why the best brands dont use hdmi?

That's not exactly true. HDMI allows you to take the video signal from your
DVD player in digital bypassing the video DAC's. Currently, your DVD player
converts the signal to analogue, then your display converts it back to digital
and back to analogue again. With HDMI, the signal is only converted once.

Similar with audio, HDMI -- as well as FIREWIRE -- can allow you to take an
SACD or DVD-A signal from your transport in digital using one cable and
HDMI has enough bandwidth and is capable of carrying both the High Rez
audio and video signal all in one cable.

So, it is a more elegant solution, a more convenient solution, but also can be
a more effective solution. Reports are that using HDMI, people are getting
higher quality video. Higher quality than component.

I don't know if HDMI is being used for audio yet. Whether it will sound better
than FIREWIRE or better than using 6 analogue interconnects will likely
depend on many factors.

I believe some players are using a combination of HDMI for video and
FIREWIRE for high rez audio.

Here is a different opinion-

"The digital audio portion will still have all the same issues the digital cables have now: bandwidth issues, noise pickup, signal distortions, all leading to various forms and levels of jitter.
See:
http://www.geocities.com/jonrisch/jitter.htm

Only now, the digital video will have jitter artifacts to be dealt with too.

In fact, since the video and audio are transmitted over the same lines, there is the strong likely hood that the digital audio signal will be contaminated to one extent or another by the video signals, as per the above referenced article on jitter. The addition of this higher data rate digital video signal only measn the amount of RFI that is broadcast by the HDMI interface and send/receive circuits, and the amount of PS sing-song, will be much greater than what goes on with the existing audio only SP/DIF interface.

So in point of fact, you may be lamenting "the good old days" of SP/DIF, since the HDMI might be even worse for audio (and video).

All they really care about is Joe HT hooking up their HT system as painlessly as possible, and 'good enough' is the watchword. Oh, and the fact that the HDMI cabling system incorporates all the full-blown anti-copying techniques that have been incorporated into all the new A/V components that are HDMI compatible. That's why they are all on board and backing the HDMI standard.

Jon Risch"

That's pretty ridiculous. You cannot pass SACD or DVD-A through SPDiF and people are reporting better video quality with HDMI. I don't know that anyone is using HDMI for audio yet. Some players are offering Firewire for high rez audio and either HDMI or DVI for video. A lot of what he says there is speculation; this may happen, that may happen, might be, etc. Mostly, it seems to be a shot at "Joe HT," who wants one cable, but Firewire is one cable versus the 6 cables you currently need for SACD and DVD-A, so just because something is good for this hypothetical "Joe HT" doesn't automatically make it bad.

Usually those higher-end manufacturers are slightly behind adopting some of the new technologies especially interfaces in their products.

The newest Meridian G98 DVD has DVI/HDMI