Fellow Outlaws:

As most of you know from previous announcements, we have been working on a new Atmos surround processor for some time. It’s been a while since our last project update, and it is now appropriate to bring you up to date on its progress.

In summary, our development teams have been hard at work on the hardware and software for this product and we’re making significant progress. However, in order to complete the product our DSP chip supplier needs to give us the final, Dolby-certified, software code. Despite promises from them going back to mid-last year, we still do not yet have that complex software. It is impossible to complete our own internal code and then submit the product for certification without it.

We had hoped CES meetings would bring us word on when we would have the “gold” release version of the latest Atmos software, now required by Dolby for any brand’s new products. Unfortunately, that did not happen. When we receive it is still up in the air and totally beyond our control.

To give you some insider background, developing a complex audio product is a multi-step process. First, the DSP chip supplier must implement and debug the underlying code supplied to them from licensors such as Dolby and DTS. Once it runs properly on development boards, it must then be tested and approved. Since code is rarely perfect the first time, revisions and subsequent testing are often necessary.

Only after the certified chip-based internal code is available, the task of integrating it with our product’s own unique master software begins. Finally, internal and external beta testing is done to assure that the product is ready for final certification.

When any piece of the puzzle is missing, particularly a critical one, the product is delayed. This applies not only to the Outlaws, but to every brand that is waiting for the final code from the same chip supplier we use. Few companies are talking about this, but the more public nature of our future product plans makes us one of the few companies willing to talk about it.

Thus, while we would love to provide an updated estimate on our processor’s release date, as you can now understand, that is impossible to predict at this time.

During this unforeseen delay we haven’t been sitting still. Among other things, we have updated the unit’s design so that it has more HDMI 2.0a/HDCP 2.2 inputs, all with the critical 600MHz bandwidth than originally planned. This insures compatibility with the latest 4K/UHD and HDR content, and the products used to play or stream it, without the need to upgrade anything. This, too, is not a simple task, as it requires both new HDMI chips and new software.

At this point, it would be natural to ask why we simply don’t just change to a DSP supplier with code already approved for Atmos. Unfortunately, it just isn’t that simple. With so much preliminary work already completed, this would require a major change to the hardware architecture and close to a complete overhaul of the software. Doing that would set the release date back even further.
We understand that this is as frustrating to you, our all too patient customers, and we apologize for this situation. You have our commitment that once all the missing pieces are in hand, we will do our best to make up for missing time. Despite the delay, we are more committed than ever to deliver a very unique, Outlaw-exclusive, product. Rest assured that its feature package, sonic performance, and value pricing will be well worth the wait.

The Outlaws