Meridian America 800 Version 4 - Manual (Page 2)

800 Version 4
Reference Optical Disc Player
The 800 offers the kind of features needed
to exploit DVD in a high-end home theatre,
to interface with state-of-the-art digital
surround processors (such as the Meridian
861) and to handle the latest high-quality
projection and plasma systems, including
the high-defi nition digital video interface
standard, HDMI (High Defi nition Multimedia
Interface).
Meridian 800 and
the Reference Series
The Meridian 800 Reference Optical Disc
Player makes a perfect front-end to the
Meridian 861 Reference Surround Processor
– although it can also be confi gured as
a player, and will drive Meridian DSP
Loudspeakers directly. The Meridian 800 is
fully compatible with other components in
the Meridian 800 and G Series; it comes with
a Meridian System Remote Plus learning/
programmable infra-red remote control, and
provides the perfect optical disc source for a
Meridian Digital Theatre. 800 Version 4 also
includes multiple video inputs and on-board
video scaling, allowing a single interface
between the player and your display to carry
all the video signals from your components.
The 800 is Meridian’s defi nitive statement
on the current and future quality of DVD and
PCM-based optical disc media. The digital
video circuits provide the highest quality
picture in a variety of formats. The digital
audio processing provides the ultimate in
resolution enhancement and low jitter.
A selected DVD-ROM drive extracts data
from CD, VCD or DVD. Specialised cards
manipulate and decode the DVD data and
prepare the video. This architecture ensures
not only the highest absolute quality and
fl exibility, but also a high degree of future-
proofi ng for both audio and video disc
playback.
Sound Quality
DVD-Video provides an enormous number
of options for audio, and the 800 allows
unrivalled playback of all the mandatory DVD
sound formats: MPEG, Dolby Digital (AC-3)
and PCM at 48 or 96kHz with up to 24-bit
precision. DTS streams may also be decoded
in the player. In addition, the 800 handles
the unique capabilities of DVD-Audio – the
highest resolution audio available on disc
today – unlike any other player, delivering
the pinnacle of performance and enjoyment
from high-resolution sources.
DVD, and in particular DVD-Audio, has
the potential to provide the highest sound
quality, but we would be mistaken to ignore
the very real continuing importance of
Compact Disc in the coming years. Thus the
800 Reference DVD Machine takes a radical
new approach to playing both ‘Red Book’
CDs and DVD discs.
The 800 reads the audio and video data
asynchronously in blocks, using high-speed,
high-integrity DVD-ROM drives. This data
is checked for integrity, corrected and
triple-FIFO-buffered to ensure that the audio
output timing is independent of the drives,
and that the picture has maximum stability.
Another Meridian ‘fi rst’ is the use of
powerful DSP to enhance Compact Disc
playback, by using up-sampling to produce a
high-resolution 88.2kHz 24-bit signal so that
the converters or Meridian DSP speakers can
render the audio even more accurately.
The 800 can be used with a pair of Meridian
DSP speakers, or the on-board DSP can
provide variable outputs to feed a power
amplifi er. Normally, however, we would
recommend that the 800 be connected to a
Meridian 861 Reference Surround Controller,
so that the full benefi t of surround sound on
movies and music can be enjoyed.
800 V4: Two options
Each 800 is factory fi tted with a
motherboard supporting both digital
audio and digital video, a highly
sophisticated power supply and sets
of internal cards to create one of two
versions: the 800D, with digital outputs,
or the 800DAX with digital plus
analogue balanced/unbalanced outputs.
Note that while you can specify a fully
card-based 800v4 to special order,
these two standard options include
combination rear panels that do not
permit the addition or re-arrangement of
individual cards.
The following cards are fi tted in both
variants:
CO00: Control computer card. Complete
with Flash memory, RS232
port for control and status, 3
confi gurable trigger outputs and
Meridian Comms.
OE22: Digital Output card with 6-
channel 24-bit, 96 kHz output
with MHR, plus 2-channel 24/96
output with MHR.
DV02: DVD control computer card.
Complete with Flash memory
upgradeable via dedicated RS232
port.
DV12: Video DSP card for DVD stream
decoding of MPEG video, MPEG
audio and Dolby Digital material.
Also supports DTS streams.
DV20: MLP decoder card for
DVD-Audio.
VE00: Video encoder. Generates NTSC
or PAL (software switchable) in
composite, S-video or component
formats. Features wide video
bandwidth, low noise and
extended black level setting.
VI00: Video Input (A/D) card with
2 composite, 2 S-Video and 1
interlaced component input.
Converts analogue video inputs
to digital.
VE12: Provides HDMI (High Defi nition
Multimedia Interface) video
and 2-channel audio* output
to a compatible display, plus
progressive component video
out.
The 800DAX adds the following:
OA24: 2-channel analogue output,
balanced and unbalanced, with
24-bit, 192 kHz converters.
The 800’s card-based architecture means the ultimate in upgradeability and system options.