To select a digital source such as DVD, first select its input using the remote or front panel Input Selector 4% as outlined in this manual in order to feed its video signal (if any) to the TV monitor and to provide its analog audio signal for recording. When the digital input associated with the input selected (e.g. “DVD”) is not selected automatically (due to the input settings made earlier during the system configuration, see page 21), select the digital source by pressing the Digital Input Selector button GÚ and then using the ⁄/¤ buttons Don 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 Main Information Display Y, Source Indicator BF or on-screen display.
When the digital source is playing, the AVR 4500 will automatically detect whether it is a multi- channel Dolby Digital or DTS source or a MP3 or conventional PCM signal, which is the standard output from CD players. A Bitstream Indicator A will light in the Main Information Display
˜to confirm that the digital signal is Dolby Digital, DTS, MP3 or PCM.
Note that a digital input (e.g. coaxial) remains associated with any analog input (e.g. DVD) as soon as it is selected, thus the digital input need not be re-selected each time the appropriate input choice (e.g. DVD) is made.
Digital Status Indicators
When a digital source is playing, the AVR 4500 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 and some music DVDs or certain tracks on normal DVDs, it will allow the appropriate surround mode to be select- ed manually. Since the range of available surround modes depends on the type of digital data that is present, the AVR 4500 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 and the input channels recorded on the disc.
When a digital source is playing, a Bitstream Indicator A will light to show which type of signal is playing:
DOLBY D: When the DOLBY D indicator lights, a Dolby Digital bitstream is being received. Depending on the audio track selected on the source player and number of channels on the disc, different surround modes are possible. Note that only one channel without subwoofer, called ”1.0” audio, or all five channels with subwoofer (”5.1” audio) or all steps between can be record- ed on digitally surround encoded audio tracks
(see NOTE below). With all those tracks, except ”2.0” audio, only the Dolby Digital and VMAx modes are available. When the Dolby Digital sig- nal is only two channel (”2.0”) these two chan- nels (l and r) often contain Pro Logic surround informations.
With those tracks the AVR 4500 automatically switches to the Dolby Pro Logic II Movie mode (in addition to the Dolby Digital mode), but you may also select the Vmax mode. When the D.D. 2.0 signal contains no Pro Logic information, the pure Dolby Digital mode will be selected auto- matically, but you may also select any Pro Logic II mode (only Music or Emulation should be used then) or any Vmax mode.
DTS: When the DTS indicator lights, a DTS bit- stream is being received. When the unit senses this type of data, only the DTS mode may be used.
PCM: When the PCM indicator 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 record- ings. When a PCM bitstream is present, all modes except Dolby Digital and DTS are available.
MP3: When the MP3 indicator lights, a compat- ible MPEG 1/Layer 3 digital signal is being received. This is the popular audio format used by many computer programs for recording com- pressed 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.
In addition to the Bitstream Indicators A, the AVR 4500 features a set of unique channel-input indicators that tell you how many channels of digital information are being received and/or whether the digital signal is interrupted.
(See Figure 9.)
Figure 9
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 Q in the front panel Main Information Display ˜. When a standard analog stereo or matrix sur- round signal is in use, only the “L” and “R” indi- cators will light, as analog signals have only left and right channels.
Dolby Digital signals, however, may have one, two, five, six or seven separate channels, depend- ing on the program material, the method of transmission and the way in which it was encod- ed. When a digital signal is playing, the letters in these indicators will light in response to the spe- cific 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 audio tracks selected on DVD or other Dolby Digital 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 4500 or to select the appropriate audio track and thus language. It is also possible for the type of signal feed to change during the course of a DVD playback. In some cases the pre- views of special material will only be recorded in
2.0audio, while the main feature is available in
5.1audio. As long as your DVD player is set for 6-channel output, the AVR 4500 will automatical- ly sense changes to the bitstream and channel count and reflect them in these indicators.
Important Note: When a digital surround source (Dolby Digital, DTS) is played, the letters SBL/SBR for the Surround Back channels will appear only when a DTS ES DISCRETE 6.1 source is played. Then this surround mode will be indi- cated in the front display and on-screen display after the DTS Surr. button 6Nhas been pressed. With all other recordings the icons for the surround back speakers may light (when those speakers have been configured) to indicate that a signal will be fed to them (Matrix decoded with NEO:6, LOGIC 7 or 7 CH Stereo), but no let- ters inside will light as the unit will not receive an input signal for the surround back channels.
The letters used by the Speaker/Channel Input Indicators Q also flash to indicate when a bit- stream has been interrupted. This will happen when a digital input source is selected before the playback starts, or when a digital source such as
