How to get Dolby HD audio

[Getus]

Hello, i have a question,

How can i get ddhd audio from my ps3 to my onky 705 receiver?

I hooked my ps3 with a monster 4.95 gbps hdmi cable to the 705.
But when i select ddhd track from a movie the ps3 will only set out the core dd track.

I wil get the ps3 to convert every bitstream track to pcm, but then i hear no differance to ddhd or pcm. because the ps3 is sending out pcm and no dd hd.

I olso noticed that when i start up my ps3 is sends a 7.1 pcm signal to my receiver, but only hear a 5.1 sound. and when i am in de xmb it still sends out pcm 7.1 but only the to front speakers play (stereo).

So how can i get the ddhd to be lit up on my receiver?
Do i need a hdmi cable that can do 10.2 gbps?

[Zaphod]

In short...you can't. Not the actual stream anyways.

It seems your PS3 is set up for bitstream, it will only send out the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-MA track at 640 Kbps core and 1.5 Mpbs core respectively. In order to get the full Dolby True HD and DTS-MA signal out of your PS3 you would need the PS3 to be able to bitstream those out, which it can't do.

Dolby TrueHD is decoded in the PS3 and sent out as multi-channel PCM, but only if yor PS3 is set to Linear PCM for the audio out. If it is set to bitstream then all you will get is the core track.

[Getus]

thanks for the reply.

But when i set my ps3 to lpcm it converts every track to pcm, even the sd dvd's.

so that means i have to swith back and forward is i watch a sd-dvd. and i hear apsolutly no difference when i select ddhd to pcm when i set the ps3 to pcm. so why bother setting the ps3 output to pcm only?

and what do you know about the ps3 only putting out stereo in de xmb and trailer while the receiver tells me is receives a 7.1 pcm signal?

Thanks

[Zaphod]

Right, it does that because all the audio codecs that regular DVD's have can be and will be decoded in the PS3 when LPCM is selected. If you want the DTS or the DD (Not DTS-MA or DD+ or Dolby TrueHD) light to come on you have to set the PS3 for bitstream.

Setting the PS3 to LPCM will only benefit you the listener when it is required for a specific codec (Uncompressed audio track or Dolby TrueHD track). With the other codecs the sound quality is the same whether sent over bitstream or LPCM.

Unfortunately it is one or the other, bitstream or PCM. You can toggle back and forth between the two if you want the little lights to come on your receiver instead of showing "Multichannel". But there is no way to turn off the internal decoding of the codecs when set to LPCM.

[Getus]

Thank you!

Whil the ps3 eventually be able to send ddhd track be bitstream?

And what about the sereo sound, in de xmb while de receiver is receiving a7.1pcm signal? because only the front speakers are playing.

[Zaphod]

Your welcome.

I don't really know about the XMB and the issue you are dealing with, actually I have never really looked at my receiver when in the XMB.

As far a bitstreaming in the PS3's future? No one really knows. There has been speculation but nothing has been confirmed or denied. The key is in the HDMI chip used. The model number does not exist on the manufacturers web site so there is no way to confirm or deny whether or not the chip is capable of bitstreaming the HD codecs or not.

[Kayne314]

Good choice on your Receiver, I have the same one. My first BD player was the PS3. I have since moved the PS3 to the bedroom, and upgraded to the Panasonic BD30 Player. So I hope I know what I'm talking about.

The PS3 is a fantastically advanced piece of electronics, and it can do almost all of the audio decoding for you (except DTS-HD Master). It will send the audio out via Linear PCM. Make sure to set your Listening Mode Presets on your Onkyo 705 to accept multichannel without switching to Last Valid or an inferior audio mix like Dolby PLXII. I have mine set like this:

Analog/PCM = Direct
Dolby Digital = Dolby Digital
DTS = DTS
D.F. 2ch = Stereo
D.F. Mono = Mono Movie
Multich PCM = Multich
192k/176.4k = Multich
Dolby TrueHD = Dolby TrueHD
DTS-HD Master Audio = DTS-HD MSTR
DSD = DSD

Setting my receiver up this way with the PS3 allowed it to decode what it should, and not what it shouldn't. Doing this, you will see the icons appear that read PCM MULTICH HDMI. What you will be hearing is the best audio possible from the PS3.

You will not get the DTS-HD MSTR logo to light up, nor will you get the Dolby TrueHD icon to light up. These will only show up IF your player can send them out untouched via bitstream.

The PS3 audio decoding was the reason I switched it out for the Panasonic BD30 in my main setup. Using Bitstream, and letting the Reciever do the decoding has definitely improved my audio experience. This is not to disparage the PS3 at all. When it decodes and sends the signal via LPCM the sound is undoubtedly superior to anything else not bitstreamed HD audio.

I never had to switch my PS3 or receiver off of LPCM. The audio is fantastic this way. Let the PS3 do the decoding. It is very good at it. You have the right receiver should you ever decide to upgrade your player, and right now you will be getting amazing audio.

Hope this helps.

[Getus]

okay, so there is a little hope

i have another question. When i was looking at some reviews of some movies, i found out that the spiderman thrilogy doesn't have a uncompressed pcm track. i find this od because:

i can select pcm from the disk and is still plays. I always thought that pcm is always uncompressed.

so the question is can there be a compressed pcm track? and what is the differance then?

thank you