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Parasound P/DD-1550 Owner's Manual Addendum
The P/DD-1550 is an upgraded version of the P/DD-1500. The main difference between these two units
is the addition of DTS decoding circuitry. Otherwise, all the instructions from the P/DD-1500 manual
are applicable.
5.1 Channel Auto Format - Dolby Digital Decoding
If the source you are playing was encoded with 5.1 channel Dolby Digital, the P/DD-1550 will
automatically select Dolby Digital decoding. The green LED above the 5.1 Channel Auto Format button
and all of the amber L, C, R, LS, RS, LFE channel indicators will illuminate to indicate 5.1 channel
Dolby Digital.
5.1 Channel Auto Format - DTS Decoding
If the source you are playing was encoded with 5.1 channel DTS, the P/DD-1550 will automatically
select DTS decoding. The green LED above the 5.1 Channel Auto Format button, all of the amber
channel indicators, and the red DTS indicator will illuminate to indicate 5.1 channel DTS. The new red
DTS indicator replaces the Lock indicator explained on page 10 of the P/DD-1500 Owner's Manual. By
design, DTS decoding requires full range frequencies for all channels without the bass management
used for Dolby Digital. If your speakers are not designed to handle bass frequencies below 100 Hz, use
caution when playing DTS encoded material at high volume levels to avoid distortion or damage.
Pro Logic Surround
If the source material you want to listen to was encoded in Dolby Surround (L
, R
matrix) you can
T
T
decode the signal into Dolby Pro Logic by selecting this mode. You can also use this mode to hear
surround effects with unencoded two channel material. When you select this mode, the L, C, R indicators
will light amber. However, the LS and RS indicators will now light red instead of amber to indicate the
surround channels are mono which is standard for Pro Logic, and the LFE indicator will remain off. If
the program material has been encoded in either 5.1 channel Dolby Digital or DTS, the Pro Logic mode
will not operate because the P/DD-1550 automatically selects superior 5.1 discrete surround.
Two Channel
If the P/DD-1550 detects a two channel Dolby Digital or PCM or signal from the source, it automatically
selects the two channel mode. You can also manually select two channel while playing 5.1 channel
encoded material if you want to route the center, and surround channels to the front left and right
channels only. This is called "downmixing". You can easily downmix a 5.1 Dolby Digital or DTS
encoded signal by pressing the 2 Channel button.
Notes on DTS Decoding
DTS encoded laserdiscs will play properly on laserdisc players equipped with RF outputs. Currently
released DTS encoded music CDs are encoded with a PCM audio bitstream and should play properly
on most first generation DVD players. However, first and second generation DVD players will not play
DTS encoded DVD movies when they become available. This is because the ability to read the DTS
data stream "identifier flag" was not built into these DVD players. Consequently, no DTS decoder,
including the P/DD-1550, can decode DTS discs from first or second generation DVD players. DVD
players that are "DTS-ready" will have an "DTS Digital Out" logo on the front panel. Consult your
dealer to determine whether your DVD player can play DTS encoded CDs and DVDs properly. See
page for 4 of this addendum for frequently asked questions about DTS DVDs and CDs.
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