[QUOTE]Originally posted by gonk:
[QB] Composite video is a different issue than phono preamp. The phono preamp is a question of audio quality, while the composite video input is a question of compatibility and legacy support. There is no way you could connect a VCR or other video source (like my SMS-1) through a processor without a composite input - there's no outboard "transcoding box" that will make it component video. If you remove it entirely then you are telling your customers "I don't care if you want to hang on to that VCR, old game console, camcorder, Video iPod, or the SMS-1 that we sold you - you can't use it with our processor." That's a touch rude...

Thanks Gonk, you are truly the voice of reason, but I can't resist prodding your logic just a bit, if for no other reason than I suspect you might actually enjoy the give and take. Isn't the absence of a phono input also saying "I don't care if you want to hang on to that turntable - you can't use it with our processor."? After all, one can easily go online and buy a composite to s-video (and vice-versa) converter cable for a heck of a lot cheaper than a decent phono stage, and that would solve that issue for VCR die-hards. Why the inconsistency?