NOTE: THE NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS COMPARTMENT WARNING IS LOCATED ON THE APPLIANCE BONNET Thank you for buying this Pioneer product. Please read through these operating instructions so you will know how to operate your model properly. After you have finished reading the instructions, put them away in a safe place for future reference.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS READ INSTRUCTIONS — All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the product is operated. RETAIN INSTRUCTIONS — The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference. HEED WARNINGS — All warnings on the product and in the operating instructions should be adhered to.
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When using this product follow the instructions written on the underside of the unit, which concern rated voltage, etc. Operating Environment Operating environment temperature and humidity: ° ° ° C – +35 C (+41 F – +95 vents not blocked) Do not install in the following locations •...
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They deliver realistic multi- channel sound that can turn any living room into a theater, reproducing all the sound effects of the original movie. The VSX-C100/C100-S has the flexibility to decode all these formats. Dolby Pro Logic II Decoder The VSX-C100/C100-S reproduces this industry-leading format with excellent clarity.
Contents Congratulations on buying this fine Pioneer product. Please read through these operating instructions so you will know how to operate your model properly. After you have finished reading the instructions, put them away in a safe place for future reference.
2) The 'source' material you are using. This is the actual product (like a DVD) or broadcast (like cable TV) you are listening to/watching. We call this the source. 3) The last factor is the listening mode you choose on the VSX-C100/C100-S receiver. These are explained below and in subsequent chapters but most likely the default setting will be fine.
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This receiver was designed with the easiest possible setup in mind so if you just want to hook up your equipment and start enjoying quality home theater movies follow the four steps below and use these easy settings on the VSX-C100/ C100-S.
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T V/ T V/ (DVD) OPT1 MONITOR DVR / DVR/ OPT2 ( T V / DVR/ SAT) COA X DIGITAL IN AUDIO VIDEO AUDIO Video cord (sold separately) VIDEO OUT OPEN/ CLOSE (DV-353, etc.) ¡ Î ¢ STANDBY/ON Lastly, hook up your DVD player to the DVD IN VIDEO and your TV to the MONITOR OUT VIDEO terminals as shown above and plug in the receiver’...
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The above is a quick guide to getting you started with your home theater system and a few setup suggestions. It is a good idea, however, to read this manual in its entirety so you understand what you can do with the VSX-C100/C100- S and the possibilities of home theater in general.
• Don’t place anything on top of the receiver except for a Pioneer DV-353/355/251/250/444/533-K/3310/ 5310KD DVD player. If you do place one of these pieces of equipment on top of the receiver be sure to leave the ventilation space over it as prescribed above.
Introductory Information Loading the Batteries The remote control operates on two AA batteries (supplied). CAUTION: Incorrect use of batteries may result in such hazards as leakage and bursting. Observe the following precautions: • Never use new and old batteries together. •...
Connecting Your Equipment Audio/Video Cords Use audio/video cords (not supplied) to make analog audio and video connections. Connect red plugs to R (right), white plugs to L (left), and the yellow plugs to VIDEO. Be sure to insert completely. Coaxial Cords/Optical Cables Commercially available digital audio coaxial cords (standard video cords can also be used) or optical cables (not supplied) are used to connect digital components to...
Connecting Your Equipment Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC wall outlet. Connecting a DVD Player & TV In order to play PCM/2 2 Digital/DTS multichannel soundtracks, you need to make digital audio connections. Connect your DVD player to this unit using either the coaxial digital terminal or the optical digital terminals, depending on which type of terminal your DVD has.
Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC wall outlet. Connecting a Digital Tuner/Set Top Box If you have an external digital tuner (like a set top box for satellite or cable TV) you need to connect it to either the optical digital terminals or the coaxial digital terminal in order to play digital cable/satellite broadcasting.
Connecting Your Equipment Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC wall outlet. Connecting a TV with an Internal Digital Tuner If you have an TV with an internal digital tuner follow the directions above for an external digital tuner and in addition hook up your TV, if you have not already done so when you hooked up your DVD player (see the previous page).
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T V/ T V/ (DVD) OPT1 MONITOR DVR / DVR/ OPT2 ( T V / SAT) DVR/ COA X DIGITAL IN AUDIO VIDEO Optical cable (sold separately, don’t pinch or bend OPTICAL COAXIAL DIGITAL OUT cable sharply) You can only record audio signals from video components hooked up with analog connections. If the input component and the receiver are only connected with an digital cable (coaxial or optical), which is for audio, you need to connect analog video and audio cables in order to be able to record video programs with soundtracks.
Connecting Your Equipment Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC wall outlet. Connecting Speakers A full complement of five speakers is shown here but, naturally, everyone’ s home setup will vary. Simply connect the speakers you have in the manner described below.
Hints on Speaker Placement Speakers are usually designed with a particular place- ment in mind. Some are designed to be floor standing, while others should be placed on stands to sound their best. Some should be placed near a wall; others should be placed away from walls.
Connecting Your Equipment Before making or changing the connections, switch off the power and disconnect the power cord from the AC wall outlet. Connecting Antennas Connect the AM loop antenna and the FM wire antenna as shown below. To improve reception and sound quality, connect external antennas (see Using External Antennas, below).
Operating other Pioneer Components with this Unit’s Sensor By connecting a control cord to the CONTROL terminals of the respective equipment, you can control several Pioneer components using one remote sensor. Following the diagram below you will see that one component feeds the CONTROL OUT terminal and on the other end another component is connected to the CONTROL IN terminal.
Displays & Controls Front Panel STANDBY/ON (Main power) button Pressing this button switches the receiver ON from STANDBY mode. RECEIVER button on the remote control also toggles between ON and STANDBY mode. The receiver uses a small amount of electricity (less than 1W) in STANDBY mode.
Use this terminal to connect a powered subwoofer to the receiver (see page 18). 8 CONTROL IN/OUT terminal You can use this jack to hook up other PIONEER equipment, that bears the CONTROL terminal, so that you can control them all with the remote control for this receiver (see page 21).
Displays & Controls Remote Control All the buttons on the remote control are explained here. See pages 47 & 48 for details relating to using the remote control with other components (like your DVD player or TV/SAT tuner). RECEIVER SIGNAL SELECT TV / SAT FM / AM DVR/ VCR...
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ENTER button: Use this button to enter Room Setup commands. You can also use this button to exit a SETUP mode. 6 Volume buttons: MASTER VOLUME +/– buttons: Use to set the overall listening volume. MUTE button (see page 41): Use to mute the sound or restore the sound if it has been muted.
Basic Playback Checking the Settings on Your DVD (or other) Player If you don’t set the following two features correctly you may experience problems with your surround sound (for example: no sound whatsoever; the sound is unidimensional or lacks punch; or other problems). 1 Digital output from your DVD player or other component outputting a digital source Set the DVD player so the signals below are output from the optical terminal (if you are unsure how to do this check the manual that came with your DVD player).
(step 5 above). • For Karaoke make sure the equipment is hooked up with analog connections and choose analog with the SIGNAL SELECT button (see page 42). AUTO PHON /VIRTU VSX-C100 Basic Playback to turn the power on. to adjust the...
Fine Tuning Your Surround Sound Room Setup This setup establishes the distances from your speakers to your normal listening position. It is important for the receiver to know these distances so it can output proper surround sound. Alternatively, you can make more precise speaker distance settings on page 29-31.
Personalizing Your Surround Sound This receiver will make the necessary speakers settings automatically so you can use it to get enjoyable sur- round sound without doing anything, but making more exact settings here will give you finer surround sound. For better surround sound complete the instructions that follow the speaker settings.
Fine Tuning Your Surround Sound Front speakers setting This settings establishes the size and configuration of the front speakers you have connected more exactly than the automatic setup. Select either Large ( will determine if bass sounds are sent by the receiver to the speakers being set.
SUBWF 100 Hz Sends bass frequencies below 100 Hz to the subwoofer. SUBWF PLS Adds extra bass to the soundtrack. SUBWF – – – Select if you didn’t connect a subwoofer. Press SETUP to advance to the next receiver setting mode.
Fine Tuning Your Surround Sound Surround speakers distance setting Set the distance from the surround speakers to the listening position. Follow steps 1&2 on page 29 (if necessary). Use the buttons to choose the surround +/– speakers from the main listening position (within a range from 1 foot [0.3m] to 30 feet [9m]).
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Input attenuator setting You can set the input signal to be lowered if it is distorting. This is only possible for analog signals, digital signals can’t be attenuated. Follow steps 1&2 on page 29 (if necessary). Use the buttons to set the input attenua- +/–...
Fine Tuning Your Surround Sound Setting the Volume Level of Each Channel (adjusting the speaker volume balance) Use to set the relative volume of each channel as you find necessary. RECEIVER SIGNAL SELECT TV / SAT DVR/ VCR FM / AM AUTO SURROUND SETUP...
Playback Modes Listening Modes Intrinsic to home theater, surround sound delivers a realistic and powerful soundtrack that recreates the movie theater experience. You may need to experiment with these different modes to see which suit your home system and personal tastes, but in general you should listen to movie sources (like DVDs) in one of the listening modes for multichannel outputs.
Playback Modes TV SURROUND This mode produces surround sound even for mono or stereo TV sources. It is useful for old movies. A mono TV signal will be able to approximate the effect of overall surround sound. GAME Use this mode when playing a video game. It works especially well with sound moving from left to right in such software as racing games, shooting games, and those kind of games with movement in them.
Sound Modes The Sound Modes allow you to add certain sound elements when playing all kinds of sources (two-channel/stereo sources, Dolby Surround sources, Dolby Digital or DTS sources). They can be used in conjunction with the listening modes explained on the previous page. NATURAL This mode flattens the total frequency output to make it match the characteristics of the small speakers.
Using the Tuner Finding a Station The following steps show you how to tune in to FM and AM radio broadcasts using the automatic (search) and manual (step) tuning functions. If you already know the exact frequency of the station you want to listen to, see “Tuning Directly to a Station”...
Tuning Directly to a Station Sometimes, you'll already know the frequency of the station you want to listen to. In this case, you can simply enter the frequency directly using the number buttons on the remote control. RECEIVER SOURCE SIGNAL SELECT SLEEP FRONT TV / SAT...
Using the Tuner Naming Memorized Stations You can input a name of up to four characters for each preset station in the receiver’ s memory (see the previous page). This name can be anything you choose. For example, you could input "BBC1" for that station and when you listen to it the name, rather than the fre- quency number, will appear on your display.
Using Other Functions Muting the Sound Use this feature to mute the volume. RECEIVER SOURCE SIGNAL SELECT SLEEP TV / SAT FRONT DIMMER DVR/ VCR FM / AM SOUND AUTO SURROUND ADVANCED MODE ROOM SETUP TEST TONE CH_SELECT SETUP ENTER MUTE MASTER VOLUME...
Default Settings for the Receiver All the settings that return to their defaults when you reset the system are listed here (see the previous page “Resetting the System”). Setting Type Input MASTER VOLUME Listening mode Listening mode (with headphones) Sound mode Input signal select Speakers (Front, Center, Surround) setting Subwoofer setting...
• The TV CONTROL buttons are dedicated to controlling the TV. They will always control the TV no matter what operation mode the remote is in. Of course, you need to input the preset code for your TV (if it is not Pioneer- made) in order to control it with this remote.
Recalling Preset Codes The following steps show you how to recall preset codes for each Input/Control Mode Select button or the TV CONTROL buttons. In the former case, once the preset code is assigned, pressing the button will automatically set the remote to operate the respective component. •...
Mode Select Code button TV/SAT DVR/VCR FRONT CONTROL press and SOURCE SLEEP DIMMER SOUND MODE ROOM SETUP ENTER MENU T.EDIT SUBTITLE GUIDE DTV INFO D.ACCESS ENTER VOLUME Component (Manufacturer) DVD (PIONEER) TV (PIONEER) DVD Recorder (PIONEER) VCR (PIONEER) TV (PIONEER)
CD/MD/CD-R/VCR/DVD/LD/DVD recorder/Cassette Deck Controls This remote control can control these components after entering the proper codes or teaching the receiver the commands (see page 45). Use Input/Control Mode Select buttons to put the remote control in the stated mode. ¢ o l l ¡...
Controlling the Rest of Your System Cable TV/Satellite TV/Digital TV/TV Controls This remote control can control these components after entering the proper codes or teaching the receiver the commands (see page 45). Use Input/Control Mode Select buttons to put the remote control in the stated mode. ¡...
Sometimes the trouble may lie in another component. Investigate the other components and electrical appliances being used. If the trouble cannot be rectified even after exercising the checks listed below, ask your nearest PIONEER authorized service center or your dealer to carry out repair work. Symptom The power does not •...
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Symptom No sound from surround • Surround or center speaker settings are or center speakers. incorrect. • The surround and/or center levels are turned down. • The surround and/or center speakers are disconnected. No sound from • The subwoofer is disconnected. subwoofer •...
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Additional Information Symptom The sound distorts. You can only hear treble from speakers. No image is output when an input is selected. The settings have all been cleared. OVERLOAD blinks in the display and the power turns off automatically. You can't set the subwoofer frequency route.
Techno Know How Understanding DVD Packaging DVD packaging usually states what sound formats are included on the DVD. The diagram here shows what you might see on a typical DVD box. The terms used (Dolby Digital, etc.) are explained in the following sections. Digital Audio Formats Home theater uses various types of methods to encode the sound on to the digital sources and these are known as digital formats.
Techno Know How Recording Formats These are the recording formats. Determining what kind of playback format is being employed with any particular recording format depends on three things: 1) how the signal is encoded and transmitted; 2) how the signal is decoded;...
Techno Know How Specifications (U.S. model) Amplifier Section Continuous average power output of 21 watts* per channel, min., at 6 ohms, from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz with no more than 0.9 %** total harmonic distortion (front). Continuous Power Output (SURROUND MODE) FRONT ...
Specifications (Multi voltage model and Singaporean model) Amplifier Section Maximum Output Power ... 41 W / ch (1 kHz, THD 10 %, 6 ) Continuous Power Output (STEREO MODE) FRONT ... 25 W+25W (DIN 1 kHz, THD 1 %, 8 ) Continuous Power Output (SURROUND MODE) FRONT ...
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PIONEER EUROPE NV Haven 1087, Keetberglaan 1, B-9120 Melsele, Belgium TEL: 03/570.05.11 PIONEER ELECTRONICS AUSTRALIA PTY. LTD. PIONEER ELECTRONICS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V. 4-1, Meguro 1-Chome, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8654, Japan P.O. BOX 1540, Long Beach, California 90801-1540, U.S.A.