Harman Kardon AVR 630 Owners Manual - Page 32

OPERATION DTS DTS is another digital audio system that is capable of delivering 5.1 or 6.1 discrete or matrix sound field reproduction. Although both DTS and Dolby Digital are digital, they use different methods of encoding the signals, and thus they require different decoding circuits to convert the digital signals back to analog. DTS-encoded soundtracks are available on select DVD and LD discs, as well as on special audio-only DTS discs. You may use any LD or CD player equipped with a digital output to play DTS-encoded discs with the AVR 630. All that is required is to connect the player's output to either an Optical or Coaxial Input on the rear panel 33 36 or front panel JL. In order to listen to DVDs encoded with DTS soundtracks, the DVD player must be compatible with the DTS signal, which is indicated by a DTS logo on the player's front panel. Early DVD players may not be able to play DTS-encoded DVDs. This does not indicate a problem with the AVR 630, as some players cannot pass the DTS signal through to the digital outputs. If you are in doubt as to the capability of your DVD player to handle DTS discs, consult the player's owner's manual. NOTE: Some DVD players have a default setting that does not pass through the DTS signal. Before playing DVDs with a DTS soundtrack, make certain that the settings in your DVD player have been properly adjusted so that DTS audio is passed through. Consult the owner's manual for your DVD player for more information on making these settings. Selecting a Digital Source To utilize either digital mode, you must have properly connected a digital source to the AVR 630. Connect the digital outputs from DVD players, HDTV receivers, satellite systems or CD players to the Optical or Coaxial Inputs JL 33 36 . In order to provide a backup signal and a source for analog stereo recording, the analog outputs provided on digital source equipment should also be connected to their appropriate inputs on the AVR 630 rear panel (e.g., connect the analog stereo audio output from a DVD to the DVD Audio Inputs 32 on the rear panel when you connect the source's digital outputs). If you have not already configured an input for a digital source using the on-screen menus as shown on page 21, first select the input using the remote or front panel controls, as outlined in this manual. Next, select the digital source by pressing the Digital Select Button pF and then using the ⁄/¤ Navigation Button o on the remote or the ‹/› Button H on the front panel to choose any of the OPTICAL or COAXIAL inputs, as they appear in the Upper Display Line # or on-screen display. When the digital source is playing, the AVR 630 will automatically detect which type of digital data stream is being decoded and display that information in the Upper Display Line #. When both a digital and an analog connection are made between a source device and the AVR, the digital input is the default. If the digital stream is not present or is interrupted, the unit will automatically switch over to the analog inputs for the selected source. Digital Bitstream and Surround Mode Indications When a digital source is playing, the AVR 630 senses the type of bitstream data that is present. Using this information, the correct surround mode will automatically be selected. For example, DTS bitstreams will cause the unit to switch to DTS decoding, and Dolby Digital bitstreams will enable Dolby Digital decoding. When the unit senses PCM data from CDs or LDs, you may select any of the standard surround modes, such as Dolby Pro Logic II or Logic 7. Since the range of available surround modes is dependent on the type of digital data that is present, the AVR 630 shows you what type of signal is present. This will help you to understand the choice of modes. When a digital source is first detected, the AVR 630 will display a message to indicate the type of bitstream being received. This message will appear shortly after an input or surround mode is changed, and will remain in the Lower Display Line $ for about five seconds before that portion of the display returns to the normal surround mode indication. For Dolby Digital and DTS sources, a three-digit indication will appear, showing the number of channels present in the data. An example of this type of display is 3/2/.1. The first number in the display message indicates how many discrete front-channel signals are present. • A "3" tells you that separate front left, center and front right signals are available. This will be displayed for Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 programs. • A "2" tells you that separate front left and right signals are available, but there is no discrete center channel signal. This will be displayed for Dolby Digital bitstreams that have stereo program material. • A "1" tells you that there is only a mono channel available in the Dolby Digital bitstream. The middle number in the display message indicates how many discrete surround channel signals are present. • A "3" tells you that separate, discrete left surround, center surround and right surround signals are present. This is available only on discs with DTS-ES digital audio. • A "2" tells you that separate surround left and right signals are available. This will be displayed for Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 programs. • A "1" tells you that there is only a single, surroundencoded surround channel. This will appear for Dolby Digital bitstreams that have matrix encoding. • A "0" indicates that there is no surround channel information. This will be displayed for two-channel stereo programs. The last number indicates whether there is a discrete low-frequency effects (LFE) channel. This is the ".1" in the common abbreviation of "5.1" sound and it is a special channel that contains only bass frequencies. • A ".1" tells you that an LFE channel is present. This will be displayed for Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 programs, as available. • A "0" indicates that there is no LFE channel information available. However, even when there is no dedicated LFE channel, low-frequency sound will be present at the subwoofer output when the speaker configuration is set to show the presence of a subwoofer. • The information in the right side of the display will tell you if the digital audio data contains a special flag signal that will automatically activate the appropriate 6.1 or 7.1 mode. This will be shown as EX-ON or EX-OFF for Dolby Digital bitstreams and ES-ON or ES-OFF for DTS bitstreams. When Dolby Digital 3/2/.1 or DTS or DTS-ES signals are being played, the AVR will automatically switch to the proper surround mode, and no other processing may be selected. When a Dolby Digital signal with a 3/1/0 or 2/0/0 signal is detected, you may select any of the Dolby surround modes. It is always a good idea to check the readout for the channel data to make certain that it matches the audio logo information shown on the back of a DVD package. In some cases, you will see an indication for "2/0/0" even when the disc contains a full 5.1, or 3/2/.1, signal. When this happens, check the audio output settings for your DVD player or the audio menu selections for the specific disc being played to make certain that the player is sending the correct signal to the AVR. PCM Playback PCM is the abbreviation for Pulse Code Modulation, which is the type of digital signal used for standard CD playback, and other non-Dolby Digital and non-DTS digital sources such as Mini-Disc. When a PCM signal is detected, the Lower Display Line $ will briefly show a message with the letters PCM, in addition to a readout of the sampling frequency of the digital signal. 32 OPERATION