HD Audio is so confusing, please help

[dtr20]

I have a PS3 for blu-ray. I just bought the harmon kardon avr247 7.1 receiver. I have the ps3 hooked up to my hdtv via component, and hdmi to my receiver. ok simple question first, do i set bd-audio to bitsream or Linear PCM? the guy at best buy told me this receiver would be able to handle truehd, dtshd-ma, etc. is this true or should i return it and get another receiver like the onkyo sr605 (heard a lot of bad reviews). im just so confused, and i am trying to figure this out kinda quickly without watching an entire movie. any help will be great, thanks

[CAB]

Originally Posted by dtr20

I have a PS3 for blu-ray. I just bought the harmon kardon avr247 7.1 receiver. I have the ps3 hooked up to my hdtv via component, and hdmi to my receiver. ok simple question first, do i set bd-audio to bitsream or Linear PCM? the guy at best buy told me this receiver would be able to handle truehd, dtshd-ma, etc. is this true or should i return it and get another receiver like the onkyo sr605 (heard a lot of bad reviews). im just so confused, and i am trying to figure this out kinda quickly without watching an entire movie. any help will be great, thanks

Linear PCM. Even though your receiver is capable of processing those encodes, the PS3 can't bitstream them. You'll have to rely on the PS3's internal decode and then just output PCM.

I hope this helps.

Edit: The PS3 can't decode DTS HD MA but rumors are it is coming when the feature is availble in more standalones. You'll get the decode of the DTS Core only. If you have an option on the BD to choose PCM or DTS, choose PCM to get the lossless version. I don't recall many BDs that have both DTS HD MA and PCM or TrueHD but my selection is more limited than others.

[emacs]

Originally Posted by dtr20

any help will be great, thanks

Optical
-----------
output format: bitstream
what you get: 5.1 multi-channel Dolby Digital and DTS

output format: linear PCM
what you get: stereo


HDMI
-----------
output format: bitstream
what you get: 5.1 multi-channel Dolby Digital and DTS

output format: linear PCM
what you get: 5.1 multi-channel Dolby Digital and DTS, 7.1 multi-channel channel PCM, Dolby TrueHD and the DTS core stream of DTS-HD Master Audio

[d_rob1031]

Originally Posted by emacs

Optical
-----------
output format: bitstream
what you get: 5.1 multi-channel Dolby Digital and DTS

output format: linear PCM
what you get: stereo


HDMI
-----------
output format: bitstream
what you get: 5.1 multi-channel Dolby Digital and DTS

output format: linear PCM
what you get: 5.1 multi-channel Dolby Digital and DTS, 7.1 multi-channel channel PCM, Dolby TrueHD and the DTS core stream of DTS-HD Master Audio

This the same for the Sony 300? Plugged up to an Onkyo 605/805?

[dtr20]

so pcm means that the ps3 will decode then send to the receiver, and bitstream means that the ps3 will not decode and let the receiver decode it. but for some reason the ps3 can't do it? ok confused again

sorry, the last time i kept up with this was when dolby digital 5.1 and dts were the only things u needed to worry about.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by dtr20

so pcm means that the ps3 will decode then send to the receiver, and bitstream means that the ps3 will not decode and let the receiver decode it.

Correct.

but for some reason the ps3 can't do it?

sort of.

The PS3 can bitstream standard dolby digital and dts, but for the newer Lossless formats it cannot because the PS3 is not euipped with the correct HDMI transmitter chips that allow bitstream of Dolby TreuHD and Dts-HD MA.

That is why you must set the PS3 to Linear PCM so it can decode Dolby TrueHD internally.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by dtr20

I have a PS3 for blu-ray. I just bought the harmon kardon avr247 7.1 receiver.

check this setting for me...

go into the PS3 XMB:

Settings - Sound Settings - Audio Output Settings - HDMI

...Tell the PS3 to "automatically" set the audio output. You will get a screen that looks like this -




As long as the PS3 checks off 5.1-7.1PCM, then you can hear Dolby TrueHD from your receiver and PS3.

[dtr20]

when i do the automatic settings, it checks all but the AAC, Linear PCM 5.1 ch 176.4 KHz, 5.1 ch 192KHz, 7.1 ch 176.4 KHz, 7.1 ch 192KHz

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by dtr20

when i do the automatic settings, it checks all but the AAC, Linear PCM 5.1 ch 176.4 KHz, 5.1 ch 192KHz, 7.1 ch 176.4 KHz, 7.1 ch 192KHz

ok good. So as long as Linear PCM 5.1 Ch. 48kHz and Linear PCM 7.1 Ch. 48kHz are selected. Youre good to go.

As long as your Player can decode then you can hear the format. So from the PS3 you can hear Dolby TrueHD and Uncompressed PCM...and when Dts-HD Master decoding becomes available, you can hear that too.

[KretzJ]

Originally Posted by emacs

Optical
-----------
output format: bitstream
what you get: 5.1 multi-channel Dolby Digital and DTS

output format: linear PCM
what you get: stereo


HDMI
-----------
output format: bitstream
what you get: 5.1 multi-channel Dolby Digital and DTS

output format: linear PCM
what you get: 5.1 multi-channel Dolby Digital and DTS, 7.1 multi-channel channel PCM, Dolby TrueHD and the DTS core stream of DTS-HD Master Audio

So it is more advantageous to use HDMI for audio than optical? I never knew that. I'm using HDMI to video (straight to my Mitsu DLP) and optical to my Pioneer Elite AV Receiver.

How can I use HDMI for video to the TV and audio to the Pioneer? I'm guessing I can't since PS3 has only one HDMI and there's no such thing as an HDMI splitter, right?

Damn... all of my home theatre is based on HDMI for video, optical for audio.

-John K.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by KretzJ

So it is more advantageous to use HDMI for audio than optical? I never knew that. I'm using HDMI to video (straight to my Mitsu DLP) and optical to my Pioneer Elite AV Receiver.

How can I use HDMI for video to the TV and audio to the Pioneer? I'm guessing I can't since PS3 has only one HDMI and there's no such thing as an HDMI splitter, right?

Damn... all of my home theatre is based on HDMI for video, optical for audio.

-John K.

what is the model Pio Elite? does it not have HDMI input? (HDMI would go from your PS3 to the Receiver, then from Receiver to the HDTV)

[KretzJ]

Originally Posted by crackinhedz

what is the model Pio Elite? does it not have HDMI input?

VSX-41... a few years old. No HDMI.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PU...ceivers/VSX-41

If the best way to go is HDMI and I should abandon optical I would consider buying new Pioneer receiver... I was under the impression that optical was better than what is being presented in this thread...

-John K.

[dtr20]

cool, thanks for all your helps guys

[ryoohki]

Well HD AUDIO isn't confusing.. it's that we are so much new in the game that not everything support everything.

The easiest way to work is ...

PLAYER --- BITSTREAM Everything ---- REceiver HDMI 1.3 with HD AUDIO DECODOR

That way it work like before (except it's all HDMI connection)

The thing is, right now, only a couple of player output Bitstream. All 2008 model will output bitstream on all codec so that will be fixed this year.

If you don't want to buy a new receiver, you can wait for a BluRay player with all Decoding on Board, The BDP 50k will be one the first and cheapest, but won't be cheap.

Personally i've gona with the Receiver upgrade route, that way i can always buy the cheapest Bluray Player in the future without caring about if it's decoding the audio or not.

[Canada]

Originally Posted by KretzJ

VSX-41... a few years old. No HDMI.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PU...ceivers/VSX-41

If the best way to go is HDMI and I should abandon optical I would consider buying new Pioneer receiver... I was under the impression that optical was better than what is being presented in this thread...

-John K.

Sorry you are SOL

[JasonR]

When did you go mod Crackin?

[KretzJ]

Originally Posted by Canada

Sorry you are SOL

Okay, what does that mean exactly? My original question was: Is HDMI audio better than optical?

If the answer is yes, and my receiver doesn't support HDMI, then I can assume "Sorry you are SOL" means yes, you should upgrade your receiver.

-John K.

[gearyt]

Originally Posted by KretzJ

Okay, what does that mean exactly? My original question was: Is HDMI audio better than optical?

If the answer is yes, and my receiver doesn't support HDMI, then I can assume "Sorry you are SOL" means yes, you should upgrade your receiver.

-John K.

YES... HDMI supports the new formats, Optical does not...Limited to 5.1 DD

[KretzJ]

Originally Posted by gearyt

YES... HDMI supports the new formats, Optical does not...Limited to 5.1 DD

Thanks!

-John K.

[Zaphod]

Originally Posted by gearyt

...Optical does not...Limited to 5.1 DD

...and 2 channel PCM.