What I’ve done, and my display has more inputs/outputs than my last one.
Is use the TV speakers for casual or late night (avoiding the sub and all the resonance of the SS system for late night viewing when I’m trying to keep it down).
I have an STB and for the audio side I use digital out, which is cabled to the 950 for SS audio. I also have the L/R analogue outputs of the STB straight into the back of the display for news watching etc. On the video side I go straight from my STB into the display. (am not running an OTA right now and when I bring that on line for HD OTA, I think I have the luxury of another coaxial ant. input on the display.)
I either turn on the TV. Or conversely fire up the 950, which fires up the amps etc.

Eke, wrapping my brain around cabling It’s hard enough with my own and I can’t sort it unless I’m sitting behind it starring right at it at the moment

You say your using the TV as a monitor, so you have the VHS tuning, you have coaxial antenna into the VHS through the 950 back into TV? So since the VHS is tuning through the 950 the 950 HAS to be on to pass the signal? I hate splitters, but seems and I’m trying to think if its possible you need to somehow split the antenna (with a switcher, something like A/B side for cable) so that the antenna feed can run through the VHS/950 confidg and also - straight into the TV avoiding the 950 entirely with a remote programmed to control the TV tuner. . Is that possible guys? Depend on the inputs on the back of your TV and VHS or I would think it would take two splitters and that could degrade things alot. Although with this method you would still end with having to flip the A/B side of the antenna switch. The only benefit not having to flip the switch on the back of the Panamax.
When watching regular TV without the SS going do you use the center channel output of the 950 to a CC speaker No,…..for that kind of regular viewing I do not go through the 950 just so that I can access my center Maestro for casual TV watching. I go ahead and make use of the display speakers. It helps that the new LCD came with (6) built-ins and is the best audio I’ve ever heard out of display in-cabinet speakers. But with my aging last Direct View JVC, I still used the speakers in the display for that audio, - did not cable to access my Center speaker for TV viewing only.