I wouldn't worry so much about not having some sort of digital video input on the back of your television monitor
Yes I agree, exactly why I made my last run of purchase decisions as I did and WAS pretty well sorted out.

Happiest with my 950/770. Least trouble least grief and most of all the least tradeoffs since nothing I’ve ever bought has ‘everything’ I want on it.
Happy with the GWI
Fairly Happy with the improvement in PQ on the DTC100
Happy with the Panny 91
Very satisfied with the Vienna Acoustics (although I have full intentions of always listening to everything as opportunity arises always)

Odds & Ends Left:
Upgrade hodgepodge interconnects shopping list for Outlaw brand.
Get the HD capable dish installed
Hang the 7th surround and adjust all placements accordingly.
Finish remote macros.

I WAS GETTING THERE.

The husband did ‘switch’ the GWI and gave it to the in-laws. At the end I had decided I needed to take her personally and show her 3 or 4 choices, (what my recommendation were and why) then let her choose what pleased her.
She ‘stuck’ and said, Absolute not I’m not going to let you. I said “Okay then I’ll have to pick…hope I get it right”.
She said, if delivery comes to the door, I won’t accept it…I mean it……Husband jumps in and says, ‘Okay, Mom…look you can do me a FAVOR, we’ll give you the 5 month old GW and I’ll buy this years model which comes with DVI, which you and Dad will never use She said okay.

The husband was DYING for DVI, For some reason (he came to this upgrade party late) He actually clicked into shopitis mode on this subject. It has bugged him endlessly that we had the DTC100 with a RGB to Component converter, which always left the GW with 2 tiny lines down left/right, (best we could tweak to) and he assumed certain degradation in pic due to the chintzy converter box.
We buy the GWII he looks at the Sony HD200, and says I want that too. I say lets wait he says no I WANT to get rid of that RGB converter, With GWII and new box we have DVI straight through. We’ll give the parents the old DTC100. They need it for the resolution. (turns out the parents have dish…so now I’m shopping for a Dish 6000 and trying to get there service upgraded to HD capabilities) whole nother issue.

The GWII is not ‘up to’ the level of the GWI. Have not been able to figure yet if this single unit ‘has issues’ or I’ll have to tweak it to best it can do (I truly think Sony cheaped out some parts on the GWII and I’m not very popular at AVS for my personal observations that the GWI was a much better unit. As current popular frenzy and PR releases said the new model was better. . ..(to be fair this unit may be off and I should just get the tech out since I don't have time to peg the issues) The HD200 is also glitchey, If we go with one of the alternative brand STB, (latest model) my husband looked at ..guess what no DVI it has RBG!!!! (back in the box).

Therefore my FIXATION at the moment with my long post above. I can see all the guys in audio jumping on the 1394 bandwagon in the forums as a ‘got to have’ for their future audio nivera. I just don’t see all this panning out like they vaguely think for a long/long/ time, when it comes to sorting out Displays/STBs/DVD player/CD players/ PVR’s etc. ….on & on.

Used to be if you bought the latest greatest (in video) it was component, as you upgraded each piece they tied together finally. Now, - nope…that unit you just have to have for other features, is more likely than not going to be the ‘other flavor’.

I just see the whole thing as so funny, when I see guys ranting about DVI and IEEE1394 and basing current purchases on it NOW. Best of luck to them because my husband fell for it on the DVI and it’s just not meshing…..Its really all very ironic.

The less knowledgeable (but more than average cause they read it in popular mechanics or the slick ad that says ‘THE next generation/future in da/da/da” consumer has already exhibited to me this frenzy. (I don’t consider that I know squat and continue to find out trial and error) but…. I had two friends go after me on my GWI purchase telling me I was insane for purchasing a display that cost that much and it did not have DVI or firewire on it. And they were ‘seeing’ this on the showroom floor. “ITS HERE NOW, your throwing your money at OLD technology…its outdated today!” (not kidding they really did and this on an LCD display) They themselves are not even buying right now, they just KNOW if they did they would not look at anything without it because if they have it….they can get ANYTHING else (latest models launching in whatever peripherals ) that they might want in the future.. I was behind the times and shooting myself in the foot. I thought the issue over, discarded it….under my personal column header of “If the systems up and running to a spec level I perceive as a vast improvement and that I can live with for YEARS who cares”. So I bought it. I loved it.

Now I have the ‘latest’ greatest, and a whole lot of headaches trying to make it work and look good. And I can’t even buy some of what I might consider because it won’t connect without chaining in degrading converters.

The way the governments going I think analog digital could very possibly still be around for a decade.

Learn from this sad but true tale. It’s not like the good old days when I finally bought my first DVD player, WOW what an improvement and it simply plugs in S or component. In other words if you don’t get DVI or firewire under your Christmas Tree…I wouldn’t loose any sleep over it.

Sincerely posted by your local,
Disgruntled Grinchy frustrated early adopter.

Thank you Sanjay, Your right and my normal philosphy. After I get all this latest sorted I'm just going to enjoy it (and feel very very lucky) however it comes out. Best M