whether it be 978 or the 998, I think they should make the unit modular, make the unit a big as possible, hdmi 1.4 10-16/4 or atleast expandable to this amount over time..
with input daughter boards I would say should support s-video component 5.1-7.2 analog and toslink.. 2nd-4th zone output to 7.2 rca or xlr.. 11.3 in primary zone..
There have been modular processors before. None have succeeded in the marketplace, few have ever received new daughter boards after their initial release, and all have been more expensive than their non-modular competitors. It simply isn't smart for a company to do, even if it does appeal to consumers who want to be able to "customize" a piece of hardware to suit personal tastes. The quirks of mass production mean that it is simply cheaper to get some features you won't use. And as discussed before (repeatedly), a multichannel second zone is cost prohibitive because it requires duplicating all the most expensive parts of the processor for each secondary zone. It's easier (and cheaper) to just buy a second surround processor or receiver for the other multichannel zone.
up-convert all soundtracks to hd audio where possible...
What does this even mean? If a source originates as lossy audio, nothing a processor can do will revert to the lossless source that was used to create it. At the same time, as soon as a lossy source is decoded, it is in PCM format. What are you going to "up-convert" that raw audio signal to?
3d support as an upgrade feature at some stage....
They are planning to include HDMI v1.4 support at launch, which means they'll have 3D support from the outset. At this point, no matter how much I get frustrated with HDMI's endless progression, releasing today with anything other than HDMI v1.4 with 3D video pass-through support is not really an option. Offering it as a future upgrade would be a step back, and an unwise one at that.
the idea of more hdmi removes the need to add a secondary AV switch similar to the denon hdmi expansion switch or mounting gear on a 8x4-12x8 distribution pre-amp
Building in HDMI switching with multiple simultaneously-active outputs is crazy, plain and simple. HDMI wasn't built for it, the cost would be significant, and most users simply have no use for it. There may be one user out of a thousand (if that many) who has a valid reason to want to do it, and that user is faced with the unenviable task of wrestling with HDMI's inherent restrictions in order to make it work. The rest of us are better off sticking with the scheme Outlaw's already planned for the Model 978 (and that Onkyo, Denon, Marantz, and others have also been using): two outputs, with one active at a time.
gonk if you ever think upgrading led you might to consider buying in bulk it will likely be be cheaper if you you do..
Huh? Do you mean upgrading my TV to an LED-backlit LCD? I like my existing LCD and don't plan to change until it fails or something appreciably better comes along. Right now nothing tempts me.
Gzubeck was talking about upgrading from his seven-year-old RPTV to something newer, not me - and I think his decision to stick with what he has is perfectly reasonable. Not sure why buying in bulk would help either of us any, though...
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