Meridian Audio 800 User Manual

Meridian 800 Reference DVD/CD Player

User Guide

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i

PREFACE

Copyright and acknowledgements

Sales and service in the UK

Meridian Audio Ltd

Stonehill

Stukeley Meadows

Cambs

PE29 6EX

England

Tel [phone]

Fax [phone]

World Wide Web – http://www.meridian-audio.com

Designed and

manufactured in the UK by

Meridian Audio Ltd

Stukeley Meadows

Sales and service in the USA

Meridian America Inc

3800 Camp Creek Parkway

Building 2400

Suite 122

Atlanta

GA 30331

Tel [phone]

Fax [phone]

Stonehill

Cambs

PE29 6EX

England

Copyright © 1999-2001 Meridian Audio Ltd.

Part no: 800U/4

Dolby, Pro Logic, AC-3, and the double-D
symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories
Licensing Corporation. Lucasfilm, THX, and THX
Cinema are registered trademarks of Lucasfilm
Ltd. MP3 is a registered trademark of Thompson
Multimedia. 2+2+2 is a registered trademark of
MDG. Boothroyd|Stuart Meridian, Meridian,
Meridian Digital Theatre, Meridian Lossless
Packing, and MLP are registered trademarks of
Meridian Audio Ltd.

MHR: This product incorporates copyright
protection technology covered by certain
patent applications and intellectual property of
Meridian Audio Ltd. This technology is provided
for the express purpose of securely containing
copyright audio within the Meridian System
only. Reverse engineering or circumvention of
this protection is strictly prohibited.

Macrovision: This product incorporates
copyright protection technology that is
protected by method claims of certain U.S.
patents and other intellectual property rights
owned by Macrovision Corporation and other
rights owners. Use of this copyright protection

technology must be authorized by
Macrovision Corporation, and is intended for
home and other limited viewing uses only
unless otherwise authorized by Macrovision
Corporation. Reverse engineering or
disassembly is prohibited.

FCC Warning: This equipment generates and
can radiate radio frequency energy and if not
installed and used correctly in accordance with
our instructions may cause interference to
radio communications or radio and television
reception. It has been type-tested and
complies with the limits set out in Subpart J,
Part 15 of FCC rules for a Class B computing
device. These limits are intended to provide
reasonable protection against such
interference in home installations.

EEC: This product has been designed and
type-tested to comply with the limits set out in
EN55013 and EN55020.

This guide was produced by:
Human-Computer Interface Ltd,
http://www.interface.co.uk

ii

Contents

Introduction 1

The 800 Reference DVD/CD Player 2
Overview 4
Typical specification 6

Using the 800 Reference
DVD/CD Player 9

Front panel keys 10
Meridian System Remote keys 11
Switching on and off 12
Playing a disc 13
Playing DVD-Audio discs 14
Locating a specific title, chapter, or track 16
Stopping, pausing, and resuming play 18
Changing the front-panel display 19
Displaying disc information on screen 20

Advanced features 21

Selecting options from a menu 22
Fast and slow-motion play 23
Playing repeatedly 24
Selecting an audio soundtrack 25
Displaying subtitles 26
Selecting the camera angle 27
Setting the parental lock 28

Using the DVD/CD player
preamplifier features 31

Selecting a source 32
Adjusting the system volume 33
Changing the balance or phase 34

iii

Configuring disc options 35

Setting default options 36
Selecting the playback options 38
Selecting the display settings 40
Selecting the audio settings 45
Region codes 48

Configuring the DVD/CD
player without a computer 49

Choosing a standard setting 50
Setting up sources 53

Configuring the DVD/CD
player using a computer 55

The Meridian Configuration program 56
Installing the Meridian Configuration

program 57
Creating a new settings file 60
Setting up outputs 63
Setting up sources 65
Configuring cards 68
Changing the setup options 70
Creating a User Type 73
Completing the configuration 76

Glossary 77
Index 81

iv

Introduction

Welcome to the Meridian 800 Reference DVD/CD Player!

This User Guide provides full information about using the DVD/CD

player in conjunction with your other equipment, to achieve the

superb results you can expect from it.

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INTRODUCTION

The 800 Reference DVD/CD Player

The design philosophy of the Meridian 800 Reference DVD/CD Player is
simply to deliver the highest possible quality audio and video signals from
every format of DVD and CD, without compromises at any stage. It
combines Meridian’s extensive experience in producing audiophile compact
disc players with their experience in applying state-of-the-art digital
processing techniques to audio and video equipment, resulting in a DVD/
CD player that delivers reference quality signals whatever the media.

The 800 Reference DVD/CD Player uses a precision DVD-ROM drive with the
audio and video data read asynchronously and then triple buffered to
isolate output timing from the mechanics of the drive. The audio data is
also de-jittered using precise master oscillators to give a clear, open,
authoritative sound.

Meridian multi-channel link

The 800 Reference DVD/CD Player incorporates a unique multi-channel link,
which allows it to provide an upsampled 6-channel PCM stream to a
compatible digital surround controller, such as the Meridian 861 Reference
Digital Surround Controller, for the highest possible quality sound.

An additional feature of the Meridian multi-channel link is that it provides
intelligent stream content information from the 800 DVD/CD Player,
allowing the digital surround controller to select an appropriate preset
depending on whether the source is music or a movie soundtrack, and
whether it is 2-channel or multi-channel.

DVD-Audio

DVD-Audio discs now make music recordings available with significantly
higher quality than Audio CDs, with up to 24-bit resolution and up to
192kHz sampling rate. The 800 Reference DVD/CD Player is capable of
taking advantage of the highest-quality audio available on DVD-Audio
discs, and by using the proprietary MHR (Meridian High Resolution)
encoding scheme, in conjunction with Meridian DSP Loudspeakers, allows
the signal to be preserved at full resolution and sampling rate until the
latest possible stage in the reproduction chain.

DVD-Audio discs are also capable of offering multi-channel audio. The 800
DVD/CD Player can be fitted with a multi-channel digital output card to
allow up to six discrete channels to be connected to Meridian DSP
Loudspeakers, or a digital surround controller with discrete multi-channel
inputs, such as the 861.

2

INTRODUCTION

The 800 DVD/CD Player also provides access to the range of additional
features available on the DVD-Audio format, including still images and
video sequences.

DVD-Video

The multi-channel soundtracks on DVD-Video discs are encoded and
compressed, using the Dolby Digital, MPEG, or DTS encoding systems. The
800 Reference DVD/CD Player uses mathematically precise digital signal
processing (DSP) to decode the soundtrack into discrete channels. The video
is processed using broadcast-quality video circuitry, with the ability to
reproduce both PAL and NTSC video formats and to convert between them
if the television or video display is not capable of displaying both formats.

Audio CDs

Because the CD catalogue is so comprehensive, CD will be the major source
of music enjoyment for many years. In designing the 800 Reference DVD/CD
Player no compromises have been permitted in reproducing conventional
audio CDs. The 800 uses triple buffering and a FIFO to remove the timing
variations that typically occur with reading data from an audio CD,
resulting in an extremely clear and authoritative sound.

MP3 audio CDs

The 800 Reference DVD/CD Player can also play CD-ROMs containing
directories of MP3 audio files. This provides a convenient way of archiving
record collections to achieve up to 10 times the capacity of a conventional
CD where sound quality is not of primary importance.

MP3 discs can be created from a computer using appropriate MP3 encoding
software and a CD-ROM writer. Generate the MP3 files with a data rate of
at least 128Kbits per second. Group the tracks into folders to create
separate albums on the disc. Do not create folders within folders.

Tracks and albums are played in the order in which they are recorded onto
the CD-ROM. Usually this will be in alphabetical order of filename.

3

INTRODUCTION

Overview

The architecture of the 800 allows for wide flexibility – future sources and
formats can be handled by upgrading software, cards, or drives.

Inputs

The 800 Reference DVD/CD Player incorporates a DVD-ROM drive and
special electronics for media playback. Data from the drive, or from the
other inputs, is buffered and de-jittered to ensure perfect output timing
irrespective of the performance of the drive or other sources.

The 800 can also be used as a system controller, and may optionally be
fitted with digital and analogue inputs. Although the 800 does not include
a variable output, it can control the overall system volume with Meridian
DSP speakers.

Processing

The 800 Reference DVD/CD Player incorporates extensive DSP for resolution
enhancement and other signal processing on the data stream.

Outputs

The 800 Reference DVD/CD Player provides multi-channel digital outputs
for direct connections to multi-channel digital inputs of a digital surround
processor such as the 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller. This
allows multi-channel surround to be reproduced without loss of quality.
The auxiliary output can be used either as a supplement to the surround
decoder, or to feed a second zone. Alternatively the 800 can be used as a
stand-alone DVD/CD player and controller using the discrete multi-channel
digital outputs to connect directly to up to six Meridian DSP loudspeakers.

The digital outputs can operate at up to 96kHz and may also be used to
allow integration of a secure closed Meridian system using MHR. These
outputs can provide decoded PCM or bitstreams such as AC-3, MPEG, or
DTS.

The 800 can also be fitted with analogue outputs with 192kHz, 24-bit
conversion capability. The 800 does not provide tape outputs and does not
generally support copying.

4

INTRODUCTION

Video

The 800 provides composite video, S-video, and component video (Y, Pr, Pb)
outputs, in PAL or NTSC format, suitable for driving virtually any television,
monitor, or projection system. The video outputs and conversion system are
very high quality and feature very low noise and jitter.

In addition to providing high-quality video outputs, the 800 has the ability to
give help and system control feedback information in an on-screen display.

5

INTRODUCTION

Typical specification

Drives

•

Internal ATAPI/IDE drive, with space for a second drive.

Audio in and out

The 800 is supplied as standard with digital or analogue outputs, or both:

•

6-channel (multi-channel) digital outputs, normal or encrypted, PCM or
compressed.

•

2-channel (auxiliary) digital output, normal or encrypted, PCM or
compressed.

•

Either 2 or 6 analogue outputs, balanced or unbalanced.

In addition the 800 can be fitted with a variety of 800 Series cards to
provide additional connections, including:

•

Up to 11 2-channel digital inputs. Re-nameable legends. 32 to 96kHz
sampling and up to 24-bit precision.

•

Up to 11 2-channel analogue inputs. Adjustable sensitivity. Re-nameable
legends.

•

6-channel (multi-channel) analogue input.

Signal processing

800 uses Meridian’s proprietary DSP software to provide the following
powerful Modes:

•

Upsampling/downsampling.

•

FIFO and error correction.

•

Resolution enhancement.

•

MLP decoding.

Video

•

Composite, S-video, or component video.

•

NTSC or PAL.

•

16:9 or 4:3 letterbox/pan-scan.

•

Black level option for NTSC.

Controls, etc.

Front-panel facia controls for:

•

Open, Play, Stop, Pause, Previous, Next, and Off.

6

INTRODUCTION

Hinged control panel provides additional switches for:

•

Open, Function, Source, Copy, Store, and Setup.

•

Top Menu, Parameter menus, Return, and Enter.

•

Display, Mute, Gain+, and Gain-.

Display

•

20-character dot-matrix display with adjustable brightness and
contrast.

•

Lights for MLP, Multi, Repeat, and DVD/CD.

7

INTRODUCTION

8

Using the 800 Reference DVD/CD Player

This chapter provides a summary of the functions of the 800 Reference

DVD/CD Player to identify the controls which you use to operate the

unit.

It also provides step-by-step instructions for operating the DVD/CD

player, using either the front panel or the Meridian System Remote.

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USING THE 800

REFERENCE DVD/CD

PLAYER

Front panel keys

Repeat

Repeat indicator

Multi

Multi-channel
audio indicator

Menu keys

Allow you to
select and change
parameters

MLP

MLP indicator

Repeat

MLP

Multi

Setup

Displays the
Setup menu

Top Menu

Displays the Top
Menu

Store

Stores the
parameters
for a preset

Function

Source

Selects the
source

Menu

EnterReturn

Copy

Controls copy
source

DVD/CD

Shows the type
of disc playing

DVD

CD

Store

Setup Display

Source

CopyOpen

Mute

Gain+/Gain-

Change the
system volume

Gain +

Gain -

OffMeridian 800

Function

Selects a special
function

Drive

DVD/CD drive

Enter

Confirms a
menu
selection

Return

Returns from
a menu

Play

Plays the disc

Open

Opens/closes
the disc drawer

Pause

Pauses the disc

Stop

Stops the disc

10

Display

Changes the
information
displayed

Next/Previous

Selects the next
or previous
chapter/track

Mute

Mutes or
restores
the sound

Off

Switches to
standby

USING THE 800

REFERENCE DVD/CD

PLAYER

Fast reverse

Scans
backwards
[ Page
Browse previous
DVD-A page

Meridian System

Stop

Stops the disc

Previous

Selects the
previous track

Angle

Changes the
camera angle

Remote keys

Fast forward

Scans forward

Slow

Plays in slow
motion

Page ]

Browse next
DVD-A page

Play

Plays the disc

Audio

Changes the
audio track

Pause

Pauses the disc

Next

Selects the next
chapter/track

OSD

On-screen
display

Repeat

Repeats a
chapter/track

A-B

Repeats a section

Subtitle

Turns subtitles
on/off

+Function

Subtitle
language

Source keys

Select a source

Number keys

Select a title,
chapter, or track

by number

CD RADIO LP TV TAPE 1 TAPE 2 CDR CABLE

123

456

789

Function 0 Top Menu

Top Menu

Displays the
Top Menu

#

Title/timecode
entry

Function

Selects a special
function

Angle Audio A-B Phase

[ Page

#

OSD

Slow/Page ]

EnterReturn

Menu keys

Select or
change
parameters

Return

Returns from a
menu

Enter

Confirms a
menu selection

DVD

VCR 1 VCR 2 LD

Repeat

Record

Store

Subtitle

Clear

Menu Volume

Setup

DSP

Display

Band

DSP

Changes the
DSP preset

Band

Changes the
tuner band

Menu

Displays the
disc menu

Setup

Displays the
Setup menu

Off

Mute

Store

Stores a preset

Off

Switches to
standby

Volume keys

Change the
volume

Mute

Mutes or
restores the
sound

Clear

Clears an entry

Display

Changes the
front-panel
display

11

USING THE 800

REFERENCE DVD/CD

PLAYER

Switching on and off

When not playing, the DVD/CD player should be left in the standby state.
This uses a minimal amount of electricity, but ensures that the components
of the DVD/CD player operate at maximum efficiency from the moment
you start.

After switching on the 800 runs an initialising cycle which takes a few
seconds. Do not press any keys until the standby display appears.

If you are not going to use the DVD/CD player for several days you should
switch the unit off completely at the rear panel, and disconnect it from the
AC power supply.

To switch on from standby

• Press Open, *, or > (front panel), or select a source on the remote.

If the DVD/CD player is part of a Meridian system it will automatically
switch on any other unit in the system, such as the 861 Reference Digital
Surround Controller and Meridian DSP Loudspeakers.

To switch to standby

• Press Off (front panel or remote).

If you have other Meridian equipment or Meridian DSP Loudspeakers
connected to the DVD/CD player these units will also switch to standby.

If a disc is currently playing, switching to standby will stop the disc, and the
disc can safely be left in the unit.

Always remove any disc before moving or shipping the 800.

12

USING THE 800

REFERENCE DVD/CD

PLAYER

Playing a disc

Most DVDs start playing automatically when you close the tray. Some DVDs
are double-sided, and need to be turned over during play.

DVD-Audio discs usually behave differently depending on whether you
start them by closing the tray, or pressing >. Depending on how the disc is
authored the typical behaviour is:

•

Inserting the disc and pressing > will start playing immediately from
group 1, track 1.

•

Inserting the disc and closing the tray will display the Top Menu.

To insert a disc

• Press å (front panel) or Function * (remote) to open the tray.

• Place the disc, label side up, in the tray.

Ensure that the disc is correctly seated in the tray before closing the tray.

• Press å again or > (front panel or remote), or gently push the front of
the tray, to close the tray.

To play the disc

• Press > (front panel or remote).

The on-screen display shows
title, chapter, and elapsed time (DVDs), or track number and elapsed time
(CDs).

For example, on chapter 14 of title 1: 1 14 0:49:38

These functions are normally

disabled while the disc’s copyright

notice is being displayed.

To move to the next or previous album (MP3 discs only)

• Press V or A (remote).

The on-screen display shows or .

and the front-panel display shows the

To move to the next or previous chapter or

track

• Press ] or [ (front panel or remote).

The on-screen display shows or .

13

USING THE 800

REFERENCE DVD/CD

PLAYER

Playing DVD-Audio discs

The Meridian 800 DVD/CD Player allows you to take full advantage of all
the benefits provided by DVD-Audio discs, including one or more of the
following features:

•

Higher-quality audio up to 24 bit, 192kHz.

•

Longer playing times.

•

Multi-channel surround sound.

•

Additional materials, such as photographs, lyrics, and track listings.

•

Videos.

Each DVD-Audio disc may offer a different selection of these features,
depending on the material on the disc.

A DVD-Audio disc is identified by the following icon on the on-screen
display:

Groups

DVD-Audio content can be divided into up to nine groups, similar to titles
on Video discs. Each group can contain up to 99 tracks. Groups can be used
to separate content, like high-quality audio from movie sections.
Alternatively groups might provide the same content in different forms,
such as multi-channel and stereo.

Some DVD-Audio discs may contain hidden groups that require a
password for access. Follow the instructions given on the disc.

Still images

DVD-Audio tracks often include still images, called pages, which are
displayed while the disc is playing. These images may include text or menu
buttons. According to the disc these images may be browsable, selected
from menus, or change automatically.

DVD-Video compatibility

To allow them to be played on DVD-Video players with no DVD-Audio
capability, some DVD-Audio discs provide one or more groups with the
content recorded in DVD-Video format; typically AC-3 or DTS. Selecting one
of these with the Meridian 800 DVD/CD Player will generally give poorer
quality audio than selecting the DVD-Audio group.

In some cases a DVD-Video group will be used to provide a music video or
video sequence. Some discs provide DVD-Audio on one side and DVD-Video
on the other.

14

USING THE 800

REFERENCE DVD/CD

PLAYER

To locate a group by number

• Press # (Function Top Menu on the remote).

The on-screen display prompts you to enter the group number:

• Enter the group number using the number keys (remote).

• Press > or Enter (remote) to play from the group number you have
specified.

To display DVD-Audio images

• Press Page ] (Function ˘ on the remote) or [ Page (Function ¯
on the remote) to step between the browsable images.

Note: These functions will only work if the disc has been authored to allow
browsing.

To display the Top Menu

• Press Top Menu on the remote.

The player will go to the disc menu, if it exists.

To resume play:

• Press Top Menu again.

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USING THE 800

REFERENCE DVD/CD

PLAYER

Locating a specific title, chapter, or track

Normally, DVD-Video discs are divided into one or more titles, and the titles
are subdivided into Chapters. Audio CDs are divided into tracks.

The DVD/CD player allows you to play an entire disc, or start playing from
any chapter or track number.

You can also enter a specific chapter/track or title number to locate the
corresponding section of the disc directly.

To play starting from a particular chapter or track

• Press ] or [ (front panel or remote) to step through the track numbers
until the display shows the track you want to play:

For example, to play chapter 23: 1 23 1:17:33

The on-screen display shows the chapter or track number as you step:

After a short delay the chapter or track you have selected will start to play.

To locate a chapter or track by number

• Press # (Function Top Menu on the remote) twice.

The on-screen display prompts for you to enter the chapter or track
number:

• Enter the number of the chapter (DVD) or track (audio CD) using the
number keys (remote).

The number is displayed as you enter it:

• Press > or Enter (remote).

The DVD/CD player starts playing from the chapter or track number you
specified.

16

USING THE 800

REFERENCE DVD/CD

PLAYER

To locate a title by number

• Press # (Function Top Menu on the remote).

The on-screen display prompts you to enter the title number:

• Enter the title number using the number keys (remote).

• Press > or Enter (remote) to play from the title number you have
specified.

To play from a specified timecode

• Press # (Function Top Menu on the remote) three times until the
on-screen display prompts for a timecode:

• Enter the timecode using the number keys (remote).

• Press > or Enter (remote) to play from the timecode you have specified.

17

USING THE 800

REFERENCE DVD/CD

PLAYER

Stopping, pausing, and resuming play

You can stop or pause a disc, and then resume play at the same position.

To stop play

• Press * (front panel or remote).

The on-screen display shows

This Stop/Pause icon indicates that you can resume from the current
position.

.

To resume after stopping

• Press

The disc will resume playing from the position where you stopped
playback, and the on-screen display shows

>>

> (front panel or remote).

>>

.

To pause play

• Press = (front panel or remote).

The on-screen display shows

.

To step forward frame by frame

If you are playing a DVD-Video disc you can step forward, frame by frame,
while it is paused:

• Press = (front panel or remote).

The on-screen display shows

.

To continue after pausing

• Press > (front panel or remote).

To return to the start of the disc

• Press * (front panel or remote) while the disc is stopped.

The on-screen display shows

and the disc is reset to the start.

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USING THE 800

REFERENCE DVD/CD

PLAYER

Changing the front-panel display

The 800 Reference DVD/CD Player displays information about the current
disc and settings on the 20-character front-panel display.

You can adjust the contrast and brightness of the front-panel display for
optimum viewing, and choose what information is displayed.

To change the contrast or brightness

• Press Function > or < (remote or under the front panel), until the
display shows the current contrast or brightness.

For example:

• Press Function A or V (remote or under the front panel), to change the
selected setting.

You can change the contrast or brightness between 0 and 15.

To change the displayed information

• Press Display (remote or under the front panel).

Each time you press Display the display will step between the options
shown in the following table:

Display option Example

Source and volume

Title, chapter, and elapsed time (DVD),
or track and elapsed time (CD)

Sampling rate, precision, and audio format*

DVD 65

1 32 1:55:58

44k1 16Bit AC-3 *DVD

Blank

DVD Contrast 10

* indicates an unprotected disc.

If the Diagnostic displays option has been selected, additional diagnostic
displays are included; see Changing the setup options, page 70.

19

USING THE 800

REFERENCE DVD/CD

PLAYER

Displaying disc information on screen

You can display information about the current DVD or CD on the on-screen
display.

To display disc information on screen

• Press OSD (Function ] on the remote) or Function Display (under the
front panel).

• To display the second DVD on-screen display, press twice .

The following table shows the information displayed for each disc format:

Disc Information

DVD-Video 1

DVD-Video 2

Audio CD

DVD-Audio 1

DVD-Audio 2

MP3 audio CD*

Title

number

Subtitle

language

Track

number

Group

number

Group

number

Album

number

Chapter

number

Audio

track

Elapsed

disc time

Track

number

Track

number

Track

number

Elapsed

title time

Audio

format

Repeat

mode

Elapsed

group time

Audio

format

Elapsed

track time

Camera

angle

Repeat

mode

Repeat

mode

Repeat

mode

Play

mode

Play

mode

Play

mode

Play

mode

Play

mode

Play

mode

*The album number is not displayed if there is only one album.

To turn off the on-screen display

• Press OSD (Function ] on the remote) or Function Display (under the
front panel) again.

20

Advanced features

This chapter describes the more advanced features of the DVD/CD

player. These features are not essential if you simply want to enjoy

DVD-Video discs or audio CDs, but they allow you to take full

advantage of the range of options available with the DVD format.

Note that many of the advanced features depend on the content of

the particular disc you are playing.

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21

ADVANCED FEATURES

Selecting options from a menu

DVDs generally provide a Top Menu, which provides access to the content
on the disc.

Many DVD-Video discs also provide a disc menu, which allows you to select
additional sections or special options.

You can operate the menus either using the remote or using the keys
under the front panel.

To select a title or group using the Top Menu

• Press Top Menu to display the Top Menu on the screen.

• Press A, V, <, or > to highlight a title or group, and press Enter to
select it.

The DVD/CD player starts playback from chapter 1 of the title (DVD-Video
disc) or track 1 of the group (DVD-Audio disc) you selected.

Alternatively, press Return or Top Menu again (remote or under the front
panel) to return to the original position on the disc.

To select an option from the disc menu

• Press Menu to display the disc menu on the screen.

A typical disc menu looks like this:

• Press A, V, <, or > to highlight an option, and press Enter to select it.

Alternatively, press Return to exit from the menu without selecting an
option.

22