Hardware PCM/Bitstream

[Haizum74]

It would appear that the phat PS3 only outputs PCM (PS3 is connected to a 7.2 amp) from what I have read or is this not correct?.

I would much prefer the amp to do the decoding however there doesn't seem to be a setting, yet the interesting thing is that when I got into multiman (CFW Rebug) my amp will show Dolby Digital. Any game I boot up shows Multi In.

Anyone got an ideas or is it a no go?

 

[BiggieCheese]

When you’re connected via HDMI (and have your console’s audio settings set up) the PS3 almost always prefers to use PCM surround sound (be it 5.1 or 7.1) for games, unless your amp has problems with outputting PCM audio there’s no need to have your amp “do the decoding” and switch to Dolby Digital or DTS, unlike DVD and Blu-ray movies, PS3 games are different; PCM audio for them is their raw audio output, anything else - be it Dolby Digital or DTS - would just have your PS3 encode the audio in that format when it wasn’t necessary in the first place. “Multi in” mode on your amp likely means that it’s outputting a multichannel PCM signal.
This applies to all PS3s by the way, including the phat models. The only thing they’re missing out on is the ability to push out a Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio signal via HDMI, which only really matters for Blu-ray movies as PS3 games support only three formats if I remember correctly: 48kHz PCM (be it stereo, 5.1 or 7.1), Dolby Digital and plain-old DTS.

 

[Haizum74]

When you’re connected via HDMI (and have your console’s audio settings set up) the PS3 almost always prefers to use PCM surround sound (be it 5.1 or 7.1) for games, unless your amp has problems with outputting PCM audio there’s no need to have your amp “do the decoding” and switch to Dolby Digital or DTS, unlike DVD and Blu-ray movies, PS3 games are different; PCM audio for them is their raw audio output, anything else - be it Dolby Digital or DTS - would just have your PS3 encode the audio in that format when it wasn’t necessary in the first place. “Multi in” mode on your amp likely means that it’s outputting a multichannel PCM signal.
This applies to all PS3s by the way, including the phat models. The only thing they’re missing out on is the ability to push out a Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio signal via HDMI, which only really matters for Blu-ray movies as PS3 games support only three formats if I remember correctly: 48kHz PCM (be it stereo, 5.1 or 7.1), Dolby Digital and plain-old DTS.

Yeh, I see that it works for Blu Rays, just wondered why not for games (apart from a few where you can select DTS of DD). The reason I prefer the amp to decode it is because it does a better job IMHO.

My amp is fine with PCM (or LPCM if we are getting technical) and indeed the Multi In mode is taking the signal decoded from the PS3 to the amp but I just prefer seeing the amp pop up DTS or DD. Still, it works so really I guess I am just being finnicky.