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CARMEN
II IS IDEAL FOR BOTH MOVIE LOVERS AND MUSIC
LOVERS, AND OFFERS AN EXTENSIVE ARRAY OF FEATURES, ALL AT AN AFFORDABLE
PRICE. THETA REDESIGNED AND ENHANCED VIRTUALLY
EVERY INTERNAL COMPONENT OF THE ORIGINAL CARMEN,
EQUIPPING CARMEN II
WITH A NEW DVD BOARD AND DRIVE, NEW AUDIO AND VIDEO CIRCUITS, A
NEW POWER SUPPLY, AND A NEW FRONT-PANEL DISPLAY.
Carmen II can handle digital audio
at 44.1, 48, and 96 kHz with resolutions of 16, 20, and 24 bits.
An advanced drive mechanism with twin laser diodes-650 nm for DVD
and 780 nm for all CD formats-makes it compatible with just about
any disc or format..
Whats Under the Hood?
The drive mechanism has special low-jitter digital
servo circuits to control motor speed, laser tracking and focus.
It automatically selects the proper laser for the type of disc being
played, enhancing read-out precision and keeping errors to a minimum.
Errors introduced by fingerprints, dust and warping are corrected
by parametric statistical analysis circuits.
Carmen II has a massive, shielded, 65-watt main DC
power supply. It is highly filtered at both the input and output
stages to keep unwanted noise from degrading the power used by the
signal processing circuits. CD and DVD sections are addressed separately,
with interaction between the circuits kept to a minimum.
Separate, extremely low-jitter clocks for both the
CD and DVD playback dramatically reduce digital noise that can degrade
sound and picture. The audio and video circuits are also isolated
from each other. Multiple regulated subordinate power supplies are
dedicated to each section.
Each power supply and circuit has integral RF suppression
filters to prevent interaction between the stages of each independent
circuit, and between the audio and video sections. Audio and video
reproduction both benefit, allowing the finest details to be seen
and the smallest nuances to be heard.
Sound
Carmen IIs reproduces sound staging with a sure
sense of width, depth, height and layering to achieve a truly three-dimensional
presence. Dynamic range and toal subtleties; all the nuances of
a sounds texture come through. Symphonic music or balads,
everying sounds natural. And on movies from the slightest
rustling of leaves to the impact of a meteor hitting the Earth,
Carmen II delivers all the action.
Video Specifics
Thetas new Digital Direct Ultra-Sync II Progressive
Scan System de-interlaces the video signal in the digital domain
before it is converted to analog. Theta-designed discrete video
€lters and high-speed video amplifiers-with 108-mHz, 12-bit
video digital/analog controllers-are now coupled with Faroudja Laboratories
acclaimed DCDi deinterlacing technology, assuring a superbly
rendered 480p picture, free from the motion artifacts one sees using
mundane players containing off-the-shelf progressive scan solutions.
All this is standard on Carmen II, while the Ultra-Sync System was
a costly option on the earlier unit.
Thetas proprietary ultra-low jitter video re-clocking
circuits and video correction software complete the picture, for
clarity, true-to-life colors and impeccable video performance.
Video outputs include Composite on RCA, two S-Video
connectors, three Component Video / RGB Video (Y, Cr/Pr, Cb/Pb)
connectors on BNC, and a 15-pin D connector [VGA] for
the special Ultra-Sync II 480p Progressive Scan output. These accommodate
Component Video with Sync on Green (H/V Sync. can be added to Sync.
on green), and RGB with either Sync. on Green or H/V Sync.

Carmen IIs digital audio outputs include RCA,
BNC and AES/EBU connectors able to accommodate a broad variety of
formats, including Dolby Digital, PCM, DTS, MP3, CD-R, and CD-RW
(CD Audio and Video CD formats); as well as MPEG1 and CD-ROM (for
which some format restrictions apply).
Other outputs include a single-direction RS-232 control
port, and a rear IR input connector for added remote control capabilities.
Front-panel controls on Carmen II cover Motion (using Faroudja DCDi
processing), Film, Animation, RGB/Component, and H/V Sync.
A 4:2:2 Serial Digital Interface (SDI) for Video,
to keep the signal in the digital domain, is available as an option.
Keeping the signal in the digital domain, rather than subjecting
it to further conversions to analog and back again, avoids major
sources of degradation, which can be particularly noticeable in
high de€nition video systems. The picture quality on at-panel
plasma screens and digital video projectors is particularly revealing
of the performance advantages of SDIs purer digital signal.
A Digital Video Interface (DVI) will be available at future date.
Carmen II is 19 w x 3 1/2 h x 13
d weight is 23 lbs. Available in Silver or Black in standard and
rack-mount configurations.
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