Whatever it is, if it's got all that 9.2 crap in it, I don't want it. Home theater is expensive enough/complicated enough as it is with 7.1. Sure, it would be nice to have more HDMI inputs than 4 and 2 matrixed HDMI outputs, but we are at the point where the technology of adding more speakers/complexity to the systems is just ridiculous.

It's more than odd; to me, acting as an e-tailor for Onkyo gear looks like an act of desperation. Makes me wonder if Outlaw's having trouble meeting payroll. I'm sure the 997 was expected to be a big seller but it's been repeatedly pushed out. Most people are either holding onto their $$$ or have jumped ship. I'd hate to see them go out of business but it would not be too surprising in this environment. I think they're a decent bunch of people who bring exceptional value to the market.

Bring it Outlaws. Don't give up on us just because we don't understand your motives. Get the dang thing done and bring it out. I am in it for the long haul and I want a machine which is as good as my 990 and with the service and warranty to back it up.

- I'm with ya', XenonMan.

I have wondered the same thing.
First Vudu and now the Onyko but still no 997!
I really feel that the 997 will be more that worth the wait so if they need to peddle someone else's product in the mean time then so be it.
They need new products to sell and the 997 is still a long way out it seems so maybe they are trying to come up with something to generate some revenue in the mean time.

I suspect they make very little reselling Onkyo gear. What it does is keep them in the home theater processor business during the time frame between their stock of 970/990 processors running out and the nebulous date that the 997 becomes available for sale. Given their pricing of the Onkyo gear (65% pricier than another e-tailer), they probably won't be moving too many, but at least they'll have product on the shelves. I doubt Outlaw is circling the financial drain, but I can't imagine that anyone's dancing a jig either.

I respect Outlaw for not wanting to release a product full of bugs, but at what point are they going to lose the majority of their 997 customers. I guess most are waiting to upgrade. If you look at my equipment list, this is kind of crazy but it's all been sitting in its original packaging for about 2 years now, the last year of it has been waiting for the new Outlaw processor. I'm currently looking at lcd TVs. When that decision is final, it will be time for the processor, probably 12/09. If still no 997, then I will probably go with Integra. I don't know of many other companies currently that have a line of people waiting to throw money at them , I just wish the progress on the 997 would be shared as we patiently wait. And if I wanted an Onkyo, then I would have already bought one. Stop making user guides for other companies products and use that resource on your own equipment.

This was strictly a business decision on the part of both Outlaw and Onkyo. Most people who have abandoned Outlaw have jumped into an Onkyo and most of the diehards still waiting have been contemplating jumping over to Onkyo for a while but have been unwilling to pull the trigger because of our loyalty to the brand. With no end in sight (I predict the delay to go well into 2010) what better way to help those who have been holding out than to endorse the very product we swore not to buy. This, in Outlaw's mind, is a win win. We get a processor now without the guilt, and they get kick backs from Onkyo and maybe even sell a few amps in the process. Why Onkyo, because we gave the idea. They read these posts and know that if the plug were pulled on the 997 today most of us would buy the Onkyo. Like another poster said "people are ready to throw money at Outlaw" but they have no product. So in comes Onkyo with their aging processor and slowing sales to the rescue. The bottom line is Outlaw has the customer and Onkyo has the product…absolutely shameless.

Those are utterly different resources. One has nothing to do with the other.

If it were possible to distribute Xanax electronically, I would drop a huge bottle of it in this thread.

Bob has an excellent point. Technical writers are not the same people who are designing new products - at least, they shouldn't be. They likely need to ask those designers questions at times, but even that wouldn't detract from new product development in this case.