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seven speaker channels, but your processor can produce mono in one to seven channels (see “Audio
Modes under Operation”). Since all modern sources are stereo, the mono information is usually
replicated from both the left and right channels.
Stereo
- Stereo contains two discrete, front left and right full range audio channels. This is the most
common format for music and is also used on many movies. You may get stereo from any source - digital
or analog. Sound will normally come from the seven speaker channels, but your processor can produce
stereo in one (mono) to seven channels (see “Audio Modes under Operation”).
Dolby Pro Logic
- Dolby Pro Logic is a refinement of Dolby Surround, which was the earliest form of true
surround processing. Like Stereo, Dolby Surround contains two discrete, full range audio channels. In
addition, a monaural, limited range surround channel is encoded on the two stereo channels in a process
called matrixing. The surround channel information is encoded in positive polarity on the left channel and
in negative polarity on the right channel. The Dolby Processor can detect this encoding (left minus right)
and send that information to the surround channels. Dolby Pro Logic adds additional processing to
produce a full range center channel by extracting the mono information from the left and right channel.
This is the most common format for all but the most recent movies. Music sources are occasionally
encoded in Dolby Surround. However, many people prefer to use Pro Logic processing on all of their
stereo sources. The center channel extraction process often yields improved stereo imaging, especially
when you are sitting away from the “sweet spot” at center of the listening area. The surround channel
processing often lends a pleasing ambiance even to material that is not encoded in Dolby Surround.
Dolby Pro Logic is fully compatible with stereo and you may get it from any source - digital or analog.
Sound will normally come from all seven speakers in your system, but your processor can produce sound
in one (mono) to seven channels (see “Audio Modes under Operation”).
Dolby Digital
- Dolby Digital contains up to five discrete, full range audio channels plus an additional Low
Frequency Effects (LFE) channel. The LFE channel contains only low frequency information for enhanced
sound effects in movies. This combination of five discrete channels plus a LFE channel is often referred
to as 5.1 channels. Dolby Digital is a digital format only. It must be delivered to your processor over a
coaxial or optical digital cable. As of the writing of this manual, Dolby Digital is commercially available on
DVD and Satellite (Also see Dolby Digital RF below). It is also possible to create your own Dolby Digital
CDs and DATs if you have the recording equipment. You can’t directly record Dolby Digital onto mini disc
or digital compact cassette since these devices add their own compression, which is incompatible with
the Dolby Digital compression. Not all Dolby Digital recordings will include all five channels, and, in fact, it
is common on DVDs to have two channel Dolby Digital with or without Pro Logic processing. Sound will
normally come from all seven speakers in your system, but your processor can produce sound in one
(mono) to seven channels (see “Audio Modes under Operation”).
Dolby Digital RF
- Dolby Digital RF is identical to normal Dolby Digital except that it uses a special RF
encoding scheme to put the bitstream on Laser discs without replacing the normal stereo (or Dolby
Surround) PCM bitstream that is normally available from laser disc. In order to use Dolby Digital RF laser
discs you must have a B&K DT-1 RF demodulator or similar product from another manufacturer. For best
results with your processors Plug and Play capability we recommend the B&K DT-1.
Dolby Digital Surround EX
- Dolby Digital Surround EX is a new movie sound track that greatly
enhances the sense of spatial and positioning of the surround channel sound. This system was
developed jointly by Lucasfilm THX and Dolby Laboratories, using Lucas film’s idea of improving spatial
expression and achieving a 360-degree sound positioning with Dolby Laboratories’ matrix encoding
technology. The surround back channel is matrix-encoded and inserted into both Dolby Digital SL
(surround left) and Dolby Digital SR (surround right) channels. Upon playback, the signals may be
decoded by a high precision digital matrix decoder within the Dolby Digital decoder into SL, SR and SB
channels.
DTS (Digital Theater Systems)
- DTS is similar to Dolby Digital in that it provides 5.1 discrete audio
channels. However, it uses more digital data to encode the information and may provide greater fidelity
than Dolby Digital. DTS is a digital format only. It must be delivered to your processor over a coaxial or
optical digital cable. No RF demodulator is required for DTS laser discs since the DTS bitstream replaces
the normal PCM bitstream. Like Dolby Digital,