AVR 200 (serv.man7) - Harman Kardon Audio User Guide / Operation Manual. Page 22

OPERATION  21

DOLBY DIGITAL

Available only with digital input sources encoded with Dolby Digital data. It provides 

Center: 0 ms – 5 ms

up to five separate main audio channels and a special dedicated Low-Frequency Effects

Surround: 0 ms – 15 ms

channel.

DOLBY PRO LOGIC

The standard mode for analog surround-sound decoding. It uses information encoded 

15 ms – 30 ms

in a two-channel stereo recording to produce four distinct outputs: Left, Center, Right and 

Initial Setting = 20 ms

a Mono Surround channel. Use this mode for accurate reproduction of programs bearing 
the Dolby Surround, DTS Stereo, UltraStereo or other “Surround” logos. Surround-encoded
programs include videocassette, DVD and LD movies, TV and cable programs, radio 
programs and audio CDs. Dolby Pro Logic processing may also be used to provide a
pleasing surround effect with some stereophonic source material that does not carry
surround encoding.

DOLBY 3 STEREO

Uses the information contained in a surround-encoded or two-channel stereo program to 

No surround channels

create center-channel information. In addition, the information that is normally sent to the
rear-channel surround speakers is carefully mixed in with the front-left and front-right 
channels for increased realism. Use this mode when you have a center-channel speaker 
but no surround speakers.

HALL 

This mode is designed for use with mono or stereo recordings and provides a sound-field

Fixed delay, not adjustable

effect that simulates the complex combination of direct and reflected sounds that 
create the rich reverberant atmosphere of a concert hall.

THEATER

This mode uses matrix surround decoding to simulate a standard movie or 

Fixed delay, not adjustable

stage theater with mono or standard stereo recordings.

STEREO

This mode turns off all surround processing and presents the pure left- and right-

No surround channels

channel presentation of two-channel stereo programs,
bypassing all digital signal processors.

Night Mode
A special feature of Dolby Digital is the Night
mode, which enables Dolby Digital sources to be
played back with full digital intelligibility while
reducing the maximum peak level by 

1

/

4

to 

1

/

3

.

This prevents abruptly loud transitions from dis-
turbing others without reducing the impact of
the digital source. The Night mode is available
only when the DVD input and the Dolby Digital
mode is selected.

To engage the Night mode, press the Night but-
ton e on the remote and note that the
NIGHT

mode indicator Q will illuminate in

the Information Display.
Note that this button cannot dim the display as
long as DVD and Dolby Digital mode are active.

IMPORTANT NOTES ON DIGITAL PLAY-
BACK:
1. When the digital playback source is stopped,
or in a pause, fast forward or chapter search
mode, the digital audio data will momentarily
stop, causing a NO DATA message to be dis-
played in the Main Information Display N.
This is normal and does not indicate a problem
with either the AVR 200RDS or the source
machine. The AVR 200RDS will return to digital
playback as soon as the data is available and
when the machine is in a standard play mode.

2. Although the AVR 200RDS will decode virtu-
ally all DVD movies, CDs and HDTV sources, it is
possible that some future digital sources may
not be compatible with the AVR 200RDS.

3. Note that not all Dolby Digital programs con-
tain full 5.1 channel audio. The AVR 200RDS will
automatically sense the type of digital surround
encoding used, indicate it on the front panel dis-
lay (see page 20) and adjust to accommodate it.

4. When a Dolby Digital source is playing, it is
not possible to make an analog audio recording
using the Tape ª and Video 1 ° record out-
puts, if the source is connected to any digital
input of the AVR 200RDS only. But the analog
two channel signal of that source, the ”Down-
mix”to Stereo or Dolby Surround, can be record-
ed by connecting its analog audio outputs to
the appropriate analog inputs (e.g. DVD) of the
AVR 200RDS, even if the digital input of the
AVR 200RDS remains selected.

PCM Audio Playback
PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) is the non-com-
pressed digital audio system used for compact
discs, Non-Dolby Digital Laserdiscs and some
specially PCM encoded DVDs. The digital circuits
in the AVR 200RDS 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 (LD only for PCM pro-
grams, for Dolby Digital discs an RF adapter is
needed, see page 20).