Operation
In addition, you will need to have a media player installed on the computer. The AVR has been tested for operation with Windows Media Player® Version 8.0 and above, but it is also compatible with many other popular players such as iTunes®, WinAmp® and Real Player®. In most cases, it is best to always make certain that you have the latest version of the player installed to ensure the best compatibility.
When the connection between a computer and the AVR is made for the first time, or if the USB connection is plugged into a different USB jack on a computer or hub that has not been previously connected to the AVR, you will see a series of
Before selecting the USB input, first make certain that one of the media players listed above has been opened on the computer. Then you may select the USB input in any of the following ways:
•To select USB as a source from the front panel, press the Input Source Selector Button % until USB appears as the input name in the Upper Display Line ˜ and in the
•To select USB as the input using the main remote press the Input Selector 4 with DMP printed on the button twice.
•To select USB as an input using the ZR 10 remote, press the USB Input Selector D.
When the USB input is selected and the AVR is connected to a compatible computer with one of the media players mentioned above open, you may then use either remote's transport controls to start and stop playback, as well as move to the next track. Activity of the Transport buttons may vary from one media player to another, but at the very least you will be able to use the Play and Stop buttons. You may also control the media player on a connected computer using the Transport Controls P on the ZR 10 remote.
Once playback is started, the audio from a USB source is treated the same as any other two- channel audio source, and you may apply any of the appropriate surround processing modes. When playing back audio from a computer via the USB connection, the internal speakers in a laptop computer are often muted.
Speaker/Channel Indicators
In addition to the Bitstream Indicators, the AVR features a set of unique
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 Ú in the front panel Main Information Display ˜. When a standard analog stereo or matrix surround signal is in use, only the “L” and “R” indicators will light, as analog signals have only left and right channels.
Digital signals, however, may have one, two, five, six or seven separate 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 letters 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 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 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
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 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 digital intelligibilty while reducing the maximum peak level and lifting 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 B on the remote. Next, press the ⁄/¤ buttons E to 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 27 for information on using the menus to set this option.
