Early PS2 games incompatible with digital 5.1 sound? (1 Viewer)

[Frank@N]

My old Pro-Logic system is getting flaky and I may need to upgrade to a 5.1 system soon.

But I have this recollection that several early PS2 games didn't support 5.1 sound.

Specifically, if you configured the PS2 for digital and connected with an optical cable, you got no sound whatsoever.

Is there a list somewhere of affected games?

Are PS1 games running through the PS2 affected?

Or can you overcome this problem by running a standard stereo cable to your receiver and internally switching the PS2 to non-digital for that session?

 

[Chris Rock]

Or can you overcome this problem by running a standard stereo cable to your receiver and internally switching the PS2 to non-digital for that session?

Some receivers,like my Onkyo 898, have a setting that will automatically sense a digital signal when present, but use analog the rest of the time.

But I honestly don't think that there are too many games that won't work with a digital output. The sound being output isn't 5.1, anyway, it's 2-channel DD, likely converted by one's receiver to Pro logic, or PL2.

 

[Frank@N]

But I honestly don't think that there are too many games that won't work with a digital output.

I hope so, but allot of people (vid store clerks) seem to think that the whole 1st generation of PS2 software didn't work with optical cable.

 

[Eric Alderson]

Gradius III/IV didn't work with the optical output during gameplay. I think Parappa the Rappa II fails to work with the optical out.

 

[Peter Manojlovich]

I just got back into a ps2 and Sky Odyssey which I picked up on the cheap as a pre-own, gasp, grumble, grumble, doesn't work if the optical cable is plugged in. Never mind, that I also have standard audio cables also plugged in, never mind, that I disabled the optical out from the software settings. The only way I can get sound of Sky Odyssey is pull the optical cable from my ps2. Since I only paid $10 canadian, I guess I can live with this, but what a pain.

 

[Frank@N]

The only way I can get sound of Sky Odyssey is pull the optical cable from my ps2.

This has the makings of a total headache...I better look for a list of affected games before messing with my hardware.

Imagine if allot of early DVDs were total silent when connected to a 5.1 system.

What a joke.

 

[Peter Manojlovich]

No doubt about it, frank, it's pretty whack, having to actually pull the optical cable out to get sound from Sky Oydssey. I was tempted to take back the disc, but, good luck trying to find a copy of this game anywhere. This is the first time I've seen this title in ages. Yet another sony of japan product that sony passed on for the us market and a third-party publisher picked up the distribution rights.

Otherwise, if this had been a game I can pick up easily at a store, it would have gone back as defective.

 

[Brandon_H]

There are very, very few games of any generation that don't work with optical sound. "Sky Odyssey" and "Fantavision" are the only two I'm absolutely sure about.

It certainly wasn't the entire "first generation" of PS2 software. I don't know what some of these store clerks are smoking. (Well actually, judging from their general appearance and stench of patchouli, I probably do. . . )

 

[Frank@N]

Sounds like it's only the oddball titles that contain this 'oversight'.

I'll do some Google searches on those titles and see if I can uncover a complete list.

Thanks, guys.

 

[Frank_Lee]

I don't know if it's the case with the Sky Odyssey or Fantavision, but I do know that some import PS2 games have digital output disabled to prevent music piracy. Minidisc players are very popular in Japan and can make pretty high quality recordings from an optical input. If the games were first developed for the Japanese PS2 and then ported to the US, that could be the reason for the optical lockout.