From what is known: The PS3 used the first HDMI 1.3 chip made available for consumer electronics.
The first chip in consumer electroincs is: "The VastLane SiI 9133, ... an advanced dual-input HDMI receiver chip that will only enable HDTVs to display Deep color."
Unless there is a different HDMI1.3 model # chip in the PS3 (Edit: Si9134 transmission chip or later), the hardware cannot support the "bitstream output of the advanced authored lossless audio codecs".
I'm so happy I could cry. For ages I've thought I was just going to have to bite the bullet and replace the Onkyo 604 I just bought a year and a half ago if I wanted to take advantage of DTS-MA, or wait until a BD 2.0 player with DTS-MA decoding and analog outs was released for $500-$600. Now I don't have to spend hundreds to be able to enjoy DTS-HD and DTS-MA.
WOW, this is SO cool. Finally I can use my Integra pre/pro to it's fullest. I am stoked. You can hear the collective cheers from PS3 owners across the US!
Sorry for the confusion. It appears I was wrongly informed at a previous time as to the HDMI type. What I was attempting to get at was what Carlo and Paul detail - the hardware chip used makes it limited in possible use of bitstream. HDMI 1.2, 1.3, 1.3a, 1.3b, whatever, the point is that it can't do it.
While this is not the ideal way for me (I´m getting HDMI 1.3-receiver in early next month), HD-audio decoded internally (via PS3) is not a deal breaker. Besides, before the 100% official announcement, there´s always hope..
I have to say, that I´m very impressed of Sony and PS3. My first BD-player and it has almost everything (soon). And it´s probably still getting better over time...
Can´t wait for my first "full" DTS-HD master-track..
Wow! So the top end of the DTS-HD/MA variable rate bitstream bandwidth is 24.5Mbps?!? That *IS* a whole lot higher than I imagined (and certainly a lot higher than LPCM's sustained rate). No wonder the PS3 HDMI hardware probably can't handle that (or does DTS allow different levels of support w/ different max bitrates?). Gosh, that alone is starting to approach the max sustained video bitrate of the HDDVD format too -- and I guess that's partly why none(?) of the studios wanted to use DTS-HD/MA on HDDVD. BTW, what's the top end for Dolby TrueHD?
I don't imagine I'll really need full fidelity of DTS-HD/MA for watching films -- and so, the PS3's own decoding should probably be good enough for me for that purpose. But maybe I'll want full fidelity via bitstream at some point for hirez music playback on BD though, especially if they start putting out some really good stuff on BD.
And yeah, great to hear that the PS3 will finally get that update for DTS-HD/MA decoding come Tax Day next week.
I believe the quality will be the same with both (decoded internally or via bitstream), it´s just that PS3 will output PCM (instead of e.g. DTS-HD master).
Also, using the bitstream has the potential to LOSE capability of soundtracks authored in Advanced mode, where they cannot be transmitted in undecoded form because of live mixing.
You see this a lot in the forums, I think it's because people assume that their receivers can "process" the bitstream the same way it processes the sound, and that better equipment could decode the data better. That's not how this aspect works though, decompressing the bitstream is an absolute, and ultimately the raw audio stream is going to be totally identical no matter what device is decoding it.
Well, now it's decision time. Do I buy a new receiver that can accept 5.1 LPCM? Or do I buy a new BD player with 5.1 output and feed that to my existing receiver. Either way, I'm out about $600 :frowning:
Anybody know if the new Apr 15 update also provides 1080i deinterlacing? What about upscaling of SD content on Blu-ray?
Get the new receiver.
HDMI is the future. Analog 5.1 connections are the past. Don't spend (waste) $$ in a new BD player for an obsolete connection. Invest the money in a receiver with HDMI 1.3. Not only will it take PCM this way, an HDMI 1.3 receiver will take advanced audio codecs and serve as an HDMI video switcher.
However, there are other issues that can affect the final sound of the d/a conversion such as jitter... and compressed bitstreams tend to be less affected by jitter than PCM (one reason why letting the receiver do the decoding might sound better to some listeners, as it apparently does to those who can listen both ways in their systems).
Point taken. My only reservation is that I love the sound and power of my NAD T763, and I don't have that kind of money to spring for the replacement, so my next receiver will have more advanced decoding chips, but I'm pretty much guaranteed not to get the same power rating (not at $600).
Of course, if Denon releases the update to the 3808 soon (to address the bugs that were in that unit), I may wait for that...