Using the "mainstream" manufacturers as a basis for comparison is deceptive for several reasons. First, those manufacturers release new models every year, often just changing one or two minor details and bumping the model number up a notch. Outlaw has never used this business model. Second, the years since the Model 990 have been particularly disruptive industry-wide. Look at how many new generations of HDMI-based processors Parasound has released since the Model 990 (hint: just as many as Outlaw). Look at Lexicon - who is owned by Harmon International, giving them access to "in-house" R&D resources that Outlaw lacks, but has only one HDMI processor (itself a variation on the existing MC-12 platform rather than a ground-up development). There are other examples of companies who have had hard times to varying degrees with HDMI. Hopefully the Model 978 will let Outlaw close that particular chapter.

As usual, your points have merit, however, I guess the operative word here is "hopefully". Unfortunately, with all the time that has gone by here, that is not much to go on.

maybe ATI can build one for them.

I don't feel too bad about assuming that the Model 978 will arrive. If you look at the HDMI delays experienced so far, they are almost entirely tied up in the Model 997 development. The decision to not try to be frontrunners developing an HDMI platform in 2007 or 2008 probably made a ton of sense at the time, and the combination of an existing business relationship (particularly one that produced the highly successful Model 990) and the promise of Trinnov just made it that much more appealing. Unfortunately, that left them sitting for several years waiting for promised hardware to emerge so they could customize it to their needs. The end result wasn't good enough, so they had to start from scratch. The "from scratch" approach is one they've successfully used in the past, so I don't see any reason to expect them to fail this time.

Also, they could have released a Model 997 that didn't do what they expected of it, sold a decent number of them, and used that income to help tide them over while they developed the Model 978 and Model 998. That would have given them an "Outlaw" processor they could point to. They chose not to because it didn't meet their standards. It was a "lose-lose" sort of decision, but I think the consumers probably benefited from their decision and I think in the long run it was the best choice for Outlaw as well.

Dear Outlaw Audio,

How about an update on delivery date window and a progress update on development/testing?

Thank you in advance for your timely reply,

md

Three months to the day since Scott's last announcement, part of which is quoted above, and not a peep since then other than the mentioned "spy photos" which also required a reminder. For those of us still patiently waiting, I think a request for a status update at this time is not unreasonable.

+1

I think we've gotten some subtle updates from PeterT on this very thread. I think the reality is that a 2Q 2011 release date is out and with the availability of certain components from Japan still up in the air, I don't think Outlaw knows when they'll be able to move forward on this project.

With that said, I would love to hear an update as well. In particular, we know they've had a test mule in their possession for a few months now. I would love to hear how the testing is coming along. Not sure how realistic that is though. I know as we waited for the 997 to be released, the updates were not on any specific time intervals. The updates will come as there is something to report.

Crickets...

I kind of wonder if they ever got any units out for Beta testing?