Getting 5.1 surround on PS3

[Makall]

Say I have 5.1 surround sound speakers and I want to use it with the PS3 through optical. Is the only way to use them by getting a $300+ HDMI receiver?

I'm not a audiophile so I don't care about quality that much, but do I need to spend another couple hundred to get surround sound for my PS3?

Thanks.

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Originally Posted by Makall

Say I have 5.1 surround sound speakers and I want to use it with the PS3 through optical. Is the only way to use them by getting a $300+ HDMI receiver?

I'm not a audiophile so I don't care about quality that much, but do I need to spend another couple hundred to get surround sound for my PS3?

Thanks.

Depends on your surround system. Check on the back of the unit that your speakers are connected to. If it's a DVD player that means you purchased a Home-Theatre-In-A-Box. On the back of that unit where the speakers are attached you need to see if there is an "OPTICAL INPUT" jack of some sort. If there is, you only need to get the optical cable and you are set. If there isn't an "OPTICAL INPUT" jack on the back of the unit, you are stuck with stereo (red & white RCA cable) and maybe a faked Dolby Pro Logic surround field - this means that the system will try its best to guess what the rear speakers should sound like by using the stereo signal. In that case, you'll need to get a receiver.

[DrinkMore]

Originally Posted by Petra_Kalbrain

Depends on your surround system. Check on the back of the unit that your speakers are connected to. If it's a DVD player that means you purchased a Home-Theatre-In-A-Box. On the back of that unit where the speakers are attached you need to see if there is an "OPTICAL INPUT" jack of some sort. If there is, you only need to get the optical cable and you are set. If there isn't an "OPTICAL INPUT" jack on the back of the unit, you are stuck with stereo (red & white RCA cable) and maybe a faked Dolby Pro Logic surround field - this means that the system will try its best to guess what the rear speakers should sound like by using the stereo signal. In that case, you'll need to get a receiver.

I hate those "fake" HTIAB setups. The ones that are DVD players and double as a receiver of sorts. So crappy. I got one of those for Christmas last year (god love my mom) and I took it back after explaining it to her. She agreed. For some that don't know - it is really confusing and misleading.

Picked up an Onkyo and could not be happier

[ranma]

I had same problem, and my TOSLINK optical cable can't work, however, I find alternatives. I use HDMI cable to TV, although my TV is 2.0 only, however, it has digital audio out like dvd players does, which can support at least 5.1. I plug a normal RCA cable from tv to receiver, everything is fine then.

And even better, because it is TV not ps3 which linked to receiver, I don't need to switch receiver when I switch between HD cable TV and PS3.

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Originally Posted by ranma

I had same problem, and my TOSLINK optical cable can't work, however, I find alternatives. I use HDMI cable to TV, although my TV is 2.0 only, however, it has digital audio out like dvd players does, which can support at least 5.1. I plug a normal RCA cable from tv to receiver, everything is fine then.

And even better, because it is TV not ps3 which linked to receiver, I don't need to switch receiver when I switch between HD cable TV and PS3.

But the OP wants true 5.1 surround out of his PS3 system. Unfortunately, anytime you use RCA cables, it's all a guessing gaming for the system when it comes to rear sounds. It uses the front to channels to interpolate (big word for huge amounts of guessing work) the rear channels.

[ranma]

Digital Audio Output is true 5.1 (YMMV for your own TV spec).

[Makall]

I wanted to get these

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/pro...89&catid=14700

cause they're on sale right now, but it doesn't look like I can plug it directly to the PS3 so I guess I'll get a Z5500 instead.