Harman Kardon AVR 7000 Owner's Manual

Also see for AVR 7000: Brochure Test report Owner's manual Specifications Service manual

27 OPERATIONOperationprograms and standard stereo programs. In all,a total of ten listening modes are available onthe AVR 7000.Selection of a surround mode is based on per-sonal taste, as well as the type of programsource material being used. For example, motionpictures or TV programs bearing the logo of oneof the major surround encoding processes, suchas Dolby Surround, DTS Stereo or UltraStereo††may be played in either the Dolby Digital, DolbyPro Logic or Logic 7 Cinema surround modesdepending on the source material.NOTE: Once a program has been encoded withmatrix surround information, it retains the sur-round information as long as the program isbroadcast in stereo. Thus, movies with surroundsound may be decoded via any of the analogsurround modes such as Pro Logic or Logic 7,when they are broadcast via conventional TVstations, cable, pay TV and satellite transmission.In addition, a growing number of made-for-tele-vision programs, sports broadcasts, radio dramasand music CDs are also recorded in surroundsound. You may view a list of these programsat the Dolby Laboratories Web site atwww.dolby.com.When a program is not listed as carrying inten-tional surround information, you may find thatthe Pro Logic, Dolby 3 Stereo, Logic 7 and VMAxmodes often deliver enveloping surround presen-tations through the use of the natural informa-tion present in all stereo recordings. However, forstereo, but nonsurround programs, we suggestthat you try the Logic 7, VMAx, 2 Hall or Theatermodes.Surround modes are selected using either thefront panel controls or the remote. To select asurround mode from the front panel, press theSurround Mode Selector 7 to scrollthrough the list of available modes. To select asurround mode using the remote, press theSurround Mode Selector , and thenpress the ⁄ / ¤ buttons g to change themode. As you press the buttons, the Surroundmode name will appear in the MainInformation Display W, and an individualmode indicator will also light up B D G HI J K. As the surround modes change, agreen LED will light next to the current mode inthe Surround Mode Indicators list ı onthe front panel.Note that the Dolby Digital or DTS modes mayonly be selected when a digital input is in use.In addition, when a digital source is present,the AVR 7000 will automatically select andswitch to the correct mode (Dolby Digital orDTS), regardless of the mode that has been pre-viously selected. For more information on select-ing digital sources, see the following section ofthis manual.To listen to a program in traditional two channelstereo, using the front left and front right speak-ers only (plus the subwoofer if installed andconfigured), follow the instructions shown abovefor using the remote until SURR OFFappears in the Main Information DisplayW.Digital Audio PlaybackDigital audio is a major advancement over pastsystems such as Dolby Pro Logic . It delivers fivediscrete channels: left front, center, right front, leftsurround and right surround. Each channel repro-duces full frequency range (20Hz to 20kHz) andoffers dramatically improved dynamic range andsignificant improvements to signal-to-noise ratios.In addition, digital systems have the capability todeliver an additional channel that is specificallydevoted to low frequency information. This is the“.1” channel referred to when you see thesesystems descibed as “5.1”. The bass channel isseparate from the other channels, but since it isintentionally bandwidth limited, sound designershave given it that unique designation.Dolby DigitalDolby Digital (originally known as AC-3 ®) isavailable on DVD, and specially encoded LD discsand satellite broadcasts and is a part of the newhigh definition television (HDTV) system.Note that an optional, external RF demodulatoris required to use the AVR 7000 to listen to theDolby Digital sound tracks available on laserdiscs. Connect the RF output of the LD player tothe demodulator and then connect the digitaloutput of the demodulator to the the Opticalor Coaxial inputs °· of the AVR 7000. Nodemodulator is required for use with DVDplayers or DTS-encoded laser discs.DTSDTS is another digital audio system that iscapable of delivering 5.1 audio. Although bothDTS and Dolby Digital are digital, they use dif-ferent methods of encoding the signals, andthus they require different decoding circuits toconvert the digital signals back to analog.DTS-encoded sound tracks are available onselect DVD and LD discs, as well as on specialaudio-only DTS discs. You may use any LD orCD player equipped with a digital output toplay DTS-encoded discs with the AVR 7000. Allthat is required is to connect the player’s outputto either the Optical or Coaxial input on therear panel °·.In order to listen to DVDs encoded with DTSsound tracks, the DVD player must be compati-ble with the DTS signal as indicated by a DTSlogo on the player’s front panel. Note that earlyDVD players may not be able to play DTS-encoded DVDs. This does not indicate a prob-lem with the AVR 7000, as some players cannotpass the DTS signal through to the digital out-puts. If you are in doubt as to the capability ofyour DVD player to handle DTS discs, consultthe player’s owner’s manual.Selecting a Digital SourceTo utilize either digital mode you must haveproperly connected a digital source to theAVR 7000. Connect the digital outputs fromDVD players, HDTV receivers, satellite systemsor CD players to the Optical or Coaxial inputson the rear panel °·. In order to provide abackup signal and a source for analog stereorecording, the analog outputs provided on digi-tal source equipment should also be connectedto their appropriate inputs on the AVR 7000rear panel (e.g., connect the analog stereoaudio output from a DVD to the DVD inputs jon the rear panel when you connect thesource’s digital outputs).When playing a digital source such as DVD, firstselect the input using the remote or front panelcontrols as outlined in this manual. Next, selectthe digital source by pressing the DigitalInput Selector button k and then usingthe ⁄/¤ buttons g on the remote or theSelector buttons 5 on the front panel tochoose either of the two OPTICAL orCOAXIAL inputs, as they appear in theMain Information Display W or on-screendisplay. When the digital source is playing, theAVR 7000 will automatically detect whether itis a multichannel Dolby Digital or DTS source,or a conventional PCM signal, which is thestandard output from CD players. A BitstreamIndicator A will light in the InformationDisplay Ò to confirm that the digital signal isDolby Digital, PTS or PCM.Digital Status IndicatorsWhen a digital source is playing, the AVR 7000senses the type of bitstream data that is pres-ent. Using this information, the correct sur-round mode will automatically be selected. For31