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When DS-OFF appears as a message, it indicates that there is no
Dolby Surround data flag in the audio bitstream. Similarly, EX-OFF
indicates that there is no Dolby Digital EX data flag. In the case of
a
DS-OFF message, you may manually select a Dolby Pro Logic mode
to add a multichannel presentation to the stereo material. In the
case of the EX-OFF message, when your system is configured for
surround back speakers, you may manually select Dolby Digital EX
as the processing mode to add rear surround speakers to the
sound field.
It is always a good idea to check the channel data to make certain
that it matches the audio logo information shown on the back of a
DVD package. In some cases, you will see an indication for “2/0/0”
even when the disc contains a full 5.1, or 3/2/.1, signal. When this
happens, check the audio output settings for your DVD player or
the audio menu selections for the specific disc being played, to be
sure that the player is sending the correct signal to the AVR.
An
UNLOCK message may appear in the AVR Lower Display Line .
This is your indication that the digital audio data stream has been
interrupted or is no longer present. When that occurs, the unit’s
digital signal processor has no signal to lock onto, and is thus
“unlocked.” You may see this message when a DVD is first started,
until the stream is playing and the processor determines which
mode to apply; or any time the data stream is stopped or paused,
such as when the menus of some discs are displayed or when the
player is switching between the different sections of a disc.
You may also see the message when a satellite receiver, cable set-top
or HDTV tuner is in use, if the digital audio is temporarily interrupted
when channels are changed or when a cable box switches from a
channel with a digital data stream to a channel with analog audio
only. The
UNLOCK message is normal, and does not indicate any
problem with your receiver. Rather, it tells you that the incoming
data has simply been paused or is not present for a variety of possi-
ble reasons.
PCM Playback
PCM is the abbreviation for pulse code modulation, which is the
type of digital signal used for standard CD playback, and other
non-Dolby Digital and non-DTS digital sources such as Minidisc.
When a PCM signal is detected, the AVR
Lower Display Line
will briefly show a message with the letters PCM, in addition to a
readout of the sampling frequency of the digital signal. In most
cases, this will be PCM 44.1kHz or PCM 48kHz, though in the case
of specially mastered, high-resolution audio discs, you will see a
PCM 96kHz indication. Note that the sampling rate displayed is
that of the incoming digital signal, and not the upsampled rate
that may be applied to PCM sources when Dolby Pro Logic,
Pro Logic II or Pro Logic IIx processing is applied, as described
in
AVR21EN Configuration/Audio Mode.
During PCM playback you may select any surround mode except
one of the Dolby Digital or DTS/DTS-ES modes. However, when a
CD with HDCD encoding is being played you must select the
Surround Off (stereo) mode to take advantage of the HDCD
process.
HDCD Playback
High Definition Compatible Digital,
®
or HDCD, discs are recorded
using a 20-bit encoding and other proprietary processing for the
ultimate in CD listening. When an HDCD-encoded disc is playing
Main Room Operation
and the CD player is connected using a digital connection, the
AVR21EN will automatically recognize the HDCD encoding and
activate the circuits required for proper playback, provided that
the Surround Off mode is selected. An HDCD message will appear
in the AVR
Lower Display Line to confirm the HDCD playback.
HDCD playback is limited to two-channel stereo only.
Speaker/Channel Indicators
In addition to the bitstream indicators, the AVR21EN features
channel-input indicators that show how many channels of digital
information are being received and/or whether the digital signal
is interrupted.
Figure 157.
Speaker/Channel Input Indicators
These indicators are the L/C/R/LFE/SL/SR/SBL/SBR letters that are
inside the center boxes of the
Speaker/Channel Input Indicators
on the front panel. 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 may have two, five, six or seven channels, depend-
ing on the program material, its 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 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 nor-
mal 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,”
and Dolby Digital and DTS 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 using icons on the back
of the disc jacket. When a disc offers 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) to send
a full 5.1 feed to the AVR21EN or to select between Dolby Digital
or DTS. It is also possible for the type of signal feed to change
during the course of a DVD’s playback. In some cases, the previews
or special material will be recorded in 2.0 audio, while the main
feature is available in 5.1 audio. The AVR21EN will automatically
sense changes to the bitstream and channel count, and reflect
them in these indicators.
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