SIGNATURE 2.0 (serv.man13) - Harman Kardon Audio User Guide / Operation Manual. Page 54

52

Applicable Mode Groups: Dolby Pro Logic may be accessed
in either the Movie or Music mode groups, 
and it will work with analog and PCM digital sources. Pro
Logic is also available with certain Dolby Digital
programs.

Dolby Digital is a major improvement over Dolby 
Pro Logic in that it delivers up to five surround channels
along with a special, dedicated Low-Frequency Effects
(LFE) channel for bass information. Unlike the bandwith
limited, monaural surround of Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby
Digital features two discrete, full-bandwidth surround
channels in comparison to Pro Logic’s single, bandwidth-
limited, mono-surround channel. All channels are digital,
with high signal-to-noise ratios and wide dynamic range. 
With Dolby Digital you are now able to have an exact re-
creation of the theatrical sound experience in a 
home environment.

The digital data stream that delivers the Dolby Digital
information may be sent to the 2.0 via either electrical
connection using coax cables, or optically, using fiber
connections. DVD and possibly other futural sources will
take advantage of Dolby Digital. The first consumer
implementation of Dolby Digital, laser discs, used the
intermediary step of converting the digital information to
an RF modulated signal so that it would fit within the
capacity of the LV format. Since the Signature Series 2.0
does not accept RF signals, an optional outboard RF-to-
data demodulator is required for use with laser disc
players.

Applicable Mode Groups: Also known as AC-3, as it is 
the third version of Dolby Laboratory’s Audio Coding
system for digital audio, Dolby Digital will initially be
used most often with movies, but it is also available 
in the Music mode grouping, for applications where
musical programs are recorded in Dolby Digital. Note that
the mode is the same in both groups, but it is presented
twice for your convenience.

The “Late Night” mode is a special version of Dolby
Digital which enables you to experience the same discrete
full-bandwidth, multichannel audio as the standard Dolby
Digital mode, but it is designed to reduce peak levels by
1⁄4 to 1⁄3 of normal. This prevents abruptly loud audio
transition such as explosions or symphonic crescendos
from causing disturbance to others in the household
without reducing the impact or quality of the remaining
digital signal.

Applicable Mode Groups: Dolby Digital Late Night is
available in the Movie mode group only. It may only be
used with a Dolby Digital source.

When a Dolby Digital input source is playing, you may
occasionally wish to listen to it in mono, even when the
input source is multichannel. To have all audio appear in
the center channel speaker only, press 

y

so that

Dolby Dig Mono

respectively 

Mono Downmix

Downmix is shown on-screen and in the front panel

.

Applicable Mode Groups: Dolby Digital Mono is available
only in the Mono + group, and only when Dolby Digital
is selected.

NOTE: All Dolby Digital modes are only available when
a Dolby Digital source is selected. If a Dolby Digital mode
is selected when a PCM digital source (f.e. CD player via
its digital output) is playing, the 2.0 will automatically
select the proper analog surround mode, and the front
panel 

will flash (Figure FPD-12) to

remind you of the mismatch.

The 2.0’s digital audio processing system provides a
number of alternative modes that may be used when
listening to movies or Music via an analog input source.
For movies, a series of four different modes is available
that use the basic matrix decoding to extract center and
surround channels from two-channel audio, similar to Pro
Logic. The Movie modes, however, vary from Pro Logic in
that they add additional blending of the channels to offer
different simulations.