Rotel Stereo Amplifier RTC 965 User Guide

RTC-965  
SURROUND SOUND  
TUNER PREAMPLIFIER  
SURROUND SOUND TUNER PREAMPLIFIER RTC-965  
MASTER VOLUME  
POWER  
1
4 BACK  
7
2
5
8
0
3
6 ENTER  
9
REMOTE SENSOR  
STANDBY  
STANDBY  
TAPE 2  
MONITOR  
AUX/  
VIDEO 5  
FREQUENCY  
DIRECT  
PHONO  
TUNER  
CD  
TAPE 1  
VIDEO 1  
VIDEO 2  
VIDEO 3  
VIDEO 4  
MEMORY  
MONO  
BAND  
<
TUNING  
>
DYNAMIC  
RANGE  
SPEAKER  
MODE  
5.1 CH  
INPUT  
VIDEO  
VIDEO 1  
REC  
PRO-LOGIC  
3
STEREO  
DSP  
STEREO  
MENU  
+
LABELS  
BASS  
TREBLE  
BALANCE  
SUBWOOFER  
REAR  
CENTER  
+
+
Owner’s Manual  
RTC-965  
Figure 1: Controls and Connections  
1
4 BACK  
7
2
5
8
0
3
6 ENTER  
9
REMOTE SENSOR  
3
SURROUND SOUND TUNER PREAMPLIFIER RTC-965  
Figure 2: Remote Control  
Figure 3: Antenna Connections  
ANTENNA  
41  
42  
L
R
FRONT  
REAR  
AM  
LOOP  
FM  
75  
SUB  
WOOFER  
PREOUT  
CENTER  
PREOUT  
AUD  
SAT  
CD  
TV  
TAPE  
VCR  
DVD  
CBL  
REMOTE  
EXT IN  
POWER  
43  
VOL  
CH  
BAND  
44  
45  
MUTE  
T / V  
SURROUND +  
GUIDE  
ON SCREEN  
MENU  
PAUSE  
C. DELAY  
49  
50  
TRACK –  
TRACK +  
DOWN  
PLAY  
SEL  
UP  
STOP  
DYNAMIC  
PRE  
CH  
46  
47  
RECALL  
OPN/CLS  
SUR-DELAY  
MOVIE FILT  
PROG  
1
DISC 1  
2
DISC 2  
3
DISC 3  
4
DISC 4  
5
DISC 5  
6
DISC 6  
5.1 CH  
TIME [REVIEW]  
51  
52  
7
8
0
9
SELECT  
CLEAR [SCAN]  
10  
>10  
ENTER  
BACK  
RANDOM [REPEAT]  
48  
PHONO  
CD  
TUNER VIDEO 4  
AUX/V5  
Figure 4: DB25 Connector Pin Assignments  
TAPE 1  
M 1  
TAPE 2 VIDEO 1 VIDEO 2 VIDEO 3  
M 4  
M 2  
M 3  
[SHIFT]  
LIGHT  
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 10 11 12 13  
RR-939  
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25  
13 12 11 10 9  
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14  
54 53  
1 left front  
+
14 left front GND  
15 center GND  
2 center  
+
3 right front  
4 subwoofer  
+
16 right front GND  
17 subwoofer GND  
18 left surround GND  
19 right surround GND  
+
NOTE: See PROGRAMMING THE RR-939. Audio code for RTC-965  
is code 001.  
5 left surround  
6 rear surround  
+
+
4
 
RTC-965  
Figure 5: Output Connections  
5
SURROUND SOUND TUNER PREAMPLIFIER RTC-965  
Figure 6: RCA Input Connections  
DVD PLAYER  
AUDIO OUT  
VIDEO OUT  
DIGITAL OUT  
COMPOSITE S-VIDEO  
L
R
CD PLAYER  
ANALOG OUTPUT  
L
R
ROTEL RTC-965  
AC  
INPUT  
L
R
COMPOSITE  
S-VIDEO  
PHONO  
ANTENNA  
L
R
GND  
VIDEO 4  
L
R
SURROUND SOUND  
TUNER PREAMPLIFIER  
MODEL NO. RTC-965  
FRONT  
AM  
LOOP  
DIGITAL INPUT  
VIDEO  
SWITCHED  
100W MAX  
VIDEO 3  
VIDEO 2  
L
R
RTC-965  
2
3
4
CD  
FM  
75  
REAR  
VIDEO 1  
PLAY  
WARNING:TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE  
OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE  
THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.  
IN  
TAPE1  
OUT  
SUB  
VIDEO 1  
REC  
CENTER  
PREOUT  
WOOFER  
PREOUT  
AUX  
5
AUX/  
IN  
CAUTION  
VIDEO 5  
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK  
DO NOT OPEN  
TAPE 2  
MON  
OUT  
REMOTE  
EXT IN  
AVIS: RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE–NE PAS OUVRIR  
TV MONITOR  
WARNING:TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE  
OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE  
THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.  
VCR  
L
L
R
R
COMPOSITE S-VIDEO  
VIDEO IN  
COMPOSITE S-VIDEO  
VIDEO OUT  
AUDIO IN  
AUDIO OUT  
CASSETTE RECORDER  
L
R
L
R
LINE OUTPUT  
REC INPUT  
OUTBOARD DECODER  
FRONT REAR  
L
CENTER  
INPUT  
OUTPUT  
5.1 CH  
R
SUBWOOFER  
6
 
RTC-965  
Figure 7: S-Video Input Connections  
L
R
COMPOSITE  
S-VIDEO  
PHONO  
ANTENNA  
L
L
R
GND  
VIDEO 4  
SURROUND SOUND  
TUNER PREAMPLIFIER  
MODEL NO. RTC-965  
FRONT  
REAR  
AM  
LOOP  
DIGITAL INPUT  
VIDEO  
SWITCHED  
100W MAX  
VIDEO 3  
VIDEO 2  
R
RTC-965  
2
3
4
CD  
FM  
75Ω  
VIDEO 1  
PLAY  
WARNING:TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE  
OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE  
THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.  
IN  
TAPE1  
OUT  
SUB  
VIDEO 1  
REC  
CENTER  
PREOUT  
WOOFER  
PREOUT  
AUX  
5
AUX/  
IN  
CAUTION  
VIDEO 5  
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK  
DO NOT OPEN  
TAPE 2  
MON  
OUT  
REMOTE  
EXT IN  
AVIS: RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE–NE PAS OUVRIR  
TV MONITOR  
WARNING:TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE  
OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE  
THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.  
7
SURROUND SOUND TUNER PREAMPLIFIER RTC-965  
Figure 8: On-Screen Menus  
INPUT SELECTOR  
Video: DVD  
Audio: TUNER  
Video REC: DVD  
Audio REC: TUNER  
5.1Ch Input: OFF  
Input Source: AUTO  
DOWN–selection ENTER–change  
BACK-return  
MENU-screen off  
SURROUND MODE  
Mode: DOLBY PRO LOGIC  
Delay Time  
CENTER: ____  
REAR: 20ms  
BASS LEVEL: +10dB  
DOWN–select ENTER/VOL–change  
BACK-return  
MENU-screen off  
MAIN MENU  
TEST TONE  
Input Selector  
Surround Mode  
Test Tone  
Tone/Balance  
Setup Menu  
Front - L  
Center  
Front - R  
Rear - R  
Rear - L  
Subwoofer  
0dB  
0dB  
-5dB  
0dB  
DOWN–selection ENTER–change  
DOWN–selection VOLUME–change  
BACK-return MENU-screen off  
BACK-return  
MENU-screen off  
TONE / BALANCE  
Bass : +10dB  
Treble : +10dB  
Balance : L 10  
DOWN–selection VOLUME–change  
BACK-return  
MENU-screen off  
SETUP MENU  
Front: LARGE  
Rear: SMALL  
Center: LARGE  
Subwoofer: YES  
Dynamic Range: OFF  
Menu Display: SCREEN  
DOWN–selection ENTER–change  
BACK-return  
MENU-screen off  
8
 
RTC-965  
RR-939 Remote Control ______________________________ 15  
Contents  
Programming the RR-939  
16  
16  
16  
16  
16  
16  
16  
16  
16  
16  
16  
43  
POWER Button  
Figure 1: Controls and Connections  
3
4
4
4
5
6
7
8
41  
42  
VOLUME Buttons  
Figure 2: Remote Control  
TUNING Button  
INPUT SOURCE Buttons  
Figure 3: Antenna Connections  
Figure 4: DB25 Connector Pin Assignments  
Figure 5: Output Connections  
Figure 6: RCA Input Connections  
Figure 7: S-Video Input Connections  
Figure 8: On-Screen Menus  
48  
51  
5.1 Button  
BAND Button  
45  
47  
NUMERIC Buttons  
DYNAMIC Button  
54  
44  
MUTE Button (remote only)  
MENU button  
About Rotel _________________________________________ 10  
Getting Started _____________________________________ 10  
49  
Rear Panel Connections: Overview ___________________ 17  
Rear Panel: Audio Source Connections ________________ 17  
RTC-965 Key Features  
Unpacking  
10  
10  
10  
30  
29  
Phono Inputs  
and Phono Ground  
17  
17  
17  
Placement  
31  
CD Inputs  
Tape Inputs and Outputs  
Front Panel: Basic Controls___________________________ 10  
38  
1
2
43  
Power Switch  
and Standby Switch  
11  
11  
11  
11  
11  
11  
11  
11  
Rear Panel: Video Source Connections ________________ 17  
3
Remote Sensor  
32  
VIDEO 1 Inputs/Outputs  
17  
18  
18  
18  
4
Front Panel Display  
32  
VIDEO 2 – 5 Inputs  
6
41  
Master Volume Control  
37  
Digital Inputs  
21  
Tone Controls  
Balance Control  
SUBWOOFER/REAR/CENTER +/– Buttons  
36  
5.1 Channel Audio Input  
22  
Rear Panel Output Signal Connections ________________ 18  
18  
39  
TV Monitor Output  
RCA Preamp Outputs  
5.1 CHANNEL Preamp Outputs  
18  
18  
18  
19  
MEMORY Button  
27  
Front Panel: Input Selection/Recording Controls_______ 11  
28  
7
Input Source Buttons  
11  
12  
12  
Rear Panel Antenna Connections _____________________ 19  
15 51  
5.1 CH Input  
VIDEO 1 REC Button  
26  
AM Loop Antenna  
FM Wire Antenna  
19  
19  
17  
35  
Front Panel: Surround Sound Controls ________________ 12  
Rear Panel AC Power Connections ____________________ 19  
8
PRO LOGIC Button  
3 STEREO Button  
12  
12  
12  
13  
13  
40  
AC Input  
AC Convenience Outlets  
Remote External Sensor Jack  
19  
19  
19  
9
33  
10  
DSP Button  
STEREO Button  
DYNAMIC RANGE Button  
34  
11  
On-Screen Display / Configuration____________________ 19  
12 54  
41 46 49 50 52 53  
Navigation Buttons  
MAIN Menu  
20  
20  
21  
21  
22  
22  
23  
Front Panel: Tuning Controls _________________________ 13  
24  
BAND Button  
13  
13  
13  
14  
14  
45  
INPUT SELECTOR Menu  
SURROUND MODE Menu  
TEST TONE Menu  
25 42  
TUNING Button  
5
47  
NUMERIC Keypad: Station Presets  
20  
FREQUENCY DIRECT Button  
TONE/BALANCE Menu  
SETUP Menu  
23  
MONO Button  
Front Panel: Configuration Controls __________________ 14  
RTC-965 Specifications_______________________________ 23  
16  
VIDEO LABEL Button  
14  
14  
15  
14  
SPEAKER MODE Button  
13 49  
MENU Button  
9
 
SURROUND SOUND TUNER PREAMPLIFIER RTC-965  
Comprehensive digital and analog input and output connections  
for audio and video sources, including digital inputs, composite  
video inputs and S-Video inputs  
About Rotel  
A family whose passionate interest in music led them to manufac-  
ture high fidelity components of uncompromising quality founded  
Rotel over 30 years ago. Through the years that passion has re-  
mained undiminished and the family goal of providing exceptional  
value for audiophiles and music lovers regardless of their budget,  
is shared by all Rotel employees.  
AM/FM tuner with 30 station presets, direct access tuning, and  
auto-tuning.  
Programmable remote control to operate the RTC-965 and up to  
seven other components.  
Unpacking  
The engineers work as a close team, listening to, and fine tuning  
each new product until it reaches their exacting musical stan-  
dards. They are free to choose components from around the world  
in order to make that product the best they can. You are likely to  
find capacitors from the United Kingdom and Germany, semi con-  
ductors from Japan or the United States, while toroidal power  
transformers are manufactured in Rotel’s own factory.  
Remove the unit carefully from its packing. Look for the handheld  
remote control and other accessories. Save the packing and box  
as it will protect the RTC-965 if you move or need to return it for  
maintenance.  
Placement  
Rotels reputation for excellence has been earned through hun-  
dreds of good reviews and awards from the most respected re-  
viewers in the industry, who listen to music every day. Their  
comments keep the company true to its goal - the pursuit of  
equipment that is musical, reliable and affordable.  
Place the RTC-965 on a solid, dry, level surface away from direct  
sunlight, excessive heat, high humidity, or strong vibrations.  
Make sure the RTC-965 is close to the other components in your  
audio/video system and, if possible, place it on its own shelf. This  
will make initial cable routing, hookup, and any subsequent sys-  
tem changes easier. It also minimizes potential interference or  
heat buildup from other components.  
All of us at Rotel, thank you for buying this product and hope it will  
bring you many hours of enjoyment.  
Make sure there is enough room behind the RTC-965 for easy  
hookup. Remember, you are connecting many other components  
to this unit and you’ll probably need more space than you think.  
Getting Started  
Don’t stack other objects (components or other items) on top of  
the RTC-965. Don’t let water fall into the RTC-965 as this could  
damage delicate circuitry.  
Thank you for purchasing the Rotel RTC-965 Surround Sound  
Tuner Preamplifier. The RTC-965 is four products in one:  
1. A digital audio/video processor designed to decode Dolby® Pro  
Logic® analog surround signals plus Dolby Digital® and DTS® digi-  
tal surround sound signals  
Front Panel: Basic Controls  
2. A full-featured audio/video control center for analog and digital  
source components  
We suggest you look over the RTC-965s front and rear panels be-  
fore you start connecting other components to it. The following  
explanations will help you get familiar with the units connections,  
features, and controls, with number references corresponding to  
the illustrations at the front of this manual.  
3. A high-quality AM/FM tuner.  
RTC-965 Key Features  
Rotels Balanced Design Concept combines advanced circuit  
board layout, comprehensive parts evaluation, and extensive lis-  
tening tests for superior sound and long term reliability.  
Most functions are duplicated on the front panel and on the  
handheld remote control shipped with your unit. A few may be  
available only on one or the other. When two reference numbers  
appear, one refers to the location of the button on the front panel,  
the other to the location of the button on the handheld remote  
control.  
Dolby® Pro Logic® decoding for analog sources  
Dolby Digital® and DTS® decoding for 5.1 channel digital sources  
5.1 channel input for outboard adaptor and future upgradeabilty  
Note: Front panel controls and displays used for tuning the AM/  
FM receiver are described in the next section of this manual.  
User friendly ON-SCREEN DISPLAY with programmable labels for  
video components.  
10  
 
RTC-965  
1
2
43  
18  
Power Switch  
and Standby Switch  
SUBWOOFER/REAR/CENTER +/– Buttons  
The RTC-965 has two pushbuttons for powering on and off. The  
POWER switch completely shuts down all of the circuitry, similar  
in effect to removing the power cord from the AC outlet. The  
STANDBY switch deactivates the unit, but preserves power to  
some circuits such as those that store memorized circuits. When  
in STANDBY mode, a front panel STANDBY LED indicator lights.  
The STANDBY Switch is duplicated on the RTC-965's remote.  
These three pairs of buttons are used to adjust the output level of  
the subwoofer channel, the rear surround speakers, and the cen-  
ter channel speaker.  
To change the output volume of the subwoofer, press the  
SUBWOOFER + or – buttons. To change the output volume of the  
rear surround channels press the REAR + or – buttons. To adjust  
the output of the center channel, press the CENTER + or – button.  
In normal operation, use the STANDBY switch to deactivate the  
unit when you are finished listening and leave the POWER switch  
ON at all times. This will preserve memory functions.  
Note: The same adjustments can also be made using the ON-  
SCREEN MENU system and test tones during system setup.  
Note: The STANDBY switch also controls the rear panel AC con-  
venience outlets. When the RTC-965 is in STANDBY mode, the AC  
outlet is also off. When the RTC-965 is fully functional, the AC out-  
let is live.  
19  
MEMORY Button  
The MEMORY button is used to confirm and memorize various set-  
tings in the setup and operation of the RTC-965, including tuner  
station presets and video source labels. Its use is described in de-  
tail in the relevant sections below.  
3
Remote Sensor  
This sensor receives infrared signals from the handheld remote  
control. Make sure you do not accidentally block this sensor with  
cables or accessories.  
Front Panel: Input Selection/  
Recording Controls  
4
Front Panel Display  
The large fluorescent display in the upper portion of the RTC-965  
provides status information used in operating the AM/FM receiver  
(such as station frequency display, band, preset memory, etc.).  
7
Input Source Buttons  
Ten large front panel buttons directly select an audio or video in-  
put source (such as a CD player, the built-in tuner, a tape recorder,  
video sources, etc.) for listening. Push any of these buttons (or the  
duplicates on the handheld remote) to select the desired source.  
You will hear this source and, if you have selected a video source,  
see its picture on your TV monitor.  
6
41  
Master Volume Control  
The MASTER VOLUME control adjusts the level of all output chan-  
nels simultaneously. Rotate the control clockwise to increase the  
volume. Rotate counterclockwise to decrease the volume. MAS-  
TER VOLUME buttons are also available on the RTC-965's  
handheld remote control.  
Both the front panel display and the ON-SCREEN DISPLAY will  
show the current source selection. These labels can be custom-  
ized to match your components (see the VIDEO LABEL button be-  
low).  
When you adjust the volume, a digital readout will appear in the  
RTC-965 front panel display and an indication of the new setting  
will appear on your TV monitor.  
Note: Four video inputs accept analog audio/video signals and  
digital signals including Dolby Digital and DTS surround material.  
If a digital signal is present when the source is selected, the digi-  
tal input is automatically activated and the proper surround  
choice enabled – unless the automatic sensing has been overrid-  
den for that input in the setup procedure described in the section  
on System Configuration. If no digital signal is present or if the  
auto sensing has been disabled, the analog inputs are selected.  
21  
Tone Controls  
BASS and TREBLE controls increase and decrease the audio  
signal’s low and high frequency content respectively. Rotate  
clockwise to increase output in the respective frequency range  
and counterclockwise to reduce it. The center detent removes  
each control from the audio path for maximum signal integrity. The  
front panel display and an ON-SCREEN DISPLAY will show tone  
control settings as you adjust them.  
TAPE MONITOR INPUTS: Two of the INPUT SOURCE buttons have  
a special function. The TAPE 1 and TAPE 2 MONITOR buttons acti-  
vate the analog inputs of a tape monitor loop consisting of a pair  
of outputs and a matching set of inputs. Traditionally, this tape  
monitor loop has been used to play a tape deck connected to  
these inputs or for real time monitoring of a recording in progress  
on an audio tape deck. Alternatively, the tape monitor loop could  
be used to pass a signal to a graphic equalizer and listen to the  
processed signal by pressing the corresponding TAPE MONITOR  
button. An indicator appears in the front panel display when TAPE  
2 MONITOR is activated.  
22  
Balance Control  
Turn the BALANCE control clockwise to increase the output level  
of the right channel speakers. Turn counterclockwise to increase  
the output level of the left channel speakers. The center detent  
position removes the control from the circuit and provides equal  
output from both left and right channels.  
11  
 
SURROUND SOUND TUNER PREAMPLIFIER RTC-965  
ery time you play a stereo CD or listen to a stereo FM broadcast.  
15 51  
5.1 CH Input  
To the contrary, many people find that they prefer one of the other  
surround modes. We have provided a note with each surround  
mode description suggesting when the setting may be appropriate  
along with alternative settings.  
This button overrides all other inputs (both analog and digital) and  
directly connects an external digital adaptor to the RTC-965s  
MASTER VOLUME control and outputs. This allows the RTC-965 to  
remain the central controller for even the most advanced audio/  
video systems and provides an upgrade path to future software  
standards. When activated, all of the RTC-965s inboard Dolby pro-  
cessing is bypassed. An indicator appears in the front panel dis-  
play and the ON-SCREEN DISPLAY when the 5.1 CH input is  
activated.  
As a general rule, we recommend using PRO LOGIC mode for all  
sources labeled Dolby Pro Logic. Beyond that, use whatever set-  
tings sound best to you in your room with your system.  
Note: Some users understandably find the choice of surround  
modes overwhelming, particularly until they have had a chance to  
live with the system and experiment for a while. Others simply  
prefer “set it and leave it” convenience. In both cases, we recom-  
mend PRO LOGIC mode as a satisfactory choice for virtually any  
source material.  
The 5.1 CH button is duplicated on the handheld remote control.  
17  
VIDEO 1 REC Button  
The RTC-965 permits recording from any source connected to the  
VIDEO 2 through 5 inputs to a VCR connected to the VIDEO 1 out-  
puts while allowing simultaneous listening to another input  
source. To select a VIDEO INPUT SOURCE for recording, press the  
VIDEO 1 REC button. Each time you press the button, one of the  
VIDEO INPUT sources will be shown in the front panel display and  
selected for recording. For example, the first time you press the  
button, VIDEO 2 will be displayed as the recording source, a sec-  
ond press of the button will display VIDEO 3, and so on until you  
have cycled through VIDEO 4 and AUX/VIDEO 5 as well. Stop  
when you reach the input you wish to record from and its signal  
will be available to record on a VCR connected to the VIDEO 1 out-  
puts. Remember, this selection is independent of the listening  
source. While recording, you may still select an audio source (for  
example, the CD or the TUNER input) for listening.  
8
PRO LOGIC Button  
Provides proper playback decoding and processing for any Dolby  
Pro Logic encoded surround sound material, whether it be a mu-  
sic CD, videotape, videodisc, conventional stereo TV broadcast, or  
radio broadcast. It also can be used successfully to create addi-  
tional ambience in 2-channel musical source material. Front, cen-  
ter, and rear speakers are activated and an indicator lights in the  
front panel display when the PRO LOGIC button is pressed.  
Note: Many users will find that leaving the RTC-965 in the PRO  
LOGIC mode offers the most satisfactory performance and conve-  
nience for all source materials. It provides automatic decoding of  
analog surround sound material. It allows automatic selection  
(unless overridden) of digital processing when a Dolby Digital or  
DTS source is played. In addition, it provides satisfying surround-  
sound ambience with musical sources.  
Note: The RECORD function requires analog signals. Thus, if you  
are using a digital connection from a CD player or DVD for listen-  
ing, you should also connect an analog signal for recording. See  
the section on Rear Panel Input Connections.  
9
3 STEREO Button  
Provides the proper playback of Dolby Pro Logic source material  
on systems that have front and center speakers, but lack rear sur-  
round speakers. Adds the rear channel signals to the front speak-  
ers for a larger, more ambient sound than conventional stereo. An  
indicator lights in the front panel display to show that this mode  
has been activated.  
Front Panel: Surround Sound  
Controls  
The RTC-965 is equipped to properly decode Dolby® Pro Logic®,  
Dolby Digital®, and DTS® surround sound source material as well  
as synthesizing several different ambience simulations for musi-  
cal source material.  
10  
DSP Button  
This button activates digital synthesis of four different ambience  
modes (MUSIC 1: THEATER, MUSIC 2: HALL, MUSIC 3: STADIUM,  
and MUSIC 4: CHURCH) which simulate different acoustic envi-  
ronments and are primarily used to recreate ambience when lis-  
tening to music sources and/or other sources that lack surround  
sound encoding.  
Dolby Digital and DTS activation are fully automatic (unless the  
auto sensing is disabled during system setup). When a digital sig-  
nal encoded with either of these surround signals is detected, the  
RTC-965 automatically activates the proper decoding. In most  
cases, the RTC-965 will also recognize a digital signal encoded  
with Dolby Pro Logic for automatic processing.  
These four modes vary in the length and type of delay used for the  
rear surround channel signals. Experiment to find a setting which  
is most pleasing for a particular recording or broadcast. Press the  
button to activate the DSP mode. Each subsequent press of the  
button will step forward to the next mode in the following order:  
MUSIC 1 > MUSIC 2 > MUSIC 3 > MUSIC 4. An indicator lights in  
the front panel display when DSP mode has been activated.  
Additionally, five small buttons allow manual control of the sur-  
round sound/ambience settings as described below. Keep in mind  
that there are no right or wrong settings. Just because a mode is  
labelled STEREO does not mean that you must use this mode ev-  
12  
 
RTC-965  
Note: As a general rule, the DSP modes provide more exagger-  
ated ambience effects than playing the same recording in PRO  
LOGIC mode, which provides a subtle ambience synthesis on mu-  
sical recordings. You may prefer PRO LOGIC as your “everyday”  
setting, experimenting with the more spectacular DSP modes for  
particular recordings or effects.  
Front Panel: Tuning Controls  
The RTC-965 features a digital synthesized AM/FM tuner with 30  
station presets. Operation of the tuning functions involves the use  
of the numeric buttons immediately to the left of the MASTER  
VOLUME knob and five buttons directly below the MASTER VOL-  
UME knob as described below.  
11  
STEREO Button  
24  
45  
BAND Button  
Activates conventional 2-speaker stereo direct bypass mode with  
no surround sound or other processing. This is “pure” stereo, us-  
ing the front left and front right speakers only, with no surround  
channels and no center channel.  
The BAND button selects whether the tuner is in AM or FM mode.  
Press the button to toggle back and forth between AM and FM. A  
corresponding indicator will light at the left portion of the front  
panel display to confirm your choice and the currently tuned sta-  
tion frequency will be shown.  
When used with Dolby Digital or DTS source material, the STEREO  
button engages a “downmix” feature which combines all of the  
available channels and sends them to the front speakers only. The  
spatial effects of surround sound are lost, but all of the informa-  
tion on the original recording will be heard in 2-channel stereo.  
25 42  
TUNING Button  
This is a rocker switch used to change the station frequency up or  
down. The TUNING button gives you a choice of two tuning meth-  
ods: manual and automatic.  
Note 1: We provide the STEREO mode as an alternative for those  
who want to hear the recording in its original two-channel form,  
as if it were being played over a conventional 2-speaker stereo  
system. Conversely, many listeners find that they prefer the addi-  
tional ambience from multi-speaker surround sound processing of  
2-channel music recordings. We suggest PRO LOGIC mode for  
subtle ambience synthesis or the DSP modes for more spectacu-  
lar effects. Use the setting that sounds best to you.  
To tune manually, press the button quickly and release to in-  
crease or decrease the station frequency to the next available  
setting, whether or not there is a station broadcasting on that fre-  
quency. Use a succession of quick button presses to reach the  
desired station.  
To tune automatically, press and hold the TUNING button for ap-  
proximately one second. An AUTO indicator will appear in the  
front panel display and the tuner will begin automatically scan-  
ning up or down through the frequencies until the next available  
station is detected. If this is not the desired station, repeat the au-  
tomatic tuning procedure to find the next station. Weak stations  
will be skipped during auto tuning.  
12 54  
DYNAMIC RANGE Button  
Today’s digital sources are capable of extremely high dynamic  
range (the difference between the softest and loudest sounds). In  
some cases, the available dynamic range may tax amplifiers and/  
or speakers. In other cases, it may be desirable to reduce the dy-  
namic range, for example, when listening at low volume levels.  
Pressing the DYNAMIC RANGE button steps through the three  
available dynamic range settings:  
Several indicators in the front panel display assist tuning. A large  
display shows the tuned frequency and increases or decreases  
during tuning. A signal strength indicator shows the strength of  
the incoming signal. A TUNED indicator lights when a sufficiently  
strong signal is received. A ST indicator lights when a stereo FM  
signal is received.  
• OFF (no compression/full dynamic range)  
• MID (moderate compression)  
• MIN (maximum compression/minimum dynamic range).  
5
47  
NUMERIC Keypad: Station Presets  
An indicator lights on the front panel display to show the current  
selection.  
The RTC-965 can store up to 30 station presets for recall at any  
time using the NUMERIC keypad. To memorize a station:  
1. Tune to the desired station, either AM or FM.  
Note: The DYNAMIC RANGE feature is only available in Dolby  
Digital. It is inactive at all other times.  
2. Press the MEMORY button on the front panel of the RTC-965. A  
MEMORY indicator will flash for five seconds in the display.  
3. While the MEMORY indicator is flashing, press the number of  
the preset where you wish to store the station frequency. For ex-  
ample, to memorize the station as preset 3, press the 3 button. To  
memorize preset 15, press the 1 button followed by the 5 button.  
4. A previously stored frequency is erased from memory when a  
new frequency is memorized for the same preset number.  
13  
 
SURROUND SOUND TUNER PREAMPLIFIER RTC-965  
To tune to a previously memorized station, just press the preset  
number on the NUMERIC keypad. For example, to tune to preset 3,  
press the 3 button. To tune to preset 15, press the 1 button and  
then press the 5 button.  
Front Panel: Configuration  
Controls  
Note: If the TUNER is not already the selected INPUT SOURCE, se-  
lecting a station preset will automatically switch to the TUNER in-  
put and tune the memorized station.  
16  
VIDEO LABEL Button  
You may customize the labels of the VIDEO INPUT SOURCE but-  
tons so that the names of your particular components are dis-  
played in the front panel display and the ON-SCREEN DISPLAY  
when selected. For example, you could choose to have DVD dis-  
played in place of VIDEO 2. Labels may be up to 9 characters long.  
Inputs that can be relabelled are VIDEO 1, VIDEO 2, VIDEO 3,  
VIDEO 4, and AUX/VIDEO 5. To relabel the video inputs:  
The NUMERIC keypad buttons can also be used for direct access  
tuning (see below). In addition, four of the buttons (  
/ BACK /  
ENTER) are used in navigating the ON-SCREEN MENU system.  
20  
FREQUENCY DIRECT Button  
If you know the frequency of the desired station, you may tune it  
directly using the FREQUENCY DIRECT button and the NUMERIC  
keypad.  
1. Select the VIDEO INPUT you wish to relabel.  
2. Press and hold the VIDEO LABEL button for 3 seconds. The 9  
segments of the front panel display turn to bars, each represent-  
ing one available character. The first bar blinks.  
1. Press the FREQUENCY DIRECT button to change the NUMERIC  
keypad from station preset to Direct Access mode. The station  
frequency in the front panel display will change to a series of four  
bars, representing the digits of a station frequency, with the first  
bar flashing.  
3. Press the TUNING < > buttons repeatedly to step backwards or  
forwards through the available characters until you find the first  
letter or character in the desired name. Available characters in-  
clude the 26 letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0 – 9, and nine  
special characters. When the desired character is displayed,  
press the MEMORY button to move to the next character in the  
display. The next segment in the display will blink.  
2. Enter the first digit of the station frequency using the NUMERIC  
keypad. The digit will appear in the frequency display and the sec-  
ond bar will flash. Enter the remaining digits of the frequency.  
Note that in FM mode, pressing 1 will enter 10 as the digit in the  
frequency display. When all of the digits have been entered, the  
tuner will automatically tune to the displayed station frequency.  
4. Repeat step 3 above until you have entered all nine characters  
in the desired video label, including “blanks” for unused charac-  
ters. As soon as you press the MEMORY button following the ninth  
character, the new label will be stored.  
Examples:  
FM87.50MHz  
FM101.90MHz  
AM1610kHz  
Press: 8 > 7 > 5 > 0  
Press: 1 > 1 > 9 > 0  
Press: 1 > 6 > 1 > 0  
14  
SPEAKER MODE Button  
Home theater speaker systems vary considerably in their size and  
performance, particularly in their bass output. For this reason,  
today’s surround sound processors feature elaborate logic which  
can send thunderous bass information from movie soundtracks to  
the speaker(s) best able to handle it – subwoofers and/or large  
speakers. For optimum surround sound performance, it is neces-  
sary to tell the RTC-965 what speakers your system includes and  
what type they are.  
23  
MONO Button  
The MONO button changes the FM mode from stereo reception to  
mono reception. In stereo mode, a stereo signal will be heard if  
the station is broadcasting a stereo signal and there is sufficient  
signal strength. A stereo indicator will light in the front panel dis-  
play. In mono mode, a mono signal will be heard even if the station  
is broadcasting a stereo signal.  
The following configuration instructions refer to LARGE and  
SMALL speakers. The size refers more to the bass performance of  
the speaker than its physical size. A full-range speaker that has  
extended bass response is considered LARGE. A compact  
minispeaker with limited bass response or power handling is con-  
sidered SMALL.  
Note: Switching to mono mode can be a useful way to improve the  
reception of weak or distant FM signals. Less signal strength is  
required for clean mono reception than for stereo reception.  
While understanding the terms LARGE and SMALL is useful, it is  
probably more important to understand what these different  
speaker types mean in terms of system performance. This will  
help determine how you should configure your system. As a gen-  
eral rule, the system will redirect bass information away from  
SMALL speakers and send it to the LARGE speakers and/or the  
SUBWOOFER in your system.  
14  
 
RTC-965  
Things become a little more complex in systems with a subwoofer.  
For example, the system will generally not redirect bass informa-  
tion away from a LARGE speaker to the subwoofer. Thus, the de-  
cision you often need to make when faced with a choice of LARGE  
or SMALL is whether you want the particular speaker to play the  
deep bass or whether you would prefer that the deep bass be sent  
to the subwoofer. If you have invested in a subwoofer for your  
system, you might decide to send all of the bass to it, regardless  
of how capable the other speakers in the system may be. In this  
case, you would tell the RTC-965 that all of your speakers are  
SMALL, without regard to how big they may actually be.  
Note 3: Dolby Digital and DTS modes are automatically activated  
based on software codes; there is no manual mode setting. There-  
fore, to use one of these modes for configuring the speaker set-  
tings, play a Dolby Digital or DTS digital recording to activate  
these modes and then press the SPEAKER MODE button to config-  
ure the speakers.  
There are two ways to configure your speaker system. One is the  
ON-SCREEN MENU system (described later in this manual). The  
other method uses the front panel SPEAKER MODE button:  
An alternative configuration for setting up front SMALL speakers  
with a subwoofer would be to follow the speaker manufacturers  
instructions, wiring the SMALL speakers to the subwoofer’s  
crossover and then connecting the subwoofer directly to the front  
speaker connection terminals. In this arrangement, the speakers  
would be classified as LARGE and the subwoofer setting would be  
OFF for all surround modes. No information will be lost during  
playback because the system knows to redirect the bass informa-  
tion to the front LARGE speakers. This configuration may be opti-  
mal for many users as it can improve the way the bass integrates  
into the listening room and ensure correct satellite speaker op-  
eration by using the speaker manufacturer’s own crossovers.  
1. Select the Dolby Pro Logic surround mode with the front panel  
buttons or by playing a Dolby Digital or DTS digital source.  
2. Press and hold the SPEAKER MODE button for at least 2 sec-  
onds to activate the FRONT speaker configuration. An indicator  
will appear in the front panel display.  
3. Quickly press the SPEAKER MODE button in succession to  
toggle through the available options for the FRONT speakers  
(large/small). The selection will appear in the front panel display.  
4. When the correct size configuration for your FRONT speakers  
appears, press the MEMORY button to store the setting. This will  
automatically take you to the configuration options for the next  
type of speaker, for example, the CENTER speaker.  
The following speaker options are available:  
FRONT SPEAKERS (small/large): This menu setting determines  
what kind of main front left and right speakers you are using. Use  
the LARGE setting if your main left and right speakers are full  
range designs with good bass response capability. If you are us-  
ing minispeakers, use the SMALL setting.  
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4, pressing the SPEAKER MODE button  
quickly in succession until you reach the desired setting and then  
confirm the selection by pressing the MEMORY button. Continue  
until you have set the proper configuration for all speakers.  
CENTER SPEAKER (small/large/none): Use the LARGE position  
(not available with SMALL front speakers) if your system’s center  
channel speaker is capable of full-range, extended bass re-  
sponse. Use the SMALL position if your center channel speaker  
has more limited low frequency capability, or if you prefer that the  
bass be sent to the subwoofer. Select the NONE setting if your  
system does not have a center channel speaker.  
Once complete, you can check the current settings at any time by  
briefly pushing the SPEAKER MODE button repeatedly to toggle  
through the various speaker settings.  
13 49  
MENU Button  
Activates the ON-SCREEN MENU system for system setup and  
configuration. See the section detailing the operation of the ON-  
SCREEN MENU system below. Press the button to activate the  
menu system.  
REAR SPEAKERS (small/large/none): If your rear surround speak-  
ers are capable of sustained low frequency output, select the  
LARGE setting (not available with SMALL front speakers). If your  
rear speakers have limited bass capability or if you would prefer  
that the bass go to a subwoofer, use the SMALL setting. If your  
system has no rear surround speakers, select the NONE setting  
(surround information will be added to the front speakers).  
RR-939 Remote Control  
SUBWOOFER (yes/no): Use the YES setting if your system has a  
subwoofer. If your system does not have a subwoofer, select NO.  
The RTC-965 includes a handheld remote control that does far  
more than operate the RTC-965. The RR-939 is a full-function pro-  
grammable remote control that can operate up to 8 audio/video  
components.  
Note 1: Speaker configuration need only be done one time. The  
configuration will apply to all surround modes.  
A separate manual, included with the remote, gives detailed infor-  
mation on programming and using the RR-939 to replace all of the  
remote controls in your system. This section is intended to provide  
only that information which pertains to the use of the RR-939 to  
operate the RTC-965.  
Note 2: The available options during the configuration procedure  
may vary depending on the current surround mode setting. For  
this reason, select one of the surround modes, either Dolby Pro  
Logic or Dolby Digital, before setting the speaker configuration.  
15  
 
SURROUND SOUND TUNER PREAMPLIFIER RTC-965  
To tune manually, press the button quickly and release to in-  
Note: Many functions duplicate the RTC-965 front panel controls  
and are listed here only for your reference. Please refer to the  
previous Front Panel Controls section of this manual if you need  
additional information.  
crease or decrease the station frequency to the next available  
setting, whether or not there is a station broadcasting on that fre-  
quency. Use a succession of quick button presses to reach the  
desired station.  
To operate the RTC-965 with the remote, make sure that the AU-  
DIO mode is active by pressing the AUD button on the remote be-  
fore you start. If it is active, pressing command keys on the RR-939  
will cause the AUDIO button to flash red. Once the AUDIO mode is  
active, it will stay active unless you press one of the other DEVICE  
buttons to control a different component.  
To tune automatically, press and hold the TUNING button for ap-  
proximately one second. The tuner will begin automatically scan-  
ning up or down until the next available station is detected. Weak  
stations will be skipped during auto tuning.  
48  
INPUT SOURCE Buttons  
Two rows of buttons duplicate the function of the ten INPUT  
SOURCE buttons on the front panel. Select an input source by  
pressing the appropriate button. The AUX 1 and AUX 2 buttons  
correspond to the front panel VIDEO 4 and VIDEO 5 buttons.  
Programming the RR-939  
The RR-939 is programmed from the factory to operate the RTC-  
965. Should the AUDIO command set on your RR-939 not operate  
the RTC-965, it’s possible that the programming has been inadvert-  
ently changed. To reprogram the remote to operate the RTC-965  
(Audio Code = 001):  
5.1 Button 51  
Duplicates the 5.1 CH button on the front panel. Selects the 5.1  
Channel input, overriding any other source selection.  
1. Press the AUDIO button at the top of the remote while simulta-  
neously pressing the MUTE button and hold both for at least one  
second. The AUDIO button will light in red for 20 seconds, indicat-  
ing that you have entered the program mode. The next step must  
be done within this 20 second period, or the RR-939 will revert to  
its standard operating mode.  
45  
BAND Button  
Duplicates the AM/FM button on the front panel. Toggles between  
AM and FM modes.  
2. Use the NUMERIC buttons to enter the 3-digit code (001) for the  
RTC-965 – press 0, then 0, then 1. The AUDIO button will flash  
each time you enter a digit.  
NUMERIC Buttons 47  
Ten numeric buttons, labeled 0 through 9, duplicate the function of  
the NUMERIC keypad on the front panel. Selects memorized sta-  
tion presets.  
3. Store the code number by pressing the corresponding AUDIO  
button again. The button will blink twice to confirm the storage of  
the code in memory.  
DYNAMIC Button 54  
Duplicates the DYNAMIC RANGE button on the front panel. Se-  
lects from three available dynamic range settings.  
43  
POWER Button  
Duplicates the function of the STANDBY switch on the front panel.  
Press to activate the RTC-965. Press again to deactivate. The main  
POWER button on the front panel must be in the ON position for  
the remote standby function to operate.  
44  
MUTE Button (remote only)  
Push this button once to reduce all output levels to 0 – in other  
words, to turn the sound off. A flashing mute indication will ap-  
pear in the front panel and on-screen displays. Press the MUTE  
button again to restore previous volume levels.  
41  
VOLUME Buttons  
A pair of buttons which duplicate the function of the front panel  
volume control. Press VOLUME UP to increase the volume and  
press VOLUME DOWN to decrease the volume.  
49  
MENU button  
Duplicates the function of the front panel MENU button. Push this  
button to turn on the ON-SCREEN MENU system. If the menu sys-  
tem is already visible, push this button to cancel the Display.  
42  
TUNING Button  
A pair of buttons used to change the station frequency up or down  
and duplicating the front panel TUNING button.  
Note: The RTC-965 ON-SCREEN DISPLAY will automatically be  
turned off following 20 seconds without any control activity.  
16  
 
RTC-965  
31  
CD Inputs  
Rear Panel Connections: Overview  
Connect the left and right analog outputs from a CD player to the  
RCA input jacks labeled CD.  
The RTC-965 provides rear panel connections for five video  
sources, three audio sources, and a phono input for use with a  
turntable. These connections include standard RCA audio inputs  
and outputs, composite video inputs and outputs, S-Video inputs  
and outputs, plus digital inputs (coaxial/RCA jack and optical).  
38  
Tape Inputs and Outputs  
The RTC-965 provides two sets of audio tape deck connections la-  
beled TAPE 1 and TAPE 2. Each set has a pair of inputs and a pair  
of record outputs that allow you to record on either tape deck.  
The RTC-965 includes a full complement of RCA preamp outputs  
for use with external amplifiers. In addition, a pair of video output  
(composite and S-Video) connect the unit to your TV monitor.  
Connect the left and right analog outputs from an audio tape deck  
to the TAPE 1 IN input jacks. Connect the TAPE 1 OUT output jacks  
to the INPUTS on the audio tape deck.  
The RTC-965 also includes 25-pin 5.1 channel input and output  
connections, a remote IR sensor connection, and antenna con-  
nections.  
Connect a second tape deck to the TAPE 2 connections – the out-  
puts of the tape deck to the IN jacks on the RTC-965 and the OUT  
jacks on the RTC-965 to the inputs on the second tape deck.  
Note: DO NOT plug any system component into an AC source until  
system hookup is complete and you are confident that all compo-  
nent-to-component connections have been properly made.  
Rear Panel: Video Source  
Connections  
All video cables should have a 75 ohm impedance rating. Al-  
though conventional audio interconnects will pass a video signal,  
their construction and limited bandwidth impose a performance  
penalty because, in part, they do not adhere to the 75 ohm stan-  
dard. The S/PDIF digital audio interface standard specifies a 75  
ohm transmission line and all good digital cables adhere to this  
requirement. Because the video and S/PDIF standards are so  
close, you can use a video cable for digital audio data transmis-  
sion. We strongly advise that you NOT substitute a conventional  
analog audio interconnect cable for either digital or video.  
There are groups of connections for up to five video source com-  
ponents. Each group includes a pair of RCA analog audio inputs, a  
composite video input, and an alternative S-Video input. One  
group, VIDEO 1, also includes a set of record outputs (in the same  
formats) for sending audio and video signals to a VCR.  
32  
VIDEO 1 Inputs/Outputs  
Connect your VCR to the VIDEO 1 group of inputs and outputs. This  
set of connections allows recording.  
When making signal connections, make sure that you always  
preserve proper channel consistency, i.e. connect LEFT channels  
to LEFT channel jacks and RIGHT channels to RIGHT channel  
jacks. All RCA-type connections on the RTC-965 follow these stan-  
dard color codes:  
Connect the analog audio outputs of the VCR to the VIDEO 1 PLAY  
left and right RCA audio jacks. Connect the VIDEO 1 REC left and  
right RCA audio output jacks to the analog audio line inputs on the  
VCR.  
Left channel audio  
Right channel audio  
Composite video  
=
=
=
RCA jack with white inset  
RCA jack with red inset  
RCA jack with yellow inset  
If you have decided to use composite video connections in your  
system, connect the RCA composite video output of the VCR to the  
RCA composite video input labeled VIDEO 1 PLAY. If you prefer to  
use S-Video connections, connect the S-Video output of the VCR  
to the VIDEO 1 PLAY S-Video input.  
Rear Panel: Audio Source  
Connections  
Hookup the VIDEO 1 REC video output (either RCA composite or S-  
Video) to the video line recording input on your VCR.  
Connect your audio-only source components to these RCA inputs  
and outputs:  
30  
29  
Phono Inputs  
and Phono Ground  
Connect the left and right output cables of a turntable to this pair  
of RCA inputs. Connect the ground wire from your turntable to the  
phono ground lug, labeled GND.  
17  
 
SURROUND SOUND TUNER PREAMPLIFIER RTC-965  
32  
VIDEO 2 – 5 Inputs  
Rear Panel Output Signal  
Connections  
These four sets of audio/video inputs allow connection of four ad-  
ditional video components such as a play-only VCR, DVD player,  
LaserDisc player, or DSS satellite receiver.  
This section of the manual provides complete information on the  
audio and video signal output connections on the rear panel of the  
RTC-965. These are used for routing the output signals to televi-  
sion monitors, audio amplifiers, and recording devices. For conve-  
nience, each topic begins with an overview of the particular  
connection, followed by detailed hookup instructions.  
Connect the RCA analog audio outputs of the first video compo-  
nent to the left and right RCA analog audio inputs labeled VIDEO 2.  
Then, connect either the RCA composite video or S-Video output  
of the video source to the corresponding RCA composite or S-  
Video connection labeled VIDEO 2.  
Repeat for additional video components, using VIDEO 3, VIDEO 4,  
and AUX./VIDEO 5.  
39  
TV Monitor Output  
The video output of the RTC-965 sends the video signal to your TV  
monitor. Both RCA composite and S-Video connectors are pro-  
vided. Simply connect the TV MONITOR output, either RCA com-  
posite or S-Video, to an input on your television monitor. Whatever  
input source is selected on the RTC-965 will appear on screen.  
Note: Any of the video source inputs may also be used for an au-  
dio-only source. Simply omit the video connection.  
37  
Digital Inputs  
27  
RCA Preamp Outputs  
The RTC-965 features a complete D/A conversion capability which  
accepts digital input signals from source components such as CD  
players, satellite TV receivers, and 5.1 channel Dolby Digital or  
DTS signals from DVD and Laser Disc players. The D/A automati-  
cally senses and adjusts to the correct sampling rates.  
The RTC-965 provides a set of RCA preamp audio outputs: one for  
a powered subwoofer and five more (FRONT LEFT/FRONT RIGHT/  
CENTER/RIGHT REAR/LEFT REAR) that allow you to use external  
amplifiers in place of one or more of the built-in amps.  
These digital inputs are available for VIDEO 2 (coaxial), VIDEO 3  
(coaxial), VIDEO 4 (optical), and AUX/VIDEO 5 (optical).  
To hook up a powered subwoofer, connect a standard RCA audio  
cable from the SUBWOOFER OUTPUT jack to the input on the  
subwoofer’s power amp.  
To use the digital inputs, connect the appropriate cable (optical or  
coaxial) from the digital output of your source component to the  
corresponding DIGITAL INPUT on the RTC-965. Make sure that if  
you have connected the analog signals from a source to VIDEO 2,  
that you also connect its digital output to VIDEO 2, etc.  
To hook up the RCA main audio outputs, connect a standard audio  
cable from each output to the input of the amplifier channel that  
will power the corresponding speaker. In a full home theater sys-  
tem using external amplifiers for all channels, you will need to  
make six different connections corresponding to the six speakers  
(left front, center front, right front, left surround, right surround,  
and subwoofer).  
Even when using digital connections, you should still make the  
analog input connections described above. The analog connec-  
tion is necessary should you wish to record from that source com-  
ponent to an audio tape deck or VCR.  
It is important to make sure that you have the correct output con-  
nected to the proper amplifier channel (front right, left rear, etc.).  
Take your time.  
36  
5.1 Channel Audio Input  
This female DB25 25-pin input connects six discrete channels of  
analog information from an outboard processor in a single cable.  
28  
5.1 CHANNEL Preamp Outputs  
As an alternative to the RCA preamp outputs, the RTC-965 also  
provides a male DB25 multi-pin output connector which carries all  
six output channels in a single cable. The DB25 output connector  
provides exactly the same signal as the RCA outputs, but is more  
convenient for use with Rotel, or other, multichannel amplifiers  
equipped with a matching DB25 input. Choose whichever is most  
convenient for your system hookup.  
Many external adaptors provide a choice of RCA or DB25 outputs.  
We suggest that you use a DB25-to-DB25 cable to reduce the  
number of cables and to insure proper channel-to-channel conti-  
nuity. If your external adaptor does not have a DB25 output, you  
will need to purchase a multi-RCA to DB25 adaptor cable from  
your authorized Rotel dealer. Make sure to observe proper chan-  
nel continuity. See Figure 4 for DB25 pin assignments.  
To use the DB25 output connections, simply connect a female-to-  
male DB25 audio cable from the output of the RTC-965 to the  
matching input on the multichannel power amplifier. See Figure 4  
at the front of this manual for DB25 pin assignments.  
18  
 
RTC-965  
Note: To use an outdoor antenna, connect its 75 ohm coax lead  
wire (or 300 ohm twin-conductor wire and 300 ohm to 75 ohm  
adaptor) to the FM 75connector in place of the indoor wire an-  
tenna, only after a professional contractor has installed the an-  
tenna system in accordance with local electrical codes.  
Rear Panel Antenna Connections  
The RTC-965 requires two antennas to receive radio signals, one  
for AM and one for FM (MW and LW in some countries). Most us-  
ers will get acceptable reception using the indoor antennas which  
are supplied with the RTC-965. Instructions for hooking up these  
antennas follow.  
Note: If you are located a considerable distance from the radio  
transmitters, you may choose to use outdoor antennas to improve  
reception. Outdoor antenna systems can be dangerous if they are  
not properly grounded and should always be installed by a profes-  
sional contractor familiar with the electrical code requirements in  
your local area.  
Rear Panel AC Power Connections  
40  
AC Input  
Your RTC-965 is configured at the factory for the proper AC line  
voltage in the country where you purchased it (USA version: 115  
volts/60Hz or European version: 230 volts/50Hz). The AC line con-  
figuration is noted on a decal on the back of your unit.  
AM Loop Antenna 26  
The RTC-965 includes a plastic loop antenna to receive AM radio  
signals. Remove this antenna from the box and locate it near the  
RTC-965. It can be tacked to a wall, using the mounting tab pro-  
vided. Alternatively, you can fold the center portion of the antenna  
to form a tabletop stand.  
Plug the attached power cord into an appropriate AC wall outlet.  
33  
AC Convenience Outlets  
Two outlets let you plug AC cords from source components or  
other accessories into the back of the RTC-965 so that they will be  
turned on and off automatically. The outlets are powered when-  
ever the RTC-965 is fully active. They are off when the RTC-965 is  
in STANDBY mode.  
Connect the 300 ohm twin-conductor wire from the loop antenna  
to the pair of screw terminals labeled AM LOOP, attaching one  
wire to each terminal. It does not matter which wire attaches to  
which terminal, but make sure that the connections are solid and  
that the two wires do not touch.  
Note: The rear panel AC outlets are only available on 115 Volt ver-  
sions of the RTC-965 and not available on 230 Volt models.  
You may need to rotate or otherwise reorient the antenna to find  
the best position.  
34  
Remote External Sensor Jack  
Note: To use an outdoor antenna, connect its 300 ohm twin-con-  
ductor wire to the terminals in place of the loop antenna, only af-  
ter a professional contractor has installed the antenna system in  
accordance with local electrical codes.  
This 3.5 mm mini-jack receives command codes from industry-  
standard infrared receivers (Xantech, etc.) via hard-wired con-  
nections. This feature could prove useful when the unit is installed  
in a cabinet and the front-panel sensor is blocked. Consult your  
authorized Rotel dealer for information on these external repeat-  
ers and the proper wiring of a jack to fit the mini-jack receptacle.  
FM Wire Antenna 35  
The RTC-965 includes a wire antenna to receive FM signals. In  
many countries (including the USA), this antenna is a T-shaped  
twin-conductor 300antenna. Remove this antenna from the box  
and connect its two conductors to the two screw terminals on the  
supplied 300to 75adaptor. Connect the coax plug on the con-  
verter to the FM 75antenna connector on the RTC-965.  
On-Screen Display / Configuration  
The RTC-965 features two on-screen systems to help operate the  
system. The first consists of simple status displays that appear on  
the TV screen whenever primary settings (Volume, Input, etc.) are  
changed. These status displays are self-explanatory.  
For best reception, unfold the T-shaped wire antenna. There are  
eyelets at both ends of the T, which allow tacking the antenna to a  
wall, if desired. Experiment with positioning for best reception.  
A more comprehensive ON-SCREEN MENU system is available at  
any time by pressing the MENU button on the front panel or the  
remote control. This system includes intuitive menus that guide  
you through the setup and operation of virtually every function  
and setting of your RTC-965.  
In some countries, the RTC-965 may be supplied with a single wire  
FM antenna terminated by a 75coax connector. If your unit is  
supplied with this antenna, connect it directly to the FM 75an-  
tenna connector.  
19  
 
SURROUND SOUND TUNER PREAMPLIFIER RTC-965  
41 46 49 50 52 53  
Navigation Buttons  
SAT  
TV  
VCR  
CBL  
POWER  
MUTE  
41  
VOL  
CH  
BAND  
T / V  
VOLUME  
SURROUND +  
GUIDE  
ON SCREEN  
MENU  
PAUSE  
C. DELAY  
49  
MENU  
TRACK –  
TRACK +  
PLAY  
SEL  
UP  
DOWN  
STOP  
DYNAMIC  
PRE  
CH  
50  
RECALL  
DOWN  
OPN/CLS  
SUR-DELAY  
46  
MOVIE FILT  
PROG  
1
DISC 1  
2
DISC 2  
3
DISC 3  
UP  
4
DISC 4  
5
DISC 5  
6
DISC 6  
5.1 CH  
TIME [REVIEW]  
53  
7
8
0
9
SELECT  
CLEAR [SCAN]  
ENTER  
10  
>10  
ENTER  
BACK  
RANDOM [REPEAT]  
52  
BACK  
The following buttons are used to navigate the ON-SCREEN MENU  
system:  
49  
MENU Button:  
To display the MAIN screen. All other menus  
are reached from this menu. If a menu is already visible, push this  
button to cancel the Display.  
50 46  
DOWN/UP remote control buttons  
or NUMERIC Keypad  
5
front panel buttons (  
)
: To move up and down in the lists  
that appear on the ON-SCREEN MENU system.  
41  
VOLUME DOWN/UP remote control Buttons:  
To change the  
current settings for a selected menu choice on some menus in the  
ON-SCREEN MENU system.  
53  
ENTER Button:  
To toggle through available settings for a se-  
lected menu choice on some menus.  
52  
BACK Button:  
The BACK button is used to cancel a selection  
on an ON-SCREEN MENU and return to the previous menu.  
Note: There is no need to memorize these buttons. A brief help  
20  
RTC-965  
INPUT SELECTOR Menu  
SURROUND MODE Menu  
SURROUND MODE  
INPUT SELECTOR  
Mode: DOLBY PRO LOGIC  
Video: DVD  
Audio: TUNER  
Delay Time  
Video REC: DVD  
Audio REC: TUNER  
5.1Ch Input: OFF  
Input Source: AUTO  
CENTER: ____  
REAR: 20ms  
BASS LEVEL: +10dB  
DOWN–select ENTER/VOL–change  
DOWN–selection ENTER–change  
BACK-return  
MENU-screen off  
BACK-return  
MENU-screen off  
The INPUT SELECTOR menu provides status information and con-  
figuration options for the source inputs. This screen is available  
from the MAIN menu. The screen displays the following status in-  
formation:  
The SURROUND MODE menu provides status information and  
configuration options pertaining to the surround operation. This  
screen is available from the MAIN menu. The screen displays the  
following status information:  
VIDEO: the currently selected video source  
AUDIO: the currently selected audio source  
VIDEO REC: the currently selected source for VIDEO 1 REC outputs  
AUDIO REC: the currently selected source for audio recording,  
cannot be independently changed  
MODE: the currently selected surround sound mode (PRO LOGIC,  
DSP, 3-STEREO, etc.) Remember that Dolby Digital and DTS are  
automatically enabled based on source material encoding and,  
therefore, no setting is required.  
DELAY TIME (center): the current delay setting for the center  
channel speaker; only available in Dolby Digital mode  
DELAY TIME (rear): the current delay setting for the rear surround  
speakers  
BASS LEVEL: Increases or decreases the level of the bass infor-  
mation for the selected surround mode. You can set one bass level  
for theater surround modes and one bass level for music modes  
(DSP and STEREO). Unlike the front panel bass control, these set-  
tings are memorized and engaged automatically each time a mu-  
sic or theater surround mode is selected.  
5.1 CH INPUT: whether or not the 5.1 channel input is active  
INPUT SOURCE: AUTO or ANALOG. With the AUTO setting (the  
factory default), the selected input source will check first to see if  
there is a signal present at the digital inputs. If so, it will play the  
digital signal, automatically activating DOLBY DIGITAL or DTS sur-  
round processing depending on the source. If no digital signal is  
present, the analog inputs will be automatically enabled for that  
source. With the ANALOG setting, the automatic sensing is dis-  
abled and the system will always revert to the analog inputs. A  
digital signal will be ignored even if present and there will be no  
DOLBY DIGITAL or DTS processing. Generally, this setting should  
be left in the default AUTO mode unless you wish to override the  
digital inputs for some reason.  
In many systems, the factory delay settings will be satisfactory.  
However, delay times may need to be adjusted depending on the  
relative distance from the listening position to the front and rear  
speakers so that you do not hear, for example, an explosion in a  
soundtrack start in the rear of the room instead of the front. In-  
crease the relative delay to the rear speakers if they are located  
closer to the seating area than the front speakers.  
Change any setting by moving the cursor to the desired line using  
the UP/DOWN buttons on the remote or the NUMERIC Keypad  
front panel buttons (  
), adjust the setting using the ENTER but-  
tons. Return to the MAIN menu by pressing the BACK button. Turn  
off the ON-SCREEN DISPLAY by pressing MENU.  
Change a setting by moving the cursor to the desired line using  
the UP/DOWN buttons on the remote or the NUMERIC Keypad  
front panel buttons (  
), adjust the setting using the ENTER re-  
mote button. Return to the MAIN menu by pressing the BACK but-  
ton. Cancel the ON-SCREEN DISPLAY by pressing the MENU  
button.  
21  
 
SURROUND SOUND TUNER PREAMPLIFIER RTC-965  
TEST TONE Menu  
TONE/BALANCE Menu  
TEST TONE  
Front - L  
TONE / BALANCE  
Center  
0dB  
Bass : +10dB  
Front - R  
Rear - R  
Rear - L  
Subwoofer  
Treble : +10dB  
0dB  
-5dB  
0dB  
Balance : L 10  
DOWN–selection VOLUME–change  
BACK-return MENU-screen off  
DOWN–selection VOLUME–change  
BACK-return  
MENU-screen off  
This menu is used to set equal volume levels for all speakers  
(front, center, rear, and subwoofer) for proper surround sound re-  
production. To access this menu and perform the test tone cali-  
bration you must be in one of the surround modes. To do this,  
press any of the MODE buttons except STEREO. Then, enter the  
ON-SCREEN MENU system and select TEST TONE from the MAIN  
menu to reach this screen.  
This menu duplicates the functions of the front panel TREBLE,  
BASS, and BALANCE controls and provides a method of changing  
them with the remote control. Select a line in the menu using the  
UP/DOWN buttons on the remote or the NUMERIC Keypad front  
panel buttons (  
), then adjust the setting using the VOL UP/  
DOWN remote buttons. Return to the MAIN menu by pressing the  
BACK button. Cancel the ON-SCREEN DISPLAY by pressing  
MENU.  
When you enter the TEST TONE menu, you will hear a test tone  
coming from the highlighted speaker. Highlight different speakers  
by moving the cursor to the desired line using the UP/DOWN but-  
tons on the remote. The test tone will shift accordingly to the se-  
lected speaker.  
While seated in the normal listening location, switch the test tone  
to the various speakers. Using the front speakers as a fixed refer-  
ence (there is no adjustment for the front), listen to hear if the  
center speaker or the rear speakers are noticeably louder or qui-  
eter than the front speakers. If so, adjust the speakers volume  
levels up or down to match the front speakers using the VOL UP/  
DOWN remote buttons. Continue switching among the speakers  
and adjusting until the center speaker and both of the rear speak-  
ers sound as loud as the front speakers.  
Return to the MAIN menu by pressing the BACK button. Cancel  
the ON-SCREEN DISPLAY by pressing MENU.  
Note to Perfectionists: This calibration will be more accurate if  
you use a sound pressure level (SPL) meter to measure the output  
of each speaker instead of relying on your ear. SPL meters are  
available from electronics stores, or your authorized Rotel dealer  
may loan you one. Set the meter to its SLOW response time with  
C-weighting and be sure to hold it away from your body. The goal  
is to adjust each speaker so that the meter provides the same  
reading for each of the speakers in your system.  
22  
 
RTC-965  
SETUP Menu  
RTC-965 Specifications  
SETUP MENU  
Audio  
Front: LARGE  
Rear: SMALL  
Total Harmonic Distortion:  
Intermodulation Distortion (60 Hz: 7 kHz): <0.03%  
Frequency Response (line level): 10 Hz - 70 kHz, ± 3 dB  
Signal to Noise Ratio (IHF “A” weighted): 92 dB (Stereo)  
70 dB (Dolby Digital)  
<0.03%  
Center: LARGE  
Subwoofer: YES  
Dynamic Range: OFF  
Menu Display: SCREEN  
DOWN–selection ENTER–change  
Input Sensitivity/Impedance  
Line Level:  
BACK-return  
MENU-screen off  
200 mV/47 kohms  
3.5 mV/47 kohms  
Phono Input:  
Tone Controls (Bass/Treble):  
±8 dB at 100 Hz/10 kHz  
The SETUP menu provides status information and configuration  
options for a variety of system parameters. Some of these settings  
duplicate the function of front panel controls.  
Video  
Frequency Response:  
Signal to Noise Ratio:  
Input Impedance:  
Output Impedance:  
Output Level:  
3 Hz-10 MHz, ± 3 dB  
45 dB  
Note 1: See the discussion of speaker configuration under the  
SPEAKER MODE button heading in the Front Panel Controls sec-  
tion of the manual. Detailed instructions for choosing speaker  
types are presented there.  
75 ohms  
75 ohms  
1 volt  
Note 2: Speaker configuration must be performed for each sur-  
round mode.  
Note 3: Some options described below will not be available in  
some surround modes and some system configurations.  
FM Tuner  
Usable Sensitivity:  
Signal to Noise Ratio:  
Harmonic Distortion:  
Stereo Separation (1 kHz):  
Output Level (mono):  
Antenna Input:  
14.2 dBf  
70 dBf  
0.3%  
FRONT: whether the front speakers are LARGE (full bass re-  
sponse) or SMALL (limited bass output)  
REAR: whether the rear speakers are LARGE, SMALL, or NONE  
CENTER: whether the center speaker is LARGE, SMALL, or NONE  
SUBWOOFER: whether there is a subwoofer in the system: YES or  
NO  
DYNAMIC RANGE: whether the dynamic range compression is  
turned OFF (full dynamic range/no compression), MID (moderate  
dynamic range/moderate compression), or MIN (minimum dy-  
namic range/maximum compression). Only available in Dolby Digi-  
tal mode.  
45 dB  
550 mV, ± 100 mV  
75 ohms unbalanced  
AM Tuner  
Sensitivity:  
500 µV/m  
Signal to Noise Ratio:  
Output Level:  
40 dBf  
150 mV, ± 30 mV  
Loop Antenna  
Antenna Input:  
MENU DISPLAY: determines whether status information will ap-  
pear on screen when volume, input, or other selections are made  
– choices are SCREEN (display on) or OFF (display off).  
General  
Power Consumption:  
40 watts  
Power Requirements (AC):  
120 volts, 60 Hz (USA version)  
230 volts, 50 Hz (European version)  
Change any setting by moving the cursor to the desired line using  
the UP/DOWN buttons on the remote, change the setting by  
pressing the ENTER button to step through the choices. Return to  
the MAIN menu by pressing the BACK button. Cancel the ON-  
SCREEN DISPLAY by pressing MENU.  
Weight:  
6.9 Kg/15.2 lb.  
Dimensions (W x H x D):  
450 x 158 x 303 mm  
173/4" x 61/4" x 12"  
All specifications are accurate at the time of printing.  
Rotel reserves the right to make improvements without notice.  
Rotel and the Rotel HiFi logo are registered trademarks of The Rotel Co, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.  
DTS is a registered trademark of Digital Theater Systems.  
Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation. “Dolby”, “Pro Logic”, and  
the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation. Confidential unpub-  
lished works © 1992 – 1997 Dolby Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved.  
23  
 
RTC-965  
SURROUND SOUND TUNER PREAMPLIFIER  
The Rotel Co. Ltd.  
10-10 Shinsen-Cho  
Shibuya-Ku  
Tokyo 150-0045  
Japan  
Phone: +81 3-5458-5325  
Fax: +81 3-5458-5310  
Rotel of America  
54 Concord Street  
North Reading, MA 01864-2699  
USA  
Phone: +1 978-664-3820  
Fax: +1 978-664-4109  
Rotel Europe  
Meadow Road  
Worthing, West Sussex BN11 2RX  
England  
Phone: +44 (0)1903 524 813  
Fax: +44 (0)1903 524 831  
Rotel Deutschland  
Kleine Heide 12  
D-33790 Halle/Westf.  
Germany  
Phone: +49 05201-87170  
Fax: +49 05201-73370  
082 OMRTC-965D 070799  
 

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