So, what would Outlaw like to offer their customers such that a partnership with another company makes sense? Like the SMS-1, something it wouldn’t make sense to do on their own when something already exists, at a reasonable price/performance ratio, that fits goals Outlaw had in mind. But unlike the SMS-1, something in a direction Outlaw had yet to go. In the progression from playback through processing to reproduction, Outlaw has covered the middle of the process in several ways, already including upcoming Trinnov processing, and in aural reproduction with loudspeakers and subwoofers. That leaves two areas not available through Outlaw: sources, such as disc playback or media storage/playback, or visual reproduction. But what playback/storage technology isn’t already being well covered by vendors?

In my view, video projection or display is one good guess. However, there are many types of display and projection out there – not so rare as to garner the remark, “Actually, one of us (not me) already has one and won’t part with it to have us ‘check’ it. So, I too have to wait.” Unless, of course, the display is of a type of just-coming-to-market technology.

I’ve not ventured into HD because I’m unwilling to accept the drawbacks of plasma or LCD displays, nor will I buy something that needs a new lamp every so often – then there’s the power consumption issue of all three of these technologies. But there are now, just coming to market, technologies based on LED and/or laser light sources that are very promising. Now if Outlaw offered a combo that included HDMI functionality in a processor, the 997, matched with an HDMI capability in a newer display technology … now that would be tempting.