Harman Kardon AVR 7200 Owners Manual - Page 30

OPERATION To listen to a program in traditional two-channel stereo, using only the front left and front right speakers (plus a subwoofer, if installed and configured), press the Stereo Button 38 on the remote once or twice until SURR OFF appears in the Main Information Display ˜. From the front panel, press the Surround Mode Group Selector 7 until STEREO MODES appears in the on-screen display and Lower Display Line B. Next, press the Surround Mode Select Button 8 until the display message reads SURROUND OFF. Digital Audio Playback Digital audio is a major advancement over older analog surround processing systems such as Dolby Pro Logic. It delivers five discrete channels: left front, center, right front, left surround and right surround. Each channel reproduces full frequency range (20Hz to 20kHz) and offers dramatically improved dynamic range and significant improvements to signal-to-noise ratios. In addition, digital systems have the capability to deliver an additional channel that is specifically devoted to low-frequency information. This is the ".1" channel referred to when you see these systems described as "5.1," "6.1" or "7.1". The bass channel is separate from the other channels, but since it is intentionally bandwidth-limited, sound designers have given it that unique designation. Dolby Digital Dolby Digital is a standard on DVDs, and is available on specially encoded LD discs and satellite broadcasts and high-definition television (HDTV) broadcasts. An optional, external RF demodulator is required to use the AVR 7200 to listen to the Dolby Digital soundtracks available on laser discs. Connect the RF output of the LD player to the demodulator and then connect the digital output of the demodulator to the Optical or Coaxial Inputs &(j 32 of the AVR 7200. No demodulator is required for use with DVD players or DTS-encoded laser discs. 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 7200. All that is required is to connect the player's output to either an Optical or Coaxial Input on the rear panel j 32 or front panel &(. In order to listen to DVDs encoded with DTS soundtracks, the DVD player must be compatible with the DTS signal as 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 7200, 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 7200. Connect the digital outputs from DVD players, HDTV receivers, satellite systems or CD players to the Optical or Coaxial Inputs &(j 32 . 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 7200 rear panel (e.g., connect the analog stereo audio output from a DVD to the DVD Inputs 12 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 pages 19 - 20, 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 oP and then using the ⁄/¤ Navigation Button n on the remote or the ‹/› Selector Buttons )# on the front panel to choose any of the OPTICAL or COAXIAL inputs, as they appear in the Upper Display Line A or on-screen display. When the digital source is playing, the AVR 7200 will automatically detect which type of digital data stream is being decoded and display that information in the Upper Display Line A. Digital Bitstream Indicators When a digital source is playing, the AVR 7200 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 and LDs, it will allow the appropriate surround sources to be selected manually. Since the range of available surround modes is dependent on the type of digital data that is present, the AVR 7200 uses display indicators to let you know what type of signal is present. This will help you to understand the choice of modes. To help you see which type of digital source is playing, the Surround Mode Indicators ˘ in combination with the Information Display ˜ also serve as bitstream indications to show which type of bitstream is present, as well as the surround mode in use, if applicable. Dolby Digital: When the green LED next to the Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital EX modes is lit, a Dolby Digital bitstream is being received. Depending on the settings on the source player and specific surround information and number of channels on the disc, a number of surround modes are possible. For discs with full 5.1 audio, only the Dolby Digital and VMAx modes are available. DTS: When the green LED next to the DTS logo lights, a DTS bitstream is being received. When the unit senses this type of data, only the applicable DTS mode may be used. PCM: When the green LED next to the word DIGITAL lights, a standard Pulse Code Modulation, or PCM, signal is being received. This is the type of digital audio used by conventional compact disc and laser disc recordings. When a PCM bitstream is present, all modes except Dolby Digital and DTS are available. HDCD: When the letters HDCD appear on the Lower Display Line B in conjunction with the PCM indicator, the CD that is playing is encoded through the special High Definition Compatible Digital® process. HDCD® discs use 20-bit encoding and other proprietary processing to provide the ultimate in CD listening. HDCD processing is only available in the Stereo (Surround Off) mode. MP3: When MP3 appears on the Lower Display Line B a compatible MPEG 1/Layer 3 digital signal is being received. This is the popular audio format used by many computer programs for recording compressed audio files. When an MP3 bitstream is present, the sound will automatically be played in the Stereo (Surround Off) mode. The surround modes are not available during MP3 playback. There are many different forms of MP3 encoding available and the format is used at a number of different bit rates. The AVR 7200 may not be compatible with all forms of MP3, particularly when the data file is encoded at 128kb/s or above. 30 OPERATION