[DMF]

Wow! I had it in my head that this was going way above the current price range. This is excellent news.


Thanks,

Dave

[MOZ]

Wow! I had it in my head that this was going way above the current price range. This is excellent news.


Thanks,

Dave

Waouh !
Am i mistaking or are you really talking about the SP3 price here ?
6000$, that is great news !
If it sounds like it should... you'll have a winner James...

[James Tanner]

Wow! I had it in my head that this was going way above the current price range. This is excellent news.


Thanks,

Dave

Waouh !
Am i mistaking or are you really talking about the SP3 price here ?
6000$, that is great news !
If it sounds like it should... you'll have a winner James...

Well its strickly a guess as we are still in the design stages. It really comes down to how many options we make available.  Example would be the number of balanced input stages and output stages for instance. Beause we use Discrete Class A circuits having a Balanced input or output adds a fair bit of cost. 

james

[Tolstoi]

Wow! I had it in my head that this was going way above the current price range. This is excellent news.


Thanks,

Dave

Waouh !
Am i mistaking or are you really talking about the SP3 price here ?
6000$, that is great news !
If it sounds like it should... you'll have a winner James...

Well its strickly a guess as we are still in the design stages. It really comes down to how many options we make available.  Example would be the number of balanced input stages and output stages for instance. Beause we use Discrete Class A circuits having a Balanced input or output adds a fair bit of cost. 

james

My understanding is that the video processor be outside in a separate box and be an option.  Is this the right understanding?

[James Tanner]

The way we are looking at it now is that the height of the unit will be one rack space higher and the video board can be added later if wanted.
It would be a separate area that can be populated or not.

james

[alexone]

James,

I know it's too early for a price quote, but what is the targeted range for this piece? Just looking for some kind of a ballpark figure.

Thanks!

Hi DMF - we think about $6000 US.

james

 wow!

 if the sp3 SHOULD be at that price the trade-in option is very interesting for those who already own

 an sp2. sun-audio calls roundabout 6800 euros for a unit.

 alex.

[James Tanner]

Well please don't hold me to this price as we are still a long way away from the final design.

james

[alexone]

 
 thats ok- i was just thinking...


 al.

[nicolasb]

The way we are looking at it now is that the height of the unit will be one rack space higher and the video board can be added later if wanted.
It would be a separate area that can be populated or not.

If video is going to be optional, what are the implications of that when dealing with HDMI input signals? Will an SP3 without the video circuitry fitted be capable of separating the audio and video components in an HDMI stream, for example? How are you going to handle that type of input?

Hi DMF - we think about $6000 US.

Any sort of ballpark number yet on the value of an SP2 or SP1.7 trade-in?

[James Tanner]

Hi nicolasb,

The design so far looks like we will have a base unit that will be Audio ONLY and the HDMI inputs will strip off the Audio and pass through the Video. I really want to maintain an AUDIO ONLY product category as in the SP1.7 and the SP2.

The next model would have Audio stripped off but the Video would just be switched and not processed.

The Third model would handle both Audio and Video and process the Video as well.

No idea on the trade-in issue as we are still looking at being able to modify the existing SP2's to handle the new HD Audio formats. We really won't know till we have a complete SP3 together and functioning and see what can be filtered down to the SP1.7 and SP2. 

We have most of the front panel and rear panel layouts done and we have been promised by our supplier that the new HD chips will be available any time now.

[nicolasb]

The design so far looks like we will have a base unit that will be Audio ONLY and the HDMI inputs will strip off the Audio and pass through the Video.

My concern was that, if there were a total absence of video circuitry in the base model, that would mean that we'd have to use an external device to separate the audio and video signals. Good to know that's not the case.

The next model would have Audio stripped off but the Video would just be switched and not processed.

I'm not sure I understand the distinction between the level 1 and level 2 models, though. Assuming you have more than one HDMI input that you can switch between and a single HDMI video output which feeds out the video part of your currently selected input signal, then doesn't that consitute video switching? If the level 1 model can't do that then is it limited to a single HDMI input? Or, if it can, then what else is the level 2 model doing - switching between multiple outputs?

[James Tanner]

Hi,

The number two model would 'switch' multiple video sources with the audio together (exactly like the SP2 and SPV 1 does now)  but it would not Process the video.

The number 1 model would just 'passthrough' video.

Good news by the way I was informed on Friday that our HD Chips are on the way.

james

[nicolasb]

The number two model would 'switch' multiple video sources with the audio together (exactly like the SP2 and SPV 1 does now)  but it would not Process the video.

The number 1 model would just 'passthrough' video.

I still don't get it.

Presumably the model 1 has more than one HDMI input. Let's suppose it has got two HDMI inputs active, one is receiving a feed from my HD digital satellite STB, and the other from a BluRay player. Presumably you can switch between active inputs, so as to get the processor to process either the audio coming from the satellite feed or the audio from the BluRay player. It presumably also has an HDMI video output (so the video from the active input is "passed through" without any processing and goes from the output to the TV). Now, when you switch active inputs (e.g. switch between satellite and BluRay feeds) the video coming from the HDMI output presumably also switches from the satellite video to the BluRay video.

So, if what I've just said is correct, then the model 1 is functioning as a video switcher! Is part of that last paragraph wrong? Or does the model 2 do something above and beyond what I've described in the previous paragraph, but which still doesn't constitute "processing" the video? If so, what?

And, while we're on the subject, what sort of "processing" do you imagine the model 3 doing?

Good news by the way I was informed on Friday that our HD Chips are on the way.

[James Tanner]

The number two model would 'switch' multiple video sources with the audio together (exactly like the SP2 and SPV 1 does now)  but it would not Process the video.

The number 1 model would just 'passthrough' video.

I still don't get it.

Presumably the model 1 has more than one HDMI input. Let's suppose it has got two HDMI inputs active, one is receiving a feed from my HD digital satellite STB, and the other from a BluRay player. Presumably you can switch between active inputs, so as to get the processor to process either the audio coming from the satellite feed or the audio from the BluRay player. It presumably also has an HDMI video output (so the video from the active input is "passed through" without any processing and goes from the output to the TV). Now, when you switch active inputs (e.g. switch between satellite and BluRay feeds) the video coming from the HDMI output presumably also switches from the satellite video to the BluRay video.

So, if what I've just said is correct, then the model 1 is functioning as a video switcher! Is part of that last paragraph wrong? Or does the model 2 do something above and beyond what I've described in the previous paragraph, but which still doesn't constitute "processing" the video? If so, what?

And, while we're on the subject, what sort of "processing" do you imagine the model 3 doing?

Good news by the way I was informed on Friday that our HD Chips are on the way.

Hi Nicolasb,

I will try to get a more technical answer for you on the differences.

The video side of the SP3 is still a ways out so I will not be able to answer the "what processing" question till later.

james

[ralph1950]

No idea on the trade-in issue as we are still looking at being able to modify the existing SP2's to handle the new HD Audio formats. We really won't know till we have a complete SP3 together and functioning and see what can be filtered down to the SP1.7 and SP2.




So James, If I understand correctly, upgrade the audio in the SP2  for the HD audio formats, and use a  video switcher ( like the SVP) to take the hdmi inputs and pass the audio on to the SP2 via a digital input to be processed.  Is that correct?

[James Tanner]

No idea on the trade-in issue as we are still looking at being able to modify the existing SP2's to handle the new HD Audio formats. We really won't know till we have a complete SP3 together and functioning and see what can be filtered down to the SP1.7 and SP2.




So James, If I understand correctly, upgrade the audio in the SP2  for the HD audio formats, and use a  video switcher ( like the SVP) to take the hdmi inputs and pass the audio on to the SP2 via a digital input to be processed.  Is that correct?

Hi Ralph,

Still not sure if an upgrade to the SP2 will be possible but the hope is that we could do as you say. With the upgrade the only difference from the current SP2 will be the ability of the SP2 (upgraded version) to decode the new HD Audio formats.

james

[brucek]

With the upgrade the only difference from the current SP2 will be the ability of the SP2 (upgraded version) to decode the new HD Audio formats.

And an HDMI input and output connector, I trust?

Otherwise, it wouldn't interest too many owners of SP2's.

Is you your think the same as when you said: - in part:

I am thinking that if possible it would be good if we had a few options available. If we can add a HDMI connector and new digital HD board to the SP1.7 and SP2 that would be option 1.

Option 2 would be a separate box that communicates with the current SP-2 or SP1.7 with HDMI and HD audio capability

Option 3 would be a trade in program for the SP3.

brucek

[nicolasb]

Hi Nicolasb,

I will try to get a more technical answer for you on the differences.

If I'm too dumb to understand your last answer, what makes you think I'll understand a "more technical" one?

j/k 

[James Tanner]

Hi Nicolasb,

I will try to get a more technical answer for you on the differences.

If I'm too dumb to understand your last answer, what makes you think I'll understand a "more technical" one?

j/k 

I think I am having trouble myself understanding it so I figured a more technical explaination at my end from the designer might bear fruit?

james

[yetis]

I'm not sure I understand the distinction between the level 1 and level 2 models, though. Assuming you have more than one HDMI input that you can switch between and a single HDMI video output which feeds out the video part of your currently selected input signal, then doesn't that constitute video switching? If the level 1 model can't do that then is it limited to a single HDMI input? Or, if it can, then what else is the level 2 model doing - switching between multiple outputs?

I am going to go out on a limb here and say yes, in its most basic way. It is a switcher is the way that a zektor MAS7.1 is. Such that it JUST passes through the unit, no processing.

There are a lot of high end manufacturers chomping at the bit to get this technology. That is, the ability to process audio in one box, video in another, but from the same HDMI feed. Look at the Cary Cinema 11A and Cary Cinema 11V.