Adaptive DRC (Dynamic Range Control) is a volume control technology that is effective for lowvolume listening, such as at night or with headphones. It applies DRC processing to eliminate the volume differences between loud commercials and ordinary programming and to take into account our ears’ loss of sensitivity as volume decreases.

The range of audible frequencies. For humans this is between 20Hz and 20kHz.

The picture on your screen is defined by the relationship between width and height of a TV screen. A conventional TV set is 4:3 (Four units wide by three units high), a widescreen set is 16:9 (16 units wide by nine units high).

Speed at which data is read and processed from the source disc.

Burn in, phosphor burn, or screen burn are terms that describe cases when certain parts of the screen exhibit uneven wear from the rest of the viewing area.

Get information about the CD currently playing right on the CD player’s display. The 3-mode text display shows the CD’s title, the artist’s name and the title of the track.

More and more people these days are using their computers or digital recorders to make their own CD-R and CD-RW discs. Yamaha CD players and CDR decoders are capable of playing these discs, in addition to normal CDs and VCDs.

Engaged by a front panel switch, it matches CD/DVD signal levels so each stage produces less noise, resulting in improved S/N ratio and maintenance of the amp’s total gain balance.

The “Chroma Bug” is a shortfall of current video compression schemes that produces undesirable, striped visual artifacts in areas where colours should instead be smooth. This happens with digital video sources that are compressed, such as DVD.

Enables digital audio connection between a DVD player and decoder or digital play-back of equipment.

The purest form of video signal as used in professional display devices.

Standard video signal used to send pictures, e.g. from a VCR to DVD consists of both Luminance (brightness) and Chrominance (colour).

Protects software or movies subject to copyright from illegal duplication.

Digital to analogue converter, converts the digital signal into analogue signal.

Noise-reduction to boost quiet signals when recording and reduce them on playback, cutting hiss.

Dolby Digital is the new digital surround format from the inventors of Dolby Stereo. Dolby Digital produces not only five discrete (perfectly separated) sound channels and a dedicated LFE (Low Frequency Effects) subwoofer channel, but also offers the benefits of an all digital system in terms of crystal clear sound without distortion and noise. Compared to Dolby Pro Logic, the sonic improvement almost corresponds to stepping up from cassette tape to CD.

The most widely used Home Entertainment process. Produces a surrounding sound field with Dolby Surround or Dolby Stereo encoded software. This includes practically all major films from the late seventies and onwards available on VHS videotape, LaserDisc, DVD or from stereo TV.

The Dolby's newly developed Pro Logic II decoder reproduces dynamic 5.1-channel surround sound from any 2-channel source: DVD, VHS and television broadcasts, radio, and CDs. Dolby Pro Logic II uses matrix decoding technology that has been dramatically improved over Pro Logic. With Pro Logic II, for instance, the Surround (Rear) channels are in stereo (only mono with Pro Logic) and playback covers the full frequency range (only up to 7 kHz with Pro Logic). These improvements let you enjoy a wide variety of 2-channel sources with the exciting effects of 5.1- channel surround sound.

Short for Digital Theatre System. DTS works with the same channel configuration as Dolby Digital. The main difference being a higher bit rate in DTS, which gives this system potential for an even higher sound quality.

High-quality 96-kHz, 24-bit (96/24) sound playback from ordinary DVD-Video recordings is limited to only two channels and there are also limitations on the picture. DVD-Video recorded in DTS 96/24, however, allows high-quality 5.1-channel sound playback in full-quality, full-motion video. DTS 96/24 lets you enjoy both digital output and video output from your existing DVD player.

Discrete 6.1, the latest format, utilises the digital discrete method to record all 6.1 channels, including the newly-added rear centre channel, as independent channels. A major feature of DTS-ES is its expressive power. Since the SL, SR, and the rear centre channels are fully independent, sound can be freely designed and sound images can move freely and rapidly amongst each other within a background sound that envelopes the room from all sides.

Featuring the newest DTS matrix processing technology, the DTS Neo:6 function provides up to 6.1 channel surround sound from conventional stereo sources, and can be used with virtually any 2 channel stereo source, analogue or digital, such as CD, tape, FM, TV, stereo VCR, etc. Two modes are provided: Neo:6 Cinema is optimised for surround encoded stereo movie soundtracks, while Neo:6 Music mode is optimised for superior surround sound with stereo music sources.

ES Matrix processing, developed by DTS, recreates the original 6.1 channel soundfield by extracting the Rear Centre information from the encoded Surround Left and Surround Right channels, and is superior to generic "logic" decoding as the ES Matrix function utilises the professional DTS-ES decoding algorithm as found in DTS-ES equipped movie theatres.

DVD-Audio is a new audio format that offers even higher sound quality than CDs. It uses a 12cm optical disc, the same size as a CD, but is capable of reproducing frequencies up to 100kHz, compared with 20kHz for CDs. Although frequencies above 20kHz are inaudible, the higher harmonics result in a more natural sound.

In a sound system, an equalizer (EQ) adjusts the sound for speaker, system and room acoustic imperfections. It does this by modifying the frequency response of the audio spectrum.

Frequency is how many times per second a signal (AC) oscillates from positive to negative, and back. This is measured in cycles per second, also known as Hertz. The frequency range in which we are most interested for audio applications is from 20 Hertz to 20, 000 (20K) Hz, as this is the commonly accepted maximum range of human hearing.

An equalizer that controls more than one band, each tuned to a specific frequency. These frequencies cannot be adjusted, and the only parameter that can be adjusted is the level (boost or cut).

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the first industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. HDMI provides an interface between any audio/video source, such as a set-top box, DVD player, and A/V receiver and an audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV).

HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC HDTV standards and supports 8-channel digital audio, with bandwidth to spare to accommodate future enhancements and requirements.

A parametric equalizer, in contrast to a graphic equalizer, is not limited to level control. A parametric EQ can adjust multiple characteristics, such as: 1) level (amplitude), 2) frequency, and 3) Q factor (bandwidth).

Yamaha CD changers give you the benefits of extended playing time and direct selection from all discs. And with PlayXchange, you can change discs while the current one continues to play. You don’t have to interrupt the music to change a disc and you’re not limited to changing only one disc at a time.

In a parametric equalizer, Q is a setting that offers a huge amount of control over each band of equalization. It is one of two factors which determine the size of the range of frequencies affected.

A change in level merely increases or decreases the amplitude (or “volume”) of frequencies spanning outward from the chosen centre frequency.

A change in Q, however, actually modifies the shape of the curve. A lower Q value flattens the curve out; a higher Q increases the slope of the curve, causing it to pinch inwards.

This high degree of control is what makes multi-band parametric equalization so much more desirable than the more common graphic type.

Playback management system making discs specific to particular regions. Canada and the United States are within region code 1, so only region 1, region-free, and all-region discs will play on region 1 DVD players.

Root Mean Square - standardised unit of power measurement used for audio performance.

One or more discrete sources of sound, grouped together based on function (i.e., music track, front-facing sound track and dialogue, right or left rear surround sound).

Total Purity Audio Reproduction Technology When processing and transmission of the audio signal is simple and direct there is less chance of it being affected by noise and distortion. Yamaha's amplifier design technology called ToP-ART features I/O (input to output) Direct Symmetrical Design, with left and right channels organized in a straight, symmetrical layout for highest signal purity.

TruSurround provides virtual surround sound decoding, specifically designed for a two-speaker listening environment.

A Video CD is physically the same as a music or data CD, but follows certain specifications for filenames and folders. MPEG-1 is used to compress video data, achieving a quality comparable to that of VHS.

A single VCD can hold about 70 minutes of video. VCDs can be played on standalone VCD players, many DVD players, as well as on a PC.

Unlike other enhancement systems that add a correcting filter to make up for the difference between the input/output transfer characteristics of the original sound and the expanded sound, YMERSION employs a feedback circuit that automatically corrects the transfer characteristics. The result is a broader and more natural sound, a wider stereo image and more precise sound localization.