Harman Kardon DVD 50 Owners Manual - Page 5

DVD Compatibility & Terminology The DVD 50 is more than a DVD player; it will play the following disc formats: s Both 5-inch (12cm) and 3-inch (8cm) discs s DVD movie discs s CD, CD-R and CD-RW audio discs s DTS audio discs s CD audio discs with HDCD encoding s MP3 discs s VCD (video CD) discs However, it will NOT play the following: s DVD discs with a Region Code other than the one the player is set for. s DVD discs with PAL format video s DVD-ROM data discs s DVD-RAM discs s CD-I discs s CD-G discs s SVCD discs s Photo CD discs NOTE: Due to differences in the formats of certain discs, it is possible that some discs may include a mix of features that are not compatible with the DVD 50. Similarly, although the DVD 50 is capable of a wide range of features, not all discs include every capability of the DVD system. For example, although the DVD 50 is compatible with multi-angle discs, that feature is only possible when the disc is specially encoded for multiple-angle play. In addition, the DVD 50 is compatible with both Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks, but the number and types of tracks available will vary from disc to disc. To make certain that a specific feature or soundtrack option is available, please check the options noted on the disc jacket. s Playback of DTS audio discs requires connection to a processor or receiver with a DTS decoder. s Playback capability for CD-RW discs may vary due to variations in the quality of the CD-RW disc and the recorder used to create the disc. Since they share some of the characteristics and technology of CD players, many of the terms and operational concepts used in a DVD player are similar to what you may be familiar with from CD players and changers, or older video disc formats such as Laser Disc. However, if this is your first DVD product, some of the terms used to describe the features of a DVD player may be unfamiliar. The following explanations should solve some of the mysteries of DVD, and help you to enjoy all the power and flexibility of the DVD format and the DVD 50. Aspect Ratio: This is a description of the width of a video image in relation to its height. A conventional video screen is four units wide for every three units of height, making it almost square. Newer wide-aspect-ratio video displays are 16 units wide for every nine units of height, making them more like the screen in a movie theater. The program material on a DVD may be recorded in either format and, in addition, you may configure the DVD 50 to play back in either format, depending on the features recorded on a disc. Chapter: DVD programs are divided into chapters and titles. Chapters are the subsections programmed into a single title on a disc. Chapters may be compared to the individual tracks on an audio CD. Press the Menu button to see a listing of the chapters on a disc. Component Video: This is a new form of video signal that eliminates many of the artifacts of traditional composite video signals by splitting the signal into a separate luminance channel and two color-difference signals. With a component video connection, you will see greater picture resolution and eliminate many picture imperfections such as the moiré patterns often seen on checked patterned cloths. However, in order to benefit from component video you must have a video display with Y/Pr/Pb component video inputs. Do not connect the component video outputs of the DVD 50 to the standard composite or S-Video inputs of a TV or recorder. Title: For a DVD, a title is defined as an entire movie or program. There may be as many chapters within a title as the producers decide to include. Most discs include only one title, but some may have more than one, to give you a "Double Feature" presentation. Press the Title button to see a listing of the titles on a disc. When a disc has only one title, pressing the title button may show a list of the chapters. Multiple Angle: DVDs have the capability to show up to four different views of the same scene in a program. When a disc is encoded with multiple-angle information, pressing the Angle button will enable you to switch between these different views. Note that, at present, few discs take advantage of this capability and, when they do, the multiple-angle technology may only be present for short periods of time within the disc. Producers will usually insert some sort of icon or graphic in the picture to alert you to the availability of multiple-angle scenes. Reading: This is a message that you will see when you first press the Play button. It refers to the fact that the player must first examine the contents of the disc to see whether it is a CD or DVD, and then extract the information about the type of material on the disc, such as languages, aspect ratios, subtitles, number of titles and more. The slight delay while the contents of the disc are read is normal. Resume: The operation of the Stop button on the DVD 50 works differently from what you are used to on CD players. On a traditional CD player, when you press the Stop button, the unit does just that: it stops playback. On a CD player, when you press the Start button again, the disc starts from the beginning. With the DVD 50, however, you have two options when playing DVD discs. Pressing Stop once will stop the playback, but it actually puts the unit in the Resume mode. This means that you can turn the machine off and, when you press Play the next time, the disc will resume or continue from the point on the disc where the Stop button was pressed. This is helpful if you are watching a movie and must interrupt your viewing session but wish to pick up where you left off. Pressing the Stop button twice will stop the machine in a traditional manner and, when the disc is played again, it will start from the beginning. 5 DVD COMPATIBILITY & TERMINOLOGY