JBL AVR480 manual Digital Audio Playback, Dolby Digital

Surround modes are selected using either the front-panel controls or the remote. To select a surround mode from the front panel, repeatedly press the Surround Mode Selector 7 to scroll through the list of available modes. To select a sur- round mode using the remote, press the Surround Mode Selector9, and then press the ⁄ / ¤ Buttons C to change the mode. As you press the buttons, the Surround mode name will appear in the Main Information Display K, and an individual mode indicator will also light up C D F H I. Any time a sur- round mode is changed, it remains associated with the input just selected until another choice is made.

NOTE: The name of each Surround Mode will scroll through the Main Information Display K while the modes are being selected. To avoid exiting from the sur- round mode selection process, be certain to push the ⁄ / ¤ Buttons C while a mode name is still visible.

Note that the Dolby Digital or DTS modes may only be selected when a digital input is in use. In addition, when a digital source is present, the AVR480 will auto- matically select and switch to the correct mode (Dolby Digital or DTS), regardless of the mode that has been previously selected. For more information on select- ing digital sources, see the following sec- tion of this manual.

To listen to a program in traditional two- channel stereo, using the front left and front right speakers only (plus the sub- woofer if installed and configured), follow the instructions shown above for using the remote until SURR OFF appears in the Main Information Display K.

Digital Audio Playback

Digital audio is a major advancement over older analog matrix surround sys- tems. It delivers five discrete channels: left front, center, right front, left surround and right surround. Each channel repro- duces full frequency range (20Hz to 20kHz) and offers dramatically improved dynamic range and significant improve- ments to signal-to-noise ratios. In addi- tion, digital systems have the capability to deliver an additional channel that is specifically devoted to low-frequency information. This is the “.1” channel referred to when you see these systems descibed as “5.1.” The bass channel is separate from the other channels, but since it is intentionally bandwidth-limited, sound designers have given it that unique designation.

Dolby Digital

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

Note that an optional, external RF demodulator is required to use the AVR480 to listen to the Dolby Digital soundtracks 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 Input of the AVR480. No demodulator is required for use with DVD players or DTS-encoded laser discs.

DTS

DTS is another digital audio system that is capable of delivering 5.1 audio. Although both DTS and Dolby Digital are digital, they use different methods of encoding the signals, and thus they require different decoding circuits to con- vert the digital signals back to analog.

DTS-encoded soundtracks 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 AVR480, 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 output to either the Optical or Coaxial

Input on the rear panel.

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