I temporarily gave up and decided to audition a Pioneer Elite receiver, and after about ten days sent it back to Best Buy due to green screen HDMI issues with non 1080p sources. The Pioneer didn't have the ability to update firmware by the owner so I'd have to take it to a shop. I had to consider a few things: How long would the unit sit at a repair shop? Could it take longer than the 30 days to get it taken care of? Would an upgrade to the firmware actually help? What if there wasn't a firmware nor one to solve my problem ever came about. I hated having to jimmy the unit every time that green screen came up (often). I can deal with upgrading firmware myself, but if a receiver is that much trouble I don't want to put that much trouble into it. I don't hold Pioneer solely responsible for the HDMI issues, but I'd like the unit to either work out of the box or at least not have to take it somewhere to have a fix that might not solve the problem.

So, I returned it.

I figured that Outlaw would probably be well more attentive to these types of issues and make better efforts to try to get any resolved. Funny thing is that just yesterday I was commenting about this, just in passing, over at AVS on the 972 thread and a very well meaning person has been trying to steer me toward an Integra. The 40.1 is in my price range, however it lacks multi-channel audio inputs, which I use for my Panasonic DVD-CP72 for DVD Audio so I'd have to buy a new player (Little doubt the Oppo Blu-ray) making any savings from the suggested AVS dealer pretty much a wash.

I was tempted to buy one, but I hated the idea of missing the Trinnov boat in case it's all they say and more, and now it turns out that others are reporting that the 972 is finally working and the sound is really something. So, unless Sherwood has sent in plants to pose as satisfied customers (Which would be incredibly low and I rather doubt they'd go to that much trouble - or maybe I'm naive. ) Maybe the light at the tunnel is finally here.