Once I purchased my MX-500 learning remote, I wanted to use the DVI switching offered by my 1070, as my TV doesn't have discrete codes for input sources.

I've bought a set of three DVI to HDMI adapters form monoprice and I've run into an intermittent issue with my 1070.

While the picture quality through the DVI switch is, as expected, same as when the Oppo 980H and the Motorola cable box were connected directly to the Samsung TV via HDM cables, every once in a while, when either powering the system up or switching from DVD to TV, the TV image doesn't come up right. The aspect ratio is wrong. And it's not wrong like the wrong option was selected, 16:9 vs 4:3, but HD material shows up vertically compressed and horizontally expanded. The only way to fix it after it happens, is to power 1070 off and back on. Powering the TV off and on doesn't cut it.

Did anybody else experience this?

I'm not quite sure what I might be doing wrong, if anything, for the system works OK 8 out of 10 times... There are no sparkles or signal interruption, to blame the DVI - HDMI adaptors or the cables...

Does it happen for both sources, or is it only with the cable box? Does powering the cable box on and off help matters? Since we're in the realm of HDMI, there's a chance we're running into a communication issue generated by the "power on" sequencing - particularly since the cable box seems to be involved.

I run my HD-A2 video over the DVI input (DVD Input on 1070).

It's not uncommon for me to see anomalies when I switch to DVD using my 1070 remote. I run an HDMI/DVI from the HD-A2 to the 1070, and DVI/HDMI to my display.

Last night, I did the following:

1.) Pushed DVD on my 1070 remote, heard the soundtrack for the DVD start.

2.) Pushed Input 5 on my Pionner display remote to switch to HDMI (my cable viewing is over Component.)

I waited about 10 seconds and the screen stayed black but said I had changed to the proper Input on the display. I "bounced" inputs on the 1070 remote back to Video 2 and then back to DVD, where I saw the static that shows when the HDMI is "negotiating." But nothing DVD-related showed up after 15 seconds. Did it three more times before I got the picture to come up.

:ohwell:

I could be wrong....but it sounds to me like a typical HDMI/HDCP handshake issue....
damn protocol...
in my set-up....the DVD player MUST be turned on last...switching sources won't cut it...should I switch sources....when I go back to the dvd player...I must turn it off and on again or else all I get is snow....

you might be right Laventura.

the issue is the HD-A2 takes 30 seconds to boot anyway, so I've always turned it on "early."

Gonk, powering off my cable box is not an option. I let that thing running all the time, or else I'll have to put up with its issues.

But look at this scenario:

With one macro, Power on TV, Power on 1070 on Video2, cablebox already running and everything starts just fine.

Then, with second macro, power on Oppo and switch 1070 to DVD and everything works OK.

Switch Outlaw back to TV and, bang, the vertically compressed and horizontally expanded TV image shows up! Not always, only once in a while, like the no audio bug...

In this case all componentes are up and running, and the TV was rendering the signal from the cable box just fine before I switched to Oppo and then back to TV.

True, when cabling the TV directly from the HDMI sources, any source input switch was taking longer and the TV was displaying the "looking for signal" message, which doesn't show up when the back and forth switching happens via Outlaw.

Not sure what to do next...

There is another case I've just ran into. The signal from Oppo just came up with a color missing. Powered 1070 off and on cured it.

1070 simply seems to be incapable of reliably doing anything that involves software. Every time I depress a button on my remote that involves the receiver I wonder "would this work now?".

Is this what it means to be an "outlaw"?

Alex:

From reading many of your posts, it would seem you have many of the problems we all have seen with the 1070. you sound frustrated and quite frankly I don't blame you. I think some of it comes from the small company, less Quality Assurance (MAYBE), or just a bad business partner for the Outlaws. I doubt you could get a refund but you might try. I think Outlaw would continue to support you but that would probably involve you sending your unit away (my least favorite thing to consider). I myself was frustrated that a manufacturer-endorsed firmware upgrade caused my 1070 to puke, leaving me with a $30 shipping charge to get it back to them. Add to that that I don't REALLY think the no audio issue was resolved, and well, I understand your frustration. I think you need to make a decision - to stick by the Outlaws because you feel they're trying and they had their hearts in teh right place when they made the 1070 (where I'm at), or call it quits and seek out another company for your HT needs. Not an easy decision by any means, but your posts have gradually gotten more frustrated-sounding. Maybe it's time to make the decision?

I personally believe Outlaw deserves a fair shot at my business despite the issues. I think the HT receiver market is saturated with substandard products. I don't consider the 1070 substandard. Buggy yes, but not substandard. I think it's analagous to some performance cars. My friend had an Audi RS6 back in '03 - the car was a BEAST. But it was in the shop frequently. But it was also worth it to him, because when it was running right, with 400+ ponies and all wheel drive, it was a legitimate giant killer with style to match. I look at my 1070 with similar glasses. I think Outlaw is in it for their customers, and they're probably a little overwhelmed by these 'weird' hard to replicate issues. They may never fix it. But people will remember the 1070 for it's performance too. I know I will.

RedSTinPA,

you got quite a good reading of what's going on. I truly tried to stick with Outlaw for their good sound. I have even recommended them to a friend of mine who just got the 970/7075 combo while being aware of the no audio bug. He's still in the first 30 days...

The no audio bug took me a while to get used to and it subsided considerably since I set the auto poll ON for the cable box and set the dolby mode on Ex instead of the 5.1 version.

The main thing is the total lack of confidence in the unit, in whatever is controlled by software.

That uneasy feeling that I don't know what to expect every time I press a button, or if the occasional lack of sound in the back speakers comes from the viewed materisl or from the receiver.

I would definitely love to see Scott's input on this thread, but probably it won't happen.

the 1070 & 970 might be buggy....but let me tell you....as soon as you play in the digital domain...and your processor or receiver is loaded with a motherboard...I personally think no one is shielded from the occasional lock up....a buddy of mine with an AVM 30...a unit worth much more than any Outlaw product...freezes up once in a while...and from what I understand...this happens when he's channel surfing...between HD stations and non-HD stuff....but always with a digital connection...
and let me ask you this....does your PC freeze once in a while ?
have you tried vista ?

ugh please do not compare our 1070's with the boondoggle Vista OS.

Laventura,

I believe this is the result of the "consumer revolution" led by Microsoft. They won and continue to win with the concept "release it to the customer NOW, no matter how buggy, and patch it later". Honestly, I don't understand why we, the consumers, put up with it, but we definitely do.

This is why I wasn't initially put away by the no audio bug once I saw the possibility for FW upgrade. When that didn't work and the product was discontinued, thus the hope for a fix is gone, I started to feel uneasy.

BTW, I'm a software architect/developer with over 20 years in the field, I know a thing or two about software. It shouldn't be the way it unfortunately is and the consumers should stop putting up with overly buggy stuff, no matter how complex the system is.

But there is always something keeping us using a buggy product...

With Outlaw, is their incredible sound and built quality for the price, which outweighs the bugs.

With Microsoft, it is too late... ;-)

I also work in software, as an analyst/team lead. Bugs are a fact of life. MS still deserves credit - but their OS's have been slipping in my book. I sampled Mac's latest offering a week ago and, for someone who's had little to no Mac exposure, I was completely blown away. I may have to look at a Mac as my next home computer. Even still, I'm sure I'll see the bugs.

Red,

Bugs are a fact of life, true. What bothers me is the attitude towards them. People should try to avoid and fix them. Instead, in may cases, they just became complacent, especially because the market seems to put up with the darn bugs and accepts them "as a fact of life".

Microsift is known for releasing software with KNOWN, unfixed bugs. This is the issue. An accidental one, every once in a while, is fact of life. A product riddled with them and released like that only to achieve the "speed to market" is what is definitely wrong, but, unfortunately for us, the consumers, lucrative.

OS X isn't without some fairly serious issues as well.

http://snowcrash751.blogspot.com/2007/11/why-i-took-os-x-105-off-my-mini.html

I don't know of any million plus lines of code application that doesn't have bugs, and security issues.

As far as I know it's not possible for us to create such a thing without problems.

That's blowing wind in my sail. Why should we start with the mindset that is impossible? Difficult, yes, but why impossible?

But I don't want to move the discussion away from the 1070...

This does deviate a bit from the specific 1070 discussion, but I'll reiterate something that we have to tell clients in our industry at times: there is no such thing as a perfect set of plans. We're human, as are the people interpreting our drawings and building what we design - and if it an existing structure being modified, the same applies to the people who designed and built it originally. It really is effectively impossible to guarantee perfect coordination between all aspects of such a design. Modern electronics are a lot smaller than a modern building, but they routinely pack in just as much complexity - if not more in some cases. The goal of good design is to minimize the potential errors, get as close to right as you can, and try your damndest not to ever make the same mistake twice.

My point was twofold that Apple has their own issues with the software and hardware they make (iPods are certainly not above requiring the occasional reboot).

And lastly that if we expect products to be perfect, particularly complex products, more often than not we will be disappointed.

Having said that, I would probably not live with the issues that some people are having with the 970 and 1070.

And yeah, perfection isn't possible, although it never stops people from trying to achieve it...nor should it.

Schedule compression, bugs, imperfection...3 pillars of my IT experience

Gentlemen,

Being so lenient with the bugs and running with the mindset that they are normal, will yield to the next logical step. We'll grow to expect them.

I'm not asking for perfection, whatever definition it might have, only for a product that does exactly what the specs state it should.

I wonder if anyone (other than daredevils and suicidals) would hop into a car with the mindset that there is a 50/50 chance that the brakes won't work, but that's OK...

I know that a bug inside a receiver is not the same thing, it's only the mindset that malfunctionings are to be expected I'm struggling with. And the fact that in Outlaw's 1070 case, the bug will never get fixed. Is this OK too?

I'm not as harsh as I sound, I'll stick with my 1070, it's more the frustration that a product that could have been perfect is smeared by a bug, that's all.

And, yes, I want to reiterate that it's not normal to be left not fixed even if we'll stick with the product for its other qualities.

I think the data revolution (vs. voice) is a good example. Everyone ALWAYS picks up their phone and expects to just work, like electricity. Yet no one seems to think it's out of the ordinary when your DSL or cable modem loses sync for an hour or two. Even SLAs are built differently for voice and data.

I'd like to bring this thread back on its path with this question.

Do you know of any external HDMI switch which can LEARN the IR codes to be used for switching?

This might be a wonderful feature to seamlessly integrate such a switch with whatever AV processor. Without it, one has to turn to remote control macros in order to switch both the receiver/processor and the switch at the same time. With a learning switch, the story would be totally different.

I know that Oppo switch has a "priority mechanism", but that's not exactly what I'm talking about...

I've set up an old AV switch from Radio Shack that had this capability, and I agree that it was quite convenient. Unfortunately, I don't recall seeing any switches that offer this, and some double-checking at several of the usual suspects (MonoPrice, Gefen, and Radiient) didn't turn up anything obvious.