High End pre-pro with sound as good as at least ARCAM.

4 to 6 HDMI version 1.3 (or better) inputs, 2 HDMI 1.3 (or better) outputs

Full, no loss 24 bit/192 kHz processing, even for DSP and surround decoding modes (that could mean a 32 bit engine.

8 channel Dolby TrueHD at full Blu-Ray & HD-DVD specs.

8 channel DTS-HD Master Audio lossless at full Blu-Ray and HD-DVD specs.

8 channel Dolby Digital Plus at full Blu-Ray and HD-DVD specs.

Direct 8 channel LPCM processing at full Blu-Ray and HD-DVD specs.

Plus all the other standard surround codec support.

The ability to apply matrixed back surround decoding to ANY 5.0 or 5.1 channel track, whether it be PCM or any flavor of Dolby or DTS codecs. A Logic7 like mode that can also do a quality simulation of stereo back surround channels too for 5.0 or 5.1 channel sources.

You can lock in 8 channel surround decoding for any appropriate 2 channel or mult-channel surround track until the user specifies it be turned off. Denon receivers have this ability and it's a good, logical feature, so you don't have to keep manually forcing back surround decoding every time the data stream changes on a movie or music disc (even if it's not specifically flagged).

Pure DSD decoding (no conversion to PCM) for SA-CD bitstreams sent via HDMI. DAC's must also comply to full DSD specifications with no down conversion.

LPCM master clock (Apogee is a good brand) for all pure LPCM streams or decoded or de-compressed codecs after regular conversion to appropriate LPCM streams. Minimize or eliminate jitter (clocking errors) thoughout the system.

On screen display that can be adjusted to any and all Blu-Ray and HD-DVD resolutions so there is no loss of synch with HDMI displays.

Full HDMI Group compliance.

Full balanced topography and 8 channel balanced outputs. Or even better, 13 channel outputs with support for four separate subwoofers (stereo front-- with center bass split between the two), and stereo surrounds for sides and rear), and one for the dedicated LFE channel (or for basic systems, summed main channel bass + LFE).

Separate and fully adjustable tactile transducer output.

Slope and crossover settings for each individual channel.

Delay settings for each channel and all subwoofer outputs.

To save on back panel space, eliminate the multi-channel analog inputs. This is primarily an HDMI input product.

No internal radio to cut down on possible interference.

Separate power supplies for video, digital and analog sections. True balanced power topography.

Ultra low noise circuitry and power supplies.

Detachable (third party replaceable), heavy duty three prong power cord.

Firmware/software upgradeable by user.

If possible, audiophile-grade modular design for easy hardware upgrading and customizing.