Operation
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 indicated in the front display and
The letters used by the Speaker/Channel Input Indicators Ú 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 a DVD is put into a Pause mode. 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. This is nor- mal, 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 Dolby Digital input sources to be played back with full digital intelligibilty while reducing the maximum peak level and lift- ing the low levels 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 the Dolby Digital mode is selected.
The Night mode may be engaged when a Dolby Digital DVD is playing by pressing the Night Button Bon the remote. Next, press the ⁄/¤ buttons Eto select either the middle range or full compression versions of the Night mode. To turn the Night mode off, press the ⁄/¤ buttons
Euntil the message in the lower third of the video display and the Lower Display Line ˜ reads
The Night mode may also be selected to always be on as soon as the Dolby Digital mode is activated at either level of compression using the options in the Surround Select menu. See page 24 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 Indicators Ú will flash. This is nor- mal and does not indicate a problem with either the AVR or the source machine. The AVR 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 will decode virtually all DVD movies, CDs and HDTV sources, it is possible that some future digital sources may not be compatible with the AVR.
•Note that not all digitally encoded programs and not all audio tracks on a DVD 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 record- ed on the disc. The AVR will automatically sense the type of digital surround encoding used, indi- cate it in the Channel Input Indicators Ú and adjust to accommodate it.
•When a Dolby Digital or DTS source is playing, you normally may not be able to select some of the analog surround modes such as Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby 3 Stereo, Hall, Theater, 5CH/7CH Stereo or Logic 7, except with specific Dolby Digital 2.0 recordings that can be played with the Pro Logic II modes too (see page 34).
•When a digital source is playing, it is possible to make an analog recording using the Tape
or Video 1 or Video 2 or record outputs, even if the source is connected to any digital input of the AVR only, as long as "Surround Off" mode is selected (possible with a PCM source only). But the analog two channel signal, even of a Dolby Digital (not DTS) source, the ”Downmix” to Stereo or Dolby Surround, can be recorded by connecting its analog audio outputs to the appropriate analog inputs (e.g. DVD) of the AVR. Additionally, the digital signals will be passed through to the Digital Audio Outputs .
Tape Recording
In normal operation, the audio or video source selected for listening through the AVR is sent to the record outputs. This means that any program you are watching or listening to may be recorded simply by placing machines connected to the out-
puts for Tape Outputs | or Video 1 or | 2 | |
Outputs | in the record mode. |
| |
When a digital audio recorder is connected to any of the Digital Audio Outputs , you are able to record the digital signal using a
Front Panel In/Outputs
In addition to the rear panel digital outputs, the AVR offers Harman Kardon’s exclusive config- urable front panel output jack feature. For easy connection of portable devices, you may switch the front panel Digital Coax 3 jack Ó or the Video 4 jack Ô from an input to an output by following these steps:
1.Press the OSD button Lto view the
MASTER MENU (Figure 1).
2.Press the Set button Fto enter the IN/OUT SETUP menu (Figure 2).
3.Press the ¤ button Eso that the
4.Press either of the ‹/ › buttons Eso that the word OUT is highlighted.
5.Press the OSD button Lto exit the menus and return to normal operation.
Note that once the setting is made, the appropri- ate Input/Output Status Indicator ( will turn red, indicating that the selected analog or digital jacks are now an output, instead of in the default setting as an input. Once changed to an output, the setting will remain as long as the AVR is turned on, unless the setting is changed in the OSD menu system, as described above. Note, however, that once the AVR is turned off, the set- ting is cancelled. When the unit is turned on again, the front panel jacks will return to their normal default setting as an input. If you wish to use the jacks as an output at a future time, the setting must be changed again using the OSD menu system, as described above.
NOTES:
•The digital outputs are active only when a digital signal is present, and they do not convert an ana- log input to a digital signal, or change the format of the digital signal (e.g. Dolby Digital to PCM or vice versa, but coaxial digital signals are converted to optical signals and vice versa). In additon, the digital recorder must be compatible with the output signal. For example, the PCM digital output from a CD player may be recorded on a
•To make an analog recording from a digital source is possible, but only from a PCM source (not Dolby Digital or DTS) and correctly only with "Surround Off" mode (with any Surround mode only the L/R front signals will be fed to the record outputs).
OPERATION 35