I am now adding a "fix no-audio problem" button to my programmable remote in my home theatre which basically cycles power to the 970.

It is absolutely ridiculous that it has come to that. It is the audiophile equivalent of "jiggle the handle". And just like jiggling the handle, you are left looking at crap when it doesn't work.
Isn't this hurting Outlaw's reputation in any way?

I'm guessing that you're running the latest "beta" firmware and still having the problem? This is an issue that Outlaw's been working on a fix for since at least early this year, but it's apparently proven difficult to pinpoint because it is inconsistent and doesn't effect all users. If you can reproduce the bug with any sort of consistency, I bet that Scott would greatly appreciate a call.

Probably not. The 970 is relatively cheap for the quality sound you get. I have also suffered greatly from the no audio problem but the latest firmware has practically eliminated it. Only once, last night, did I have "no audio" problem. Was watching a show on the DVR, then switched to an hdtv cable channel and got no audio. Switched to another channel and back and heard audio. Go figure.

There's no question that this unit is buggy, but at this price, what are the alternatives?

If only I could get rid of this darn popping noise I hear when turning on the 970. :rolleyes:

Interesting. I never hear a popping noise, but of course my amp comes on a second after the 970.

But I've been running the beta sofware now for a while and still get the lost audio issue several times a week. Sounds like I'm not alone, from what I read from other users here, and my correspondance with tech support.

What keeps me from using something else? The poster above got it right, the only alternatives are significantly more expensive, and don't include HDMI 1.1 with full audio capability -- which is a definite requirement for my next controller.

Did you restore your factory defualt settings after the firmware update? I experienced similar problems, and according to Steve, the update may not take full effect unless you also restore the defaults.

In the past, my experience with this problem was just as an intermittent nuisance issue; that is until the time I was running calibration test tones and massive feedback struck my right front speaker, which smoked the tweeter and damaged the woofer. According to Steve, that too was a phenomenon related to the "no audio" problem.

Since that horrible day, I restored the factory defaults. I still experience the problem -- but rarely -- and usually only when I'm channel surfing cable TV. I've noticed the problem when the processor switches from a Pro Logic mode to Dolby digital. It seems the processor is momentarily confused when it sense a change to the incoming digital signal.

Anyway, like you I'm willing to suffer a few bugs due the the unit's otherwise excellent performance, flexibility and price point.

I had the no audio problem on 4 occassions so far and I just got the 970 last week. I will be making a call to Outlaw in the next few days. I asked about the current software when I ordered it and they told me that it came with the latest update. So, I assume that the latest update does not fix the problem. So far, aside from this glitch, I love the 970, very easy to use and set-up for a novice. I hate to think that after the months of researching my home theater set-up, that I may send this thing back.

Call Outlaw, and see what they suggest. If the problems continue, maybe they'd be willing to exchange the unit and you can give the 970 another chance. Their customer support is excellent.

That said, I have noticed in my years in this hobby that performance and reliability of good gear is often inversely proportional. The comsumer should certainly have a resonable expectation that the equipment they buy will preform flawlessly right out of the box and for an extended lifetime. And the manufacturer should see to it that it is built accordingly.

But as you go up the ladder performance-wise, I have noticed the care and feeding of your audio/video system goes way up and the gear is often finicky. I look back on the days of the Mapleknoll and Versa Dynamics turntables -- yeah, they sounded great, when they worked -- which was about 50% of the time.

I digress a bit, but let's face it, the average system of members on this board far surpasses the home theater-in-a-box from Circuit City. Friends / family who have heard my system are blown away, but they run screaming when they see all of the equipment and wiring that goes along with it.

Lord knows what they'll think when I finally get an SMS-1.

My question is I bought a 970 early october my firmware starts with a 1070 the web page current firmware for the 970 starts with a 970. Why would they ship a new 970 with bad firmware or better yet wrong firmware? Can anybody please check there firmware that has bought in the last couple months and see if you have simaler firmware issues.

Yes, I have the latest firmware and confirmed the release number following the steps in the owner's manual. I also went as far as upgrading the firmware in my Oppo DV-970HD DVD player, since the no-audio problem got more frequent after I added that unit.

I don't particularly buy the "good enough for the price" argument and I don't think that's Outlaw's strategy (God, I hope not). The $250 Technics SH-AC5000D digital processor I had before I bought the Outlaw 970 was "good enough for the price". I hope Outlaw wants to be just as good as the more expensive units (just not as pretty) and not like the $250 units. That, I'm OK with. If I "got what I paid for" then now I wish I would have paid more.

I have done much to improve the acceptability of my system. I invested in one of those expensive universal, internet programmable remotes where my wife and kids just push the "watch a movie" button and everything happens. Everything, except for the 970 putting out any sound. My system might as well be sitting on milk crates and wire-hanger-rabbit-ears poking from behind everything, because I now have turned into my dad who I remember having to smack the TV, twist the channel knob, or the rabbit ears in order to get the thing to work.

Does the 990 suffer from the same condition?

da88: Outlaw's return policy lasts 30 days. I checked. I wasted a few weeks waiting for my home theatre to be built, so the 30 days passed in my case. My credit card company gives me 6 months consummer potection on any defective product, though. So I might go that route.

The 990 does not suffer from the no audio bug, because it is a completely different platform. Like you, Outlaw does not take the "good enough for the price" approach to supporting their products - my understanding of this issue is that it has been a significant challenge to isolate and resolve, but that they have not simply given up on it. That's why I suggested calling them: an additional input from users who are experiencing it is likely to help further isolate the problem.