Kompernass KH 6508, KH 6509 Decoder, Dolby Surround, Dolby Prologic, Dolby Digital ., Audio-CDs

This contrasts with the “Progressive Scan” format where all lines are shown each time, i.e. 60 frames or full pic- tures per second. This increases the over-all quality of the picture so that still pictures and text appear to be significantly sharper.

Decoder

The sound on DVDs featuring home cinema surround sound is stored in a coded form on the DVD. There are different coding formats for different purposes, e.g. AC-3 to reproduce Dolby Digital surround sound.

To reproduce coded sound the playback units (e.g. DVD Player) or the connected audio components (e.g. sur- round-sound units) must feature a so-called decoder to transform the coded signals into sound and music.

The Silvercrest KH 6508/KH6509 DVD-Player features an AC-3 decoder (for Dolby Digital 5.1 surround-sound sig- nals).

Dolby Surround

Dolby Surround is an analog sound signal that uses the two channels of a stereo sound signal to accommodate stereo sound information for another channel. A Dolby surround-sound decoder transforms the sound/music sig- nals and conducts them to two additional loudspeakers set up behind the listening point.

Dolby Prologic

Compared with the Dolby surround-sound format, Dolby Prologic uses another channel in the stereo signal, the co- called“Centre”channel. The corresponding centre speaker is positioned in the centre between the stereo speakers. The lowest sounds are supplied to a base speaker that is known as a “subwoofer”. The subwoofer can be posi- tioned at any point within a room. This is because the bass sounds reproduced by the subwoofer can hardly be accurately localised by the human ear.

Dolby Digital (.)

Dolby Digital, also known as AC3, is a digital sound for- mat for up to six separate audio channels. Most current DVDs store the sound in the so-called“Dolby Digital 5.1“ format where the “5” stands for the three front and two rear surround-sound channels, and the “1” for the bass channel.

DTS

DTS stands for “Digital Theatre System“ and defines one of the most common surround-sound formats for DVDs. As is the case with Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS uses three front and two rear surround-sound channels, as well as a bass channel.

What are PAL, NTSC and SECAM?

PAL

PAL is the abbreviation of “Phase Alternation Line“. PAL is the customary and most wide spread colour television standard in central and western Europe (with the excep- tion of France; see “SECAM”).

NTSC

NTSC stands for“National Television System Committee“ and is the colour television standard used primarily in the USA and Japan.

SECAM

NTSC stands for“National Television System Committee“ and is the colour television standard used primarily in the USA and Japan.

Audio-CDs

Audio-CDs only hold audio data. They are likewise avail- able in the 8 cm and 12 cm formats (diameter). Playback duration for their stored audio data is 20 minutes (8 cm format) and 74 minutes (12 cm format). Audio-CDs hold audio data in CDA format.

MP

MP3 defines a process or format for the compression of audio data developed by the Fraunhofer Institute. Music compressed in the MP3 format take up only a fraction of the original storage space so that far more music can be stored than on, for instance, CD-Rs/CD-RWs than on the normal commercial audio-CDs storing audio data in CDA format.

WMA

WMA (“Windows® Media Audio“) is a file format for audio data developed by Microsoft®.

Silvercrest KH 6508/KH 6509 