26 OPERATION
OPERATION
Surround Mode Selection
One of the most important features of the AVR 225
is its ability to reproduce a full multichannel surround
sound field from digital sources, analog matrix sur-
round-encoded programs and standard stereo pro-
grams. In all, a total of 16 listening modes are avail-
able on the AVR 225.
Selection of a surround mode is based on personal
taste, as well as the type of program source material
being used. For example, motion pictures or TV pro-
grams bearing the logo of one of the major surround-
encoding processes, such as Dolby Surround
®
*, DTS
Stereo
®
* or UltraStereo
™
* may be played in either
the Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II or Logic 7 Cinema
surround modes, depending on the source material.
NOTE: Once a program has been encoded with matrix
surround information, it retains the surround information
as long as the program is broadcast in stereo. Thus,
movies with surround sound may be decoded via any of
the analog surround modes such as Pro Logic II or
Logic 7, when they are broadcast via conventional TV
stations, cable, pay TV and satellite transmission. In addi-
tion, a number of made-for-television programs, sports
broadcasts, radio dramas and music CDs are also
recorded in surround sound. You may view a list of
these programs at www.dolby.com.
Even when a program is not listed as carrying intentional
surround information, you may find that the Pro Logic II,
Logic 7, VMAx and the Hall or Theater modes often
deliver enveloping surround presentations through the use
of the natural information present in all stereo recordings.
However, for stereo, but not surround programs, we sug-
gest that you experiment with the other modes.
Surround modes are selected using either the front-
panel controls or the remote. To select a surround
mode from the front panel, press the
Surround Mode
Selector
7 to scroll up or down through the list of
available modes. To select a surround mode using the
remote, press the
Surround Mode Selectorj and
then press the
⁄
/
¤
Buttons mq to change the
mode. As you press the buttons, the Surround mode
name will appear in the lower third of the on-screen
display and in the
Main Information Display S,
and an individual mode indicator will also light up
BC
DEGHI
. As the surround modes change, a
green LED will light next to the current mode in the
Surround Mode Indicators ˜ list on the front panel.
NOTE: The name of each Surround Mode will scroll
across the bottom of the on-screen display and
through the
Main Information Display S while the
modes are being selected. To avoid exiting from the
surround mode selection process, push the
▲
or
▼
Button mq while a mode name is still visible.
Note that the Dolby Digital and DTS modes may only
be selected when a digital input is in use. In addition,
when a digital source is present, the AVR 225 will
automatically select and switch to the correct mode
(Dolby Digital or DTS), regardless of the mode that has
been previously selected. For more information on
selecting digital sources, see the following section of
this manual.
To listen to a program in traditional two-channel stereo,
using the front-left and front-right speakers only (plus
the subwoofer if installed and configured), follow the
instructions shown above for using the remote until
SURR OFF appears in the Main Information
Display S. Note that the Stereo-Direct (Bypass) mode
may only be selected when an analog input is in use.
Digital Audio Playback
Digital audio is a major advancement over older analog
matrix surround systems. It delivers five discrete chan-
nels: left-front, center, right-front, left-surround and right-
surround. Each channel reproduces full frequency range
(20Hz to 20kHz) and offers dramatically improved
dynamic range and significant improvements to signal-to-
noise ratios. In addition, digital systems have the capa-
bility to deliver an additional channel that is specifically
devoted to low-frequency information. This is the “.1”
channel referred to when you see these systems
described as “5.1”. The bass channel is separate from the
other channels, but since it is intentionally bandwidth-limited,
sound designers have given it that unique designation.
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital (originally known as AC-3
®
*
) is a standard
part of the DVD format, and is also part of the new digital
broadcasting system and it is available with many satellite
receivers and some digital cable boxes, as well as with
specially encoded LD discs.
Note that an optional, external RF demodulator is
required to use the AVR 225 to listen to the Dolby
Digital soundtracks available on laser discs. Connect
the RF output of the LD player to the demodulator and
then connect the digital output of the demodulator to
the
Optical or Coaxial Inputs be#$ of the
AVR 225. No demodulator is required for use with
DVD players or DTS-encoded laser discs.
DTS
DTS is another digital audio system that is capable of
delivering 5.1 audio. Although both DTS and Dolby
Digital are digital, they use different methods of encod-
ing the signals, and thus they require different decoding
circuits to convert the digital signals back to analog.
DTS-encoded soundtracks are available on select DVD
and LD discs, as well as on special audio-only DTS
discs. You may use any LD or CD player equipped with
a digital output to play DTS-encoded discs with the
AVR 225. All that is required is to connect the player’s
output to either the
Optical or Coaxial input on the
rear panel
be or front panel #$.
In order to listen to DVDs encoded with DTS sound-
tracks, the DVD player must be compatible with the
DTS signal as indicated by a DTS logo on the player’s
front panel. Early DVD players may not be able to play
DTS-encoded DVDs. This does not indicate a problem
with the AVR 225, as some players cannot pass the
DTS signal through to the digital outputs. If you are in
doubt as to the capability of your DVD player to handle
DTS discs, consult the player’s owner’s manual. Please
note that some DVD players are shipped with their
output set for Dolby Digital only. To ensure that DTS
data is being sent to the AVR, please check the setup
menu system on your DVD player to make certain that
DTS data output is enabled.
Selecting a Digital Source
To utilize either digital mode you must have properly
connected a digital source to the AVR 225. Connect
the digital outputs from DVD players, HDTV receivers,
satellite systems or CD players to the
Optical or
Coaxial Inputs be#$. In order to provide a
backup signal and a source for analog stereo record-
ing, the analog outputs provided on digital source
equipment should also be connected to their appropri-
ate inputs on the AVR 225 rear panel (e.g., connect
the analog stereo audio output from a DVD to the
DVD Audio Inputs on the rear panel when you
connect the source’s digital outputs).
When playing a digital source such as DVD, first select
the input using the remote or front-panel controls as
described on page 17. Next, select the digital source
by pressing the
Digital Input Selector Button
pÚ and then using the
⁄
/
¤
Buttons mq
on the remote or the Selector Buttons 5 on the
front panel to
choose any of the optical or coaxial
inputs, as they appear in the Main Information
Display
S, the Digital Input Indicators UV or
the on-screen display. Alternatively, you may use the
INPUT SETUP menu (Figure 2) to select
among the digital or analog inputs as described on
pages 17–18. When the digital source is playing, the
AVR 225 will automatically detect whether it is a multi-
channel Dolby Digital or DTS source, or a conventional
PCM signal, which is the standard output from CD
players. A
Bitstream Indicator A will light in the
Main Information Display Û to confirm that the
digital signal is Dolby Digital, DTS or PCM.
