Sunfire Radio - Manual (Page 44)

User's Manual
44
CHAPTER 5
For multi-channel sources, the Re-
ceiver will automatically select the cor-
rect mode from one of the following:
DOLBY DIGITAL
DOLBY DIGITAL EX
DTS
DTS-ES MATRIX
DTS-ES DISCRETE
Dolby Digital and DTS are “5.1”
sur round systems with Þ ve main chan-
nels: left front, center, right front, left
sur round, and right surround. Each
channel can play the full frequency
range and is independent of the
other chan nels. The “.1” denotes the
sub woof er channel which plays the
low frequency effects (LFE), also in de -
pen dent of the other channels.
Dolby Digital EX and DTS ES offer
"Extended Surround." Both systems
offer a surround back channel which
effectively Þ lls in the otherwise empty
soundspace behind you.
If you want to try one of the modes
on the previous page, you should se-
lect a 2-channel output from your DVD
player's options menu.
NOTE: In your DVD player's audio
setup menu, set the digital output
to BITSTREAM. If this is not set
correctly, the Ultimate Receiver
cannot decode the digital informa-
tion.
DOL BY DIGITAL (5.1)
This mode is available if the
Receiver au to mat i cal ly detects a
Dolby Digital en cod ed source on
the currently selected input. You
should look for the Dolby Digital
Logo on DVDs, LaserDiscs and
other sources.
Many DVDs have the option of
a Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital
or Stereo soundtrack. Follow the
instructions in your DVD player's
manual to output Dolby Digital
bitstreams. Dolby Digital must
often be selected from the Disc's
menu.
DOLBY DIGITAL EX (6.1/7.1)
Dolby Digital EX mode is primarily
for playback of Dolby Digital Sur-
round EX encoded soundtracks.
One advantage over Dolby Digital
playback is that it Þ lls in the area
behind you with a completely
separate full-range channel.
You can connect one or two
surround back speakers to the
Receiver. The calibration and
speaker size options allow a
seamless surround Þ eld to be
created.
If you have no surround back
speakers, the extra information
is sent to the standard surrounds
and no material is lost. (Set the
surround back speakers to OFF in
the SPEAKER SIZE menu).
The Receiver will also create the
surround back channel if you are
playing a 5.1 source.
DOLBY DIGITAL with PRO LOGIC IIx
Besides Dolby Digital and Dolby
EX, you may change the Mode
during Dolby Digital playback us-
ing the Mode keys on the remote
or front panel, to Dolby Pro Logic
IIx Music and Dolby Pro Logic IIx
Movie. These two modes create
enhanced stereo back surrounds.
Listen carefully to determine
which mode sounds best on a
given movie.
Dolby Digital uses a maximum
of 5.1 channels and does not
support surround back chan-
nels. Dolby EX supports a mono
surround back channel (or dual-
mono surround back channels if
both left and right surround backs
are used).
Dolby Digital plus Pro Logic IIx
Movie or Music uses the Dolby
Pro Logic IIx decoder to create a
stereo surround back soundÞ eld
from the stereo content of the left
and right surrounds. For example,
Surround Modes for Multi-Channel Sources
Dolby Pro Logic IIx Movie directs
or "steers" some of the left sur-
round signal to the left surround
back, whereas Dolby Pro Logic
IIx Music lets the left surround
remain intact and Þ lls in the left
surround back with additional
material.
Although movies are encoded
with either Dolby Digital or Dolby
EX, many sound even better
when using the Dolby Pro Logic
IIx modes. Audition these modes
and decide for yourself.
DTS (5.1)
This mode is available if the
Receiver automatically detects
that a DTS en cod ed source
is present at one of it’s digital
inputs. Look for the DTS Logo on
DVDs, LaserDiscs, CDs and other
sources.
Make sure that you set your
player to output DTS bitstreams.
DTS must also be selected on the
disc's menu.
DTS ES (6.1)
All DTS-ES sources have the
surround back channel matrixed
in the left and right surrounds.
Newer DVD releases also have a
discrete surround back channel, in
addition to the same information
matrixed.
DISCRETE ES sources: the
Receiver DTS-ES discrete de-
coder will decode the discrete
surround back channel. It also
removes the surround back matrix
from the left and right surrounds,
and restores them to be fully inde-
pendent channels.
MATRIX ES sources: If there is
no discrete surround back chan-
nel, the Receiver decodes the
matrixed surround back channel
from the left and right surrounds,
and restores them to be fully inde-
pendent channels.