Video Asylum

Posted by David Aiken (A) on April 11, 2008 at 16:18:49

In Reply to: RE: You'll want to do the decoding within the PS3 and output it as 24-bit PCM posted by Jazz Inmate on April 11, 2008 at 13:24:12

I've just got a PS3 and my Denon 2807 won't decode the new formats so I have to use PCM output anyway. I've tried comparing the results with the PS3 decoding standard Dolby/DTS tracks and sending PCM to the Denon, and bitstreaming to the Denon and letting it do everything. I can't hear a difference and I'm normally happy to leave the PS3 set to PCM. The only time I swap the setting to bitstream is with DTS ES discrete 6.1 channel soundtracks which the PS3 decodes to 5.1, dropping the rear channel and the only reason I worry about that is that I have a 6.1 channel system and the reason I added the extra channel was for those tracks.

I can't compare results with bitstream vs PCM for the new formats but I doubt there'd be a difference with them either. In theory I think it shouldn't make a difference where the decoding takes place provided the device decodes to PCM accurately and that's a totally digital operation. I think the real differences in sound quality come with the DA conversion and how well that's done, and 4season isn't talking about changing the location of that activity.



David Aiken