Bose 321 home entertainment system Sold from September 2001 to 2006 User Manual

							21
System Setup
Connecting other playback equipment
Other playback components, such as an audio CD changer, can be connected to the AUX 
inputs on the rear panel of the media center (Figure 22).
Figure 22
AUX input connections
Connecting digital audio components
Your other audio components may feature a digital audio output. If so, you can connect an 
optical output to the OPTICAL jack of the VIDEO 1 INPUT or a coaxial output to the coaxial 
jacks of VIDEO 1, VIDEO 2, or AUX on the rear panel of the media center. Use an optical digi-
tal cable or coaxial cable to make these connections.
Note: The digital audio inputs of this system are not able to decode a DTS bitstream from an 
external component.
L
RL
RD
DL
RC
SC
SL
R VIDEO I VIDEO 2 AUXAUDIO INPUT
AUDIO
OUTPUT VIDEO
OUTPUT VIDEO
INPUT
OPTICAL75
Ω
FM
ANTENNAAM
LOOP
ANTENNASPEAKERS
ACOUSTIMASSMODULE
RL
AUDIO
OUT
D
Media center
AUX component 
						

							22
Controls, Displays, Menus
On/Off controls
Press the On/Off button on the remote to turn the media center on. The Power button on top 
of the media center performs the same function.
To turn on components connected to the media center, use the remote for that specific com-
ponent or its power switch.
Note: Neither the Model 3•2•1 remote nor the media center can switch components, such as 
the TV or VCR, on or off. However, a universal remote (new enough to include codes for the 
Bose Model 3•2•1 system) or programmable “learning” remote can control this system.
The remote control 
Buttons on the remote control are grouped according to function. Other buttons on the media 
center provide some of the same controls as described below.
POWER and MUTE controls
SOURCE controls
Switches the system on or off.
Mutes/unmutes the system volume.
Selects the built-in CD/DVD player and turns the system on.
Unmutes the system volume.
Selects AUX as the sound source and turns the system on.
Unmutes the system volume.
Selects Video 1 as the sound source and turns the system on.
Unmutes the system volume.
Selects Video 2 as the sound source and turns the system on.
Unmutes the system volume. 
Selects the built-in tuner and turns the system on to the previously-
selected AM station. 
Unmutes the system volume.
Selects the built-in tuner and turns the system on to the previously-
selected FM station. 
Unmutes the system volume. 
						

							23
Controls, Displays, Menus
SOURCE and MENU controls
PLAYBACK controls
Tunes the AM/FM radio up/down to the next higher/lower fre-
quency.
In an on-screen menu, selects the next item, up or down.
Seeks forward/backward to the next strongest radio station.
In an on-screen menu, changes the setting of a selected menu 
item.
Enters submenus. Also submits custom settings, choices, or 
entries in conjunction with other buttons.
Displays the menu of the DVD disc currently loaded in the tray, as 
the particular DVD allows. 
Displays or exits the Bose 3•2•1 system on-screen menus. 
Skips to the next/previous DVD chapter, radio station preset, or 
CD track.
Raises or lowers the system volume. 
+ Unmutes the system volume. Raises the volume.
– Lowers the system volume while it is muted.
Each button gives you access to a similarly numbered DVD chap-
ter, CD track, or radio station preset.
When selecting numbers 1 through 9, entering a zero before the 
number ensures the fastest response.
Stops the disc player and, for DVDs only, temporarily holds the 
place where the disc stopped. Press Stop again and the player 
moves to the beginning of the disc.
Pauses the disc player in place. After 20 minutes, switches to 
Stop. 
Starts the disc player. 
Scans back or forward for DVD chapters, CD tracks, or the next 
strongest radio station. 
Plays audio CD tracks (not DVD chapters) in varied order. Press 
again to cancel this mode.
Repeats a CD, CD track, DVD chapter, or DVD title until the but-
ton is pressed again.
12
03
456
789 
						

							24
Controls, Displays, Menus
The media center
The media center has a control panel on the top, a display area on the front that indicates the 
current status of the system, and a DVD/CD tray that opens on the front of the console.
Control panel and buttons
The media center has eight buttons located on the top control panel. Their functions are also 
provided through use of the remote control.
Display indicators
With the system turned on, the music center display lights up to show the current system sta-
tus. Not all of the possible choices shown below will light up at once (Figure 23). The display 
changes with each adjustment or selection you make.
Figure 23
All of the possible symbols 
that may appear, depending 
on the current status of the 
system
P
ow
e
rV
o
lu
meSour
c
eS
k
ip/ScanS
top/Ej
e
c
t
Turns the system on or off.
Raises/lowers the volume. Pressing 
+ unmutes the 
system.
Moves from one source selection to the next.
Selects the previous/next DVD chapter or CD track or 
scans to previous/next strongest radio station.
In AM or FM mode: tap to seek a radio station;
hold down to tune to a station.
In CD/DVD mode: tap to skip tracks or chapters; hold 
down to scan them.
Opens/closes the disc tray.
Preset 
station 
selected SETTINGSTITLE
VIDEO 1 VIDEO 2 AUX
FM AM CD
SHUFFLESTEREO
RDS REPEAT DISCREPEAT TRACK
TRACKSLEEPANGLE CHAPTER
DVD
MOVIE EQ
PRESET
Source indicators
(The selected source appears in an outlined box.) CD/DVD play 
selected
Movie equalization 
mode selected Sleep mode 
selected
FM stereo 
indicator
RDS indicator 
(Europe only)
Settings mode 
selected
CD/DVD 
play 
paused
Numberof preset
selectedDVD camera 
angle selected
8-digit display
CD play 
mode
indicatorsDVD chapter CD track 
selectedMovie title  
selected
or title 
						

							25
Controls, Displays, Menus
TV on-screen menus
With both the TV and the Model 3•2•1 system turned on, you can use menus that appear on 
the TV screen to choose among options for audio and video performance.
To enter the Settings menu
Press the Settings button on the remote. The displayed menu will contain items related to the 
currently selected source. For example, if you press Settings while watching a DVD, you will 
see a menu similar to the one in Figure 24.
To leave the Settings menu 
Press the Settings button again. The on-screen menu disappears.
Figure 24
Elements of the on-screen 
menu displays
To select a menu item
Use the remote control Tune or , Seek or , and Enter  buttons (as described on 
page 23) to move through these menus and make selections, as shown in Figure 24.
Submenu – This symbol indicates that there 
is a submenu of items for this selection.
Press the Enter button to enter the submenu.
Settings (DVD)
DVD Play Options
Audio Setup
System Setup
Lists options for how to play and view the current DVD.
select item
Title bar – Shows the name of the menu 
or submenu you are using (the currently 
selected source is in parentheses).
Menu items – Source-related set-
tings and submenus appear in this 
space.Selected menu item – Menu items are selected 
(highlighted) with the Tune up/down keys.
Menu item description – Describes the 
selected menu item.
Navigation controls – Identifies which remote 
control buttons to use within the displayed menu.Status display area – Displays sta-
tus information when a status item is 
selected.
goes to submenu
DVD Status: Sleep Timer:   Off 
						

							26
Controls, Displays, Menus
To change a setting
Figure 25
Example of changing 
a setting
To check the system status
Figure 26
A DVD status example
DVD Play Options (1 of 2)
Title: 1 of 3
Chapter: 23 of 30
Title Time: 0:23:02
Time Display: Elapsed
Motion Control: Play 1x
Chooses an audio track for the current DVD.
select item
Camera Angle: 1 of 1
More…
Audio Track:English 22 2 2
 D 5.1 ch
change setting
Chapter: 1 of 19
Settings (DVD)
Sleep Timer:
DVD Status:
Audio Setup
System Setup
Displays information about the current source.
select item
DVD
Playing
The Movie Title
Title 1 of 13
Chapter 1 of 5
Title Total 0:00:00
Audio English 22 2 2
 D 5.1 ch
Subtitle Off
Ratings Limit: 8
Region Code:1DVD Play Options 
						

							27
Operation
Turning your system on and off
You can turn your system on and off using the On/Off button ( ) on the remote control or 
the power button ( ) on top of the media center. When you turn it on with either button, the 
source that was played last is automatically selected.
You can also press any source button on the remote to turn the system on and select the 
source at the same time.
Before you play your first DVD
Before you play the first DVD, make sure:
•that you are familiar with how the system remote control operates (as explained on page 
22).
•the region codes for the DVD player and disc match, as explained on page 5 of this guide. 
(Check the region code number on the media center label or on the shipping carton.)
•the TV is properly set for video input from the DVD player (see the Important Note on page 
16).
Before you select some system features, you also may want to confirm that the disc is 
encoded for that feature. For example, in order to display subtitles while watching a movie, 
the disc must contain subtitle information.
Loading and playing a DVD
1. Turn your television and Model 3•2•1 system on.
2. On the remote, press the CD/DVD button.
3. On the media center control panel, press the Stop/Eject button.
4. Place the DVD disc in the open media center tray.
5. Press the Stop/Eject  button again to close the tray. 
The DVD disc begins to play automatically. If it does not, press Play  on the remote.
Basic DVD operations
If you want to: Use the remote to do this:
Pause a DVD movie…Press Pause
Stop a DVD movie…Press Stop
Skip to the next/previous 
chapter…Press Chapter up/down.
Repeat a chapter…Press Repeat while playing the chapter.
Search through the movie 
backward or forward…Press and hold Scan or 
  
						

							28
Operation
Using the Parental Control feature to restrict future play
You can restrict playback of DVD movies by setting the level of Parental Control. 
The levels match ratings on each DVD that are equivalent in many cases to standard movie 
ratings provided by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). These levels range 
from 1 (most restrictive) to 8 (least restrictive). By storing a password in the system, you can 
prevent any changes to the Parental Control setting or the viewing of movies rated above the 
control level without use of the password.
For information on where to find and how to use the Parental Control option, refer to the Sys-
tem Adjustments section on page 35.
DVD-specific behavior
When you select features from any options menu while watching a movie, the movie may 
stop, skip forward, or skip back. This behavior is determined by the DVD you are playing and 
does not indicate a problem with the system.
DVD play options
Selection:DVD setting options:What the setting affects:
Title:1 of n Chooses the movie title through use of the number keys.
Chapter:1 of nChooses the movie chapter through use of the number keys.
Title Time:h:mm:ss Moves to that time/place in the movie. 
Time Display:Elapsed
RemainingShows how much time the movie has played in the on-screen DVD 
status and on the media center display.
Shows how much time the movie has left to play in the on-screen 
DVD status and on the media center display.
Motion Control:Chooses forward or backward direction and speed for DVD playback. 
Audio Track:1 English 2 5.1 ch
2 Lang2
3 etc.Chooses from the available soundtracks on the DVD. Additional 
soundtracks may contain different languages or alternate audio
formats.
Settings: DVD Play Options (1 of 2)
Title:
Chapter:
Title Time:
Audio Track:
Time Display:
Motion Control:
Camera Angle:
DVD Play Options
Settings (DVD)
More...Previous...
AB Repeat Subtitle Language:Subtitles:
Settings: DVD Play Options (2 of 2)
While the system is in DVD mode, press the Settings button on the remote control to 
gain access to the options shown here. For more details on changes you can make to the
settings, refer to the Sound Adjustments and System Adjustments sections of this guide. 
						

							29
Operation
Loading and playing a CD
1. On the remote, press the CD/DVD button.
2. At the media center, press the Stop/Eject button.
3. Place the audio CD in the open disc tray.
4. Press the Stop/Ejectbutton to close the disc tray. 
The CD will start to play automatically. If it does not, press Play .
While playing a CD, the display window on the media center indicates:
•Track number
•Track time
•Repeat or Shuffle mode
Basic CD operations
Camera Angle:1 of max. Chooses one of the available camera angles on the DVD.
More...selectionDisplays remaining menu items.
Previous...selection Displays initial menu items.
Subtitle:On
OffDisplays subtitles, if available, along the lower screen edge.
Hides subtitles. For use with Auto subtitles (refer to on page 36).
Subtitle Language:Lang1/ Lang2/ etc. Chooses one of the available languages for display of subtitles
AB RepeatselectionRepeats a specified section of a movie after prompting you to: 
• Press Enter at the beginning of the section you want to repeat. 
• Move forward or back to another point in the film
• Press Enter again.
Replay ends when you press Enter, Play, or Stop.
If you want to: Use the remote to do this:
Pause a CD…Press Pause
Resume play of paused CD…Press Pause again or Play 
Stop a CD…Press Stop 
Go to next track…Press Track up
Go to beginning of current track…After track has played for several seconds, 
press Track down.
Go to a previous track…If track has played for several seconds, press 
Track  down twice. If not, press once.
Scan a CD backward/forward…
Press and hold Scan  or 
Randomly play CD tracks…Press Shuffle after loading a CD.
Cancel random play…Press Shuffle again, while in that mode. 
						

							30
Operation
Changing CD settings
While the system is in CD mode, press the Settings button on the remote control to gain 
access to the options shown here. For more details on changes you can make to the settings, 
refer to the Sound Adjustments and System Adjustments sections of this guide.
Using the sleep timer
Your system includes a sleep timer which can be set to turn your system off automatically 
after 1 to 90 minutes of listening to any source. This timer can be accessed through the Set-
tings menu. See “Locating system settings” on page 35.
Note: Remember that system controls, like the sleep timer, will not turn off the TV or other 
sound source components.
Using the radio
Press   or   on the remote to select the radio tuner. If the system is off, this will turn it on 
to the most recently selected station in that band.
Tuning
You can tune to a radio station in the following ways:
While the system is in AM or FM mode, and the TV is on, you can press the Settings button 
on the remote control to gain access to the options available for that band. For more details 
on changes you can make to the settings, refer to the Sound Adjustments and System 
Adjustments sections of this guide
.
Selection:CD setting options:What the setting affects:
Sleep Timer:Off
mm:ssTimer not set.
Set to turn system off (not the components) when time (01:00 to 90:00 
minutes) expires.
Track:1 of nChooses the CD track by number.
Track Time:h:mm:ss Moves to that time/place in the track. 
CD StatusselectionDisplays information about the CD source.
Audio Setupselection See Sound Adjustments on page 33.
System SetupselectionSee System Adjustments on page 35.
If you want to: Do this:
Switch bands Press   or   on the remote for the band you want.
Seek the strongest stations Press and hold Seek   or   on the remote until the radio 
begins seeking. Release to stop at the next strongest sta-
tion.
To stop sooner, briefly press Seek  or .
To begin seeking again without holding down the skip but-
ton, briefly press Seek   or   again as soon as the first 
seek operation stops.
Manually tune to a station Press Tune   or   on the remote.
Select a preset station Press Preset 
or
Press that number on the keypad.