I'm no fan of CEC or the interactivity of HDMI as currently implemented. It's very awkward to work with. As an architect and technologist having spent years working on "smart house" technologies, I get the same sense that Samsung and other manufacturers don't get it when it comes to interconnectivity. At the same time I do think there's great potential in connectivity and to networking our components.

Gonk, I'm not looking for a one size fits all solution, but I am interested in maximizing the connectivity and communication of my separate devices. I try to buy the best component for the money (hence my 990), and I'm a strong believer in separates.

While I think Outlaw makes great preamp processors and amps it seems to me that the 990 came out before the market had really settled. It's pretty hard to find an HD monitor that even has a DVI connector, and using a DVI to HDMI convertor cable loses many of the simple functions that made it to the next HDMI spec. Perhaps Outlaw could have done a better job of future proofing if they had looked at where the market was trending.

Before I invest in the 997 I have to ask a couple of questions. Where does Outlaw (and the Outlaws) believe the market going to be in three years? What is the market potential for networking HT media devices? And finally will Outlaw provide that device - a server/processor - that will connect computer-based media and other source devices (perhaps one that has an upgradable database of source devices and an intelligent interface)?