I'm fairly curious about this as well since I have been debating getting the new DVDO edge and now the 997 comes out to muddy my waters

I'm hoping they implement a large protion of the Reon chip and do it well then I could bypass getting the Edge and just take my current iScan HD out of the system altogether.

I would really like to upgrade to the 997 from my 950 since it's getting a bit long in the tooth and falling behind farther and farther every day and I just can't do both any time soon, especially with the 997 being $1400.

Per Scooby's question, there is potential problems if the Reon processing can't be bypassed.

The Reon implementation in my Integra 9.8 is faulty. There is a color shift. The Reon outputs color space 601 (SD) vice 709 (HD) when outputting 1080i/p. My display (SXRD XBR1) receives the HD signal and uses specs for decoding a 709 color space when it is fact a 601.

Bottom line: Green is undersaturated approximately 20% versus blue and tints are off accordingly.

Onkyo/Integra has never fixed the issue despite the fact that the Reon doesn't have the same problem in other implementations (e.g., my Toshiba XA2 HD DVD player).

I've therefore chosen not to use the Reon with my Integra 9.8. I would fear any implementation that did not allow for a "bypass".

Finally, this is an issue with YCbCr since RGB doesn't use the different color spaces.

I've read a bit about folks really struggling with the way video processing was employed on the Onkyo 905 platform (including the Integra 9.8 and Onkyo 885 processors). My hope is that there will be a per-input bypass option - so that the Reon can be used for those "just average" video sources (cable box, old DVD recorder, and whatever other odds and ends might be floating around such as older game consoles or VCR's) can benefit from a good scaler while those better HDMI-based sources (Blu-ray, well-scaled and deinterlaced DVD) can be set to pass through unaltered. Fingers are crossed...

Can I infer that a 1080p signal from a blue ray disk player via hdmi will be detected as a 108op signal by the 997 and therefore no video processing will occur by the outlaw unit? Additionally if I have a regular DVD player hooked up via component, then will the Outlaw processor upconvert the signal to 1080p and output via HDMI? I was considering getting the new OPPO universal player when it arrives However based on the discussion in this thread if I am satisfied with outlaws upconversion then why bother, just get a basic BD player. Thoughts?

If the Outlaw works the same as the Integra DTC-9.9, then yes, both of your scenarios will work just as you've stated, I believe. 1080 signals will not be upconverted in any way and all other signals will be upconverted.

But I too, like gonk, am hoping that the 997 will offer control over upconversion on a per input basis.

As I understand it, the DTC-9.9 will only pass 1080p through unaltered if it's 1080p/24 or if a number of settings are specifically disabled (all of the Reon picture controls and the OSD pop-up). If a 1080p/60 signal hits the Onkyo or Integra units and there are picture control settings (noise reduction, brightness/contrast, etc.) or the OSD pop-up is enabled, the Reon chip would have influence on the signal - even though the resolution remains 1080p. This is why I am hopeful that the 997 will offer a per-input video bypass option that would allow specific inputs to be flagged as "pass-through" while still making full and optimal use of the video processor for other inputs that would benefit from it.

I thought that the DHC 9.9 was assignable by input & that this was an issue with the DTC 9.8? I could be wrong, but that is what I understood.

Did they fix it in the new generation? I hadn't heard that, but it'd be good if they did.

I don't understand the need for all of this video processing in pre/pros and receivers. Most DVD/BR/HD DVD players as well as displays have sufficient and in most cases very good processing capabilities. Switching is a different story, but I don't really think we need more video processing.

The rationale as I see it is that you can purchase a single good scaling and deinterlacing solution and use it for all of your sources - which is why standalone video processors came into being in the first place. What's happening is we have started seeing those processors get shoe-horned into surround processors. The difference between average and exceptional in this field is potentially huge (especially for deinterlacing, although scaling and other features such as noise reduction also contribute).

Personally, I go back and forth a bit these days. On the one hand, a good standalone video processor like the DVDO Edge that was able to get instructions from a receiver or processor (to automate the video switching) would be a great solution that would also fit with the traditional "separates" model (replace one piece of the system without paying to replace others). On the other hand, we do end up with a lot of components, remotes, and cabling to manage in that scenario that could be simplified by integrating the video processing into the receiver or processor. As always, there's no one perfect answer...