PreGameLobby

BiffCo · 02-08-2007, 10:54 AM

After playing around with the PS3 last night, I was just wondering what everyone has their settings at for audio. For those unaware, toslink can not pass uncompressed PCM 5.1 tracks, but it can pass uncompressed PCM 2.0. The PS3 downconverts the PCM 5.1 track down to 2.0 for output to toslink.

What does this mean? Well, it means that your reciever decodes the 2.0 channel into Prologic II or DTS Neo:6 if it supports it. I didn't really get a chance to play with this setting last night (I did switch over to PCM 5.1 on Underworld: Evolution but didn't really listen for a difference). Over at AVS, most of the users prefer this route, letting the receiver decode the signal. I can't say off the top of my head, but wouldn't that cut out the LFE and surrounds dramatically?

Maybe others can chime in. I need to recalibrate my system through the PS3 because I think the LFE and center channels are too hot.

-Brad

BrewCityUpstart · 02-08-2007, 11:00 AM

I have the Denon 3805- I'd like to know what I should have mine set at. Right now, its on the regular 5.1 setting and I have the reciever set to PLIIx.

Peench · 02-08-2007, 11:04 AM

Not sure what I have mine set at, but I think its 5.1. My receive usually reads it as Dolby Digital.

BiffCo · 02-08-2007, 12:28 PM

Brew, if you want to take advantage of uncompressed sound via optical out, then I believe you have your settings right. I'll have to test it out when I get home tonight. Damn college classes!

-Brad

Jon Liu · 02-08-2007, 01:57 PM

I thought SPDIF didn't have the bandwith to handle uncompressed sound...

For HDMI I actually have it send via bitstream. As of right now, when it sends a signal that's Dolby Digital or DTS (HD MA) it sends it natively to the receiver to decode. When sending an uncompressed signal, the signal is processed by the PS3 and then sent to the receiver.

It seems the opposite way of doing it but, when I have the PS3 to decode everything, I think that some of the decoding was downconverted to 2 channel audio, which it shouldn't have been. I'll have to go home and look it up later, though, just to make sure.

CamDawg · 02-08-2007, 02:10 PM

Jon,
SPDIF only has the bandwidth to handle the data required foruncompressed 2.0 -- which is what Brad is talking about.

Brad,
I've seen some of the same posts at AVS, which prompted me to mess around with both PCM 2.0 (letting my receiver handle decoding) and Bitstream over optical. PCM seems to be lacking something on my system, so I went back to bitstream 5.1; I tried both PL II and DTS Neo:6 with the PCM 2.0. Many of the folks who seem to prefer the PCM 2.0 have much better audio setups than mine, so it very well could be a limitation in my system.

BiffCo · 02-08-2007, 03:18 PM

CamDawg, from what I heard in Underworld: Evolution in PCM 2.0 matrixed with DPII and DTS Neo:6, I would agree. It lacked the punch of the DD5.1. I can't confirm this either, but I believe the majority of BR titles that use Dolby Digital 5.1 have an audio bitrate of 640kbps, where as DVD maxed out at 448kbps. Not a huge difference, but the audio does seem slightly cleaner on BR.

Also, a lot of the people that prefer the PCM 2.0 tracks processed with DPII are laser disc lovers. That's how it was back when LD was popular. They swear it sounds better than the DD/DTS tracks on the disc, especially with movies like Black Hawk Down. I'm going to have to go home and try it.

BTW, the PS3 will process the DTSHD-MA, but only sends the core DTS to the receiver. However, I don't recall what the bitrate of standard DTS was on DVD, but I know it's no where near 1.5kbps, which is what is sent to the receiver. I can hear a difference in movies like Ice Age II.

-Brad

Jon Liu · 02-08-2007, 05:30 PM

They are still working on the DTS HD-MA for the PS3. It's supposedly supposed to be decoded properly in the March Update. As of right now it's just downconverting it but, it still sounds fantastic!

Standard Bitrate on DVD for DTS was 786kbps. But, early releases of DTS like the original Apollo 13 and 12 Monkeys DVDs had 1.5MBps DTS on them.

Oh, I remember the problem now. If I sent the regular Dolby Digital Signal over PCM, letting the PS3 do the decoding and what not, the sound WAS very flat. It sounded like the Dynamic Range Compression had been turned on to the max. So I set it to bitstream, so that DTS and Dolby Digital were sent to the receiver to decode. I think it was only a problem with Dolby Digital 640kbps, didn't apply to DTS.

BiffCo · 02-08-2007, 05:36 PM

Will DTSHD-MA be decoded in the PS3?

I'm referring to toslink in my previous posts. It downconverts it to 1.5MBps over optical, which still sounds better to me than standard DTS. Heck, it's basically twice the bitrate.

-Brad

BrewCityUpstart · 02-08-2007, 05:56 PM

I'm confused! I dunno what to do!

Jon Liu · 02-08-2007, 06:25 PM

Even on HDMI, it downconverts it to 1.5MBps. The March Update supposedly will change that with proper DTS HD-MA decoding! Supposedly, though. It's just a pretty good rumor right now.

Also, the 1.5MB DTS DVDs did sound better than that of the 786kbps DTS. They stopped using it for obvious reasons of space constraint.

The theoretical space that the DTS HD-MA could take up is pretty huge too. I think they were saying at full bitrate, 7.1 sound would be 24.5Mbps on Blu-ray and 18Mbps on HD-DVD as opposed to the 786kbps and 1.5Mbps DVD counterparts. That's a freakin' butt load of information just for the sound!!

CamDawg · 02-08-2007, 06:42 PM

[quote=Jon Liu;37831]It's supposedly supposed to be decoded properly in the March Update. QUOTE]

Brew,
No wonder you're confused; Jon is talking in Peench-isms!

Peench · 02-08-2007, 07:26 PM

at Camdawg!!

Jon Liu · 02-08-2007, 09:07 PM

hahaha oops! There's something in the Southern California water, I tell ya!!

BiffCo · 02-09-2007, 10:17 PM

So I listened to Black Hawk Down and Underworld Evolution last night and did a little testing. Setting the PS3 to output 2.0 PCM allowed my decoder in my Onkyo to matrix the sound into Prologic II. The result for both movies was the same for me. PCM 2.0 lacked the punch of the Dolby 5.1 track. Also, PCM sounded much, MUCH flatter, like I was listening to it somewhat muffled. The low end was pretty much non-existent in the PCM version while switching to DD5.1 provided a wider dynamic. I'll stick with the Dolby Digital/DTS-core until I get a receiver capable of handling PCM 5.1 via HDMI.

Of course, all of these opinions are just that. What sounds awful to me may sound very decent to someone else. The best thing to do is to try it out. You won't break it.

-Brad

BrewCityUpstart · 02-10-2007, 12:43 AM

Thats the same .02 I had, Brad.

CamDawg · 02-10-2007, 08:35 AM

Same experience as mine.

BiffCo · 02-10-2007, 11:15 AM

Glad I'm not the only one. I much prefer the discreet channels over uncompressed 2.0. The scene in Underworld: Evolution where Michael is fighting Marcus on the back of the truck wsa one that stood out. Switching between the two tracks yielded a deeper bass extension and overall fullness with the DD 5.1 track.

BTW, has anyone tried and compared a DD 5.1 track to a DTS-MA track? You will only get the core DTS track, but it's full-bitrate. Sounds much better than DD IMO.

-Brad

User Name		Remember Me?
Password