DVD 25 (serv.man11) - Harman Kardon Audio User Guide / Operation Manual. Page 3

INTRODUCTION & TERMINOLOGY  3

Thank you for choosing the Harman
Kardon DVD 25. The DVD 25 is a multipurpose
DVD player, capable of playing both DVD discs
and conventional CD audio discs with the high-
est fidelity and access to future software
upgrades via the Internet. Along with conven-
tional DVD and CD audio discs, the DVD 25 is
also compatible with MP3, CD-R and CD-RW as
well as VCD discs. To enable you to get the max-
imum quality from DVDs, the DVD 25 is
equipped with the latest in design techniques,
including advanced 10-bit video digital-to-ana-
log converters (DAC) and Video (composite), S-
Video and RGB video (RGB via SCART) outputs,
to ensure that you get all the quality inherent in
today’s DVD medium. For optimum playback of
NTSC DVD with compatible high-definition dis-
play devices, DVD 25 is equipped with progres-
sive component video outputs. In addition,
Harman Kardon’s audio heritage continues into
the digital video era with audiophile-grade
Wolfson DACs to ensure that the audio quality
matches the superb video. Of course, both coaxi-
al and optical digital audio outputs are available
for direct connection to A/V receivers or proces-
sors so that you may take advantage of Dolby
Digital* and DTS

®

soundtracks. When playing

audio CDs, the playback quality is state-of-the-
art, matching that of the finest players available.

A wide range of programming features makes it
easy to program an evening’s worth of enter-
tainment. When playing DVDs, easy-to-under-
stand on-screen menus and icons make it simple
to change languages, soundtracks, subtitles or
aspect ratio, while a parental-lock function
enables you to control which discs may be
viewed by younger members of the household.

DVD players are among the fastest growing con-
sumer electronics products ever brought to mar-
ket, but this may, nevertheless, be the first DVD
player you’ve owned. Although many of the fea-
tures of the DVD 25 resemble those of standard
CD players, there are a number of functions that
you may be unfamiliar with. To ensure that you
are able to take advantage of all the power and
flexibility the DVD 25 has to offer, we encourage
you to review this manual. That small investment
of your time will pay major dividends in the
enjoyment you will get from proper use of the
DVD 25.

If you have additional questions about this 
product or its installation or operation that are
not answered in this manual, please contact
your dealer, as he is your best source of local
information.

Since they share some of the characteristics and
technology of CD players, many of the terms and
operational concepts used in a DVD player are
similar to what you may be familiar with from
CD players and changers, or older video disc for-
mats such as Laser Disc. However, if this is your

first DVD product, some of the terms used to
describe the features of a DVD player may be
unfamiliar. The following explanations should
solve some of the mysteries of DVD, and help
you to enjoy all the power and flexibility of the
DVD format and the DVD 25.

Aspect Ratio: This is a description of the width
of a video image in relation to its height. A con-
ventional video screen is four units wide for
every three units of height, that’s why the ratio
is called ”4:3”. Newer wide aspect ratio video
displays are 16 units wide for every nine units of
height, making them more like the screen in a
movie theater. The program material on a DVD
may be recorded in either format and, in addi-
tion, you may configure the DVD 25 to play back
in either format, depending on the features
recorded on a disc. (For details about TV Aspect
Ratio see page 17).

Title: For a DVD, a title is defined as an entire
movie or program. There can be as many chapters
within a title as the producers decide to include.
Most discs include only one title, but some may
have more than one, to give you a “Double
Feature” presentation. Press the MENU button on
the remote to see the Menu of the DVD where
you can find all titles available on the DVD or all
chapters, if the disc has only one title.

Chapter: DVD programs are divided into chap-
ters and titles. Chapters are the sub-sections
programmed into a single title on a disc.
Chapters may be compared to the individual
tracks on an audio CD.

RGB Video: This is a new form of video signal
that eliminates many of the artifacts of tradition-
al composite video signals by splitting the signal
into the three fundamental colors Red, Green
and Blue (RGB). With an RGB connection (via
SCART), you will see greater picture resolution
and eliminate many picture imperfections such
as the moiré patterns often seen on checkered
patterned cloths. However, in order to benefit
from RGB video, you must have a video display
with an RGB compatible SCART input.

Progressive scan: DVD 25 offers progressive
scan video outputs for use with compatible high-
resolution televisions and projectors. Progressive
output is only available from DVD's in the NTSC
format. Before DVD, no consumer medium could
store, transmit or display video with full resolu-
tion. To conserve bandwidth, analog compression
(interlacing) is employed: first the odd-numbered
lines of a frame are displayed, followed by the
even-numbered lines. The result is that only half
of the video image is drawn at one time; the
viewer's brain must reassemble the complete
image. This is acceptable, if the monitor is not too
large and if there is not too much motion in the
image. Large displays and fast-moving images
reveal the limitations of this system. Thanks to
DVD's immense data capacity, images are now
stored intact (progressively), so that all the lines
in each frame (odd and even) are shown at the

same time. But because most TV's cannot handle
a progressive signal, all current DVD players gen-
erate an interlaced output for compatibility. Now,
Harman Kardon DVD 25 is among the select few
DVD players with true progressive scan video
output (NTSC) for use with compatible TV's and
CRT projectors and with all plasma, LCD and DLP
display devices via the component video output.
The result is 40% greater light output than a
conventional TV and a stunningly detailed high
definition image, along with an almost complete
absence of visible scanlines and motion artifacts.
Of course, traditional Y/Pr/Pb component video,
SCART, S-Video and composite video outputs are
included for use with conventional televisions
and projectors.

Multiple Angle: DVDs have the capability to
show up to four different views of the same
scene in a program. When a disc is encoded with
multiple-angle information, pressing the Angle
button will enable you to switch between these
different views. Note that at present, few discs
take advantage of this capability and, when they
do, the multiple-angle technology may only be
present for short periods of time within the disc.
Producers will usually insert some sort of icon or
graphic in the picture to alert you to the avail-
ability of multiple viewing angles.

Reading: This is a message that you will see
after you´ve loaded the disc and the tray has
closed. It refers to the fact that the player must
first examine the contents of the disc to see if it
is a CD or DVD, and then extract the information
about the type of material on the disc, such as
languages, aspect ratios, subtitles, number of
titles and more. The slight delay while the con-
tents of the disc are read is normal.

Resume: The operation of the Stop Button on
the DVD 25 works differently from what you are
used to on CD players. On a traditional CD play-
er, when you press the Stop button, the unit
does just that: it stops playback. On a CD player,
when you press the start button again, the disc
starts from the beginning. With the DVD 25,
however, you have two options when playing
DVD discs. Pressing Stop once will stop play-
back, but it actually puts the unit in the Resume
mode. This means that you can turn the machine
off and, when you press play the next time, the
disc will resume or continue from the point on
the disc where the Stop button was pressed. This
is helpful if you are watching a movie and must
interrupt your viewing session but wish to pick
up where you left off. Pressing the Stop button
twice will stop the machine in a traditional man-
ner and, when the disc is played again, it will
start from the beginning.

In resume mode, the cover of the DVD will be
displayed, if available. Otherwise, the Harman
Kardon screen will appear.