Interface is the key here. It can be done well, but all too often it is done poorly. The Onkyo 885 and 886 have a menu for setting default surround processing modes, but the labels they used and the way they structured it left a lot to be desired - especially for casual users. The Marantz AV7005 gives a good range of control over setup like we are describing, but the interface requires you to either exit the menu and change the active input or use a web browser to make those adjustments for all of the inputs - something that Outlaw's guide spells out, but the Marantz guide isn't so clear on. That strikes me as highly inconvenient.

I think we're in agreement that there needs to be a way to make use of all the HDMI inputs as well as some of the other inputs. Other high priority capabilities would include some form of per-input surround mode memory (with a menu for setting defaults as an option for initially setting the "default" modes for each input), per-input video processing adjustments, and input labeling. Being able to select which Audyssey curve is applied per input (including the option to bypass Audyssey entirely in some cases) would also be a good idea, and one that has appeared on a number of similar products over the last couple years.

The only one I wonder about is the per-input bass management control. For one thing, that gets very complex - and with all that complexity, I don't know how useful it ends up being. Crossover points shouldn't change based on the source, and neither should the decision to set speakers to "large" or "small." If Outlaw stays true to form, they'll have a bypass mode available - that could provide a way to exclude bass management for special circumstances. Additionally, I'm not sure what Audyssey would think of that in the first place...