DTS-HD Master audio on the Playstation 3 this April 15th

BUT THAT'S FIVE WHOLE DAYS AWAY! CAN'T THEY DO IT ANY SOONER???

Cool. 'bout time. been stacking up a few fox/New Line titles waiting for this. I-robot, Independence Day, Shoot 'Em Up.

This is great news!

It's about time. How long has the PS3 been out? Really that is sad on $ony's part to take that long on a simple software/firmware update....

The new update is almost perfect. After listening to two different DTS-HD 7.1 titles... I learned that the PS3 does NOT output 7.1 audio. I have since contacted Sony to confirm this...and it was confirmed. I was told that if a firmware is to be released for 7.1 audio, that consumers should write Sony at:

SCEA
ATTN: Correspondence
P.O. Box 5888
Sanmateo, CA 94402-0888

Quote:
After listening to two different DTS-HD 7.1 titles... I learned that the PS3 does NOT output 7.1 audio.

I'm not sure if this is quite accurate. According to others, it seems the PS3 has problems outputting 7.1 with some titles, but not all:
http://forums.highdefdigest.com/showthread.php?t=52171
Just like many titles with DTS-HD 7.1 don't seem to work with standalone players:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=967535

I'd let you know my own experience when I try it out tonight, except my wife wont let me buy 2 more speakers so soon after spending so much on my digital camera!

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1017825

Quote:
KNOWN PS3 LIMITATIONS FOR DECODING DTS: The DTS standards offer several different variations of audio and speaker placement configurations. There are some limitations with the PS3 related to playback of DVDs and BDs with DTS audio. First the Firmware 2.30 release includes the following statement from Sony: "The PS3™ system does not support playback of DTS-ES and DTS 96/24 for DVD-Video or DTS-ES Matrix for Blu-ray Discs." These are limitations of the PS3 in decoding for output via LPCM the DTS-ES and DTS 96/24 audio formats. If you configure your PS3 to bitstream these lossy DTS formats to your AV Receiver they can still be decoded by the receiver.

For the new lossless audio formats DTS allows for several different surround speaker configurations. BDs that include DTS HD-Master Audio (HD-MA) or HD-High Resolution (HD-HR) for at least one of the allowed 7.1 channel DTS configurations that includes information on how to re-mix for 5.1 channel configurations, will result in the PS3 not including rear channel audio in its LPCM output via HDMI (this giving a 5.1 channel output instead of the intended 7.1 channels). The specific 7.1 channel DTS HD-MA or HD-HR configuration that the PS3 does not fully handle is limited to a very few BD titles from New Line Cinema and Lion's Gate. Specific BD titles that some forum members have reported as having this issue include:
- Pan's Labyrinth (HD-MA)
- Shoot 'Em Up (HD-MA)
- Rush Hour 3 (HD-MA)
- Hairspray (HD-MA)
- The Condemned (HD-HR)

HERE is a post from later in this thread from Ronny at DTS that provides some specifics of the issue. There will probably be a future PS3 firmware update that correct this limitation.
____________________________________________________________ ________

HERE is a link to a AVS Forum Thread that lists some of the popular AV Receivers (AVRs) that can accept mulit-channel LPCM via their HDMI inputs. Note that some AVRs are limited to only 5.1 or 6.1 channels while many can accept up to the maximum of 7.1 channels.

2. Support for enhancements to the PS3 Store. HERE is a link to a site with a video showing a demo of the prototype for the new PS3 Store.

Note: While it was thought that firmware 2.30 might add support to upconvert discs recorded in 1080i video to 1080p for output via HDMI, it has not been included in the 2.30 update (perhaps it will be in 2.40 in a couple of months). Note that most movies on Blu-ray Disc are already in 1080p format on the disc and this new feature would not be needed for such titles. It mainly would apply to documentaries or concerts where 1080i HD video camera were used.

Here is the press release:

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced that the next system software update for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) system, slated for release next week, will add DTS-HD Master Audio™ and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, enabling consumers to enjoy Blu-ray movies with studio-quality, high-definition audio. The technologies, from DTS, Inc. (NASDAQ: DTSI), provide PS3 users with the complete high-definition Blu-ray movie experience, matching the format's crisp visuals with rich, lifelike sound. In addition to the new audio capabilities, the free system software update (v. 2.30) will allow PS3 owners to access the revamped PLAYSTATION®Store, as previously announced.

DTS-HD Master Audio brings Blu-ray movies on PS3 to life, delivering everything from explosive sound effects to intricate orchestral scores with pure, high-quality audio that is bit-for-bit identical to the original studio master. DTS-HD Master Audio has the capacity to deliver audio at the incredibly high variable rate of 24.5 mega-bits per second (Mbps) on Blu-ray disc, a rate significantly higher than standard DVDs. DTS-HD Master Audio also offers 7.1 audio channels at 96k sampling frequency/24 bit depths. More than 100 Blu-ray movies and concert videos featuring premium DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks are available.

Additionally, the DTS-HD High Resolution Audio codec allows content creators to deliver uncompromised, high-definition audio on Blu-ray, while requiring less disc space than DTS-HD Master Audio. DTS-HD High Resolution Audio streams audio at a high constant bit rate of 6.0 Mbps on Blu-ray discs, and is also capable of up to 7.1 audio channels at 96k sampling frequency/24 bit depth resolution, thereby producing outstanding sound quality.

Beyond enhancing PS3's audio capabilities, installing the latest system software update will also enable users to seamlessly access the new, more dynamic interface and enhanced navigation of the PLAYSTATION Store. As part of a revamp, the PLAYSTATION Store will transition from an integrated online storefront to an application living natively on PS3, enabling customers to more easily and quickly locate and purchase games, and download demos, game videos, Blu-ray movie trailers and other game-related content for PS3.


How to Update your PS3's Firmware
PS3 owners with their console connected to internet can now use the 'System Update' feature under the 'Settings' menu to download and install the new firmware. The instructions are HERE. If you don't have your PS3 connected to the internet then you can download the firmware update onto your PC and install the update onto your PS3 using a USB flash memory drive. The instructions are HERE for downloading to a PC. If you don't have a USB flash drive you can manually download the firmware file onto your PC and then burn a CD or DVD with the update file - instructions are HERE. Note the download links on the above web pages at playstation.com may not be updated yet for the Firmware 2.30 file. HERE is a download link for the U.S. Firmware 2.30 update.

Also after you do the update, you may have re-register your PS3 with your Sony Bluetooth BD/DVD Remote, if you have one (go to the PS3's 'Settings' menu then 'Accessory Setting' and then 'Register BD Remote Control').


Ron Jones

So I did the update. I was pretty nervous after your unfortunate experience Tony, but everything seemed to go good.

That PS3 progress bar is hilarious. They take the opposite approach to Microsoft's progress bars. The progress while downloading and later installing is like "45... 46..." and you're thinking "Gosh, this is going to take a long time!". Then when once you reach 50% or so, the progress bar zips by to 100% in like two seconds. It scares the crap out of me, since I'm used to 99% of any install happening during that last 1% with Windows.

Anyway, I wasn't very impressed with the new Sony store thingy, since it was so darn slow. Either everyone is accessing it or the fact that our son was playing his XBOX 360 online with the headphones over the wireless network was slowing things down. I did play our first DTS-MA title - Juno, that I rented from our local Roger's rental store tonight. I sounded OK I guess, but I haven't tried to compare it yet with the core. I'll have to set it to bitstreaming and see. But it's not exactly the kind of movie that I might notice a great difference in anyway. I'll try something different tomorrow that has a more dynamic soundtrack.

[Post edited by Skyhawk on Apr 16, 2008]

Skyhawk, my PS3 will be back home tomorrow. No more downloading straight from the internet to the PS3 for me. As a matter of fact if they did'nt install v2.3, I'll leave it at what ever update it's using. I'm just glad they sent me another 60 gig because they are hard to come by and are the most saut after. They're going for as high as $900 on ebay and $700 on AMAZON.

I only have 1 br title with 7.1 sound, avengers cartoon, and it played perfectly, sounded great.

I used Pan's Labyrinth & X3...both in which the PS3 wasn't able to decode. Nevertheless, if you write Sony, I'm sure they will eventually release an update that will address the issues. Every title should be decoded as it is intended. Thanks for your input.