The "simplest" way to operate the home theater is to always use the home theater's speakers (with a good remote like the MX-800 also being a huge help). Any scheme that reverts to the TV's speakers is going to add complexity, although I think that you can probably get it to a manageable situation with the MX-800. Having said that, it sounds like some of the trouble is unrelated to the second zone. The second 12V trigger is operating as intended - it should only come on when you are using an input that has it enabled. It's intended mainly for things like motorized projection screens, and less for amps. The first 12V trigger is on any time that the 990 is on, and that's the one that I'd recommend using for your amps.

I'm using a DirecTV DVR20 box with both analog and digital (toslink) outputs. I've simply run the analog outputs directly into my TV, and leave the TV volume at zero by default (and, of course, run the optical into the 990). When I want to use the TV speakers, I simply direct my remote to control the TV and turn the volume up. It seems like a simple solution - maybe I am missing something here? Just wondering...

The reason that I'm typically wary of bypassing the receiver or processor is what it can potentially lead to. In your case, I'm guessing that you are either bypassing the 990's video switching or are using separate video outputs for each. If you bypass the video switching, then it does become fairly straightforward: just turn the TV's volume down when the 990 is on, with the video switching the same either way. But when trying to integrate multiple sources into a system, people often rely on a processor's video switching to simplify matters - not only for themselves, but also for family members. (I could get by with sending video straight to my display and having to change inputs there, assuming the TV had enough inputs, but my wife would never tolerate it - she just wants to watch TV, not orchestrate the next shuttle launch.) At that point, you have to run separate audio and video connections, and then make sure everyone using it knows how to switch the inputs accordingly. Then you have the question of what to do about the other sources in the system - which source(s) can be used without the home theater, and which will only work if the main system is on? What is often an attempt to simplify matters for family members who are intimidated by a surround receiver can end up becoming a mess in a hurry.

Bottom line: it can be simple (as your example proves), but all too often it becomes painfully complicated - at which point, the simple solution becomes "turn on the surround receiver."

Gonk, gotcha - thanks for the explanation - I am bypassing the 990's video switching (if for no other reason than I am in the line of sight of the TV while working out and like to watch some kind of image go by - typically some sports-related thing - while listening to music - anything to distract myself from my own huffing and puffing, I guess). I am single, so that helps, as does the "taming of the inputs" by use of the Harmony remote, which so far has made things simpler, if not completely simple. BTW, love the shuttle launch analogy, if nothing else the complexity ensures that no one else can successfully navigate my system (as long as the Harmony is not in sight...)

Drives my wife nuts when she comes in and the TV's showing one thing while the audio is doing something else (watching TV while a CD plays, for example). This can be done even with the 990's video switching in the mix, actually, as long as the audio in question comes from an audio input (CD, tape, aux, phono, or tuner). You simply select the desired video input on the 990 and then the audio input - the video switching stays at the last video input used.
That reminded me of "dueling remote controls" from my college days, when a roommate had a Yamaha receiver with a learning remote that was set up to control the entire system but also had his TV remote sitting around...

Thanks for the info, so what do I need to do again, I missed that part, I mean after the simple part. [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SAAsGWEUmMAw8Ac*MQ6h9wlarwamtwQwuciaLhwn35UBg7C52Ir!2qVWqQkCppuCdTD0DACTWbWOyp*ZU1U4feKC*pQ8HREBtbvOE*fz9UNdAAAAV3SkAQ/P1080680.JPG?dc=4675668079135716510[/img]

Your setup appears to differ from NRBQLou's. Here are a few things that I think might help you:

• Move 12V trigger connection to trigger 1 for main amps.
• For watching sources using just the TV speakers, connect each source to the 990 using composite video and stereo analog. Then connect the 990's second zone composite video and stereo analog outputs to an input on the TV.
• Set up the MX-800 to use the 990's second zone remote to select inputs, and when the TV is on the right input you will have audio and video from the 990's second zone.
• Two choices for volume control: leave the TV volume set at some point and use the 990's second zone volume control, or leave the 990's second zone volume control set at some point and use the TV's volume control. I don't know that it makes a lot of difference which one you do...

I don't know that this list deserves having too much association with the simple part...

We've been talking about using zone 2, but we could reconsider that and make it more like NRBQLou's. If you will only use the TV's speakers with a single source (cable TV), you could connect composite and analog stereo straight from the cable box to the TV. Then you would change inputs on the TV and treat it like a typical "cable box and TV" setup.

Just a thought, how you hook up the TV audio may depend on how your system will be used most. For my main HT system, I run everything through the 990 as the primary mode of operation, then run a few secondary video connections to the TV also for when I want to use the screen display while listening to another source. My family only uses the route through the 990.
We have a second system in the family room that is primarily used for casual TV viewing, entertaining the grand kids, ect. There,everything is reun to the TV as the primary connection With only Digital/S-video from the Cable box and Digital/ Component from the OPPO running to the receiver, then Component with no audio connection running from the receiver to the TV's "HD" labeled input.
This allows my lady to normally control video sources via the TV and Audio sources via the receiver ,which seems to make more sense to her,
While still giving us the ability to use 5.1 presentations when it's appropriate.
This has been more long winded than I'd intended, but my point is that The system needs to be set up
for how it will be used and who will be using it.

Right now it is setup like this: I have everything going through the 990. The U-Verse cable box has Component, HDMI, Composite, Analog and optical outputs. I am using the Component output to the 990 which outputs Component, S-video and Composite to the TV. Video 1 is setup to output Component video to the TV's Component input, Analog audio and the trigger 2 is off. Video 4 is setup in a similar way but uses the optical output and has trigger 2 set to on. All of the amp startup with trigger 2. Then I setup the remote so that when you turn on the TV it uses only Video 1 with no amp, when you select another button it will switch to Video 4 which turns everything on. I am pretty sure this is not the way to go as I am having problems with muting and volume control.