Yamaha's DVX-S100 DVD home theater system is designed for simplicity and ease of use. Its surprisingly slim centerpiece is actually a high-resolution progressive-scan DVD-Video/DVD-Audio player with an embedded high-performance, 35-watts-per-channel, five-channel amplifier with built-in Dolby Digital, Dolby ProLogic II, and DTS decoding. The system also includes a five-speaker surround package, a separate 50-watt powered subwoofer, and a preset remote control. The DVD player produces state-of-the-art progressive-scan video signals for use with high-definition and HD-ready TVs, providing composite-video and S-video connections as well for impressive video through standard TVs. This piece excels in audio performance, too, offering high-resolution stereo and multichannel surround sound through DVD-Audio processing (when playing DVD-Audio software) and 96 kHz/24-bit audio converters. An advanced onscreen menu simplifies setup.
In addition to Dolby Digital and DTS bit streams, the changer can produce a two-channel analog audio signal, provide digital and analog signals simultaneously, and play CD-R/-RW and DVD-R/-RW/+RW discs.
The built-in receiver performs sophisticated surround decoding and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) empowered by a chip called the YSS-938, which offers 41 variations of 21 different surround sound algorithms.
With enhanced directional steering over standard four-channel Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Pro Logic II provides five channels of surround processing from any stereo source--whether TV broadcast, VHS tapes, or your favorite CDs, cassettes, and LPs. Pro Logic II delivers full-bandwidth stereo surround channels with 40 dB of left-right separation.
The receiver also offers Cinema DSP, which creates aural "imaging" that not only makes your home sound like a theater, but also sounds better than most movie theaters. Cinema DSP is designed to bring out the full potential of movie sound mixes, reproducing them the way directors and sound engineers intended. And, when you're listening to multichannel presentations late at night, you'll appreciate Silent Cinema, which simulates 5.1-channel listening through a pair of ordinary 2-channel headphones (not included).
Moreover, the receiver's 96 kHz/24-bit digital-to-analog converters are applied to all five channels (main left/right, center, rear left/right) and subwoofer. Other features include 40-station AM/FM random-access preset tuning, a sleep timer, a headphone jack, and bass boost.
The DVX-S100's speaker package comprises four satellite speakers with 4-inch drivers and half-inch dome tweeters, a triple-woofer center speaker with a 1-inch tweeter, and a 50-watt Advanced YST subwoofer featuring an 8-inch spruce cone driver, variable crossover, and an auto on/off power switch.
