is there a way to get mp3s etc to expand to surround on PS3?

[Kyzer the Medic]

One downstairs, one upstairs, 2 receivers 2 PS3's

[Kyzer the Medic]

and on each, when I try to play MP3's streamed from the PC, it will say Multichannel Engaged, and I cant switch to all channel stereo, I can however, switch when I watch my DirecTv, which is also hooked up via HDMI.. kinda confusing

[zor]

never mind

[aygie]

Originally Posted by Kyzer the Medic

and on each, when I try to play MP3's streamed from the PC, it will say Multichannel Engaged, and I cant switch to all channel stereo, I can however, switch when I watch my DirecTv, which is also hooked up via HDMI.. kinda confusing

hmm can you change any listening mode? Can you change from Dolby to THX cinema?

[Kyzer the Medic]

When using DirecTv thru the Onkyo's connected via HDMI, I can switch just about everything, any listening field I chose. But for some reason when the PS3 is active and I try to switch anything, I get the "Multichannel Engaged" message on the Onkyos.. does this with both the 605 and 805, an older 60 gig PS3 upstairs, a new 40 gig downstairs both running the latest update

[aygie]

Originally Posted by Kyzer the Medic

When using DirecTv thru the Onkyo's connected via HDMI, I can switch just about everything, any listening field I chose. But for some reason when the PS3 is active and I try to switch anything, I get the "Multichannel Engaged" message on the Onkyos.. does this with both the 605 and 805, an older 60 gig PS3 upstairs, a new 40 gig downstairs both running the latest update

heres a couple of posts on AVS about the same thing;

i would check your PS3 settings - it sounds to me like it is outputting a stereo PCM (2 or 2.1) instead of multichannel PCM (5.1). The reason the Onkyo won't let you change the listening mode is that the 604/674s will not apply DSP processing to LPCM formats (they will only apply processing to DD or DTS - your blu-ray menus are probably using one of those). Still, without the processing you should be receiving great sound.

i don't have a PS3, but i have used my HD-A2 with multichannel PCM (5.1), and it works fine (i have the 604, but they should be the same). as i mentioned, it sounds to me like the onkyo is behaving normally, but the PS3 is not sending true multichannel PCM, but rather "downmixed PCM", where the surround channels are downmixed to 2 channels.

Bitstream simply means that you're sending the exact audio info off of the disc to the reciever...and allowing the reciever to decode it. Which is why when the PS3 is set to bitstream...your Onkyo shows Dolby.

PCM means that the PS3 decodes the audio and sends the discrete audio channels over the HDMI and the reciever just sends them to each speaker. (which is why when the PS3 is set to PCM...the Onkyo shows PCM Multichannel)


On the audio settings on the PS3, which audio formats do you have checked? Make sure all of the PCM 5.1 are checked. (the Onkyo has 24 bit 192kHz D/A converters)

It almost sounds like you don't have any of the 5.1 settings checked...so when the movie starts...and it reads the 5.1 off of the Blu-Ray...it down-codes it to 2.1 and then sends that to your receiver.

Strange because the 805 manual doesn't talk about this at all.

[neckedness]

If ya don't have "All channel Stereo" option in your receiver, then connect the PS3 using Optical cable, along with your HDMI if you want. Then change sound setting in PS3 to Optical and set your receiver to Optical input. Then play an MP3, the music will be heard on all your speakers.

[Roggster]

Just to expand on this.

I have my PS3 hooked up to a Sony HT-SF1300. I can confirm that this receiver also doesn't let you mess around with sound fields etc when it is receiving multichannel LPCM over HDMI - which the PS3 does when playing MP3s (2 channel stereo, the rest silent)

I was playing a particular track and noticed an electric guitar part was almost missing from the mix.
Plays fine on my Xbox XBMC (over toslink). hmmm.

I also then played with the sound settings on the PS3 and disabled the 48k, 96k and 192k 5.1 boxes.

This then enabled the sound fields on the receiver so I could turn on Dolby Prologic II etc. It also brought back the missing guitar part.

Problem with that is the sound is rubbish on the 44.1, 88.2, 176.4 settings.
Even the XMB menu click is dull sounding.

So I'm stuck with either a badly mixed mp3 and a decent sound, or properly mixed and less than decent sound.

What I'm not sure about is:

1. is the PS3 mp3 player a bit rubbish (not flame bait...) - can't explain the missing guitar part.
2. is the 44.1k so massively different to the 48k (is it the same bit length 16bit/24bit?
3. why are the sound output options grouped like they are
44.1, 88.2, 176.4
& 48, 96, 192
is sampling rate not the only difference?

Confused and and (annoyingly) using my xbox to play music.

[GoodToGo]

Most (if not all) MP3's are two channel stereo format. Which means that the PS3 will play them in that format only. The PS3 cannot matrix this out to 5 channel format. That option lies with your receiver.
I have my receiver set up so that it outputs the sound directly without modifying number of channels. Becuase of the crossover in the receiver, it really outputs 2.1 sound while palying MP3's. If I do want it in 5.1 format, I can select multichannel PCM on the receiver and then I get 5.1 sound. Somehow I find it a little unnatural as compared to the original stereo sound. Most receviers do have that option right now. The PS3 cannot change the channels of the sound unfortunately. Using a HDMI conneciton BTW, no knowledge about optical or any other connections...