Arcam E-2 Multichannel Sources, Multichannel Source Modes, Thx Modes, For Dolby Digital Sources

The AV8 allows both Pro Logic and Pro Logic II decoding. Generally, you will find Pro Logic II performs better and gives a livelier, more realistic surround sound field.

DTS NEO:6 Cinema: A movie mode designed to reproduce a movie theatre environment with natural steering to all available surround speakers from a two-channel stereo or matrix encoded source.

DTS NEO:6 Music: A music mode designed to produce a lively yet high integrity surround effect from most two-channel music sources from all available speakers.

MULTICHANNEL SOURCES

Digital multichannel source material is normally provided as ‘5.1 audio’. The ‘5.1 channels’ comprise of: left, centre, and right front speakers, two surround speakers and a low frequency effects (LFE) channel. Since the LFE channel is not a full range channel, it is referred to as ‘.1’.

Surround systems decode and reproduce the 5.1 channels directly. THX Surround EX and DTS-ES enhanced decoding systems create one extra rear channel from information buried in the two surround signals of the 5.1 source. These EX and ES enhanced systems are sometimes referred to as ‘6.1’ systems. This extra surround back channel is normally reproduced through two separate loudspeakers, creating a ‘7.1 system’.

5.1 PLAYBACK ON 7.1 SPEAKER SYSTEMS

When listening to 5.1 channel digital recordings, such as Dolby Digital and DTS on a 7.1 channel speaker system you will have two speakers producing no sound. These two surround back speakers can be assigned the same signal as the surround speakers in the ‘Speaker Sizes’ page of the Setup Menu. When both the surround and surround back speakers are selected the volume from both will be reduced by 3 dB to keep the sound levels in balance.

MULTICHANNEL SOURCE MODES

The following modes are available for multichannel digital sources. Special modes like DTS-ES 6.1 Matrix and DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete are only available from the correct source material.

FOR DOLBY DIGITAL SOURCES

Dolby Digital 5.1

Dolby Digital 5.1 Stereo Downmix

Dolby Digital 5.1 Mono Downmix

FOR DTS SOURCES

DTS 5.1

DTS 5.1 Stereo Downmix

DTS 5.1 Mono Downmix

DTS-ES 6.1 Matrix

DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete

MODE DESCRIPTIONS

Dolby Digital 5.1:The most commonly used sound format for DVD video, and is also the standard for US digital television. Dolby Digital 5.1 sources deliver surround sound with five discrete full-range channels; left, centre, right, surround left, and surround right, plus a low frequency effects (LFE) channel.

DTS 5.1: Less common than the Dolby Digital format, but generally
recognised within the audio industry as being of superior sound quality.
DTS 5.1 delivers surround sound with five full range channels plus an
LFE channel.
DTS-ES 6.1 Matrix: This is a 6.1 channel format based on DTS
5.1. It has the sixth channel matrix encoded into the surround left
and surround right channels. The sixth channel is a surround centre	English
channel and is directed to the surround back left and surround back
right speakers.
DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete: This is a true discrete 6.1 channel sound
format, unlike DTS-ES 6.1 Matrix where the sixth (surround centre)
channel information is extracted from the two surround channels.
DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete mode operates only on sources with DTS-ES 6.1
Discrete audio encoding, e.g., certain DVD discs.
A list of available software titles with DTS-ES 6.1 Matrix and DTS-ES
6.1 Discrete titles can be found at www.dtsonline.com.

THX® MODES

THX processing offers additional performance benefits on top of the conventional decoding modes listed earlier.

THX is an exclusive set of technologies and standards established by the world-renowned film production company, Lucasfilm Ltd. THX grew from George Lucas’ personal desire to make your experience of the film soundtrack, in both movie theatres and in your home theatre, as faithful as possible to what the director intended.

Movie soundtracks are mixed in special movie theatres called dubbing stages and are designed to be played back in movie theatres with similar equipment and conditions. This same soundtrack is then transferred directly onto DVD, Laserdisc, VHS tape, etc., and is not changed for playback in a small home theatre environment.

THX engineers developed patented technologies to translate accurately the sound from the movie theatre environment into the home, correcting the tonal and spatial errors that would otherwise occur.

A full explanation of THX technologies is provided in the section ‘About THX Cinema Processing’. Available THX modes are:

THX Cinema

THX Cinema mode provides the additional processing required for the optimal presentation of movies in the home.

In Surround reproduction, this mode provides Re-Equalisation™, Timbre Matching™ and Adaptive Decorrelation™ as necessary to all channels.

In Two-channel reproduction, this mode provides Re- Equalisation™ of the left and right channels.

In Mono reproduction, this mode provides Re-Equalisation™of the mono signal.

THX Ultra2 Cinema

THX Ultra2 Cinema mode plays 5.1 movies using all 7.1 speakers giving you the best possible movie watching experience. In this mode, ASA (Advanced Speaker Array)™ processing blends the surround speakers and surround back speakers providing the optimal mix of ambient and directional surround sounds. See ‘About THX Cinema Processing’ for more information.

DTS-ES (6.1 Matrix and 6.1 Discrete) and Dolby Digital Surround EX encoded soundtracks will be detected automatically if the appropriate flag has been encoded on the DVD.

Some Dolby Digital Surround EX soundtracks are missing the digital flag that allows automatic switching. If you know that the movie that you are watching is encoded in Surround EX, you can select the THX Surround EX playback mode manually.

E-25