Harman-Kardon AVR 125 owner manual Operation, Digital Status Indicators, Night Mode

OPERATION

Digital Status Indicators

When a digital source is playing, the AVR 125 senses the type of bitstream data that is present. Using this information, the correct surround mode will automati- cally 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 or LDs, you may select any of the standard surround modes, such as Dolby Pro Logic II or Logic 7. Since the range of available surround modes is dependent on the type of digital data that is present, the AVR 125 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.

When a digital source is playing, a Bitstream Indicator A will light to show which type of signal is playing:

D: When the DOLBY D indicator lights, a Dolby Digital bitstream is being received. Depending on the settings on the source player and specific surround information and number of channels on the disc, a number of surround modes are possible. For discs with full 5.1 audio, only the Dolby Digital and VMAx modes are available. When the Dolby Digital signal is only two-channel, you may also select from the Logic 7 Cinema/Music, Hall 1/2, Theater, Dolby Pro Logic II Movies, Music or Emulation, or Dolby 3 Stereo modes. When the AVR 125 senses a 2.0-channel Dolby Digital signal, the unit will automatically select Dolby Pro Logic II as the surround processing mode, and both the Dolby Digital C and Dolby Pro Logic II

Dsurround-mode indicators will light in accordance with the requirements of Dolby Laboratories.

DTS: When the DTS indicator lights, a DTS bitstream 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 con- ventional compact disc and laser disc recordings. When a PCM bitstream is present, all modes except Dolby Digital and DTS are available.

When a high-resolution, 96kHz/24-bit PCM signal is detected, the name of the current source input fol- lowed by 96K, for example, DVD/96K, will be displayed in the Main Information Display F. This type of program material can be found on specially marked discs that were recorded using a higher sam- pling rate than the 44kHz or 48kHz typically used on compact discs. The Stereo-Digital (Surround Off) mode will be available to process a 96/24 signal. The Stereo-Analog mode will not be available since, by

definition, a 96/24 signal may be supplied only via a digital input.

In addition to the bitstream indicators, the AVR 125 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.

These indicators are the L/C/R/SL/SR/LFE letters that are inside the center boxes of the Speaker/Channel Input Indicators L in the front panel Main Information Display Û. When a standard analog signal is in use, only the “L” and “R” indicators will light, as analog signals have only left and right chan- nels, respectively.

Digital signals, however, may have two, five or six sep- arate channels, depending on the program material, the method of transmission and the way in which it was encoded. When a digital signal is playing, the let- ters in these indicators will light in response to the specific 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 pro- grams are encoded with 5.1 channels. 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 sound track 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 125. It is also possible for the type of signal feed to change during the course of a DVD playback. In some cases the previews of special mate- rial will only be recorded in 2.0 audio, while the main feature is available in 5.1 audio. As long as your DVD player is set for 6-channel output, the AVR 125 will automatically sense changes to the bitstream and channel count and reflect them in these indicators.

The letters used by the Speaker/Channel Input Indicators L also flash to indicate when a bitstream 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 paused. 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 125. This is normal, 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 dialogue intelligibility while reducing the minimum peak level 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 Dolby Digital signals with special data are being played.

The Night mode may be engaged when a Dolby Digital DVD is playing by pressing the Night Mode Button k on the remote. Next, press the ⁄/¤ Buttons mq to select either the middle range or maximum-compression versions of the Night mode. To turn the Night mode off, press the ⁄/¤ Buttons mq until the message in the Main Information Display F reads D-R Off. When the Night mode is active, the Night Mode Indicator K will also light.

IMPORTANT NOTES ON DIGITAL PLAYBACK:

1.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 Input Indicators L will flash. This is normal and does not indicate a problem with either the AVR 125 or the source machine. The AVR 125 will return to digital playback as soon as the data is available and when the machine is in a standard play mode.

2.Although the AVR 125 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 125.

3.Note that not all digitally encoded programs contain full 5.1-channel audio. Consult the program guide that accompanies the DVD or laser disc to deter- mine which type of audio has been recorded on the disc. The AVR 125 will automatically sense the type of digital surround encoding used and adjust to accommodate it.

4.When a digital source is playing, you may not be able to select some of the analog surround modes such as Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby 3 Stereo, Hall, Theater or Logic 7.

5.When a Dolby Digital or DTS source is playing, it is not possible to make an analog recording using the Tape ¢ and Video 1 Audio Outputs 31 . However, the digital signals will be passed through to the Optical fi and Coaxial fl Digital Audio Outputs.

24 OPERATION