Harman-Kardon AVR 8500 Operation, Dolby Digital Surround EX, rear panel, PCM Audio Playback

Operation

Dolby Digital

Dolby Digital (originally known as AC-3®) is a standard part of DVD, and is available on specially encoded LD discs and satellite broadcasts and it is a part of the new high-definition television (HDTV) system.

Dolby Digital Surround EX

Dolby Digital Surround EX is an enhanced encod- ing that was developed to provide the sound mixer greater opportunities for the placement of sounds to the rear as well as the sides of the lis- tener, while THX Surround EX processing is the decoding scheme to correctly decode a Dolby Digital Surround EX encoded movie. For more info on Dolby Digital and Surround EX formats see table on page 30.

Note that an optional, external RF demodulator is required to use the AVR to listen to the Dolby Digital sound tracks available on laser discs.

Connect the RF output of the LD player to the demodulator and then connect the digital output of the demodulator to the Optical or Coaxial inputs *Óof the AVR. No demodulator is required for use with DVD players or DTS- encoded laser discs.

DTS

DTS is another digital audio system that is capa- ble of delivering 5.1 channel audio or 6.1 matrix or discrete channel sound (DTS ES, for more info see table page 30). Although both DTS and Dolby Digital are digital, they use different meth- ods of encoding the signals, and thus they require different decoding circuits to convert the digital signals back to analog.

DTS-encoded sound tracks are available on select DVD and LD discs, as well as on special audio- only DTS CDs. You may use any LD, DVD or CD player equipped with a digital output to play DTS-encoded special audio-only CDs with the AVR, but DTS-LDs can be played on LD players and DTS-DVDs on DVD players only. All that is required is to connect the player’s digital output to either the Optical or Coaxial input on the

rear panel or front panel *Ó.

In order to listen to DVDs encoded with DTS sound tracks, the DVD player must be compatible with the DTS signal as indicated by a DTS logo on the player’s front panel. Note that early DVD players may not be able to play DTS- encoded DVDs. This does not indicate a problem with the AVR, as some players cannot pass the DTS signal through to the digital outputs. If you are in doubt as to the capability of your DVD player to handle DTS DVDs, consult the player’s owner’s manual.

Please note that some DVD players are shipped with their output set for Dolby Digital only. To insure that DTS data is being sent to the AVR, please check the setup menu system on your DVD player to make certain that DTS data output is enabled.

PCM Audio Playback

PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) is the non- com- pressed digital audio system used for compact discs, Non-Dolby Digital/DTS Laserdiscs and some special PCM encoded DVDs. It is also the format used as an output by audio transcoders such as the Harman Kardon DAL 150. The digital circuits in the AVR are capable of high quality digital-to- analog decoding, and they may be connected directly to the digital audio output of your CD/DVD or LD player (LD only for PCM or DTS programs, for Dolby Digital laser discs an RF adapter is needed, see ”Dolby Digital” above).

Connections may be made to either the Optical

or Coaxial inputs on the rear panel or the front panel Digital Inputs *Ó.

To listen to a PCM digital source, first select the input for the desired source (e.g., CD) to feed its video signal (if any) to the TV monitor and to provide its analog audio signal for recording. Next press the Digital Select button ÛG and then use the ⁄/ ¤ buttons Don the remote, or the Selector buttons 7$on the front panel, until the desired choice appears in the Main Information Display ˆ, then press the Set button Fto confirm the choice.

When a PCM source is playing, the green LED will light next to the DIGITAL indication in the Surround Mode/Bitstream Indicators ¯. During PCM playback you may select any sur- round mode except Dolby Digital or DTS. When an HDCD encoded disc is being played (see below) and the CD player is connected to the AVR via a digital connection, select Surround Off as the Surround mode to enjoy the benefits of the HDCD process.

HDCD

HDCD, which stands for High Definition Compatible Digital®, is a sophisticated process that enables the AVR to deliver outstanding digi- tal-to-analog decoding of PCM signals from any DVD or CD player, connected to a digital input on the AVR even when normal, non-HDCD-compati- ble players are used (only a digital output is needed).

When a CD with the HDCD recording is played, the AVR is able to take advantage of the special recording process that is used in the creation of HDCD disc. The special circuitry enables audio with extraordinary fidelity, stunning resolution and the highest possible overall quality.

As long as a digital input and the pure Stereo mode (Surround Off) are selected, the AVR will automatically sense that it is an HDCD recording and the green LED next to the letters HDCD will light on the front panel to remind you that an HDCD disc is playing.

It is important to note that the HDCD process is completely compatible with standard recordings. Indeed, the high-quality digital-to-analog circuitry that is part of HDCD and the HDCD decoder chip, replacing the monolithic digital filters used in conventional DACs, will enable enhanced performance also with normal, non-HDCD encoded program material.

MP3 Audio Playback

The AVR 8500 is one of the few A/V receivers to provide on-board decoding for the MP3 audio format used on specific computer audio files. By offering MP3 decoding, the AVR is able to deliver more precise conversion of the digital signals to an analog output, along with the benefits of lis- tening to MP3 audio through the AVR’s high cur- rent amplifier and the speakers from your sur- round system, rather than the smaller speakers and low powered amplifiers typically used with computers.

To take advantage of the AVR’s MP3 capabilities, simply connect the digital (SPDIF) output of a computer sound card able to feed the MP3 for- mat to its digital output, to either the rear panel

Digital Inputs or the front panel Digital Inputs *Ó. When the digital MP3 signal is received, the green LED next to the MP3 indica- tion in the Surround Mode Indicators ¯, will light and the audio will begin playing.

NOTES:

•The AVR is only capable of playing signals in the MP3 (MPEG 1/Layer 3) format. It is not com- patible with other computer audio codecs.

•The MP 3 DSP mode found in the new

AVR requires an MP3 SPDIF stream. Presently, only a few units provide this but in the coming generations of motherboards and operating sys- tem updates this will follow, since SPDIF is the standard for audio & video hardware.

, HDCD®, High Definition Compatible Digital® and Pacific Microsonics™ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Pacific Microsonics, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. HDCD System manufactured under license from Pacific Microsonics, Inc.

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