Pricing:
For North American (Canada/US) customers who purchased an SSP shipped from Classé prior to September 15, 2010, the upgrade kit is being offered for a $1500 upgrade price.
For North American (Canada/US) customers who purchase/purchased an SSP shipped from Classé on or after September 15, 2010, the upgrade kit is being offered for the $500 difference in retail price.
Availability:
The kit will not be available until December (earliest), but since the price is known dealers could be taking orders. There is no reason for anyone to wait to purchase an SSP. Anyone who doesn’t need the 5th HDMI input or 3D can save themselves $500. Foregoing the upgrade shouldn't entail any unusual obsolescence risk.
Export Markets:
Export pricing will vary by market so consumers should check with their local distributor. Availability is usually 4-8 weeks after North America as units and kits make their way through the supply chain.
Intended Audience:
Are there any technical data/specification sheets available at this time or sometime soon?
- No. However, in addition to the public announcement, the technical points are that it supports all the mandatory 3D formats up to resolutions of 1080p/24, includes ARC (Audio Return Channel) and HEC (HDMI Ethernet Channel).
Any performance enhancements, like switching speeds, to speak of?
- Switching speed is faster but Classé doesn't have a way to quantify it. It will depend on what’s connected, but for the players and displays in their lab, it looks to average at least twice as fast.
Will the new board support "stand-by pass-through"?
- This feature was not in the specification for the board (meaning their requirements for engineering) because it is not often called for. It is technically possible to offer, but since it was not in the original specification for either the HDMI 1.3 board or the HDMI 1.4 board, Classé is not sure whether it’s worth prioritizing. TBD...
Will FULL support (fixes, improvements and added enhancements) for the SSP-800 and CT-SSP continue for legacy HDMI 1.3 board owners once the new HDMI 1.4 board is released?
- Yes, as long as it is possible/makes sense. In other words, if Classé came up with something like a new feature that could only be done with the new video board, then that would obviously limit the feature to those with the new video board. At the moment, Classé doesn't have any idea what that might be so as far as they can tell now, the answer is a qualified yes to full support.
Will the new board be field installable by the end-user?
- Classé's official position is that the new board is field installable by the dealer. This is so that if the person doing the install messes up the dealer will be made responsible and not the consumer. If the consumer elects to perform the install themselves then they assume all of the responsibility and consequences that goes along with it. If the consumer is not 100% sure they have the skills necessary to do the upgrade then they need to defer the job to the dealer.
Will the new board require a firmware update?
- Yes, several things change in the way the video board communicates with the audio board, so the update includes both hardware and software.
What is the size of the new board?
- It is the same width (across the back panel) but it’s a little more than an inch less deep (front to back inside the chassis).
Will a new faceplate accompany the board?
- Faceplate and model number remain the same. A new back plate accompanies the upgrade kit. One will notice that the video I/O has its own back panel section, so one needn't replace the entire back panel.
How was pricing determined?
- It’s a pretty simple retail calculation for the price. The old board represented about $3,000 of the unit’s price and the new board is about $3,500, which explains the $500 price increase. Classé is simply selling the board along at their cost, which is how they arrived at $1,500. Keep in mind that it is no simple pass-through switch. It’s an extremely sophisticated multi-layer PCB with a new FPGA that can overlay OSD on 3D video and render preview screens. It also has to convert analog video to digital, repackage HDMI signals for transmission (dual outputs add to the cost) and deal with HDMI audio which ultimately gets routed down to the audio DSP board.
Will the old board need to be returned?
- Yes, the old board will need to be returned for credit.
Is there an expiration or limited time offer to upgrade to the new board?
- There will be some practical time limit, but Classé hasn't set it yet. They will probably offer the upgrade as long as this model is current in the lineup.
When can we expect some photos of the new board (installed and uninstalled)?
- Photos of the board both in and out of the chassis will be forth coming next week.
EDIT: Photos now available. See top of the thread.
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