Outlaw 950 Zone 2 Unusable for Multi-Room /Outlaw Cust Serv Not all Cracked Up to Be (1 Viewer)

[Cliffk]

Sorry to be negative about what I'm sure will be a great product for many on this forum. However, for those who want to use this unit to operate a second room and actually control the source/volume from the second room, then this is not the pre/pro for you. I've posted on this subject here and at the Outlaw Saloon.
First, the substantive issues of Zone 2:
I sent Outlaw an e-mail via their web submission form with the following questions:

1. There are no discrete codes for the remote room, but rather there IS a separate IR input. You use the same codes programmed into a remote, but simply connect a remote sensor in the second zone to the proper input on the Model 950's rear panel. This way you can use the same remote (and
codes) in both locations.
Allright, but when in the second zone room with the same codes, how do you navigate a punch down menu without the benefit of seeing the 950's front panel display or on-screen display. In other words, if I'm in the second zone listening to my DVD player and want to switch to Video 2, how do I accomplish this? I have to hit the "multi" button once to bring up the Zone 2 menu. I have to hit it again to bring up source selection. I then have to scroll through the various sources (see page 36 of the 950 manual). It is impossible to do all of this unless I'm looking at the front panel or OSD. By definition, Zone 2 is a remote zone away from the 950 and its accompanying monitor. If I'm not looking at the FPD or OSD, how will I (or anyone else) know which source I've scrolled over to? That is the crux of the problem. With no one-button (discrete code) access to source selection or volume control for Zone 2, the only way to change sources or volume is to physically walk to where the 950 is and look at its FPD (or OSD) and see which source you're about to select or (punch down to where the volume control is).
Although my day job is as an Attorney/CPA for Mississippi's largest private school, I do custom install projects as a side business. I designed, procured, and installed a Training & Presentation Theater with a budget of . . . for our school (unofficial website link: http://www.digitaldreamtheaters.com/...r_pictures.htm)
My point being that I am a hardcore multi-zone, custom installation user/vendor. I tell you all this in hopes that you'll take my questions/critiques seriously.
I think the shortcomings of this unit with respect to only having punch down menu control of Zone 2 functions are huge and essentially eliminate the functionality of this unit for custom install/multi-zone situations. Why have an IR input for Zone 2 use if you effectively can't even use the remote in Zone 2? With all the other primary uses (audio dropouts, bass management, video conversion, etc.) of this unit being on the front burner, I just think this is one that everybody has missed. Any of the beta testers
power multi-zone users? I understand that with this unit, keeping the price down has been of major concern, but by definition pre/pro's are supposed to be flexible and feature laden for what they do. If Yamaha could include
these features in their Yamaha RX-V2095 plus pretty darn good processing and 7 channels of amplification (2 front effects channels) for just a couple hundred more than the 950 (which of course has no amplification), then the
feature set of having discrete Zone 2 codes/control can't be that costly.
If there are workarounds, please let me know. This will certainly effect my decision as to whether to purchase the 950 (and/or utilize it in any of my custom install jobs). I'm hoping you'll tell me there's another way to control Zone 2 besides the punch down menus. Maybe the engineers set it up to respond to discrete codes which I know your remote does not have on it, but could be utilized in devices such as my Phillips Pronto. It may be this
feature is there but just hasn't been made known to you (wishing a little here ).
Again, thanks for your time, and I look forward to your response. Please do checkout our Training & Presentation Theater - its pretty neat.
Take care,
Cliff

Well, 9 days later, I've gotten no response from Scott or anyone else at Outlaw. I believe I raised some pretty legitimate questions. Even if they are researching the issue, a quick reply stating that fact would be nice. I know others have accused Outlaw of playing favorites with their customers (coddling some, ignoring others). I have to say that certainly seems to be the case in this instance.
Meanwhile, with the passage of time, I've decided to go another direction. I'm putting my 2095 in on a custom install job I'm doing that will only be 5.1 (due to wife approval factor). So, I'll be selling it, and just moving to a new 7.1 receiver. Which, by the way, everyone I've looked at so far (in the $1,100 to $2,000 range) has video zone 2 out, selectable record out, and dedicated codes (and in most cases separate remotes) for zone 2 proving that these features are not expensive to implement.
As Outlaw is a relatively new company, hopefully they'll learn just a little bit from this: one, design a better zone 2 system; and two, ignoring your potential customers causes them to seek other alternatives and not buy your product.
Sorry this is so long, but confession (and venting) is good for the soul.
-Cliff

 

[Cliffk]

In the interest of fairness to Outlaw cust. serv., Scott has quickly responded to an identical thread in the Outlaw Saloon stating that he did not receive my last e-mail. He indicated that he would research the issue and let me know something.

However, as I told him over there, I'm not optimistic about there being a solution given his previous response and the description of the zone 2 operation in the Outlaw manual.

-Cliff

 

[Steve K.H.]

Keep bumping this one til the goods arrive... it's interesting (to me anyway)

 

[MatthewJ S]

Can't send cd titles to my elan pad, can't run whole house 2nd source audio, cant output same music dvd (w/video) to bedroom HT, can't respond properly to touchpads(?)....

what about Rotel's zone 2 out?