Glossary - Sony HT-K170 Mode D'emploi

Additional Information

Glossary

Center mode
Setting of speakers to enhance Dolby Pro
Logic Surround mode. To obtain the best
possible surround sound, select one of the
following four center modes according to
your speaker system.
• NORMAL mode
Select NORMAL mode if you have front
and rear speakers and a small center
speaker. Since a small speaker cannot
produce enough bass, the bass sound of
the center channel is output from the front
speakers.
Front
speaker (L)
Rear
speaker (L)
• WIDE mode
Select WIDE mode if you have front and
rear speakers and a large center speaker.
With the WIDE mode, you can take full
advantage of Dolby Surround sound.
Front
speaker
speaker (L)
Rear
speaker (L)
• PHANTOM mode
Select PHANTOM mode if you have front
and rear speakers but no center speaker.
The sound of the center channel is output
from the front speakers.
Front
speaker (L)
Rear
speaker (L)
20 GB
• 3 STEREO (3 CH LOGIC)
Select 3 STEREO mode if you have front
and center speakers but no rear speaker.
The sound of the rear channel is output
from the front speakers to let you
experience some of the surround sound
without using rear speakers.
speaker (L)
Dolby Pro Logic Surround
Decoding system of Dolby Surround sound
Center
Front
speaker
standardized in TV programmes and movies.
speaker (R)
Compared with the former Dolby Surround
system, Dolby Pro Logic Surround improves
sound image by using four separate channels:
off-screen audio effects, on-screen dialog, left-
to-right panning, and music. These channels
manipulate the sound to be heard and
enhance the action as it happens on the
screen. To take advantage of Dolby Pro Logic,
Rear
you should have at least one pair of rear
speaker (R)
speakers and/or one center speaker. You also
need to select the appropriate center mode to
enjoy a full effect.
Dolby Digital (AC-3)
This surround format is more advanced than
Dolby Pro Logic Surround. In this format, the
rear speakers output stereo sound with an
expanded frequency range and a subwoofer
channel for deep bass is independantly
Center
Front provided. This format is also called "5.1"
speaker (R) because the subwoofer channel is counted as
0.1 channel (since it functions only when a
deep bass effect is needed.)
All six channels in this format are recorded
separately to realize superior channel
separation. Furthermore, since all the signals
are processed digitally, less signal
Rear
degradation occurs. The name "AC-3" comes
speaker (R)
from the fact that it is the third audio coding
method to be developed by the Dolby
Laboratories Licensing Corporation.
5.1 CH/DVD jacks
These jacks are used to input decoded Dolby
Digital (AC-3) audio signals, allowing you to
enjoy 5.1 channel surround sound. Use these
jacks to connect a Dolby Digital (AC-3)
decoder or a DVD player with a built-in AC-3
Front
decoder.
speaker (R)
Surround sound
Sound that consists of three elements: direct
sound, early reflected sound (early
reflections) and reverberative sound
(reverberation). The acoustics where you hear
the sound affect the way these three sound
Rear
elements are heard. These sound elements are
speaker (R)
combined in such a way that you can actually
feel the size and the type of a concert hall.
Center
speaker Front
Front
speaker (R)
• Types of sound
Reverberation
Early reflections
Direct sound
• Transition of sound from rear speakers
Direct sound Early
reflections Reverberation
Level
Early reflection time
Time
Test tone
Signal given out by the amplifier for
adjusting the speaker volume. The test tone
will come out as follows:
• In a system with a center speaker
(NORMAL/WIDE/3 STEREO modes)
The test tone is output from the front L
(left), center, front R (right), and rear
speakers in succession.
Front (L)
Front (R)
Center
3 STEREO
Rear (L, R)
NORMAL/WIDE
• In a system without a center speaker
(PHANTOM mode)
The test tone is output from the front and
the rear speakers alternately.
Front (L, R)
PHANTOM
Rear (L, R)