Well, without discrete surround mode buttons for all of the dozen-odd different possible choices (PLII-C, PLII-M, PLIIx-C, PLIIx-M, NEO:6-C, NEO:6-M, stereo, bypass, upsample, Dolby EX, DTS ES, Dolby, DTS, 5 stereo, 7 stereo, and whatever else I've missed) I don't think the 880 can. On the other hand, when it comes to just listening to music in stereo I've long been using a simple cheat of setting up an audio input on a digital source and defaulting it to stereo. For example, CD's from my DVD player are played on the CD input in stereo. For a digital music station, you could set up a spare input (Aux or Tape or whatever) to use that digital connection (optical2, for example) and set it to stereo the first time you use it, then set up the 880 to toggle through the Disc receiver's video input (thereby setting the video source) and then to the audio input (video will remain the Disc). The 880 should be able to do that without any strain. Then again, I've been accused of being crazy on an occasion or two...

What Gonk said is pretty much what I've done. I have setup default sound fields for the various inputs in the 990 itself. When I choose the "Watch TiVO" activity, the 990 defaults to Video2 , accepts input from the Sony DirecTV TiVO unit on Optical2 and defaults it out as DPL-IIx. When I choose the "XM Radio" activity the 990 switches to AUX and the audio defaults to Stereo Upsample. I have my Yamaha DVD player setup with both an digital optical audio output, which I use for DVDs and default to DPL-IIx in the 990, and a digital coax output that I've assigned to CD in the 990 and default to Stereo Upsample. As for being able to setup individual activities that will also change the default sound field on the 990, I do not know whether or not the Harmony 880 can do that. I just quickly toggle through if I want to hear the music or video in a manner other than its default value in the 990.

I've been a big fan of the MX-500 and have recommended them and given them as gifts (and programmed them for those people), and I'm still a big fan. However, I'm really liking the Harmony remote. I think that for most people this would be a better choice as a remote for its greater simplicity in programming. I know Gonk, the MX-500 isn't difficult to program if you take a few minutes to learn the basics and logic of how it works. I've done this and feel this way. But with the half dozen or so of these that I've been involved with I've not seen anybody else actually able to get it to do what they'd really like it to do. The Harmony just seems to be easier to get setup. One of the less costly Harmony remotes would be a good alternative to the MX-500. The color 880 is really a step up, for me at least. But I still prefer the feel of the buttons on the Home Theater Master remotes.

Jeff

You could actually use one digital cable from the Yamaha for both, Jeff - assign either the optical or the coaxial to both DVD and CD (I use optical from my Yamah to DVD and CD).

Thanks Gonk. For now I don'thave a shortage of digital inputs, but I will keep this in mind if things change in the future. Hopefully some day I'll have so many pieces of equipment that I won't have enough digital inputs to accomidate them all even if I double up where possible.

Jeff