PS3 as an SACD player

[Chris Gerhard]

Not anymore -- apparently, firmware v2.00 adds optical audio output support with SACD. See the PS3 SACD FAQ

Interesting if true. I don't recall ever reading of any player that could convert DSD to DTS for decoding over Toslink. Of course anybody that wants SACD will prefer to use HDMI, but as a stopgap method until acquiring HDMI processing, that would work great.

Chris

 

[Ge Someone]

The SACD (down) convert to DTS on the optical SPDIF is confirmed on another audio site. It's amazing.

Do they realize that the DTS signal will not be copy protected? I mean after going through such lenghts to disable unprotected digital output.

Now where to get those multi channel SACD's

 

[DaneelOlivaw]

Do they realize that the DTS signal will not be copy protected? I mean after going through such lenghts to disable unprotected digital output.

The signal is no longer hi-res so I guess it is not worth worrying about.

Hopefully this new feature will encourage some gamers to try out some 5.1 music.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

The SACD (down) convert to DTS on the optical SPDIF is confirmed on another audio site. It's amazing.

Do they realize that the DTS signal will not be copy protected? I mean after going through such lenghts to disable unprotected digital output.

Now where to get those multi channel SACD's

Do you know stand alone DVD recorders that would record the digital stream input to the recorder from the PS3? I have had zero luck writing any audio discs using DVD-R on a PC. I like the idea of recording a DTS 1.5Mbps stream converted from SACD. All I have heard of that is the core stream from DTS-HD MA since I can't decode DTS-HD MA and I was really impressed and noticed an improvement over standard DTS. Of course I have no idea if the PS3 DTS conversion from SACD will be comparable.

Chris

 

[BARKSTAR]

I gave this a go last night and the results are very impressive. If I play an SACD through my player itself the audio obviously comes through cleaner and the seperation between the speakers sounds better balanced but the PS3 converting this to DTS does an amazing job. I can hear the sound is compressed but to most of my friends they would never tell the difference as always. This feature is superb and Sony are impressing me time and time again with what is supposedly 'only a games console'!

The PS3 is the most impressive piece of kit I have ever picked up and I have been buying gadgets for years. For everything that it does it is the biggest bargain in the entertainment industry as far as I am concerned.

 

[halothane]

This new feature could well get me off out buying a PS3. I only have a Sony all in one system (combination of budget and space allowed to accumulate ugly boxes). I'm on my second system having completely worn out the first one and i'm alarmed to see a shortage of all in one surround systems that now omit SACD playback.

When that system dies i'm going to have a lot of multichannel SACDs that I won't be able to play, and the PS3+ cheap surround amp may well be my route to keeping all five + 1 channels running.

Throw in Blu Ray, PS1 and PS2 compatibility and SACD downmixing to DTS and I agree, the PS3 is looking like a really versatile piece of kit. If Sony promoted this feature a bit more (and keeps it in later versions of the PS3) there could be an awful lot of people with PS3s and surround amplifiers who might be prepared to give surround a bit more of an airing IMHO.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

It is being reported that Wal-Mart will have the 80GB PS3 for $500 Black Friday with 15 free Blu-ray discs, 10 picked in-store and 5 by mail. Metastorm, a game, is in the package reportedly as well. If true, it sounds like a great deal to me. Finding 10 discs you want won't likely be easy unless the Wal-Mart stores add some titles and the selection of 5 free by mail should be in determined before you pick the 10 since that is limited as well. The 80 GB does include SACD playback based on all reports I could find, only the 40GB does not but I have never seen anything but the 60GB personally.

Chris

 

[bradavon]

I thought this was great advertising and then Sony go and pull SACD to DTS support in Firmware 2.01. Hopefully it will return in a newer Firmware:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=503839&page=4



I currently own a Universal Player but will sadly be selling it when I get a HD Player in the new year. I've been looking at ways to retain some of my collection. After 3-4 years of collecting Multichannel audio I own a grand total of 13 SACDs, 7 DVD-As and about 5 DTS CDs (it's pitiful really). Obviously the latter will continue to work just fine.

Thankfully the DVD-A's have a DVD-Video layer with either DTS or DD5.1 (even if those with only DD5.1 sound a bit muddy and flat). Of those 20 titles I could lose in honesty only:

* War of the Worlds SACD
* Dire Straits Brothers in Arms SACD
* Eagles - Hotel California DVD-A: Thankfully this has DTS, although it's not mentioned on the cover

Those 3 are so amazingly better I'd sorry to lose them entirely. I've managed to track down DTS CDs of WOTD (by far my favourite) and Brothers in Arms (saving me having to source the expensive DualDisc with DD5.1) which make for a perfectly fine compromise.

I sadly cannot justify yet another Player just for 20 titles. The rest while better in Multichannel do also work perfectly fine in CD. I only own 2 Single Layer non-Hybrid SACDs so except for those 2 I'll be able to keep all of them.

It's perfectly fine at the moment but when I get an HD Player it will have to go.

 

[Feirstein]

I have an 80 gig PS3 with the latest firmware and an OPPO universal player with the latest beta firmware. A group of 13 year old boys were over yesterday and I played them the same SACD multi-channel disk in both players. They immediately concluded that the OPPO sounded must better. With its pure analog 5.1 output into my Outlaw bass manager into my Denon receiver it does sound great. The PS3 has no bass management and its digital multi-channel audio output over optical is converted by the Denon. Not a good situation. The Denon does have digital bass management but the control with the Outlaw is second to none. The PS3 needs 5.1 analog outputs!

Richard

 

[PossumPete]

I think they've settled on HDMI. Of course, it means a receiver upgrade. But, in the end, it's a good move since you get so many HDMI inputs and outputs. SACDs sound just fine over HDMI. I hope the PS3 gets DVD-A support sometime (dreaming!).

 

[Feirstein]

With no DSD over HDMI it is just not an acceptable alternative for quality multi-channel sound. I will stick with my OPPO/Outlaw analog combination for truly superb SACD/CD and DVD-A audio. Life is good.

Richard.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

I have an 80 gig PS3 with the latest firmware and an OPPO universal player with the latest beta firmware. A group of 13 year old boys were over yesterday and I played them the same SACD multi-channel disk in both players. They immediately concluded that the OPPO sounded must better. With its pure analog 5.1 output into my Outlaw bass manager into my Denon receiver it does sound great. The PS3 has no bass management and its digital multi-channel audio output over optical is converted by the Denon. Not a good situation. The Denon does have digital bass management but the control with the Outlaw is second to none. The PS3 needs 5.1 analog outputs!

Richard

Uh, the Oppo players released to date all do a DSD>PCM>analog conversion when using the analog 5.1 output so I am not sure what you mean by pure analog 5.1 output. I don't doubt the combination you have sounds great however. What Oppo player do you use?

Chris

 

[Beer Monkey]

Unfortunately my 60GB PS3 died and I got Costo to replace it with a new 80GB system without SACD (and $200 back in my pocket). One nice thing is the new system (new design, 130w power usage instead of 200w) is WAY quieter, but it doesn't do SACD. Supposedly the reason they dropped it is BD transports that don't have to read DSD are cheaper to make.

 

[Jens]

It's not the DSD but the PSP (Pit Signal Processing) or whatever form of copy protection it is that SACD uses that is dealt with at drive level (the front end). The DSD is dealt with in the back end (in the PS3 case all on the Cell processor). Note that even your new 80GB model can handle DSD discs.

SACD-compatible PS3s are still available by the way.