Class A A/B D amps etc. Looking up inform on digital products on web, not many products pop up (quasi Cantos, TacT etc), but a jillion suppliers of better/cheaper chips etc. popup. My experience in the past when I see the parts vendors gaining steam, all the manuf. will have those products in their lineup soon.
I don't even understand all the info on partial digital/digital vs solid state/tubes? But seriously see as a commodities trend, a jump away from 100 pound amps to a slimline, cooler, no power hog, sleek etc. digital; now that audiophiles. are giving the Cantos/TacT rave reviews. Cantos has a hybrid 5 or 6 chan? on line for 3K+. How long before tech. filters down to midgrade pricing?
Upgrading soundsystem from hodgepodge 5.0 setup husband rigged before surround sound was popular,(or it came in a kit box)
My total bill for: speakers 7.1, wire, 950/770 comb will be just 5K.
I Know in the past an AV or prepro? dates first/and quickly with the amps normally a longer lasting purchase. That formula would work well with the 950/770 combo. (aka sandmans post on 950 about value). But is digital fixing to rock the amp world?
Forgive my total ignorance, but am I grasping what I'm surfing? Is digital about to break big on the amp scene?
What should my priorities be since whatever goes in this room may stay quite a while?
7.1 cap., decoding cap.,firewire, waiting for the digital stuff? Any thoughts?

Geez, I hope not. My whole "master plan" was based around buying high-end speakers, a high-end amp (770) and a mid-end pre/pro (950), and keeping both the amp and speakers for 20+ years. The pre/pro would be upgraded "as necessary," or roughly at about the same frequency as the other components in the system (VCR, DVR, DVD, CD, etc.)

Seriously, though, while the 770 may not be cutting-edge 10 years for now, I doubt very much it will be obsolete. Even if digital amps take over completely, there will still be a LOT of people out there with 10-year and 20-year old amps. I'm sure you'll be able to buy pre/pros wich will connect to the 770 for a very long time to come.

Typical me, fell into whis with husbands (1 wk before Chris.) "I'd like a subw" request. Started without the 'masterplan' to buy 1 subw. then came home with a 7.1. Decided whole sound needed upgrade and on & on. If Outlaw would just ship, then I'd be out of my misery, but right now, too much time to surf/research. Big household prob. is furniture upgrade, the armoire creaks with just a Rec/DVD/VHS/Center Chan/Satellite on board. The 770 would be the straw. Small room can't have racks running by the side of everything. Another trip to furniture store @ prob 2K up. Therefore my fixation on digital, size/wight/heat reduction. (plus intrigued by the fact some of the die hard tube guys LIKE it).(One thing leads to another)! Just looked again seems (my range) only choice would be the Evo 200.6 @ 4,795 and 50 pds still prob. overweight. Might as well go shop for the new cabinet now. Disappointing me is the thought I could end up with a decent 2-chan.CD sound for this amount, yet DVD action scenes rule in this house of males.
I'll try to stay on target and enjoy THIS system for years, then stick my head out when digital has saturated the market, and check whats new then. Works well for us when we gut our computer to stay 3 releases behind parts, for incredible savings. When I started research I did try to plan, ex: putting off the 99 model car, because having the 2 in front of year model helps when you resale next decade. I see digital as that kind of major shift in audio now. But 2 months waiting on Outlaw is hard enough.