This could be an interesting topic. I can see people wanting the "all in one" approach, however I can also see people wanting stand alone systems. I have a friend who shares this hobby with me. He has the ability to stream audio/video throughout his house - I find it amazing. He has hard drives with hundreds of movies that he can access. Still amazing but for him. Personally, I prefer the dedicated systems. One system for each area with no sharing. I have different systems in areas of my home. That is how I like it (and I have a great wife!). So my friend and I have different approaches to enjoying music and movies with equal respect to each others views. If we really look at electronics in general, most items could be characterized as "obsolete" before their out the door. No one can really keep up. In regards to the 997, I look forward to hearing about it and eventually buying it. Will it be dated? Maybe but I don't think it was intended to be marketed to those who have to have the latest and most integrated, but rather to those who have a passion for movies and/or music.

As far as HDMI, I still do not get the impression that it a perfect interface. How many installers are still using component?