2.00 extra! PS3 SACD 5.1 via OPTICAL, is it possible? ** 2.01 takes it away - Blu-ray Forum

egon_spengler · 11-10-2007, 05:51 PM

Until two days ago NO.

I bought 'The Dark Side of the Moon' by Pink Floyd on SACD (Super Audio CD) just to try it out.

It arrived and would not play in SA mode, only standard audio CD mode.

Gutted. A message appeared saying something along the lines of "SACD playback not available through optical, please use another method"

After a bit of research I found that SACD players can only send SACD audio via a standard AV cable, or for 5.1 it needs a HDMI connection to a compatible amp.

Bummer.

However, I tried again today (since installing 2.00 upgrade)

It plays in glorious 5.1 Surround Sound! My amp displays a DTS signal at 1.5mbps.

As far as I know I'm the first person to notice this

, so if anyone else can confirm this works on their set-ups I'll feel really proud I discovered something!!!

Musashi · 11-10-2007, 05:53 PM

Now all we need is for the PS3 to decode DTA-HD MA.

Galley · 11-10-2007, 06:02 PM

I also get a DTS 5.1 signal, and the "multi-channel decoding" light is lit up, but I'm not getting anything from the surrounds. I tried Pink Floyd and Derek And The Dominos. Hmmm...

egon_spengler · 11-10-2007, 06:07 PM

Well I can only us DSOTM by Floyd as an example as it is the only disc I own, but on the track 'TIME' I'm definately getting different clock sounds through all channels.

DSOTM contains a 2.0 and 5.1 version of the audio and there is a noticable difference between them.

Even if I was only getting 2.0 its still great news because I don't have to switch my PS3 sound output to 'AV multi' to get any sound. But I'm satisfied.

For reference I'm using a Yamaha RX-V361 amp. Basic, but functional!

WriteSimply · 11-10-2007, 06:32 PM

Sounds like the PS3 is doing DSD-to-DTS transcoding on the fly. Not the same quality, I guarantee you. And basically defeats the whole point of buying SACDs.

fuad

egon_spengler · 11-10-2007, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

Sounds like the PS3 is doing DSD-to-DTS transcoding on the fly. Not the same quality, I guarantee you. And basically defeats the whole point of buying SACDs.

fuad

Not really. Quality wise maybe, but when was the last time you heard a 5.1 encoded disc that wasn't SACD?

As it happens, this disc cost as much as a standard CD, but pro-logic II can only immerse immerse me in the music so far, I was impressed with the difference the 5.1 version made. My general listening includes the prodigy and chemical brothers at high volume, so chances are my hearing is severely damaged and DSD quality wouldn't be detected anyway. Saying that my bro has a Denon HDMI amp so I'm going to take my optical cable over at the weekend and do a comparision. (In a similar way that despite having ordered a HDMI cable with my PS3 on release day, I just had to connect it up by composite anyway... just for shits and giggles)

dobyblue · 11-20-2007, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by egon_spengler

Not really. Quality wise maybe, but when was the last time you heard a 5.1 encoded disc that wasn't SACD?

As it happens, this disc cost as much as a standard CD, but pro-logic II can only immerse immerse me in the music so far, I was impressed with the difference the 5.1 version made. My general listening includes the prodigy and chemical brothers at high volume, so chances are my hearing is severely damaged and DSD quality wouldn't be detected anyway. Saying that my bro has a Denon HDMI amp so I'm going to take my optical cable over at the weekend and do a comparision. (In a similar way that despite having ordered a HDMI cable with my PS3 on release day, I just had to connect it up by composite anyway... just for shits and giggles)

As a 34yr old fan of loud music, Tool, Nine Inch Nails, etc., I can assure you that unless you got your hearing tested and it IS actually damaged (mine is not - tested last year) you will notice a large difference between DTS 1.5 Mbps encoded SACD and 24/176.4 SACD>PCM output through HDMI. It has a far more open natural sound with much less shrill in the highs. Yes DTS 5.1 discs can be great, Sting's Ten Summoner's Tales is an example, but it doesn't compare to proper SACD playback. I've proven this many times to people using discs like Genesis remasters and Depeche Mode remasters which come with an SACD multi-channel track, DTS 24/96 5.1 track and DOlby Digital track. It's like going to a vinyl record with no pops or hisses, just clean warm sound.

PS - the reson the DSOTM is priced the way it is, is because it was ONLY released as an SACD hybrid, hence the volume that they knew they would move alowed for a low price tag. I got it when it first came out for CDN$9.99

buckshot · 11-10-2007, 06:39 PM

I had a similar question. my ps3 outputs the songs saved on it as pcm (at least that's what my receiver tells me). this means I can only choose between direct and mutlichannel as audio selections. this means I can only get 2 channel audio. is there a way to change how songs saved to the ps3 are output so I can change the receiver settings to output all channels?

and are sacds worth it? i'm a huge bob dylan fan, and have wanted to get some of his albums on it.

Galley · 11-10-2007, 07:09 PM

Holy Schnikes! I knew something was up, so I ran a test tone. Sure enough all three of my rear surround speaker wires had come loose the last time I moved my TV stand. I am now getting 5.1 surround sound from multi-channel SACDs via the optical output!

lutefisk69 · 11-10-2007, 07:56 PM

So.. Is the PS3 doing still doing the DSD change and sending the signal for the receiver to decode or is it sending a PCM signal via the optical?

BTS · 11-10-2007, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buckshot

and are sacds worth it? i'm a huge bob dylan fan, and have wanted to get some of his albums on it.

OH YEAH

Have bought about 20 since my PS3 purchase.Blood On The Tracks will be my next.Even though I already own on vinyl,cassette,and cd

bhampton · 11-10-2007, 09:46 PM

Hmm,

I'll have to give this a try.

I bought the DSOM SACD when it came out and it remains my only SACD.

I have a 5 Disc DVD/CD/SACD player with 6 channel analog out that I normally use for SACD and CD. One reason I keep the CD player even though the PS3 can play CD's is my AVR is older and changing it from Dolby Surround to Stereo for CD's would be a hassle and if I didn't do that I would be listening to CD's in pro-logic (oy.)

Anyway,.. this sounds interesting.. I'll check it out.

Oh wait,.. nevermind, My AVR doesn't support DTS which sounds like it would be needed. ''

I would replace the AVR in an instant if it didn't sound great already and if it didn't cut into my Blu Ray buying money.

-Brian

buckshot · 11-10-2007, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTS

OH YEAH

Have bought about 20 since my PS3 purchase.Blood On The Tracks will be my next.Even though I already own on vinyl,cassette,and cd

i have been eyeing blood on the tracks and Desire. i have both on vinyl and cd. i guess i'll have to pick them up now. do you have desire? how's it sound?

tullman · 11-12-2007, 03:48 PM

Where do I find a PS3 SACD version? Is there a way to distinguish these units form the non-SACD units??

Thanks

ps3andlovinit · 11-12-2007, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tullman

Where do I find a PS3 SACD version? Is there a way to distinguish these units form the non-SACD units??

Thanks

It's only the 40GB version that doesn't have it.

tullman · 11-12-2007, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ps3andlovinit

It's only the 40GB version that doesn't have it.

I called CC and BB and JR music world in NYC. None of the sales reps new about SACD, much less that the PS3 even offered that format.

egon_spengler · 11-12-2007, 05:03 PM

Just to clarify
The PS3 displays the logos of all built in technology on the top (when stood vertically). The one you're looking for is the

SA
CD

distorted into a funny circle shape... (can't say its my favourite logo in the world). It sits between the DVD and CD logos. If your PS3 has the logo, it can play it. 40GB PS3's only have two USB ports. But I assume you will know what you've got/are buying.

haushausman · 11-12-2007, 05:06 PM

WHA WHA WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!!?

I was about to buy a whole new 5.1 system that supports 1080p passthrough just to get PCM....

Greatest thread I've ever clicked on if you're correct.

Thank you!!!

WriteSimply · 11-13-2007, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tullman

I called CC and BB and JR music world in NYC. None of the sales reps new about SACD, much less that the PS3 even offered that format.

SACD has been around for a while now and since it was not the success that it was hoped to be (mainly due to music labels not supporting it enough), not many people knew about it. Google SACD if you want to find out more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by haushausman

WHA WHA WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!!?

I was about to buy a whole new 5.1 system that supports 1080p passthrough just to get PCM....

Greatest thread I've ever clicked on if you're correct.

Thank you!!!

Get the new HDMI receiver anyway. Then you can enjoy SACD in lossless quality as well as BD in Dolby TrueHD, DTS HDMA and PCM multichannel.

Here's the logo.

fuad

Firestreak · 11-13-2007, 04:48 AM

Dude this is huge, I love you. Why the **** isn't Sony shouting this from the rooftops? Could stimulate some interest in the SACD format.

11-10-2007, 05:51 PM	#1
egon_spengler Active Member Member since:Oct 2007	2.00 extra! PS3 SACD 5.1 via OPTICAL, is it possible? 2.01 takes it away** Until two days ago NO. I bought 'The Dark Side of the Moon' by Pink Floyd on SACD (Super Audio CD) just to try it out. It arrived and would not play in SA mode, only standard audio CD mode. Gutted. A message appeared saying something along the lines of "SACD playback not available through optical, please use another method" After a bit of research I found that SACD players can only send SACD audio via a standard AV cable, or for 5.1 it needs a HDMI connection to a compatible amp. Bummer. However, I tried again today (since installing 2.00 upgrade) It plays in glorious 5.1 Surround Sound! My amp displays a DTS signal at 1.5mbps. As far as I know I'm the first person to notice this , so if anyone else can confirm this works on their set-ups I'll feel really proud I discovered something!!!

11-10-2007, 06:02 PM	#3
Galley Power Member Member since:Apr 2007 Location:Greenville, SC 4K collection:117 Blu-ray collection:634 DVD collection:41 Digital collection:1 Blu-ray reviews:4 Trading Score:7	I also get a DTS 5.1 signal, and the "multi-channel decoding" light is lit up, but I'm not getting anything from the surrounds. I tried Pink Floyd and Derek And The Dominos. Hmmm... Last edited by Deciazulado; 11-10-2007 at 07:15 PM. Reason: See below post 7 for surrounds update ;)

11-10-2007, 07:09 PM	#9
Galley Power Member Member since:Apr 2007 Location:Greenville, SC 4K collection:117 Blu-ray collection:634 DVD collection:41 Digital collection:1 Blu-ray reviews:4 Trading Score:7	Holy Schnikes! I knew something was up, so I ran a test tone. Sure enough all three of my rear surround speaker wires had come loose the last time I moved my TV stand. I am now getting 5.1 surround sound from multi-channel SACDs via the optical output! Last edited by Galley; 11-10-2007 at 07:32 PM.

11-13-2007, 04:48 AM	#20
Firestreak Senior Member Member since:Mar 2007 Blu-ray collection:103 Trading Score:64	Dude this is huge, I love you. Why the **** isn't Sony shouting this from the rooftops? Could stimulate some interest in the SACD format. Last edited by Shin-Ra; 11-14-2007 at 12:37 PM.

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11-10-2007, 05:53 PM	#2
Musashi Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jan 2007 Location:Manchester, CT Home Theater Gallery:5 4K collection:25 Blu-ray collection:337 Blu-ray reviews: 1	Now all we need is for the PS3 to decode DTA-HD MA.

11-10-2007, 06:07 PM	#4
egon_spengler Active Member Member since:Oct 2007	Well I can only us DSOTM by Floyd as an example as it is the only disc I own, but on the track 'TIME' I'm definately getting different clock sounds through all channels. DSOTM contains a 2.0 and 5.1 version of the audio and there is a noticable difference between them. Even if I was only getting 2.0 its still great news because I don't have to switch my PS3 sound output to 'AV multi' to get any sound. But I'm satisfied. For reference I'm using a Yamaha RX-V361 amp. Basic, but functional!

11-10-2007, 06:32 PM	#5
WriteSimply Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Sep 2006 Location:Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Sounds like the PS3 is doing DSD-to-DTS transcoding on the fly. Not the same quality, I guarantee you. And basically defeats the whole point of buying SACDs. fuad

11-10-2007, 06:39 PM	#8
buckshot Blu-ray Guru Member since:Feb 2007 Location:san die ego Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:9	I had a similar question. my ps3 outputs the songs saved on it as pcm (at least that's what my receiver tells me). this means I can only choose between direct and mutlichannel as audio selections. this means I can only get 2 channel audio. is there a way to change how songs saved to the ps3 are output so I can change the receiver settings to output all channels? and are sacds worth it? i'm a huge bob dylan fan, and have wanted to get some of his albums on it.

11-10-2007, 07:56 PM	#10
lutefisk69 Senior Member Member since:Jul 2007 Location:Westminster, MD Blu-ray collection:427 DVD collection:1	So.. Is the PS3 doing still doing the DSD change and sending the signal for the receiver to decode or is it sending a PCM signal via the optical?

11-10-2007, 09:46 PM	#12
bhampton Blu-ray Count Member since:Aug 2007 4K collection:982 Blu-ray collection:2538 DVD collection:67 Blu-ray reviews: 6 Trading Score:18	Hmm, I'll have to give this a try. I bought the DSOM SACD when it came out and it remains my only SACD. I have a 5 Disc DVD/CD/SACD player with 6 channel analog out that I normally use for SACD and CD. One reason I keep the CD player even though the PS3 can play CD's is my AVR is older and changing it from Dolby Surround to Stereo for CD's would be a hassle and if I didn't do that I would be listening to CD's in pro-logic (oy.) Anyway,.. this sounds interesting.. I'll check it out. Oh wait,.. nevermind, My AVR doesn't support DTS which sounds like it would be needed. '' I would replace the AVR in an instant if it didn't sound great already and if it didn't cut into my Blu Ray buying money. -Brian

11-12-2007, 03:48 PM	#14
tullman Junior Member Member since:Nov 2007	Where do I find a PS3 SACD version? Is there a way to distinguish these units form the non-SACD units?? Thanks

11-12-2007, 05:03 PM	#17
egon_spengler Active Member Member since:Oct 2007	Just to clarify The PS3 displays the logos of all built in technology on the top (when stood vertically). The one you're looking for is the SA CD distorted into a funny circle shape... (can't say its my favourite logo in the world). It sits between the DVD and CD logos. If your PS3 has the logo, it can play it. 40GB PS3's only have two USB ports. But I assume you will know what you've got/are buying.

11-12-2007, 05:06 PM	#18
haushausman Special Member Member since:Jan 2007 Location:Chicago Home Theater Gallery:12 Blu-ray collection:343 Blu-ray reviews: 5	WHA WHA WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!!? I was about to buy a whole new 5.1 system that supports 1080p passthrough just to get PCM.... Greatest thread I've ever clicked on if you're correct. Thank you!!!

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