Question about Audio Decoding in Games

[MikeekiM]

Question about sound decoding on games...

While I understand that the PS3 decodes most (if not all) of the surround sound standards prior to sending the audio to the AV Receiver, I am not sure how the PS3 handles game sound decoding...

When playing a BD, I can hit "Display" on the remote and see what decoding is being applied (even though my receiver is receiving the multi-channel output, and not doing any decoding at all)... But with games, I can't do the same...

Are games decoded on the PS3, and should I treat gaming audio the same as I treat BD audio with my receiver settings?

As an example, Ratchet and Clank is a "Dolby Digital" game... How do I know how to handle this properly?

[un4gvn94538]

Originally Posted by MikeekiM

Question about sound decoding on games...

While I understand that the PS3 decodes most (if not all) of the surround sound standards prior to sending the audio to the AV Receiver, I am not sure how the PS3 handles game sound decoding...

When playing a BD, I can hit "Display" on the remote and see what decoding is being applied (even though my receiver is receiving the multi-channel output, and not doing any decoding at all)... But with games, I can't do the same...

Are games decoded on the PS3, and should I treat gaming audio the same as I treat BD audio with my receiver settings?

As an example, Ratchet and Clank is a "Dolby Digital" game... How do I know how to handle this properly?

anyone please correct me if im wrong but i think that if you have the bd/dvd settings at pcm, the ps3 will decode the game audio and send it pcm. my receiver sees it as multichannel. im only able to matrix the sound when i uncheck 5.1 and 7.1 pcm options in the audio setup.

[MikeekiM]

Originally Posted by un4gvn94538

anyone please correct me if im wrong but i think that if you have the bd/dvd settings at pcm, the ps3 will decode the game audio and send it pcm. my receiver sees it as multichannel. im only able to matrix the sound when i uncheck 5.1 and 7.1 pcm options in the audio setup.

Thanks... So there is no way for one to double check like when playing a BD, is that right?

Per my example, if I am playing a Dolby Digital movie, while my receiver shows PCM, I can hit the display button on my PS3 remote and right at the top, it will confirm that the PS3 is indeed decoding "Dolby Digital"...

[un4gvn94538]

Originally Posted by MikeekiM

Thanks... So there is no way for one to double check like when playing a BD, is that right?

Per my example, if I am playing a Dolby Digital movie, while my receiver shows PCM, I can hit the display button on my PS3 remote and right at the top, it will confirm that the PS3 is indeed decoding "Dolby Digital"...

not like a movie no, but you can do what i said and uncheck all 5.1 and 7.1 pcm settings and it will give you dd or dd ex on your receiver. i guess it defaults to bitstreaming the game sounds if your receiver doesnt do 5.1 and 7.1 pcm. i just tried it. it has nothinig to do with the bd/dvd setting.

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Originally Posted by un4gvn94538

anyone please correct me if im wrong but i think that if you have the bd/dvd settings at pcm, the ps3 will decode the game audio and send it pcm. my receiver sees it as multichannel. im only able to matrix the sound when i uncheck 5.1 and 7.1 pcm options in the audio setup.

Sorry to nay-say you, but that is entirely incorrect.

The PS3 must bitstream whatever audio it sends out for gaming (except maybe for any PCM tracks). Because you have no choice in the matter and the receiver always registers the type of audio track on its display, that must mean that the receiver is decoding the audio. Otherwise, the receiver would always say "Multich" or "PCM". My receiver always tells me that "Dolby Digital" or "DTS" is being used when it is a track of that variety.

[DefTechPioElite]

Originally Posted by Petra_Kalbrain

Sorry to nay-say you, but that is entirely incorrect.

The PS3 must bitstream whatever audio it sends out for gaming (except maybe for any PCM tracks). Because you have no choice in the matter and the receiver always registers the type of audio track on its display, that must mean that the receiver is decoding the audio. Otherwise, the receiver would always say "Multich" or "PCM". My receiver always tells me that "Dolby Digital" or "DTS" is being used when it is a track of that variety.

every PS3 game i have says PCM on my receiver, except DMC4, i guess they all just have PCM tracks. sweet, i love blu-ray

[un4gvn94538]

Originally Posted by Petra_Kalbrain

Sorry to nay-say you, but that is entirely incorrect.

The PS3 must bitstream whatever audio it sends out for gaming (except maybe for any PCM tracks). Because you have no choice in the matter and the receiver always registers the type of audio track on its display, that must mean that the receiver is decoding the audio. Otherwise, the receiver would always say "Multich" or "PCM". My receiver always tells me that "Dolby Digital" or "DTS" is being used when it is a track of that variety.

after the post you quoted, i tested and repost what i found. i believe that with everything selected it will send it pcm. it will say multi channel until i deselect the 5.1 and 7.1 pcm selections, only then will it display dd on the receiver.

[un4gvn94538]

this is one of the issues that some people have with the ps3. people were unhappy because they couldnt matrix the sound in games to 7.1 until it was found out to deselect the 5.1 and 7.1 pcm selections. they would then have to fiddle with the audio where as before they would just leave it.

[alphapyro]

To Petra's credit, very few games don't output PCM, HOWEVER, If you play Vegas: High Stakes Poker, it does NOT send PCM and my receiver recognizes it as DD (or whatever I matrix the sound over) and without me having to deselect 5.1 and 7.1.

So there is a bitstream by default mechanism in place if the audio source is not 5.1, or 7.1 or being decoded internally on the PS3 as PCM, Otherwise, my receiver will always display multi-channel. Although, when playing Uncharted I remember the sound on my receiver switching between Dolby IIx and then to Multi CH PCM, but I think that was between intro and game time- So something is going on in the background there.


I wouldn't say he was entirely incorrect - The only way to play your music files over 5.1 from your receiver is to disable 5.1 and 7.1 options on the PS3.. otherwise the PS3 outputs all music as 2 channel stereo


Either way, I don't mind the PS3 decoding all my sound - I'd say the PS3 was better at it if it weren't for the fact that it doesn't really matter which device is decoding the sound... Unless it's that Yamaha that has the popping artifact when listening to DTS-HD MA :grin: