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PS3 HD Audio

Last post Sep 10, 2008, 10:55 AM by professorhat. (24 replies)
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Posted on Sep 05, 2008, 1:20 PM

PS3 HD Audio

Hello,


I've hooked my PS3 up to my new Denon AVR1909 by HDMI.


I've set the PS3 audio output to Bitstream and automatic for the rest of the [output format] settings.


My problem is that the Denon is not indicating that it is receiving HD Audio.


 Any ideas?


rob

Posted on Sep 05, 2008, 1:50 PM

125533

Re: PS3 HD Audio

you need to pop the ps3 in lpcm output! it decodes internally and output's lpcm! you amp should them show multichannel or similar but it will be HD sounds if they are on the disk!!!
40w2000-onkyo875-quad 12L 11L & center-svs sb12+-denon 2930-ps3-enduring wife-beer-lots of cables! poineer 2011 and denon dv2900 in retirement in bedroom

Just like a pig pulling a cartload of sausages, Im drawing my own conclusion.

Posted on Sep 05, 2008, 1:53 PM

125533

Re: PS3 HD Audio

Hi there,

Has been discussed a number of times this one - basically the PS3 can't bitstream HD audio formats (i.e. send them out in the encoded format like Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD Master Audio). Instead what it does is decode these formats onboard and send them out as a Linear PCM signal. This is set under BD / DVD Settings > BD / DVD Audio Output Format (HDMI). Your amp will not show it is playing Dolby TrueHD or whichever format as the sound has been decoded from this format already, so the amp does not know what format it is. However, you are getting the full HD audio so don't worry about this.

Put away those fiery biscuits...

My Useful Posts:
HOW TO... Upgrade your PS3 Hard Drive

Posted on Sep 05, 2008, 2:00 PM

125545

Re: PS3 HD Audio

Thanks for your insights guys

Posted on Sep 05, 2008, 4:06 PM

125548

Re: PS3 HD Audio

Is it possible to output sound via the PS3's optical and picture via HDMI? Presumably this would only give Dolby Digital sound - not HD?

Posted on Sep 05, 2008, 4:06 PM

125583

Re: PS3 HD Audio


Yup, that's absolutely possible.

Put away those fiery biscuits...

My Useful Posts:
HOW TO... Upgrade your PS3 Hard Drive

Posted on Sep 05, 2008, 8:46 PM

125545

Re: PS3 HD Audio

professorhat:
Hi there,

Has been discussed a number of times this one - basically the PS3 can't bitstream HD audio formats (i.e. send them out in the encoded format like Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD Master Audio). Instead what it does is decode these formats onboard and send them out as a Linear PCM signal. This is set under BD / DVD Settings > BD / DVD Audio Output Format (HDMI). Your amp will not show it is playing Dolby TrueHD or whichever format as the sound has been decoded from this format already, so the amp does not know what format it is. However, you are getting the full HD audio so don't worry about this.

 

This should be your next "HOW TO..." Prof, seing as it gets asked so many times around here.

Posted on Sep 05, 2008, 8:55 PM

125697

Re: PS3 HD Audio

Yes, agree. This has been discussed a million times....and there are pitfalls. I fell into one and it took a day with Mr E to get to the bottom of it.

This issue related to setting the sound formats to support on the PS3 itself. I am far from convinced that all folk have done this....it was only when I ran the THX tests that I realised I had a problem. Indeed there have been a number of posts since my issue was sorted where I have steered people towards the same solution.

Posted on Sep 06, 2008, 12:41 AM

125697

Re: PS3 HD Audio

Lewis201:
professorhat:
Hi there,

Has been discussed a number of times this one - basically the PS3 can't bitstream HD audio formats (i.e. send them out in the encoded format like Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD Master Audio). Instead what it does is decode these formats onboard and send them out as a Linear PCM signal. This is set under BD / DVD Settings > BD / DVD Audio Output Format (HDMI). Your amp will not show it is playing Dolby TrueHD or whichever format as the sound has been decoded from this format already, so the amp does not know what format it is. However, you are getting the full HD audio so don't worry about this.

 

This should be your next "HOW TO..." Prof, seing as it gets asked so many times around here.


Hmm tricky one this one. I can certainly do one on the PS3 settings and also what an Onkyo 905 should be set to ideally. As PJPro alludes, there's various other factors which come into play (I remember reading the posts between himself and Mr E before I got my Onkyo amp and they helped me get it all setup correctly when I did take the plunge). Some of these may well be outside what I can post from my own experience...

Put away those fiery biscuits...

My Useful Posts:
HOW TO... Upgrade your PS3 Hard Drive

Posted on Sep 07, 2008, 9:53 PM

125697

Re: PS3 HD Audio

Hi,


Prof, when you say full HD audio, what bit rate is it being sampled as? When I hit the select button on my PS3 controller for playback of Dolby true HD and HD MA  5.1 the bit rate always comes up as 48kHz and fluctuates between 2 and 5 Mbps and more than 6mbps for uncompressed PCM audio. Now I know that True HD and HD MA can deliver up to 18 mbps and 25 mbps respectively. But 2 and 5 mbps can hardly be described as full HD audio. I am using a monster gamelink HDMI cable from my PS3 connected to a 606. Are these the correct bit rates, or does my HDMI cable need upgrading? Am I using the correct settings on the 606? Is Uncompressed PCM audio processed at a higher resolution than DTS MA? Further, on page 62 of the 606 manual it states that "192kHz DTS-HD Master Audio sources are processed at 96kHz". Any input will be most appreciable.


Happiness is but an occasional episode in the general drama of pain. 


 

Posted on Sep 08, 2008, 10:36 AM

126228

Re: PS3 HD Audio

Hmm, okay, you seem to be assuming there is a standard known as "Full HD" for audio, which of course there isn't. In fact, there is no such standard as "HD audio" - it's just a term used to describe when a Blu-Ray disc is using one of the new standards developed by Dolby or DTS or has an uncompressed PCM soundtrack included. In most cases, these soundtracks probably won't get anywhere near the formats theoretical maximum (due to the lack of space on the disc I would imagine), but a bit rate of 5 Mbps has over ten times more detail in than the 448 kbs used in standard Dolby Digital on a DVD. In this sense therefore, it is classified HD audio.

When I said the person was getting "full HD audio", it was merely to hammer home the point a lot of people don't get when they first use the PS3 in that, even though their amp isn't telling them it is playing the correct soundtrack, because it's being decoded on board, they are. Sorry if this has caused confusion.

Put away those fiery biscuits...

My Useful Posts:
HOW TO... Upgrade your PS3 Hard Drive

Posted on Sep 08, 2008, 12:52 PM

126329

Re: PS3 HD Audio

So somebody with a stand alone blu-ray player will experience the same bit rate output as the PS3? The only difference being that their receiver will do the decoding and indicate it on the receiver as True HD or DTS HD MA.


So my question to Dolby,DTS  and the movie studios would be; why market the HD sound formats at such high bit rates when all we're getting is around 20% of the HD content? Personally I would rather settle for 50% (750kbps) of a DTS audio on a standard DVD than be ripped off for 80% on a Blu-ray that cost almost 4 times as much and if space is a problem why not include 2 discs, we're certainly paying for it.


If True HD and DTS MA can do the bit rates they're suppose to, that is what we want to hear or at least as close to that as possible because we went out and bought the equipment to do it.


Happiness is but an occassional episode in the general darma of pain.

Posted on Sep 08, 2008, 1:19 PM

126386

Re: PS3 HD Audio

Well, remember, Dolby and DTS are probably developing these standards with future in mind. At the moment, a single layer Blu-Ray disc holds 25Gb of information, double layered 50Gb. Some movie studios in the early days decided to save a bit of money and only use a single layer disc so this gives 25Gb of space. Now this has to be split between the video and audio of the movie, plus any special features included on the disc. Dependent on what format the video transfer is in, this will take up a certain amount of space on this disc, leaving only a certain amount for audio and a decision can be made as to which soundtrack format they will use (e.g. Dolby TrueHD, DTS Master Audio or maybe just plain old Dolby Digital if they've done a very good quality video transfer).

Nowadays, I believe most Blu-Rays are stored on dual-layer Blu-Ray discs giving 50Gb of space, meaning high quality video transfers and audio transfers are possible, but again this must be balanced with the amount of special edition content included and what format these are in. Effectively, it's all a juggling act with the amount of space available.

Finally, dual-layer discs are in no way the limit here. I believe they have now got up to 10 layers in the labs (though it'll be time before these are commercially available) giving up to 250Gb. Obviously Dolby and DTS were well aware of this when they came up with their standards, as well as the possibility of another format coming after Blu-Ray with even more capacity and have designed these standards accordingly. So even though there is a maximum of 18 Mbps bandwidth using Dolby TrueHD, it doesn't mean you're being short changed if the movie studio's transfer is only using 5 Mbps per second. Would you be happier if Dolby had made the standard only have a maximum of 5 Mbps? I can't really see why as you'd still be getting exactly the same sound. As I've said, that's still 10 times what's possible on a DVD and you're complaining about paying 4 times more (which is most likely inaccurate). Even with this, you're not even taking into account the much better visuals you're getting with Blu-Ray.

If you don't think Blu-Ray is worth it for you, fair enough, but I'm afraid your justification for this with figures just doesn't add up.

Put away those fiery biscuits...

My Useful Posts:
HOW TO... Upgrade your PS3 Hard Drive

Posted on Sep 08, 2008, 1:34 PM

126386

Re: PS3 HD Audio

Faizal:
Personally I would rather settle for 50% (750kbps) of a DTS audio on a standard DVD than be ripped off for 80% on a Blu-ray that cost almost 4 times as much

If I'm reading this right, you'd prefer to have a soundtrack that's encoded at 750kbps instead of one that's encoded at 5Mbps (or 5,120kbps i.e. 6.83 times the bitrate). So you'd prefer 6x times less detail in your soundtrack?

Faizal:
and if space is a problem why not include 2 discs, we're certainly paying for it.

Erm, two discs? What one with the video on and one with the sound on? So you'd then need two Blu-Ray players, one hooked up to the TV and the other your amp and you'd need to ensure you pressed Play on them at exactly the same time so the video and audio were in sync. It's an idea I guess...

Put away those fiery biscuits...

My Useful Posts:
HOW TO... Upgrade your PS3 Hard Drive

Posted on Sep 08, 2008, 3:06 PM

126419

Re: PS3 HD Audio


the ps3 can only output true hd and dts hd by downscaling it to LPCM hence the 192kHz DTS-HD Master
Audio sources are processed at 96kHz quote


as my amp can output true hd etc i wasnt happy with just LPCM and a 3mbps bitrate


so i purchased a toshiba ep35 and compared it to my ep 30.
(ep 30 LPCM output, ep 35 bitstream via hdmi)
the sound that was output on the ep35 as true hd was better quality than the LPCM on the ep30


now i am probably being picky but i could definetly tell the difference
the true hd was 15mbps and the lpcm was 3-4mbps and true hd was better


there are a lot of people on this site saying get this amp it doesnt matter that it cant do true hd
but does LPCM and its the same.


NO it isnt and surely if a signal being sent should be 15mbps and is reduced to 3 mbps something
must be lost in the quality


 from dts hd white paper


DTS-HD Master Audio for Blu-ray Disc offers Lossless Audio, the highest quality available for movies and
music. Lossless audio is a “bit-for-bit” identical recreation of the original studio master recording, free from
loss. In the Blu-ray Disc format, DTS-HD is capable of up to 24.5 Mbps variable data rate, 7.1 discrete
channels, with a sampling frequency up to 96 kHz and 24-bits of signal resolution, and 192 kHz / 24 bits
in 2-channel.


so i think the bitrate does matter and im getting a sony s350 blu ray player to use instead of my ps3 just for the better sound


 


also the lack of space on the disc is wrong most blue ray discs on dual layer are only about 30-35 gb in size and the disc hold about 45gb so they could easily fit the audio on and some only have LPCM audio and fill about 28gb.
most do have dts hd core or true hd
i think it is the studios doing sloppy transfers and plan to rerealease an ultime hd
 version to make us buy the same disc twice look at dvd for example


 


 

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