I have my xbox connected to the 950 thru component as well as my dvd player, that takes up the only two component in's and the out goes to the tv. I have my Directv HD box connected with a DVI/HDMI cable directly to the tv, that way I do not have to disconnect anything. Why would you need two component out's? two different displays maybe?

Exactly, DNicely1 - Jeffrey's got two displays, one of them being a front projector. If you only have one display, there's not really a need for two component outputs.

My bad, didn't see that post on the previous page. Make's sense.

Wow, I like that 2 channel offset. I'm using a Yamaha HTR-5790 right now for a processor, and while it will store 2 sets of channel levels for the multi-channel inputs and everything else, it won't store different levels for the other inputs. When I go from watching a movie to 2 channel stereo, I always have to back down on my sub. It's a pain to have to do every time. This will be great for us that split our system in half for movies and music.

Ugg...cheap*ss $10 Radio Shack remote. I was really hoping for an MX-500 as the main remote. I'd give up balanced output for a better remote.

Geesh not only do people expect thier Pre/Pro's to switch every known video type known to man they now want to process the video in their Pre/Pro too. For me I'll take a nice minimalist design with audio I/O only, unfortunately no one makes one. I hate paying for all those composite, S-vid and component I/O connectors when I know I'll never use them and they have the potential of adding unwanted noise to my central audio component.

Can you go from the 5.1 RCA outs on the back of a DVD universal player to the 7.1 inputs on the back of the 990? I usually only see 5.1 RCA inputs on the backs of pre/pro's...

T. Perinne, you can connect the 5.1 outputs of a universal player to the 7.1 input - you simply leave the surround back inputs empty on the 990. The extra inputs are there for two reasons: it lets people who prefer to use direct radiating surround back speakers as surrounds (instead of dipole side surrounds) for multichannel music, and it offers an avenue for future formats (such as Blu-Ray or HD-DVD) that will have new 7.1 surround sound formats that might be digitally output over HDMI. Since those formats are not currently finalized and manufacturers can't incorporate support for them, a 7.1 analog input will let those future players use 7.1 analog outputs with those formats.

So there should be some sort of setting on the 990 to tell it if you're inputting 5.1 or 7.1? Or will it automatically recognize?

Thanks!

There's no need for a setting or any sort of automatic detection. The 7.1 analog input is a pure pass-through (although there is apparently an option to convert to digital and apply bass management and time delay) - it will simply accept whatever signals are present at those eight inputs and pass them along to the eight associated pre-amp outputs. If some inputs are empty, then no signal will be present and that speaker will get nothing.

obie - in my view having the least expensive remote possible is a GOOD thing...i have a great prgramable remote already (better than would likely be included with any pre-pro), so i don't want to pay for another.

can't please everyone -- clearly you and i have different needs in this area. balanced outputs, on the other hand, are an absolute must for me.