Outlaw has decided to take an á la carte approach to remote controls, providing only a relatively basic unit for the 990's main remote. The idea is that if you need a more advanced multi-component remote, you either already have one or you can simply purchase one separately. However, the provided remote is entirely serviceable, providing all the necessary functionality for operating the 990 as well as controlling up to seven other devices.

The remote itself is a basic IR backlit unit that feels comfortable in your hand. The 990's remote control is preprogrammed for a variety of common home electronics, which are set through four digit codes. I also like that you can set up a volume punch-through when you are controlling other devices, but I am disappointed that the remote does not seem to offer the ability to learn commands.

The overall layout of the buttons is logical, and they generally feel good. My main complaint with the remote is the dual labeling of the four small circular buttons surrounding the cursor area. The main function of these buttons when controlling the 990 is written in very small text on the button itself, whereas the secondary use for controlling other components is written above the button in a larger font. This caused me some confusion when first familiarizing myself with the remote, as my eyes were more drawn to the larger text, and I would thus misread the buttons primary purpose. This was most problematic with the Menu button, which when using the 990 is actually right below the number pad and not below the cursor button where there is a secondary label for menu functionality.

Another feature of the 990 is that it comes with a second remote specifically designed for controlling operations in a second zone. This remote has a very basic layout with volume control, source selection, and the ability to turn on the Zone 2 outputs. Of course, you need to supply your own IR repeater for this to truly be useful, but it is a nice addition.

The 990's remotes are basic, but they work quite well for controlling the unit, and if you really feel the need for color LCDs and touch screens, excellent remotes can be purchased separately for $200 to $400.

Set-up

Before I begin discussing the set-up procedure for the Outlaw 990, I think it is worthwhile to discuss a very nice feature of the 990, its manual. The last receiver I reviewed had a manual that was 107 pages long. The Outlaw's is 52. So at first glance when I was rapidly flipping through it trying to find the salient information for assigning inputs and plowing through set-up menus, I got the erroneous impression that the manual was a little light on information.

I could not have been more wrong. The 990’s manual is written in far more conversational prose than most other manuals and it quite usefully is targeted towards the actual tasks you need to accomplish when using the equipment. The end result is that this is one of the very few manuals that I found worthwhile to read, and it served as an excellent introduction to the product. I applaud the Outlaw staff for this truly excellent manual and the overall attention to detail that this shows.

All of the following set up steps for the 990 are accomplished through the on-screen display (OSD). The first step in configuring the 990 is to set up the six video and five audio inputs. This consists of assigning a name (if you choose to change it from the default name), choosing a digital or analog audio input, choosing the correct video input, and setting the default surround mode. This was a straightforward process, and I like that the 990 gives you plenty of flexibility in mixing and matching your audio and video inputs.

After configuring the inputs, it is time to configure your speakers. The 990 has an automated set-up procedure, which made the whole process entirely painless. One simply connects the included microphone, sets it up at your listening position, and starts the automatic calibration procedure. At the end, you can either save or ignore the new settings, and then you are done. I found the automatic calibration to be spot on for my system, but there is also the option to go in and change any of the settings manually. All of the standard settings can be changed for speaker size, distance, and volume. The 990 offers great flexibility with setting its crossovers, allowing you to assign a separate frequency between 40 and 200 Hz for the front, center, surround, and surround back speakers.

Setting up the Outlaw 990 was a simple and intuitive process, but it also afforded the flexibility to accommodate a wide variety of system configurations.

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