Hello folks,
I really don't know what went wrong...
the video from my vcr just scrolls sideways....
and no osd appears...
the vcr is fed through composite to the 1070...
which sends it in s-video to my pc with lcd display...and component to my DLP projector...
All I could get for a while...was a side way scrolling image...very fuzzy...weird lines on top+ bottom...
and no osd action...
I tried other audio sources with no analog video...
and damn....the osd wouldn't appear either...
it was time for the ultimate cure all...
after checking wires and both displays...
I did what I usually do when I'm in total dismay by my 1070's behaviour....

I shut it down with the back switch...
and Voilà !...everything came back.....
should I be concerned ?
this is not the first time I've come across this behaviour...but it is the first since the new firmware...
anyone else have this minor problem ?
is there a cure ?
other than banning analog video ?

I don't think there's a reason to be concerned, but you could always run the situation past Outlaw support in case it raises any flags or happens again later.

I, personally, tried only once to go from my DVD to Outlaw through component and then to my LCD via component video again (thus no transcoding). I experienced a significant degradation is image quality which reminded me again the main motto in analog technology. "With analog, the shortest and simplest path is always the best".

I know that a lot of folks are eager to use the AV Receiver as their video switch, but I prefer to go directly into the TV (which has a very generous array of inputs) especially in the case of analog signals.

I know, your setup seems a bit more complex and your experience might have something to do with the transcoding, but, if possible, try to go by the analog motto. Less is more, keep it simple and short.

my analog video cable runs... as my digital video ones... are pretty short to the Outlaw...3 ft cables...
it's the cable length to the projector that really taxes the signal (25ft)....
I've eliminated component cable from my DVD player...
480p in component...was totally blown away by HDMI no matter which resolution 480p,720p or 1080i
an analog versus digital issue...I'm pretty sure...
but my problem wasn't resolution or clarity...
but rather a signal issue...being chewed by the 1070....
and it wasn't the first time....
I have read about others here who have had a similar issue but with small portable game consoles hooked-up to their receiver or pre-amp.

the only analog video sources I have are an aging vcr, a Dreamcast fed in S-video...and a Gamecube fed in component... apart from the occasional trip down nostalgia lane...those sources rarely come on...
so it is a minor issue...but I do want my 1070 to handle all it's supposed to...
if a full shutdown is necessary once in a while...I can live with that...
also...
I agree with that saying you mentioned....
Less is More...
but for me...
less analog....more digital
for video anyways....

I've noticed an interesting trend out there. People want to use their AV Receivers for what their name implies. To receive all Audio AND video front-end signals. To be the main hub of audio AND video signals.

Well, if the video part implied only mechanical relaying, it would still be a signal strength loss.

But nowadays people are feature-hungry, and want composite and S-video transcoding to component video, not to mention upconversion of analog to HDMI 1080P.

All these mean lots of circuitry and componentry, and, in the case of upconversion to HDMI, special mathematical video processing in the digital domain, after analog-to-digital video conversion.

Now think of what such a receiver has to pack inside:

Analog to digital video convertor plus deinterlacing including 3:2 pull-down processing if 1080P HDMI gets out.
Analog to analog video transcoder if analog component gets out.
ADC converters for analog audio inputs.
DSP for audio, for bass management and speaker delay.
8 DAC converters (at times included in the DSP chip).
8 audio preamplifiers.
7 audio final amplifires.
Self-calibration circuitry and room EQ in digital domain.

And we want to pay under $1000 for all this!
Something has to give. By no means all of these may be achieved at the price tag while preserving quality across all features.

That's why I strongly believe that one should focus on the part what matters most, the audio quality. Audio, that Dolby surround for movies and SACD and DVD-A for music, is the main reason AV receivers are out there. Otherwise, a simple stereo integrated would do.

I believe than any decent 1080P TV set might pack inside a better upconversion circuitry than any usual AV receiver can provide.

I believe that if your analog video front end outputs composite video or S-Video, passing that signal "as is" to your TV would be the better choice.

I understand, having the AV receiver output only one digital cable to your digital display will look neat and cool. This might be the only way if your digital display is only a monitor and not a TV set. But if it's a digital TV, I bet that the transcoding and upconverting circuitry inside the TV is better than the one in a moderately priced AV receiver.

Put your money into the audio quality of the AV receiver, for which you have no substitute, and let the video part be handled by the components dedicated to video, if they exist.

Of course I might be wrong and I'm welcoming any other opinion that might "straighten me up".

Excellent summary of the TANSTAAFL concept. Video switching was something that took us years to get to a level where it might be done affordably without image quality compromises, and by the time that we started seeing products do component video switching at a nice price we started wanted to also have transcoding in the mix. Now that transcoding is becoming common (albeit still exhibiting problems in some cases), we also want conversion to digital and video processing (3:2 pull-down, deinterlacing, scaling). And of course we'd prefer to not have to pay a significant premium for all of it.

One caveat that I will add to your comments about the scalers in HDTV's. Some are very good indeed, but some are really not - it's that uncertainty that has made the various upconverting DVD players such a topic of interest. If you have a TV with a good scaler, you may be best off giving it a digital 480i or 480p signal to work with, but if the scaler's a bargain-basement chip stuck in there out of bare necessity then a player with a good scaler may serve you better.

Gonk, I couldn't agree more with your statement: "If you have a TV with a good scaler, you may be best off giving it a digital 480i or 480p signal to work with, but if the scaler's a bargain-basement chip stuck in there out of bare necessity then a PLAYER with a good scaler may serve you better." Note that I capitalized PLAYER in there.

All I want to add to this is that chances are you'll find a "bargain-basement chip" in a moderately priced AV RECEIVER, which has it in there to satisfy the feature-hungry market segment, by this substantisating my initial point.

Feeding your 1080P TV with a digital signal processed by a better DVD player, like the Oppo DV 981-HD, is a different story. I strongly doubt you'll find the Faroudja chip and software Oppo has in any moderately priced AV receiver.

One more reason Outlaw caught my attention to begin with. It has all that matters and no gizmos, all on top of superb sound quality at a very attractive price point.

A very worthwhile exchange, and I am glad you have mentioned the oppo DV 981-HD. Have you tried this (or any) Oppo with the 1070? The Oppo is HDMI. Is there any reason to expect any problems with a DVI-HDMI cable for video and a coaxial for audio, both fed directly to the 1070 and the via HDMI-DVI to the 1080p TV? Anyone else with views or experience with an Oppo working with the Outlaw 1070?

I'm using the 981HD with a Model 990 (I've even got a review of the 981HD here ). The DVI switching works like a charm, and there's no problem using the HDMI output for video and the coaxial for audio. The 1070 and 990 use very similar DVI switching.