
OPERATION
Surround Mode Selection
One of the most important features of the AVR 125 is its ability to reproduce a full multichannel surround sound field from digital sources, analog matrix sur-
Selection of a surround mode is based on personal taste, as well as the type of program source material being used. For example, motion pictures or TV pro- grams bearing the logo of one of the major surround- encoding processes, such as Dolby Surround®*, DTS Stereo®* or UltraStereo™* may be played in either the Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II or Logic 7 Cinema sur- round modes depending on the source material.
NOTE: Once a program has been encoded with matrix surround information, it retains the surround information as long as the program is broadcast in stereo. Thus, movies with surround sound may be decoded via any of the analog surround modes such as Pro Logic II or Logic 7, when they are broadcast via conventional TV stations, cable, pay TV and satellite transmission. In addi- tion, a number of
Even when a program is not listed as carrying intentional surround information, you may find that the Pro Logic II, Logic 7, VMAx and the Hall or Theater modes often deliver enveloping surround presentations through the use of the natural information present in all stereo record- ings. However, for stereo, but not surround programs, we suggest that you experiment with the other modes.
Surround modes are selected using either the front panel controls or the remote. To select a surround mode from the front panel, press the Surround Mode Selector 7 to scroll up or down through the list of available modes. To select a surround mode using the remote, press the Surround Mode Selectorj and then press the ⁄/ ¤ Buttons mq to change the mode. As you press the buttons, the Surround mode name will appear in the Main Information Display
F, and an individual mode indicator will also light up BCDEGHI. As the surround modes change, a green LED will light next to the current mode in the Surround Mode Indicators ˜ list on the front panel.
NOTE: The name of each Surround Mode will scroll across the Main Information Display F while the modes are being selected. To avoid exiting from the surround mode selection process, push the ▲ or ▼ Button mq while a mode name is still visible.
The Dolby Digital and DTS modes may only be select- ed when a digital input is in use. In addition, when a digital source is present, the AVR 125 will automatical- ly select and switch to the correct mode (Dolby Digital or DTS), regardless of the mode that has been previ- ously selected. For more information on selecting digital sources, see the following section of this manual.
To listen to a program in traditional
Digital Audio Playback
Digital audio is a major advancement over older analog matrix surround systems. It delivers five discrete chan- nels:
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital (originally known as
An optional, external RF demodulator is required to use the AVR 125 to listen to the Dolby Digital sound tracks available on laser discs. Connect the RF output of the LD player to the demodulator and then con- nect the digital output of the demodulator to the Optical or Coaxial Inputs ·c#$ of the AVR 125. No demodulator is required for use with DVD players or
DTS
DTS is another digital audio system that is capable of delivering 5.1 audio. 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.
#$.
In order to listen to DVDs encoded with DTS sound tracks, the DVD player must be compatible with the DTS signal as indicated by a DTS logo on the player’s front panel. Early DVD players may not be able to play
Selecting a Digital Source
To utilize either digital mode you must have properly connected a digital source to the AVR 125. Connect the digital outputs from DVD players, HDTV receivers, satellite systems or CD players to the Optical or Coaxial Inputs ·c#$. In order to provide a backup signal and a source for analog stereo record- ing, the analog outputs provided on digital source equipment should also be connected to their appropri- ate inputs on the AVR 125 rear panel (e.g., connect the analog stereo audio output from a DVD to the DVD Audio Inputs h on the rear panel when you connect the source’s digital outputs).
When playing a digital source such as DVD, first select the source input using the remote or
OPERATION 23