A few thoughts, DavieJ... For the sake of video, the 1070's DVI switching is DVI/HDMI agnostic - the "conversion" isn't a conversion at all, just a wiring foible. The drawback to the DVI switching isn't the need to switch back and forth between connector types (since in that regard it's no different than HDMI switching) but that the switching is purely video - the audio doesn't pass on or get processed. In the home theater environment, you're not going to need to have the audio pass on to the display (that's why you have the 1070, after all). So what do you lose? For HDMI components such as satellite or cable boxes and DVD players, you lose "one cable" convenience and have to settle for two cables (HDMI-to-DVI and an optical or coaxial digital audio). For HD-DVD and Blu-ray, you lose the ability to get the new formats to your receiver in the digital domain. When the 1070's hardware design was finished, HDMI was barely to v1.1 - I don't know if it was much past v1.0 when the design was laid out. When the 1070 was launched, getting a straight answer on how HD-DVD (now just over a month old) or Blu-ray (now just under a month away) would attempt to use HDMI. Today, we have a good idea on how they'll eventually use them, but the hardware and software that's shipped so far is just scratching the surface - it'll be a generation or so there before HD-DVD hardware starts really using the full capabilities of the format, and we're still waiting for full specs of Blu-ray players to know for sure how well they're going to do.

I say all that to pose a different question (one question, several parts). Do you get the latest and greatest now (which means a handful of receivers that have finally started to implement HDMI audio, at either a higher price point or with audio quality that may not match the 1070's)? Do you get something that offers a really solid feature set and good audio quality now (that'd be the 1070)? Do you not buy anything and wait for the next generation of units comparable to the 1070 to arrive in a year or so with HDMI? I can see arguments in favor of all of them, depending on your personal needs, budget, and long-term plan. Personally, I went with a 990 (already had separate amps) because I can enjoy great audio quality and the convenience of DVI switching now, and when something arrives that is comparable with HDMI v1.x (probably v1.2 or v1.3, assuming v1.3 actually arrives in the near future) I can sell the 990 for a significant percent of what I paid for it (check out what 950's sell for on Audiogon - they originally sold for $900 and were $700 new when discontinued) after having enjoyed its performance for the intervening years. Since I don't plan to get very into either Blu-ray or HD-DVD for at least a year or two anyway, that works out for me. For others, that would not be the correct choice...