Harman Kardon AVR 7200 Owners Manual - Page 31
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OPERATION Speaker/Channel Indicators In addition to the bitstream indicators, the AVR 7200 features a set of unique channel-input indicators (shown below) that tell you how many channels of digital information are being received and/or whether the digital signal is interrupted. 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 ˜. 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 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 indicators 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 sound-track. 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 7200. 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 7200 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 7200. 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 Mode Button T on the remote. Next, press the ⁄/¤ Navigation Button n to select either the middle range or full compression versions of the Night mode. To turn the Night mode off, press the ⁄/¤ Navigation Button n until the message in the lower third of the video display and in the Lower Display Line B reads D-RANGE OFF. The Night mode may also be selected to always be on at either level of compression using the options in the DOLBY menu. See page 21 for information on using the menus to set this option. IMPORTANT NOTES ON DIGITAL PLAYBACK: • When the digital playback source is stopped, or in a pause, fast forward or chapter search mode, the digital audio data will momentarily stop, and the channel position letters inside the Speaker/Channel Input Indicators E will flash. This is normal and does not indicate a problem with either the AVR 7200 or the source machine. The AVR 7200 will return to digital playback as soon as the data is available and when the machine is in a standard play mode. • Although the AVR 7200 will decode virtually all current DVD movies, CDs and HDTV sources, it is possible that some future digital sources may not be compatible with the AVR 7200. • Not all digitally encoded programs contain full 5.1 or 6.1 channel audio. Consult the program guide that accompanies the DVD or laser disc to determine which type of audio has been recorded on the disc. The AVR 7200 will automatically sense the type of digital surround encoding used and adjust to accommodate it. • When a digital source is playing, you may not be able to select some of the analog surround modes such as Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby 3, Stereo, Hall, Theater or Logic 7. • When a Dolby Digital or DTS source is playing, it is not possible to make an analog recording using the Tape Outputs k and Video 1 or Video 2 Outputs ¢⁄. However, the digital signals will be passed through to the Digital Audio Outputs fh(. PCM Audio Playback PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) is the noncompressed digital audio system used for compact discs and laser discs. It is also the format used as an output by audio transcoders such as the Harman Kardon DAL 150. The digital circuits in the AVR 7200 are capable of high-quality digital-to-analog decoding, and they may be connected directly to the digital audio output of your CD or LD player. Connections may be made to either the rear-panel Optical or Coaxial Inputs j 32 or the front-panel Digital Inputs &(. To listen to a PCM digital source, first select the input for the desired source (e.g., CD). Next press the Digital Select Button Po and then use the ⁄/¤ Navigation Button n on the remote, or the ‹/› Selector Buttons )# on the front panel, until the desired choice appears in the Main Information Display ˜. During PCM playback, you may select any Surround mode except Dolby Digital or DTS. When an HDCDencoded disc is being played and the DVD or CD player is connected to the AVR 7200 via a digital connection, select Surround Off as the Surround mode to enjoy the benefits of the HDCD process. MP3 Audio Playback The AVR 7200 is one of the few receivers equipped for onboard decoding for the MP3 audio format used by computers and portable audio devices. By offering MP3 decoding, the AVR 7200 is able to deliver precise conversion of the digital signals to an analog output, along with the benefits of listening to the MP3 audio through the AVR 7200's high-current amplifier and the speakers from your surround system, rather than the smaller speakers and low-powered amplifiers typically used with computers. To take advantage of the AVR 7200's MP3 capabilities, simply connect the PCM output of a computer's sound card or the PCM output of a portable digital audio device to either the rear panel Digital Inputs j 32 or the front panel Digital Inputs &(. When the digital signal is available, the Lower Display Line B will indicate that an MP3 bitstream is present, and the audio will begin playing. OPERATION 31