Speaker System

[WeApOn]

What kind of Speaker System would I have to get in order to fully enjoy the lossless audio and every other feature of Audio including the Dolby that is coming with PS3? I currently have this:

http://www.creative.com/products/pro...&product=10594

Thanks!

[theknub]

fully enjoy? a receiver that supports hdmi 1.3, a t.v. that supports 1.3, prob newer better speakers and a new sub. nothing big

[mainman]

Originally Posted by theknub

fully enjoy? a receiver that supports hdmi 1.3, a t.v. that supports 1.3, prob newer better speakers and a new sub. nothing big

Why does the tv need to support HDMI 1.3?

[theknub]

for the enhanced color pallete provided with the spec

[WeApOn]

I'm planning on getting the Samsung HL-S5687W which I believe supports 1.3 HDMI. It has true 1080p in.

What do you mean a "receiver" that supports 1.3 HDMI?

Mainly I'm worried about audio. Will the speakers I have support the best style of Dolby that PS3 has, and the "lossless audio" format?

Thanks.

[theknub]

ok, you would want an AV receiver like a pioneer elite, denon or even yamaha that supports hdmi 1.3 input. this will be the only way to take the true lossless signal natively. yes, you can use the analog 6.1 outputs and let the player decode the signal. however, you would still need a receiver in this case.

as far as your speakers, it will support whatever your receiver plays (just don't blow them out). however, i would recomend upgrading those as well simply because they won't match well with the rest of your equipment in terms of performance.

[WeApOn]

I don't fully understand what a receiver does. Is it something that goes between the TV and PS3? Would my TV have one built in?

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by WeApOn

I don't fully understand what a receiver does. Is it something that goes between the TV and PS3? Would my TV have one built in?

A receiver combines the functionality of a pre-amp and an amp. The amp amplifies the volume. The pre-amp acts as a source selector where you plug in your CD, turntable, DVD player and PS2 into the pre-amp and then you select which one at a particular time you want your sound to be amped.

With regards to HDMI 1.3, it is like a secured road that allows traffic to go through. Basically HDMI is DVI (for digital video) plus digital audio. You only need HDMI 1.2 on the receiver to get Dolby TrueHD 7.1/5.1 when connected to a HDMI 1.2/1.3 source. PS3 is a 1.3 source and it will decode TrueHD from BD movies and use Dolby Digital for the games. You need a HDMI 1.3 receiver with DTS HD Master Audio decoding to listen to DTS HD Master Audio; DTS HD works with HDMI 1.2 provided your source decodes DTS HD. PS3 for now do not decode DTS HD.

Finally, a receiver traditionally is not located between the TV and the source (PS3). The source is split into audio for the recever and video for the TV. In the 80s and onwards, some CE companies provided better functionality where you connect your audio and video source into the receiver so that the receiver syncs audio and selects the TV signal for you.

With HDMI, this audio video syncing has now become truly digital. The receiver is literally in between your HDTV and your source. You use your receiver to choose what you want to see and hear: PS3, upconverting DVD player or BD player.

Hope this helps.


fuad

[Ascended_Saiyan]

Good explanation.

[WeApOn]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

A receiver combines the functionality of a pre-amp and an amp. The amp amplifies the volume. The pre-amp acts as a source selector where you plug in your CD, turntable, DVD player and PS2 into the pre-amp and then you select which one at a particular time you want your sound to be amped.

With regards to HDMI 1.3, it is like a secured road that allows traffic to go through. Basically HDMI is DVI (for digital video) plus digital audio. You only need HDMI 1.2 on the receiver to get Dolby TrueHD 7.1/5.1 when connected to a HDMI 1.2/1.3 source. PS3 is a 1.3 source and it will decode TrueHD from BD movies and use Dolby Digital for the games. You need a HDMI 1.3 receiver with DTS HD Master Audio decoding to listen to DTS HD Master Audio; DTS HD works with HDMI 1.2 provided your source decodes DTS HD. PS3 for now do not decode DTS HD.

Finally, a receiver traditionally is not located between the TV and the source (PS3). The source is split into audio for the recever and video for the TV. In the 80s and onwards, some CE companies provided better functionality where you connect your audio and video source into the receiver so that the receiver syncs audio and selects the TV signal for you.

With HDMI, this audio video syncing has now become truly digital. The receiver is literally in between your HDTV and your source. You use your receiver to choose what you want to see and hear: PS3, upconverting DVD player or BD player.

Hope this helps.


fuad

Thanks alot for the explanation. I understand it a little more clearly now. Could you show me an example of one of these things online? I'd appreciate it.

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by WeApOn

Thanks alot for the explanation. I understand it a little more clearly now. Could you show me an example of one of these things online? I'd appreciate it.

One of what things? You have to be more specific?


fuad

[WeApOn]

Well I have a speaker system, and eventually I plan to buy PS3. I have a subwoofer with the speaker system. I'm assuming this receiver somehow fits in between my speakers and the TV or the PS3 and TV?

What I mean is, what additionally would I need to buy?

Thanks.

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by WeApOn

Well I have a speaker system, and eventually I plan to buy PS3. I have a subwoofer with the speaker system. I'm assuming this receiver somehow fits in between my speakers and the TV or the PS3 and TV?

What I mean is, what additionally would I need to buy?

Thanks.

Not to belittle you but what you need to buy depends on your budget.

If you are intent on using your current speaker system with the PS3, the cheapest way is to get Creative's DDTS-100; the price starts at US$120. It works like a pre-amp. It has three digital optical (which the PS3 has one for output), one digital coaxial, and three analog stereo inputs. It does Dolby Digital EX, DTS-ES, Dolby Pro Logic II (movie and music modes), and DTS Neo:6 (cinema and music modes). It will not do Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD-MA.

There are currently no receivers with HDMI 1.3 which can decode DTS HD-MA. There are plenty of receivers with HDMI 1.2. One of them is the Panasonic SA-XR57S, which can be had for US$285 from J&R Music. It's a 7.1 (100 watts per channel) system with HDMI 1.2a, Built-In DTS 96/24, DTS-ES, and Dolby Digital EX Decoders, 80Hz low pass for the subwoofer, wireless rear speaker option (you have to buy a seperate wireless receiver unit for your rear speakers. Using the PS3 you can use the HDMI connection to get TrueHD using this receiver. The "but" is that you probably want to upgrade your speakers to some good speakers (bookshelf for starters) with a capable subwoofer.


fuad

[WeApOn]

Wow. Alot of information. It's hard to digest.. I've been obsessing over the HD part of PS3 for awhile, but I haven't looked much into sound. Are there any sound systems out there that have everything I need? Or do I need this other part seperatly regardless?

[theknub]

there are plenty of guys here who can recommend some parts. however, the greater question is what budget are you looking at? it makes a big difference if we're talking about a htb (home theater in a box) or if we can look at component pieces.

[WeApOn]

Originally Posted by theknub

there are plenty of guys here who can recommend some parts. however, the greater question is what budget are you looking at? it makes a big difference if we're talking about a htb (home theater in a box) or if we can look at component pieces.

Haha. Well I'm already looking to spend about $2,000 for an HDTV and then $600+ for PS3. I have just about that much saved up now, so something low-mid range would be good.

Thanks alot for all the help.

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by WeApOn

Haha. Well I'm already looking to spend about $2,000 for an HDTV and then $600+ for PS3. I have just about that much saved up now, so something low-mid range would be good.

Thanks alot for all the help.

Save up another thousand more!

For about US$2000++ you can get a nice 50" plasma or you can go the rear projection way by getting an SXRD 60" from Sony. In the HD age, size of your display matters whether it is for gaming or for movies. Besides, you could always watch HD programs on TV.

For another US$250 or so, you can get that Panasonic receiver. It'll work with your speakers for a while but I suspect that it's WAY more powerful than the speakers. I figure the Creative DTS/DD decoder works but for its price (about US$100) it's just edging a little too deep for such a small thing. If you go with the Panasonic, you can upgrade the speakers later to something more home-theater-audio capable.


fuad

[WeApOn]

Ok great. Thanks... But there's no speaker/receiver combo that is sold together? I would want to buy both, and I figure that would save me in the long run.

Thanks.

[WriteSimply]

Oh, you mean like this?


Panasonic's Blu-ray Product Line
Those things will set you back. Sold seperately, actually.

Typically speaker/receiver combo is not the best bang for the buck. It's so-so speakers with so-so receivers. Home-theater-in-a-box unit usually do not have 5.1 input. Usually.

Do it step-by-step. Since you already have the tiny speakers for now, just get a receiver first (and the HDTV and the PS3). Then later you can get the better speakers. Once you get the better speakers though, you'll be spending a lot of time replaying your games and movies; it'll sound THAT much better.


fuad

[takezo]

Originally Posted by WeApOn

Thanks alot for the explanation. I understand it a little more clearly now. Could you show me an example of one of these things online? I'd appreciate it.

The heart of the home theater unit is the receiver. It was once called Stereo recievers back in the day when only stero was availible. Remeber that stereo unit your dad had that played music from, radio, a turntable, a casset player, and maybe an 8 track player. well that's a reciever. It's basicaly device that Receives audio signals from various sources yo can select from, amplyfies them to be played over large speakers.

Stereo receivers was the defacto standard for a long time, untill DVDs became mainstream. Now everyone wants Surround sound. What's the diffrence between a surround sound receiver and a stereo receiver? The surround channels.

Stereo was just from left and right. Surround added depth to the sound feild. The first mainstream format in theaters was Dolby Surround. which added one surround speaker at the rear to increase sound depth in movies. Dobly prologic was invented to embed Dolbly Surround signals within a standard stereo audio track. Devices that did not suport prologic would process the track as a normal stereo track, the ones that did, outputed that signal to the rear speaker. Dolbly Prologic II replaced the old prologic. It now supported 5.1 channel surround sound.

Why is Dolbly Digital 5.1 better than Prologic? Discreate sound. This means every speaker is controlled seperately. Prologic 2 relied on signals imbeded into the stero signal. This ment that embeded right signals were sent to rear right, and embeded left signals went to rear left. Center and Sub were mearly frequency filters that ouputed voice range freqs to center and LFE to sub. The point is you can't controll each chanell, except LFE which is still frequency filtered, seperately like Dolbly Digital. This is why Dolbly Digital is better.

HDMi was invented to make a single highbandwith conection to simplify home theater setup. 1080p videos and uncompressed audio need the high bandwith of HDMI, thus TV must suport HDMI for 1080p videos (some HDTVs suport 1080p over component, but very few) and Recievers must suport HDMI for uncompressed audio. Some Blu-ray players are capable of decoding the uncompressed audio it's self and output it as 6 seperate analog channels, to receivers that support 6 channel audio. But that's only for enthusiasts. HDMI was invented for the common Joe, just plug it in and your ready to go.