DTS Neo:X is brand new technology, not even available anywhere at the moment. It's vanishingly rare to find a small manufacturer that gets to be first to market with new tech like that. Outlaw got lucky once and was among the first with Pro Logic II on the Model 950. Given today's marketplace, that's not likely to happen again. Onkyo is mentioned as the manufacturer that's likely to be first to market with it. I've owned some Onkyo gear, and it's pretty good stuff, but the truth of the matter is that they've made their mark on the marketplace largely through quantity of features: if there's a feature you can think of, they'll probably try to shove it into their flagship tier and let it trickle down from there. That's just the way they are, and it has helped them claw their way up to a point of prominence in the receiver market.

Outlaw can't constantly postpone new products like this to add every new product that appears. That does not necessarily mean they are behind the pack or obsolete at release date. Some people will opt for the latest receiver from Onkyo with all those bells and whistles, which is what those people need. For example, someone who wants a 9.1 or 11.1 theater won't want the Model 978. They won't want the Marantz AV7005 or Anthem AVM50v, either. Other people will opt for the Model 978 instead of an 11.1 Onkyo, and they will likely do so even though the Model 978 won't have all the bells and whistles. In place of the laundry list feature set, we expect that the Model 978 will offer better raw audio and video performance. It's all a balancing act. Just like your computer or cell phone will be outdated in some way a month (or a day) after you buy it, so to will your surround processor.

It isn't mentioned in the article, but Neo:X is doing the same thing that Audyssey's been doing with DSX for a while now. It may do so better, but it may not. Neo:6 has struggled in moderate obscurity behind Pro Logic II and IIx for almost a decade now. It will be curious to see if Neo:X can improve on DTS's reputation in this area.