Bean, the only step forward in taping gear you should do, IMO, is 24 bit. If you don't want to run a lappy, wait for the HD recorders... Otherwise, your rig is sweet.
Any other $$ you have you should spend on playback gear! Trust me, playback gear is where it's at...
IMO people spend way too much $$ on taping rigs before they even have the playback gear to take advantage of their lesser rig.