Harman Kardon AVR 8000 Owners Manual - Page 32

Operation by pressing the Digital Select Button qÚ and then using the ⁄/¤ Buttons mp on the remote or the Selector Buttons 7$ 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 8000 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 8000 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 8000 uses a variety of 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 ¯ 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 logo 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 green LED next to the letters HDCD is lit 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. Note that HDCD processing is only available in the Stereo (Surround Off) mode. MP3: When the green LED next to MP3 is lit, 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. Note that there are many different forms of MP3 encoding available and the format is used at a number of different bit rates. The AVR 8000 may not be compatible with all forms of MP3, particularly when the data file is encoded at 128 kb/s or above. Speaker/Channel Indicators In addition to the bitstream indicators, the AVR 8000 features a set of unique channelinput indicators that tell you how many channels of digital information are being received and/or whether the digital signal is interrupted. (See Figure 11.) Figure 11 These indicators are the L/C/R/LFE/SL/SR/SBL/ SBR letters that are inside the center boxes of the Speaker/Channel Input Indicators E in the front panel Main Information Display ˆ. When a standard analog signal is in use, only the "L" and "R" indicators will light, as analog signals have only left and right channels. Digital signals, however, may have two, five, six or seven separate channels, depending on the program material, the method of transmission and the way in which it was encoded. When a digital signal is playing, the letters in these indi- cators will light in response to the specific signal being received. It is important to note that although Dolby Digital, for example, is referred to as a "5.1" system, not all Dolby Digital DVDs or programs are encoded for 5.1. Thus, it is sometimes normal for a DVD with a Dolby Digital soundtrack to trigger only the "L" and "R" indicators. NOTE: Many DVD discs are recorded with both "5.1" and "2.0" versions of the same soundtrack. When playing a DVD, always be certain to check the type of material on the disc. Most discs show this information in the form of a listing or icon on the back of the disc jacket. When a disc does offer multiple soundtrack choices, you may have to make some adjustments to your DVD player (usually with the "Audio Select" button or in a menu screen on the disc) to send a full 5.1 feed to the AVR 8000. It is also possible for the type of signal feed to change during the course of a DVD playback. In some cases, the previews of special material will only be recorded in 2.0 audio, while the main feature is available in 5.1 audio. The AVR 8000 will automatically sense changes to the bitstream and channel count and reflect them in these indicators. The letters used by the Speaker/Channel Input Indicators E also flash to indicate when a bitstream has been interrupted. This will happen when a digital input source is selected before the playback starts, or when a digital source such as a DVD is paused. The flashing indicators remind you that the playback has stopped due to the absence of a digital signal and not through any fault of the AVR 8000. This is normal, and the digital playback will resume once the playback is started again. Night Mode A special feature of Dolby Digital is the Night mode, which enables specially encoded Dolby Digital input sources to be played back with full digital intelligibility while reducing the minimum peak level by 1/4 to 1/3. This prevents abruptly loud transitions from disturbing others, without reducing the impact of the digital source. The Night mode is available only when Dolby Digital signals with special data are being played. The Night mode may be engaged when a Dolby Digital DVD is playing by pressing the Night ® , HDCD®, High Definition Compatible Digital® and Pacific Microsonics™ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Pacific Microsonics, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. HDCD system manufactured under license from Pacific Microsonics, Inc. 32 OPERATION