Cambridge Audio AZUR 551R - Manual (Page 19)

551R azur
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Known also as DD (3/3) or DD 6.1, an enhanced form of Dolby Digital. On top
of the discretely encoded 5.1 channels DD EX provides an extra 6th channel
(Surround Back, giving 6.1) matrix encoded into the rear surrounds for
greater image depth and more solid sound localisation behind the listener.
DD EX requires a DD EX encoded disc. DD EX is backwards compatible with
DD 5.1 decoding. If DD EX is decoded as normal DD the Surround Back signal
will be present in both Left and Right Rear Surrounds (forming a phantom
rear centre). It can also be decoded as 7.1 by sending the Surround Back
decode to both the Surround Back Left and Right speakers (forming two
mono Back Surrounds).
Known also as DTS (3/3) Matrix, an enhanced form of DTS. On top of the
discretely encoded 5.1 channels DTS ES also provides an extra 6th channel
(Surround Back giving 6.1), matrix encoded into the rear surrounds for
greater image depth and more solid sound localisation behind the listener.
DTS ES requires a DTS ES encoded disc. DTS ES material is backwards
compatible with DTS 5.1 decoding. If DTS ES is decoded as normal DTS the
Surround Back signal will be present in both Left and Right Rear Surrounds
(forming a phantom rear centre). It can also be decoded as 7.1 by sending
the Surround Back decode to the both the Surround Back Left and Right
speakers (forming two mono Back Surrounds).
Another enhanced form of DTS, also known as DTS (3/3) Discrete or DTS ES
Discrete 6.1. DTS ES Discrete also provides an extra channel (Surround Back)
for greater image depth and more solid sound localisation behind the
listener, however in this case extra data is included in the bitstream so that
all channels are discretely encoded. The Surround Back has greater
separation from the other channels than is possible with matrix encoded
technologies. DTS-ES Discrete requires a DTS-ES Discrete encoded disc.
DTS ES Discrete is backwards compatible with both DTS 5.1 and DTS ES
Matrix 6.1 decoding. If DTS ES Discrete is decoded as normal DTS the
Surround Back signal will be present in both Left and Right Rear Surrounds
(forming a phantom rear centre). If DTS ES Discrete is decoded with DTS ES
Matrix the Surround Back signal will be decoded separately (i.e. as 6.1) but
by a matrix process, which will give the same channel separation as if the
source disc were actually DTS ES Matrix (but not as good as DTS EX Discrete).
It can also be decoded as 7.1 by sending the Surround Back decode to both
the Surround Back Left and Right speakers (forming two mono Back
Surrounds).
The replacement for the original ProLogic, Pro Logic II is a technology where
5 channels (Front Left, Front Right, Centre, Surround Left, Surround Right)
are encoded into a Stereo mix by an analogue matrix process. Dolby Pro Logic
II material can be played back by normal Stereo equipment (as Stereo) or
decoded into 5 channel surround-sound.
Dolby Pro Logic II is compatible with the earlier 4 channel (Left, Centre, Right
and mono Surround) Dolby Pro Logic system (which was the decoding
counterpart to Dolby Surround encoding) as used widely on Video tapes, TV
broadcasts and earlier films.
Note: Pro Logic does not include a Low Frequency Effects channel for the
Subwoofer, but the 551R can create a Subwoofer output (for 5.1) via Bass
management. Refer to the ‘Tone/Sub/LFE configuration’ section in the
‘Operating instructions’ part of this manual.
A newer version of Dolby Pro Logic II which is able to recreate 7 discrete
surround sound channels from suitable encoded stereo source material. Pro
Logic IIx also has modes for post processing either Stereo material or 5.1
material into 7 channels whether or not it has been Pro Logic IIx encoded.
When 5.1 decoding is required, Dolby Prologic II decoding will always be used
by the 551R in place of Pro Logic IIx as IIx only works for 7 channel output.
Note: Pro Logic IIx does not include a Low Frequency Effects channel for the
Subwoofer, but the 551R can create a Subwoofer output (for 7.1) via Bass
management. Refer to the ‘Tone/Sub/LFE configuration’ section in the
‘Operating instructions’ part of this manual.
ENGLISH
The 551R supports several music and home-cinema listening modes. The
output the 551R can provide, depends both on the source signal present, the
speaker setup selected and the decode mode selected. Before we describe
how to operate the 551R, below is a brief guide to the Surround Sound
formats that the 551R is compatible with for reference:
Dolby’s lossless audio technology developed primarily for high capacity Blu-
ray discs/players. Dolby True HD delivers theoretically bit-for-bit sound
identical to the studio master by the use of 100% lossless encoding. Previous
formats such as Dolby Digital 5.1 or EX have used lossy encoding where
some data (that is theoretically less audible) is always lost in the encoding
process to reduce the storage capacity needed on the disc. This is a new
format that supports up to eight (usually used as 7.1) full-range channels of
24-bit/96 kHz audio or two channels of 24/192 kHz via Blu-ray discs and is
not backwards compatible with earlier schemes. The format can either be
transmitted as a ‘bitstream’ to the 551R for internal decoding
(recommended) or can be decoded by some Blu-ray players internally and
sent to the 551R as multi-channel PCM. In both cases an HDMI connection
is required to the 551R and a suitable Blu-ray player as Dolby True HD is only
ever transmitted over HDMI.
An encoding scheme based on the original Dolby Digital CODEC, but with
enhancements to improve coding efficiency and improved audio quality.
Dolby Digital Plus supports 7.1 fully discrete channels compared to Dolby
Digitals 5.1 (or 6.1 in its EX variant where the 6th channel is matrix encoded).
These Dolby Digital Plus bitstreams are not backward compatible with legacy
Dolby Digital decoders but require an AV Receiver developed to decode them
(such as the 551R) and an HDMI connection as Dolby Digital Plus is currently
only transmitted over HDMI. It is however a requirement that any Dolby Digital
Plus enabled Blu-ray player must also be able transform the Dolby Digital
Plus into a backwards compatible Dolby Digital 5.1 output for playback on
legacy Dolby Digital systems. The 551R is however fully compatible with
Dolby Digital Plus.
A new lossless audio CODEC from DTS, rather than being incompatible with
earlier versions, DTS-HD Master Audio is transmitted as an extension to a
normal DTS bitstream. A second embedded stream is sent which contains
the "difference" between the original studio master and the lossy
compressed DTS, plus the two extra channels. DTS-HD Master Audio
enabled devices (such as the 551R) are able to use this difference
information to recreate a bit for bit lossless version of the original 7.1 data.
Devices which do not support the Master Audio extension simply decode the
original 5.1 DTS stream and ignore the Master Audio extension providing
backwards compatibility.
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
Known also as DTS-HR an extension to the original DTS audio format. DTS-HD
High Resolution Audio supports 7.1 fully discrete channels compared to
DTS’s 5.1 (or 6.1 in its DTS ES Matrix or DTS ES Discrete variants). As with
DTS-HD Master Audio a second embedded stream is sent which contains the
"difference" between the original studio master and the lossy compressed
DTS, plus the two extra channels, however in this case the extra stream is
also formed by lossy compression. Effectively this is a 7.1 version of DTS
which can be decoded by devices (such as the 551R) which are able to
decode DTS-HD High Resolution Audio. Devices which do not support the
High Resolution extension simply decode the original 5.1 DTS stream and
ignore the High Resolution extension providing backwards compatibility
Known also as DD (3/2) or DD 5.1, provides (up to) 5.1 output from suitable
encoded Dolby Digital material, with 5 main channels (Front Left, Front Right,
Centre, Surround Left, Surround Right) and a Low Frequency Effects Channel
for the subwoofer, all discretely encoded. Decoding Dolby Digital requires a
Dolby Digital encoded DVD disc and a digital connection from the source
equipment (Such as a DVD player) to the 551R.
Note: Dolby Digital and DTS formats can sometimes carry less channels than
their maximum such as Dolby Digital (2/0) which means a Dolby Digital
encoded signal which is actually only carrying a two channel stereo signal
(other channels inactive).
Known also as DTS (3/2) or DTS 5.1, DTS provides (up to) 5.1 output from
suitable encoded DTS material, with 5 main channels (Front Left, Front Right,
Centre, Surround Left, Surround Right) and a Low Frequency Effects Channel
for the subwoofer, all discretely encoded. Decoding DTS requires a suitably
encoded DTS disc and a digital connection from the source equipment to the
551R.
Surround sound modes