ray player and an HD cable box to the 990's two DVI inputs (assigning "DVI1" to the DVD and/or 7.1 Direct input for Blu-ray and "DVI2" to Video1 for the cable). Then I connect a Wii and an old DVD recorder to the 990 with component cables and an SMS-1 to the 990 with a composite cable. Now I have to run both DVI (or DVI-to-HDMI) and component cables to my HDTV. I need to select the DVI/HDMI input on the TV when watching the Blu-ray player or HD cable box. Then I need to select the component input when playing the Wii, watching a disc on the DVD recorder, configuring the SMS-1, or looking at the 990's setup menu.

What I think Gonk is saying is that the DVI inputs are only connected to the DVI outputs on the 990. The 990 doesn't take DVI inputs and convert them to a component/s-Video output. If you get a new HD-DVR you will have to use its component outputs to feed the 990 until you get a new TV with HDMI input. At that point you could use the DVI to feed your video signal directly to the TV. You will also have to run the audio channels to the 990 also. I use the Optical output of my Directv HD receiver as the audio input to my 990 and the HDMI out from it to the 990 DVI 1 then on to the TV. I use cables from Bluejeans to accomplish the HDMI to DVI swap. I also input my DVD player into the DVI 2 position and then to the TV. In both cases I use the optical output for the audio side input to the 990.

This is what I wasn't getting until now and the fact that with a new tv I would still need to run both component and HMDI.

Yeah I get the optical connections which in my case shouldn't change since I'm using optical to the 990 with any device I can.

I would probably run the new HD receiver HDMI's Out into the 990 HDMI's In then out to the tv (as XenonMan) but since you will be using two different tv inputs as opposed to one now, is there any advantages of doing it this way verse connecting the HD receiver HDMI straight to the tv?

If picture quality would be similar using component vs HDMI with a source such as a HD sat receiver it sure looks like it would be a slicker setup just using component.

Not that I can afford it now but does the new 997 handle HDMI/component, connections/switching any different?

If you anticipate adding a second HDMI device (such as Blu-ray), wiring it this way now will simplify the process when that second device is added.
If your satellite receiver is the only HDMI equipped device, I would be sorely tempted to leave it on component for the convenience of using the 990's switching - at least until/unless you have an additional HDMI device in the mix.
Details on the 997 are still a little elusive, but the fact that it has a video processing chip would suggest that it will be able to transcode, deinterlace, and if desired scale analog video sources and send them to the HDMI monitor output.

Gonk thanks for having the patience to explain everything in detail (more than once I think) I tend to get confused at times with all the different connections and options.