Connect your audio/video lifestyles (Yep, an iPod dock)
Hey, you're not a spy or a secret agent. So, what do you need multiple audio identities for? One alias, Mr. or Ms. Takes-their-tunes-on-the-go, creates soundtracks for their on-the-go lifestyle, storing and playing them on their iPod. The other, Mr. or Ms. Hosts-their-own-concert-in-their-living-room, puts on some comfy duds and presses PLAY from a cozy spot in their home theater listening area. There's no need to forgo your killer iPod mixes the minute you step foot through the front door. With the included The Bridge II iPod docking station, the AVR354 from Harman/Kardon gives you the ability to seamlessly connect your iPod to your home A/V system, and to use your remote to select and play both audio and video content right from your iPod. Additionally, if XM Satellite radio is your sidekick on the long commute home, the AVR354's built-in XM Ready tuner makes it easy to dial into your XM Satellite radio subscription right from your living room.
The helm
The Harman/Kardon AVR354. An affordable powerhouse of HD audio decoding and digital video processing. Before we delve into this A/V receiver's impressive list of processing and decoding technologies, let's take a quick peak at the system's foundation. First, 7.1 audio channels mean that with the right home audio speaker system, you can enjoy the most advanced, complete, all-encompassing audio soundstage available. Second, with 75W backing up each channel, you experience your surround speakers' full potential. Finally, for optimal integration as your home theater's new command center, the AVR254 sports a wide variety of audio and video connections, including HDMI v1.3, the most advanced digital interface.
A decoder ring for big kids
Okay, so you've got the 7.1-channel surround sound speaker system and an HD audio/video source like Blu-ray Disc. Now, in order to bring these two ends of your home theater infrastructure together, all you need is some serious audio decoding . . . While the AVR354 offers support for a wide variety of Dolby® and dts® decoding formats, three giants stand out among the rest. Dolby True HD is a high definition audio technology that uses lossless coding technology to faithfully reproduce the sound of your favorite movie's studio master track. An improved version of other conventional dts® formats, dts-HD Master Audio uses high data bit rate performance to provide high-quality sound for up to 7.1 channels of discrete digital sound. Also, the active matrix multi-channel audio processing system Logic 7® converts, or upmixes, two-channel stereo signals into five- or seven-channel signals, allowing you to better experience the surrounding ambient sounds that are already present in stereo mixes. As an added audio feature, the AVR354 offers 7.1-channel preamp output and assignable rear-channel amplifiers, giving you the freedom to expand into bi-amping applications for serious amplification.
"Upscale" video processing
Directional Correlation De-interlacing. Upscaling. Processing. Algorithms. Whoa! Slow down. Enough with the mumbo-jumbo. Thanks to Faroudja DCDi Cinema&trade, the Harman/Kardon AVR354 is able to deliver advance video-reproduction performance to your new 1080p HDTV with video from a variety of sources. Using advanced algorithms, Faroudja technology upscales all video content (regardless of resolution) to 1080p . . . the highest resolution available. In addition to merely upscaling your video resolution, Faroudja converts your standard interlaced signal to progressive scan, removing the jagged edges that generally appear when this type of conversion is performed. Big deal, you might say? By advancing your video signal to progressive-scan 1080 (1080p), you get a video picture with the highest level of detail and smoothest reproduction available. Additionally, support for 1080p includes an on-screen display, making navigation of the AVR354's features a breeze.
Customized audio
A variety of factors can influence your home theater system's audio performance, including your home theater itself. The acoustics of your listening area, i.e. the position of walls and furniture, play and important role in determining the ultimate soundstage you experience. So, in order to achieve optimal audio performance in your living room, you have two options: 1) design your listening area to match your audio system's requirements, or 2) customize your audio system's performance to match your listening area's unique properties. That is, time-consuming and expensive versus fast and convenient. With the Harman/Kardon AVR 354, the decision is made for you. EzSet/EQ™ technology uses an included set-up microphone and sound-test program to optimize your speaker's settings for ideal performance in your listening area.
HDMIncredible
Bringing you the absolute best in connectivity, the Harman/Kardon AVR 354 features three HDMI connections. HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the only interface in consumer electronics that can carry both uncompressed high-definition (HD) video and uncompressed multi-channel audio in all HD formats including 720p, 1080i and even 1080p. Your incoming media content comes in a variety of sizes, resolutions and formats, and with that in mind, HDMI systems automatically configure to display that content in the most effective format. Since HDMI carries all channels on video and audio, there is only one cable to plug into any HDMI-enabled source and display device. No more complicated cable set-up when installing your home theater system, and no more ugly cable mess behind your components. HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on this single cable. Also, HDMI is fully backward-compatible with DVI. (Please note that a physical adapter, sold separately, is needed to make the conversion from HDMI to DVI.)
Avoid the 'No Wire' ire
The advent of HDMI has been monumental in the advancement of all your favorite audio and video gadgets. Don't miss out on all that your new AVR 354 offers — in terms of high-definition audio and video connectivity — by leaving a set of HDMI cables off the list. Vann's sales representatives are here to explain all your options, so you can make the best purchase and get the most out of your hi-def system. Call the 800 number at the top of this page for expert advice.
