how to prevent PS3 from outputting MP3/WAV in PCM 5.1 channels?

[quitemouse]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

Why worry? The 5.1 PCM has no info in the 3.1 channels. So nothing is being amplified. Hence you get 2.0 channels like you said you do.

The other way is to change the audio to optical. But that's too much work for something that's not really necessary.


fuad

the only problem is that when I play my MP3/WAV files, the sound
only comes from the two speakers.... the subwoofer gets nothing...
(because the PS3 is not sending anything on the LFE channel)

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by quitemouse

the only problem is that when I play my MP3/WAV files, the sound
only comes from the two speakers.... the subwoofer gets nothing...
(because the PS3 is not sending anything on the LFE channel)

This is a speaker-receiver setup problem. If you have 5-7 floorstanding speakers and one subwoofer, you set the speakers to LARGE; the receiver will directly deliver the audio signal to your speakers. If you have bookshelves or satellites, you set it to SMALL; the receiver will filter the audio so that the LFE signal (bass) gets sent to the woofer while the rest gets the higher frequencies.


fuad

[Durentis]

I have this same problem streaming music/video from TVersity and haven't figured out a solution yet. I thought it might be my computer transcoding it as 5.1, but that wouldn't be the case if you're getting the same thing from an MP3 saved on your PS3.

The workaround, however annoying, is good to know though, thanks.

To those above who think it's a receiver setting or nothing to worry about, it's not. It's nice to have bass coming through the sub and the rest from the other 5-7 speakers. Try listening to Black Velvet with no sub, for example.. weak!

Because the PS3 is sending a 5.1 signal, you cannot set the receiver to PL or other similar audio processors to make the subwoofer and other speakers work. Why would the receiver think it's getting 2.0 just because 3.1 channels are silent when the PS3 is telling it to play all 5.1 channels? Why would it allow you to spread the two audible channels over channels it expects to be silent?

Sounds to me like a bug in the PS3 firmware - intentional or otherwise - and I hope Sony fixes it. There's no reason for it to output a stereo encoding as 5.1 PCM. It should output as 2.0 and let the receiver decide where to send the audio.

/me glares in Sony's general direction.

[shido]

Originally Posted by Durentis

I have this same problem streaming music/video from TVersity and haven't figured out a solution yet. I thought it might be my computer transcoding it as 5.1, but that wouldn't be the case if you're getting the same thing from an MP3 saved on your PS3.

The workaround, however annoying, is good to know though, thanks.

To those above who think it's a receiver setting or nothing to worry about, it's not. It's nice to have bass coming through the sub and the rest from the other 5-7 speakers. Try listening to Black Velvet with no sub, for example.. weak!

Because the PS3 is sending a 5.1 signal, you cannot set the receiver to PL or other similar audio processors to make the subwoofer and other speakers work. Why would the receiver think it's getting 2.0 just because 3.1 channels are silent when the PS3 is telling it to play all 5.1 channels? Why would it allow you to spread the two audible channels over channels it expects to be silent?

Sounds to me like a bug in the PS3 firmware - intentional or otherwise - and I hope Sony fixes it. There's no reason for it to output a stereo encoding as 5.1 PCM. It should output as 2.0 and let the receiver decide where to send the audio.

/me glares in Sony's general direction.

I had the same problem on 360, Sony ain't the only one doing this.

[Bigman73]

Originally Posted by Durentis

I have this same problem streaming music/video from TVersity and haven't figured out a solution yet. I thought it might be my computer transcoding it as 5.1, but that wouldn't be the case if you're getting the same thing from an MP3 saved on your PS3.

The workaround, however annoying, is good to know though, thanks.

To those above who think it's a receiver setting or nothing to worry about, it's not. It's nice to have bass coming through the sub and the rest from the other 5-7 speakers. Try listening to Black Velvet with no sub, for example.. weak!

Because the PS3 is sending a 5.1 signal, you cannot set the receiver to PL or other similar audio processors to make the subwoofer and other speakers work. Why would the receiver think it's getting 2.0 just because 3.1 channels are silent when the PS3 is telling it to play all 5.1 channels? Why would it allow you to spread the two audible channels over channels it expects to be silent?

Sounds to me like a bug in the PS3 firmware - intentional or otherwise - and I hope Sony fixes it. There's no reason for it to output a stereo encoding as 5.1 PCM. It should output as 2.0 and let the receiver decide where to send the audio.

I have the same problem - PS3 with Sony DG 910 receiver, using HDMI.
Tried calling Sony support for PS3 and Receiver. Their PS3 support is poor.
It is not a receiver issue - the receiver is getting a 5.1 signal with 3.1 silent channels from PS3.
It seems like a PS3 bug.

When PS3 is configured to output 2.1 (uncheck all audio options) the receiver gets a correct signal and then all speakers are working properly (with Multi Stereo sound field).
But this is a bad workaround as there is now no surround (5.1/7.1) for games & movies..

Someone suggested that an optical cable might workaround this problem. Does anybody have such an optical cable work with MP3?

Another thing - this is not only with MP3 (streamed or local), it is also happening with audio CDs. This leads me to think that the problem is the stereo decoder.

[quitemouse]

I had hoped that Sony would correct this problem by now... guess I'll have to
keep on waiting...

It's just wrong for the PS3 to output 2-channel WAV/MP3 in 5.1 PCM sound,
with silent center/rear channels... 2-channel WAV/MP3 shoudl be output
as 2-channel PCM....

[Squozen]

I gave up streaming video from my Mac for this reason. Now I just use.. another Mac hooked up to the amp via optical..

[kingofgrills]

Your receiver should be able to sort this issue out easily, without having to fiddle with your PS3 settings. Doesn't your receiver allow you to use bass management when receiving a 5.1 pcm signal via HDMI? It seems to me that setting your receiver to 2 channel stereo will do the trick. Either have the front speakers set to "small," so everything below 100 Hz or 80 Hz, or whatever yours is set at will be directed to the sub. If your speakers are on the "large" setting, set your bass output to "both." It works fine on mine. Once it's set, I only need to select 2 channel stereo on my receiver and I'm there.

The same issues have cropped up for years with SACD and DVD-A multichannel playback. Bass management isn't new to the PS3, and lack of bass management is not the PS3s fault.

[quitemouse]

Originally Posted by Bigman73

I have the same problem - PS3 with Sony DG 910 receiver, using HDMI.
Tried calling Sony support for PS3 and Receiver. Their PS3 support is poor.
It is not a receiver issue - the receiver is getting a 5.1 signal with 3.1 silent channels from PS3.
It seems like a PS3 bug.

When PS3 is configured to output 2.1 (uncheck all audio options) the receiver gets a correct signal and then all speakers are working properly (with Multi Stereo sound field).
But this is a bad workaround as there is now no surround (5.1/7.1) for games & movies..

Someone suggested that an optical cable might workaround this problem. Does anybody have such an optical cable work with MP3?

Another thing - this is not only with MP3 (streamed or local), it is also happening with audio CDs. This leads me to think that the problem is the stereo decoder.

I have the PS3 hooked up to output audio and video to my receiver.
In addition, I also have the optical cable hooked up between the PS3
and the receiver. (however, the PS3 cannot output audio to both
simultaneously)

When I listen to CD/WAV/MP3 stored on the PS3, I switch the PS3's
audio output to optical.

When I want to watch a DVD or BD, I switch the audio output back to
HDMI...