Harman Kardon AVR 135 Owners Manual - Page 26

OPERATION one surround back speaker to it. It will automatically combine the left and right surround back channel information, and output it through the single surround back speaker, if you have configured that speaker using the SPEAKER SETUP menu (Figure 6 on page 18). When a standard analog signal is in use, only the "L" and "R" indicators will light, as analog signals have only left and right channels. Digital signals, however, may have two, five, six or seven channels, depending on the program material, the method of transmission and the way in which it was encoded. When a digital signal is playing, the letters in these indicators will light in response to the specific signal being received. It is important to note that although Dolby Digital, for example, is referred to as a "5.1" system, not all Dolby Digital DVDs or programs are encoded for 5.1. Thus, it is sometimes normal for a DVD with a Dolby Digital soundtrack to trigger only the "L" and "R" indicators. NOTE: Many DVD discs are recorded with both "5.1" and "2.0" versions of the same soundtrack. When playing a DVD, always be certain to check the type of material on the disc. Most discs show this information in the form of a listing or icon on the back of the disc jacket. When a disc does offer multiple soundtrack choices, you may have to make some adjustments to your DVD player (usually with the "Audio Select" button or in a menu screen on the disc) to send a full 5.1 feed to the AVR 135. It is also possible for the type of signal feed to change during the course of a DVD playback. In some cases, the previews of special material will only be recorded in 2.0 audio, while the main feature is available in 5.1 audio. The AVR 135 will automatically sense changes to the bitstream and channel count and reflect them in these indicators. The letters used by the Speaker/Channel Input Indicators ˆ also flash to indicate when a bitstream has been interrupted. This will happen when a digital input source is selected before the playback starts, or when a digital source such as a DVD is paused. The flashing indicators remind you that the playback has stopped due to the absence of a digital signal and not through any fault of the AVR 135. This is normal, and the digital playback will resume once the playback is started again. Night Mode A special feature of Dolby Digital is the Night mode, which enables specially encoded Dolby Digital input sources to be played back with full digital intelligibility while reducing the minimum peak level by 1/4 to 1/3. This prevents abruptly loud transitions from disturbing others, without reducing the impact of the digital source. The Night mode is available only when Dolby Digital signals with special data are being played. The Night mode may be engaged when a Dolby Digital DVD is playing by pressing the Night Mode Button l on the remote. Next, press the ⁄/¤ Buttons n to select either the middle range or full compression versions of the Night mode. To turn the Night mode off, press the ⁄/¤ Buttons n until the message in the lower third of the video display and in the Lower Display Line ¯ reads D-RANGE OFF. The Night mode may also be selected to always be on at either level of compression using the options in the DOLBY menu. See page 17 for information on using the menus to set this option. IMPORTANT NOTES ON DIGITAL PLAYBACK: • When the digital playback source is stopped, or in a pause, fast-forward or chapter-search mode, the digital audio data will momentarily stop, the channel position letters inside the Speaker/ Channel Input Indicators ˆ will flash, and the UNLOCK message will appear in the Lower Display Line ¯. This is normal and does not indicate a problem with either the AVR 135 or the source machine. The AVR 135 will return to digital playback as soon as the data is available and when the machine is in a standard play mode. • Although the AVR 135 will decode virtually all current DVD movies, CDs and HDTV sources, it is possible that some future digital sources may not be compatible with the AVR 135. • Not all digitally encoded programs contain full 5.1or 6.1-channel audio. Consult the program guide that accompanies the DVD or laser disc to determine which type of audio has been recorded on the disc. The AVR 135 will automatically sense the type of digital surround encoding used and adjust to accommodate it. • When some digital sources are playing, you may not be able to select some of the analog surround modes such as Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby 3, Stereo, Hall, Theater or Logic 7. • When a Dolby Digital or DTS source is playing, it is not possible to make an analog recording using the Tape Outputs £ and Video 1 Audio Outputs j. However, the digital signals will be passed through to the Digital Audio Outputs fl‡. PCM Audio Playback PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) is the noncompressed digital audio system used for compact discs and laser discs. The digital circuits in the AVR 135 are capable of high-quality digital-to-analog decoding, and they may be connected directly to the digital audio output of your CD or LD player. Connections may be made to either the rear-panel Optical or Coaxial Inputs ·c or the front-panel Digital Inputs *(. To listen to a PCM digital source, first select the input for the desired source (e.g., CD). Next press the Digital Select Button #q and then use the ⁄/¤ Buttons n on the remote, or the ‹/› Selector Buttons ) on the front panel, until the desired choice appears in the Upper Display Line ˜. During PCM playback, you may select any Surround mode except Dolby Digital or DTS. Tuner Operation The AVR 135's tuner is capable of tuning AM, FM and FM Stereo broadcast stations. Stations may be tuned manually, or they may be stored as favorite station presets and recalled from a 30-position memory. Station Selection 1. Press the AM/FM Tuner Select Button g on the remote to select the tuner as an input. The tuner may be selected from the front panel by either pressing the Input Source Selector ^ until the tuner is active or by pressing the Tuner Band Selector !. 2. Press the AM/FM Tuner Select Button g or Tuner Band Selector ! again to switch between AM and FM so that the desired frequency band is selected. 3. Press the Tuner Mode Button & s to select manual or automatic tuning. When the button is pressed so that AUTO appears in the Lower Display Line ¯ each press of the Tuning Selectors 9u will put the tuner in a scan mode that seeks the next higher or lower frequency station with acceptable signal strength. An AUTO ST TUNED indication will momentarily appear when the station stops at a stereo FM station, and an AUTO TUNED indication will momentarily appear when an AM or monaural FM station is tuned. Press the Tuning buttons again to scan to the next receivable station. When the button is pressed so that MANUAL appears in the Lower Display Line ¯ each tap of the Selector will increased or decrease the frequency by one increment. When the tuner receives a strong enough signal for adequate reception, MANUAL TUNED will appear in the Lower Display Line ¯. 4. Stations may also be tuned directly in either the automatic or manual mode. To enter a station's frequency directly, first select the AM or FM band as desired be pressing the AM/FM Tuner Select Button g. Next, press the Direct Button t. 26 OPERATION