Harman Kardon AVR 260 Owner's Manual

Also see for AVR 260: Service manual Specifications

Harman Kardon AVR 260 Owner's Manual Manual pdf 13 page image

13ENGLISHINSTALLATION AND CONNECTIONSAfter unpacking the unit, and placing it on a solid surface capable ofsupporting its weight, you will need to make the connections to your audioand video equipment.auDIo equIpment connectIonSThere are two formats for audio connections: digital and analog. Digital audiosignals are of higher quality, and are required for listening to sources encodedwith digital surround modes, such as Dolby Digital and DTS. There are threetypes of digital audio connections: HDMI, coaxial and optical. HD-DVD(R) orBlu-Ray(R) players with Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD, DTS-HD MasterAudio and DTS-HD require an HDMI connection for the transfer of digitalaudio. Any one type of digital audio connection may be used for other sourcedevices, but never more than one for the same source. However, it’s okayto make both analog and digital audio connections at the same time to thesame source.Since the AVR is capable of processing the audio and video portions of anHDMI signal, if your video display device has an HDMI input, you may make asingle HDMI connection from your source device (such as a DVD player) to theAVR. In that case no separate digital audio connection is required.We recommend that you use high-quality interconnect cables when makingconnections to source equipment and recorders to preserve the integrity ofthe signals.When making connections to audio source equipment or speakers it is alwaysa good practice to unplug the unit from the AC wall outlet. This prevents anypossibility of accidentally sending audio or transient signals to the speakersthat may damage them.HDmI connectionsHDMI™ is the abbreviation for High-Definition Multimedia Interface, whichis quickly becoming the standard connection point between advanced video/audio source products and displays, particularly for high-definition videosignals. HDMI is a digital connection, eliminating the need to convert signalsback and forth from digital to analog to deliver a higher quality signal whenused with digital sources. The signals carried on HDMI may, but do not always,include audio, offering the possibility of a complete one-wire connectionfrom a source to the AVR. However, it is important to note that there are anumber of different versions of the HDMI standard in use. Before connectingany HDMI products to your AVR, it is helpful to find out in advance their levelof HDMI connectivity.Some source or display components in your system may use DVI (Digital VideoInterface) for digital video connections. DVI carries the same digital videosignals as HDMI but uses a larger connector and does not transport audio orcontrol signals. In most cases, you may mix and match DVI and HDMI digitalvideo connections by using optional connector adapters. Note, however,that some DVI-equipped video displays are not compatible with the HDCPcopy protection coding that is increasingly carried with signals connectedvia HDMI. If you have an HDMI source and a DVI-equipped display, you mayoccasionally be unable to view a program if the display does not includeHDCP. This is not the fault of the AVR or your source; it simply indicates thatthe video display is not compatible.HDMI Input ConnectionsThe different “Version” levels of HDMI define which type of audio signals it iscompatible with. Based on the lowest level of HDMI among your sources, theconnections to the AVR should be made as follows:HDMI 1.0• sources carry digital video and multichannel or 2-channelPCM audio signals only. Connect the HDMI output of a 1.0 source to eitherof the HDMI Inputs a on the AVR. If the product is a DVD-Audio player orother source that has multichannel analog audio outputs, connect themto the 8-Channel Direct Inputs 9. With an HDMI 1.0 source, particularlya DVD player, make certain that the menus in the source device are setto “Bitstream Out” or “Original” so that 5.1 digital audio is available.If you find that 5.1 Dolby Digital or DTS audio is not available on theHDMI connection, it will be necessary to make an additional connectionbetween the source and the AVR 260 to either the Coaxial NJ or OpticalRH Digital Inputs.HDMI 1.1• sources carry the multichannel digital audio output fromDVD-Audio players in addition to the digital video. If you have an HDMI1.1-equipped product, the only connection needed for listening inthe main room is from the HDMI output of the source to either of theHDMI Inputs a on the AVR. If the player has SACD, HD-DVD or Blu-raycapability, you will need to connect the analog outputs of the source tothe 8-Channel Direct Inputs 9.HDMI 1.2• (and higher) sources should be connected as shown abovefor HDMI 1.1, except that a separate analog connection is not needed forSACD players.HDMI 1.3• sources should be connected as shown above for HDMI 1.1,except that a separate analog connection is not needed for SACD, HD-DVDor Blu-ray players.In addition, the AVR will convert analog video signals to the HDMI format,upscaling to high-definition 720p or 1080p resolution. You may view theAVR’s own on-screen display menus using the HDMI output.HDMI cable runs are usually limited to about 3 meters. The AVR incorporatesa repeater, which allows an additional 3 meters of cable between the sourcedevice and the video display.If your video display or source device is not HDMI-capable, you will needto use either a coaxial or optical digital audio connection and one of theanalog video connections (composite, S- or component video), if available, asdescribed in the next paragraphs.It is not possible to feed an analog composite or S-video signal to a•recorder when an HDMI input is in use. If an HDMI-equipped source alsohas analog audio and video outputs, connect them to the Video 2 or Video3 Video TY and Audio MS on the AVR.In some instances, HDMI-equipped sources will not permit more than one•video output at a time, and thus you cannot use the same source in themain listening room and with the recorder or remote zone at the sametime. This is not a fault of the AVR, but rather a function of the contentprotection systems that are part of the HDMI standard.