Ed, I'm not sure what you mean by "it works." multi->input and multi->volume, or just paging through the menu with multi then selecting with the arrows?

The first you can do easily when not looking at the display (when in the other zone). While the multi->multi cycle could be worse, you are still somewhat in the blind when making changes, especially if you still need to use arrows to change sources.

None of this is stuff that you can't work around, but I'd rather have the work done for me by the electronics. I mean, my wife or I might have to walk 25 feet (and back!) to the main zone to go change the settings! I'm 33 years old. My knees can't take that kind of abuse.

Back to one of the original points: Why offer a multi-zone remote capability that requires a layered menu system? It just seems like this is something that could be, or could have been, adjusted in software so that anything coming in through the multi-zone IR port be mapped to the multi-zone settings. Oh, well, it's easy to point fingers after the fact. Perhaps a broader beta would have exposed a couple of these usability issues that don't affect everyone.

I may have to take this question to a different thread, but I may also want to determine whether a second zone driven by analog pass-through from a consumer-grade CD player, even going through a 200WPC amp, is the way to go. I might just go with a 5 channel amp for HT and use my old Yamaha HTR5150 in the other room for music. If so, the question of multi-zone usability is moot (for me). The decision isn't critical until I get the email.

--Mike


[This message has been edited by Llamas (edited May 15, 2002).]