You should check out the new DVDO Edge. Not as tweakable as the VP50, but uses the same deinterlacing and scaling chips, has dual HDMI outs (one for A/V one for A only) and is only $799! Just about to be released.
video processor & hdmi
Here's the issue. I'm getting a new pre/pro that is absolutely awesome, but it lacks hdmi inputs (which at this moment doesn't matter much). I was thinking about getting an external video processor and do all the video switching through that. Probably something like a DVDO iScan VP50Pro. Can I take the HDMI input into that processor, output video at 1080i through the component and get the sound output through the digital output? Reading the manual on the DVDO website made me no smarter...