well, while most shows I tape are using the XLR inputs on the PMD-661, I have a fair amount of experience with the digital input, both from transferring DATs at home, and also, on occasion, I've borrowed a V3 and AD2K+ (which, by the way, is an awesome combo). The 661 works great as a bit-bucket. one thing to keep in mind is that if you move the level knob on the deck while recording from the S/PDIF, a little message pops up that says "can not..." The message only stays on screen for a few seconds, and doesn't do anything bad to the recording. it basically serves as a reminder that the level knob does nothing and all levels must be set on the outboard pre-amp and A/D converter. not really a big deal, but I know it's taken one person by surprise who didn't know what it meant (or if there was a problem with the SDHC card or whatever). The deck uses less power when recording with the S/PDIF input (compared to the XLR inputs with phantom power on), so batteries will last a bit longer. a set of NiMH rechargeable AA's should easily get you 5-6 hours when using the S/PDIF input... I don't know what else to say, it's a great deck to use with the S/PDIF input, never had a problem..