PS-3 surround issue (1 Viewer)

[chuckg]

Well, something strange has happened. While watching "UP" for about the third time, I noticed that the sound was stereo. After looking at every setting on the PS-3 and checking the film, here is what I get:
The on-screen display claims Dolby 5.1 from the BD disk
The AVR (Yamaha 5790) shows only stereo in
Optical out is selected
All the various formats that Optical can support are checked in the PS-3 sound settings menu
After swapping optical cables, I'm sure it is the PS-3 and not my AVR
Here's an oddity:
When you fire up the PS-3, it plays a pleasant little tune, in surround mode, but the movie only comes out in stereo!
Yes, the tune is heard in surround, and it lights the surround indicators on the AVR.
Anyone have a clue? I'm stumped.
Thanks in advance...

 

[chuckg]

..and this is disquieting:
Games, such as PAIN, play in surround
DVD movies play in surround

It is only the Blu-Ray disks which play stereo only. Maddening.

 

[Edwin-S]

Do you have the PS3's output set to PCM or bitstream?. If it is showing PCM then change the setting to bitstream. With PCM set, HD audio tracks are downrezzed to 2 channel because multi-channel HD audio tracks cannot be output over optical. With bitstream selected in the sound settings, HD audio tracks will be converted to one of the legacy lossy formats. For example, the lossy DTS core at 1.5 Mb/s will be extracted from the DTS HD Master Audio stream. In the case of Dolby TrueHD a hidden, parallel recorded, 640 Kb/s lossy track will be output.

 

[chuckg]

I understand...but I can't find any place to set the output.

If I go to settings, sound settings, audio output settings,
select optical cable
I get a bunch of check boxes for audio formats (x is checked, o is not checked)
x Dolby Digital 5.1 ch
x DTS 5.1 ch
o AAC
x Linear PCM 2 ch 44.1 kHz (greyed out)
o linear PCM 2 ch 88.2 kHz
o Linear PCM 2 ch 176.4 kHz
x Linear PCM 2 ch 48 kHz (greyed out)
then I see a summary and press X to save


Where do I choose bitstream?

This was all working excellently before yesterday, so something somewhere has changed. I've been working on setting up my HArmony 1100, so I may have fumble-fingered something. Setting up the PS3 when new was a breeze, but I'm mighty puzzled right now.

Thanks!

 

[chuckg]

OK - got it. For the edification of future addle pated button punchers:

There are THREE places where you set audio output for the PS3

1) settings, audio settings, audio output settings

2) settings, VIDEO settings, BD/DVD audio output format (HDMI)

3) settings, VIDEO settings, BD audio output format (optical digital)


while it is about as sensible as hamburgers on the ceiling, the correct plaxe to set audio is in the video menu.

 

[Brad M]

Thanks! I have run into this problem too and am betting this will correct it!

 

[Handyman]

I have a similar problem setting up my PS3 with my 5.1 receiver via optical cable.

I am getting intermittent digital surround sound. Can anyone help?

Thanks.

 

[John_Bilbrey]

Thanks Chuck - I just recently got a PS3 but have yet to watch a BD on it - I imagine I will have to set the audio up in the video menu (!?!) as well.

 

[Eric_L]

OK - that is confusing.
I have gone in and changed my PS3 to send bitstream to my receiver - a Denon AVR-391. My receiver is still saying 'multi in" which Denon tells me means that it is getting a decoded signal. They tell me that I need to let the receiver do the decoding.
When I switch to my Xbox360 the receiver displays that it is getting digital 5.1
Both of these are connected to my receiver with HDMI.
Any suggestions on how I can get 5.1 from my PS3? Audio used to be simple... My brain hurts.

 

[emergeent]

Did you ever figure this out?

 

[jlm86]

I have similar setup, is it better to use optical, or just use HDMI for everything? Never quite understood the PCM/bitstream cofiguration or logic in this. I had assumed HDMI would supercede optical link in the technology world, but maybe i'm incorrect. thanks

 

[schan1269]

Unless you are dealing with lossless audio(DTS HD/DolbyTrueHD), optical vs HDMI is a moot point. The only difference between setting your PS3(just like every DVD and BD before it and after it) is... PCM=the player is decoding Bitstream=AVR is decoding