I 100% agree that the message should not permanently display during pass-through. I would use the feature on a frequent basis for casual viewing........but don't want to chance any burn-in down the road.
I haven't tried it yet, but I wonder if the "LCD OFF" setting (in Settings -> System -> Misc settings) is functional in blanking the screen with the "HDMI PASS-THROUGH ACTIVE" message on it after the specified number of minutes of remote inactivity, in the same way it blanks the normal speaker map display? Not that I want my dispay to go blank under any circumstances, which is why I don't have that LCD OFF feature enabled. But still, I wonder if it would blank the "HDMI PASS-THROUGH ACTIVE" message if it were enabled.
Of course it shouldn't remain on 100% forever in any case if there's no further need for the function, if only the seemingly well-intentioned and clearly documented supposed 2-step ability to temporarily stop this partial pass-through standby state and temporarily revert to FULL STANDBY even when this switch is enabled, by simply a quick second press of the POWER button while already in the first stage HDMI PASS-THROUGH STANDBY from the first press of the POWER button actually worked! I've already reported that this second step of going to full-standby DOES NOT WORK AS DOCUMENTED, but intead actually powers the A16 fully back on when that second press of the POWER button occurs. This needs to be fixed.
Of course I'm just as concerned about the HT power (to both HT and ST) mistakenly not also being shut down when in this HDMI pass-through partial standby state. Clearly this was overlooked in the current firmware implementation and also needs to be fixed.
The other part of this story of wrongly implemented functionality is how HDMI pass-through works when the A16 is powered on, and HDMI Settings for the HDMI source is set to "AUDIO BYPASS" enabled. What happens here is that SVS processing to the headphones is disabled, and instead audio/video is routed unprocessed to the HDMI output of the A16 and thus passed on untouched to the AVR/TV for playing on real speakers. And the display screen shows a big red message about audio bypass active. Speaker map is not shown, as there is SVS processing going to the headphones.
Well, once again, there needs to be a quick and easy and TEMPORARY two-step way to revert to normal headphone processing (i.e. to remporarily TURN OFF AUDIO BYPASS) without requiring going through the entire tedious process of BACK -> Settings -> System -> HDMI Settings -> disable AUDIO BYPASS, because the current situation merits using headphones.
Alternatively, why need it be even necessary to have an "audio bypass" setting (which currently is a PERMANENT choice, that prevents SVS and headphone listening)? Why not simply have a built-in ON/OFF toggle using some key on the remote, which temporarily switches from headphone vs. audio-bypass? In other words depending on whether I actually want to listen through my AVR and room speakers or headphones, I simply toggle the A16 using that master button on the remote? Why is it really necessary to have a settings-based permanent choice at all?
In other words, same as with the full HDMI pass-through while in standby mode that you want to use when you want to use it, but otherwise you'd like to turn it off when not in use... without having to do that through Settings... it's also true that I'd like to be able to have HDMI audio-bypass possible when the A16 is powered on to listen casually through AVR/speakers, but also to be able to easily temporarily disable that option if want to so I could listen through headphones if I want to... again without having to do that through Settings.
Bottom line: Smyth needs to think through what the user might really want to do since HDMI sources are being routed through the A16, which includes a simple choice of listening through headphones or speakers. And the functionality must be implemented to easily and temporarily toggle to listen to either headphones or speakers, with a button on the remote controlling this rather than requiring a tedious journey through Settings. This is much like how they responded to our request for "instant direct preset selection" using the numeric keypad, which is a far more commonly needed function than soloing speakers... although BOTH are needed. User convenience implemented through a remote button is obviously needed here.
And the HT circuit needs to be powered down if headphones are not in use. And the "HDMI pass-through active" display perhaps should be "moved around the screen" every few seconds like any screen saver would do, to avoid burn-in.
best of luck
Thanks