Wow!!! That's an impressive list, but not one that seems particularly practical and one that I dare say would appear to a microscopic market. I think it's safe to say the Model 998 won't be this product.


With what processing mode to generate 11.3 content? PLIIz with rear surrounds gets you to 9.1, leaving two more channels and an extra pair of sub outputs to provide processing for. Does some of Audyssey's new tech get you to this point?


RIHD is a proprietary Onkyo control system. Even if they could incorporate it, I'm not sure why you'd want 10 RIHD outputs.


Unless Outlaw decides to be bought by D&M Holdings, there's no way to get Denon Link included.

I went through and counted individual jacks, just out of curiosity.

• RCA audio input: 32 (phono, tape, 10 stereo pairs for the s-video ports, and a 7.1 input)
• RCA audio output: 30 to 50
• coax or optical in: 10 to 12
• coax or optical out: 3
• XLR output: 14
• HDMI ports: 13 to 14
• RCA video input: 31
• RCA video output: 10
• S-video in: 10
• s-video out: 3
• network jacks: 12 to 16
• power: 2

I may have missed some, but that's 116 to 138 RCA jacks (lumping in any opticals with that group), 13 s-video jacks, 14 XLR jacks, 13 or 14 HDMI ports, 12 to 16 RJ45 ports, and two IEC sockets. There's also the ten RIHD jacks, AM/FM and satellite antennas, and probably a USB port. For comparison, the Model 990 has 74 RCA jacks, 9 s-video jacks, 8 XLR jacks, 3 DVI ports, a serial port, and one IEC socket. At 7.75" high and with adequate (albeit not extravagant space) between jacks, the Model 990's rear panel is packed. Such a device, assuming the standard 17" rack width, would be probably 18" tall or larger.