OPERATION
35
Operation
a DVD is put into a Pause mode. The flashing
indicators remind you that the playback has
stopped due to the absence of a digital signal
and not through any fault of the AVR 4500. This
is normal, and the digital playback will resume
once the playback is started again.
Night Mode
A special feature of Dolby Digital is the Night
mode, which enables Dolby Digital input sources
to be played back with full digital intelligibilty
while reducing the maximum peak level and lift-
ing the low levels by
1
/
4
to
1
/
3
. This prevents
abruptly loud transitions from disturbing others
without reducing the impact of the digital source.
The Night mode is available only when the Dolby
Digital mode is selected.
The Night mode may be engaged when a Dolby
Digital DVD is playing by pressing the
Night
Button
B
on the remote. Next, press the
⁄
/
¤
buttons
D
to select either the middle range or
full compression versions of the Night mode. To
turn the Night mode off, press the
⁄
/
¤
buttons
D
until the message in the lower third of the
video display and the
Main Information
Display
Y
reads
D-RANGE OFF
.
The Night mode may also be selected to always
be on as soon as the Dolby Digital mode is acti-
vated at either level of compression using the
options in the
Surround Select
menu. See page 25 for information on using the
menus to set this option.
IMPORTANT NOTES ON DIGITAL PLAYBACK:
• When the digital playback source is stopped, or
in a pause, fast forward or chapter search mode,
the digital audio data will momentarily stop, and
the channel position letters inside the
Speaker/Channel Indicators
Q
will flash.
This is normal and does not indicate a problem
with either the AVR 4500 or the source machine.
The AVR 4500 will return to digital playback as
soon as the data is available and when the
machine is in a standard play mode.
• Although the AVR 4500 will decode virtually all
DVD movies, CDs and HDTV sources, it is possible
that some future digital sources may not be com-
patible with the AVR 4500.
• Note that not all digitally encoded programs
and not all audio tracks on a DVD contain full
5.1-channel audio. Consult the program guide
that accompanies the DVD or laser disc to deter-
mine which type of audio has been recorded on
the disc. The AVR 4500 will automatically sense
the type of digital surround encoding used, indi-
cate it in the
Bitstream Indicators
A
and
Channel Input Indicators
Q
and adjust to
accommodate it.
• When a Dolby Digital or DTS source is playing,
you normally may not be able to select some of
the analog surround modes such as Dolby Pro
Logic II, Dolby 3 Stereo, Hall, Theater, 5CH/7CH
Stereo or Logic 7, except with specific Dolby
Digital 2.0 recordings that can be played with
the Pro Logic II modes too (see page 34).
• When a digital source is playing, it is not possi-
ble to make an analog recording using the
Tape
3
or
Video 1
or
Video 2
or
Wa
record out-
puts, if the source is connected to any digital
input of the AVR 4500 only. But the analog two
channel signal of that source, the ”Downmix” to
Stereo or Dolby Surround, can be recorded by
connecting its analog audio outputs to the
appropriate analog inputs (e.g. DVD) of the
AVR 4500, even if the digital input of the
AVR 4500 remains selected. Additionally, the dig-
ital signals will be passed through to the
Digital
Audio Outputs
A
.
Tape Recording
In normal operation, the audio or video source
selected for listening through the AVR 4500 is
sent to the record outputs. This means that any
program you are watching or listening to may be
recorded simply by placing machines connected
to the outputs for
Tape Outputs
3
or
Video 1
or
2 Outputs
PRWa
in the record mode.
When a digital audio recorder is connected to
any of the
Digital Audio Outputs
A
, you are
able to record the digital signal using a CD-R,
MiniDisc or other digital recording system.
Note that all digital signals will be passed
through to both, coaxial and optical, digital out-
puts simultanously, no matter which kind of digi-
tal input was selected.
Front Panel In/Outputs
In addition to the rear panel digital outputs, the
AVR 4500 offers Harman Kardon’s exclusive con-
figurable front panel output jack feature. For easy
connection of portable digital devices, you may
switch the front panel
Digital Coax 3 jack
Ó
from an input to an output by following these
steps:
1. Press the
OSD
button
L
to view the
M A S T E R M E N U
(Figure 1).
2. Press the
Set
button
F
to enter the
I N / O U T S E T U P
menu (Figure 2).
3. Press the
¤
button
D
so that the on-screen
›
cursor is next to
COAXIAL 3
.
4. Press either of the
‹
/
›
buttons
E
/
%
so
that the word
O U T
is highlighted.
5. Press the
OSD
button
L
to exit the menus
and return to normal operation.
Note that once the setting is made, the
Input/Output Status Indicator
(
will turn
red, indicating that the selected digital jack is
now an output, instead of in the default setting
as an input. Once changed to an output, the set-
ting will remain as long as the AVR 4500 is
turned on, unless the setting is changed in the
OSD menu system, as described above. Note,
however, that once the AVR 4500 is turned off,
the setting is cancelled. When the unit is turned
on again, the front panel jack will return to its
normal default setting as an input. If you wish to
use the jack as an output at a future time, the
setting must be changed again using the OSD
menu system, as described above.
NOTES:
• The digital outputs are active only when a digital
signal is present, and they do not convert an ana-
log input to a digital signal, or change the format
of the digital signal (e.g. Dolby Digital to PCM or
vice versa, but coaxial digital signals are converted
to optical signals and vice versa). In additon, the
digital recorder must be compatible with the out-
put signal. For example, the PCM digital output
from a CD player may be recorded on a CD-R or
MiniDisc, but Dolby Digital or DTS signals may not.
• To make an analog recording from any digital
source is not possible, if the source is connected
to a digital input of the AVR 4500 only. But the
analog two channel signal of that source can be
recorded (see ”Important Notes on Digital
Playback” above).
Output Level Adjustment
With Source Signals
Normal output level adjustment for the
AVR 4500 is established using the test tone, as
outlined on page 26. In some cases, however, it
may be desirable to adjust the output levels
using program material such as a test disc, or a
selection you are familiar with. Additionally, the
output level for the subwoofer and those for the
Stereo and VMAx modes can only be adjusted
using this procedure. Note that all adjustments
made with any input will be effective with all
inputs selected, just as it is the case with the
adjustment using the test tone.
To adjust the output levels using program materi-
al, first select the surround mode for which you
want to trim the speakers (see NOTE below), start
your program material source and set the refer-
ence volume for the front left and front right
channels using the
Volume Control
(
î
.
Once the reference level has been set, press the
Channel Select
button
C
Ù
and note that
FRONT L LEV
will appear in the
Main
Information Display
Y
. To change the level,
first press the
Set
button
F
@
, and then use
