The 990's RS-232/USB port does allow for software updates to address issues like programming bugs (rare, but always a risk with something this complex) and to add newer features that are compatible with the hardware. Outlaw's 990 FAQ hints at the potential for a future software upgrade that would add auto EQ to the automatic setup system, for example. Processing modes that are likely to appear with whatever HD optical disc format we end up with are almost certainly a different matter. There's been a great deal of discussion about this issue in other threads, but here's a brief recap. HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, or whatever unified standard might crop up soon will use HDMI for video and audio. Outlaw used DVI instead of HDMI because the video standard shared by the two is well established, whereas the audio standard for HDMI is a very moving target - hardware off the shelf today (HDMI 1.1) has a very great risk of not being compatible with the audio standard used by future HDMI versions (the versions that will support SACD, Dolby Digital Plus, and whatever other formats might crop up when HD optical disc arrives). Support for audio from HD optical disc players would most likely have to happen via the 7.1 direct input.