Terminology
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.
With the arrival of DVD, disc data capacity has increased dramatically. On a DVD Video disc most of this capacity is taken up by MPEG 2 video and the multichannel movie soundtrack in Dolby Digital and/or DTS.
This information is compressed.
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, that’s why the ratio is called ”4:3”. 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 to play back in either format, depending on the features recorded on a disc.
High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI): HDMI has emerged as the digital standard for connecting High Definition devices, displays and components, and provides for the pristine transmission of high-definition digital video and digital audio via a single cable. HDMI is the first and only digital interface for Consumer Electronics devices that can carry uncompressed high-definition video, compressed or uncompressed multi-channel audio and com- mand data, allowing customers to obtain pure digital picture and sound directly from the source (as it was meant to be seen and heard).
USB On-The-Go:Due to its widespread acceptance, USB is becoming the de facto industry standard for connecting peripherals to PCs and laptops. Many of the new peripherals using USB are also portable devices.
As these portable devices increase in popularity, there is a growing need for them to communi- cate directly with each other when a PC is not available, for instance in consumer electronics products. The USB On-The-Go technology addresses this need for mobile interconnectivity.
Title: For a DVD, a title is defined as an entire movie or program. There can 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.
Chapter: DVD programs are divided into chapters and titles. Chapters are the sub-sections programmed into a single title on a disc. Chapters may be compared to the individual tracks on an audio CD.
RGB Video: This is a new form of video signal that eliminates many of the artifacts of tradition- al composite video signals by splitting the signal into the three fundamental colors Red, Green and Blue (RGB). With an RGB connection (via SCART), you will see greater picture resolution and eliminate many picture imperfections such as the moiré patterns often seen on checkered patterned cloths. However, in order to benefit from RGB video, you must have a video display with an RGB compatible SCART input.
Progressive scan: DVD offers progressive scan video outputs for use with compatible high-reso- lution televisions and projectors. Before DVD, no consumer medium could store, transmit or display video with full resolution. To conserve bandwidth, analog compression (interlacing) is employed: first the odd-numbered lines of a frame are displayed, followed by the even-numbered lines. The result is that only half of the video image is drawn at one time; the viewer's brain must reassemble the complete image. This is acceptable, if the monitor is not too large and if there is not too much motion in the image. Large displays and fast-mov- ing images reveal the limitations of this system. Thanks to DVD's immense data capacity, images are now stored intact (progressively), so that all the lines in each frame (odd and even) are shown at the same time. But because most TV's cannot handle a progressive signal, all current DVD players generate an interlaced output for compatibility. Now, the Harman Kardon DVD is among the select few DVD players with true progressive scan video output (NTSC and PAL) for use with compatible TV's and CRT projectors and with all plasma, LCD and DLP display devices via the component video output. The result is 40% greater light output than a conventional TV and a stunningly detailed high definition image, along with an almost complete absence of visible scanlines and motion artifacts. Of course, traditional Y/Pr/Pb component video, SCART, S-Video and composite video outputs are included for use with conventional televisions and projectors.
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 viewing angles.
Reading: This is a message that you will see after you´ve loaded the disc and the tray has closed. It refers to the fact that the player must first examine the contents of the disc to see if 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 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, however, you have two options when playing DVD discs. Pressing Stop once will stop 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.
In resume mode, the cover of the DVD will be displayed, if available. Otherwise, the Harman Kardon screen will appear.
DivX
DivX is the name of a revolutionary new video codec which is based on the MPEG-4 compres- sion standard for video. This DVD player will play- back discs created with DivX software. The DVD player’s playback functionalities of DivX video discs will vary depending on the DivX software version used for creating your movies.
For more information about the different software versions of DivX, please go to www.divx.com
