What is the PS3 audio capabilities?

I am debating if I should pick up a PS3 for blu-ray playback. Does anyone know how the audio is handled? Can the audio be handle by the receiver. I have an Onkyo 805 and would like to take advantage of the DTS-HD master audio soundtracks on available discs. If not will the PS3 ever be able to handle the audio? Thanks for you help guys!

Why the PS3 isn't the best Blu-ray player

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Sure, the PS3 supports Doby TrueHD decoding internally, but it lacks a big one, DTS HD. For whatever reason, the PS3 does not support bitstream output -- no, not even TrueHD -- only PCM, and since there's no DTS HD decoder built in, that leaves out one of the hottest new codecs. Sure, only ~15% of Blu-ray titles even include a DTS HD sound track, but judging by the upcoming releases from Sony, Disney, Fox, New Line and Lionsgate, we'd say this number is going to get a lot bigger. At this point, the best option is the Panasonic DMP-BD30 and a newer HDMI 1.3a A/V receiver with all the decoders built in

http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/01/02/why-the-ps3-isnt-the-best-blu-ray-player/

There are rumours Sony will add DTS HD with a firmware update but who knows if it's actually true and how well it will work or sound.

[Post edited by Falcon01 on Mar 6, 2008]

nor does this rumor state whether the firmware update will allow pcm internal decoding or bitstream. if I had not bought yet I'd either get bd30 or wait for the bd50.

It would have to be internal decoding only, since it's apparently a hardware limitation that prevents the PS3 from bit streaming anything beyond DD or DTS. Internal decoding is a little more "future proof" anyway, as we start seeing more upcoming Blu-ray movies feature secondary audio tracks such as with PiP.

I output bitstream and matrix it on my 605. Is it the best solution? No, but from what i've been lead to believe, I'm not losing any sound quality.

I guess the answer is...are games and the use of the PS3 as a media center at ALL important. because if it is, then one can judge you're getting more for your money with the ps3.

If the answer is no, then get a br setop player.

[Post edited by comicgeekoid on Mar 6, 2008]

no hdmi 1.3 !!

^Wrong^

The PS3 was the first device (of any Blu-ray or HD-DVD player) to offer HDMI 1.3 output, and was advertised as such.

-JIMI (the Voodoo Child)

yeah master, onthat point you're misinformed.

good info Falc.

What do you guys think is the best sound output setup for PS3 blu play back (i dont play games). I just received the 705 today. will hook it up in a few hrs.

as soon as that new SA player comes out (hopefully with some free discs) bye bye ps3. i dislike the thing anyhow.

EDIT- when are those new players coming out again?

[Post edited by kucoloco on Mar 7, 2008]

Just connect your PS3 to your receiver with HDMI, and set everything to be decoded to PCM. Your new receiver should handle that fine. And besides, it's the only way to enjoy lossless audio from your PS3.

oh ok ... thats what i was told tho ... bad info i guess !!? lets hope the pos3 doesnt get ps2 disease & go tick tick tick tick tick disc read error !!! that was cool NOT !! i got the bh200 & i havnt had 1 single prob with it yet & it only needs a firmware update so it can do 1.1 & 2.0 profiles !! sorry guys i just dont think buying a game console for playing movies is that cool or the best opt for it . just my 2cents tho & 360 has alot better games & online is way more fun .

If i remember correctly, you may have to go into the manual set up to enable 7.1 pcm playback. otherwise just setting to pcm without letting the ps3 know you have a 7.1 set up will just allow 5.1 playback even of 7.1 pcm tracks. theres not many, but a few good ones off the top of my head like War and Good Luck Chuck. i remember watching my first 7.1 pcm movie and not getting more than 5.1 until I did this.

Sorry not at home so that i can be more specific but if you go thru the set menus you should find everything pretty easy.

[Post edited by indian on Mar 7, 2008]

So, just to be clear, if I buy the PS3 (or since I have an HD DVD player) and I buy one of those Onkyo receivers (with or without speakers), then will I be able to take advantage of those DolbyDigitalPlus and DTS MA, or whatever those new audio streams are??

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If i remember correctly, you may have to go into the manual set up to enable 7.1 pcm playback.

Indian, you are correct. It's kinda important to visit these settings menus after you get everything up and running. It actually took me awhile to figure it out that first week. There are a bunch of checkbox thingies you select. You also have to select the appropriate Hz that your receiver supports as well, although no disk has anything more than 96Khz that I know of.

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So, just to be clear, if I buy the PS3 (or since I have an HD DVD player) and I buy one of those Onkyo receivers (with or without speakers), then will I be able to take advantage of those DolbyDigitalPlus and DTS MA, or whatever those new audio streams are??

mvckalel, you will be able to take advantage of DD+ along with the lossless formats of TrueHD and raw L-PCM. The only thing you won't be able to take advantage of until a future firmware upgrade is DTS MA, where currently only the DTS 1.5 Mbps core is decoded or streamed. Still the 1.5 Mbps DTS is twice the audio resolution of DTS found on standard DVD, and sounds pretty good while we wait for the lossless decoder.

not necessarily. only the XA2 and A35 bitstream HD audio to capable receiver. all other hd players decode true hd and send as pcm. and all other HD players send dts hd as 1.5mpbs core only.
The ps3 does not bitstream the new HD audio codecs for bluray at all. only decodes true hd and sends as pcm. handles dts hd the same way as the other HD players. there is a short list of blu players that will send the hd audio in bitstream form. Sammy bdp1400, panasonic dmp bd30 are a couple that come to mind. there are a few more and more coming soon.

mvckalel, skyhawk said it better. he beat me to it.

[Post edited by indian on Mar 7, 2008]

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The ps3 does not bitstream the new HD audio codecs for bluray at all.

But why would you want to bitstream them and have the receiver decode them? I know that Blu-ray doesn't have many true PiP titles as yet, but it I'm sure the number will increase, and being able to hear the mixed audio is kinda important in these situations - let alone silly sound effects of menu clicks and such.

sky now im confused. some guy at some site said to set it to bitstream, and you say I should set it to PCM?

kucoloco, if you set it to bitstream you'll only get up to DD 5.1 640Kbps or DTS 1.5Kbps, which you can do over Toslink anyway. You'll not get lossless sound or the higher codecs.

In order to experience lossless sound from the PS3, you MUST set it to output PCM and decode the codecs it now supports or pass through the PCM that's so common on Blu-ray titles.

There is another important reason for having your PS3 or any other player decode these higher codecs. This is about PiP and other secondary audio tracks. You will not hear them if you bitstream, the reason being is that these two (or more) audio streams must be decoded then re-encoded mixed together (normally to PCM).

This gets a bit complicated, but suppose you have a TrueHD audio track on a movie. There is also a separate audio track for PiP that is encoded with DD 5.1. If you bitstream, you will not hear both, since you can only stream one track at a time. What needs to happen is that your player has to decode both the TrueHd and the DD 5.1 and then mix them to your preference, and then sent over your HDMI cable as a single unified stream in either PCM, or in the case of the PS3 settings re-encoded to lower DD 5.1 or DTS. There is no HD DVD player or Blu-ray player that I know of that can remix these audio tracks and re-encode them as output in TrueHD or DTS HD Master Audio to be decoded by your receiver.

This is why I think a receiver's ability to decode these codecs is a bunch of horse shit. If it takes 7.1 L-PCM, that's all you should care about. Unfortunately, the receivers that do take 7.1 PCM also ask a premium for their decoding capabilities of the higher codecs... which is just a consumer ripoff strategy IMO.

got it sky. thanks. water clear explenation.

im tired, fiance wants to spend time so my.. onkyo 705 sits on my new shelf... but without my new onkyo set of spks hooked yet. guess ill do it tomorrow morning, if i do it now anyow i can make noise since is so late, dont wanna wake the tennants.

that onkyo receiver does look very sexy IMO. just has a mean look to it. and i havent even set it up yet.