DTS-CD PS3 to convert SACD to DTS?

[halothane]

I have an SACD player, a whole pile of multichannel SACDs, a couple of commercial DTS-CDs and a handful of quad to DTS-CD conversions (mainly of stuff I own in stereo, so don't shoot me down for not having the original quad issues!). I have a few SACD-DTS conversions which I have genuinely, honestly used to decide whether or not to buy the original SACD recording.

I guess that most of the people doing SACD-DTS conversions are taking the 5.1 analogue output and redigitising it via sound cards due to the DSD stream being unavailable via SPDIF (and presumably encrypted via HDMI). Now that the PS3 downmixes multichannel SACDs to DTS 5.1 via the optical digital out, presumably this can be used to keep SACD conversions in the digital domain. Anyone tried it yet? I'm intrigued, though must stress that it won't stop me buying SACDs as long as they keep making them.

 

[halothane]

Hmmm. It is being reported that Sony have removed the DTS downmix from firmware 2.01 of the PS3 so maybe they've realised it's got potential. Oh well, nice idea.

 

[Kazaam]

Really!?? I had no idea it ever did that. Too bad I recently updated the firmware on my original PS3. I'd have liked to have tried it out. (Plus, it would've been nice to have a player for in the future that could play SACD as DTS for if/when the hardware becomes more obsolete. Oh, well... I'd best be stocking up on Oppo that can convert SACD to PCM via HDMI. I sometimes worry that future (affordable) receivers/amps will eliminate the analog 5.1 inputs. I hate to store too much gear, but I already keep an old receiver and a few DVD-Audio/SACD players around just in case.

 

[halothane]

Doesn't PS3 output SACD as PCM via HDMI? I too worry that SACD hardware could dry up if Sony continues to lose interest in the format (dropped from a lot of the cheaper systems they make that used to have it), and having accumulated lots of SACDs and had both a PSX and PS2 could justify a PS3 as an all round good guy to play everything. I hope the DTS downmix returns in a later firmware update as I can't see DTS disappearing from surround amps for a long time yet. Sony may have dropped it having worked out how active the home brew DTS trading scene is.

 

[Kazaam]

I know my PS3 has an SACD logo on it. I haven't quite figured out how it's all supposed to work. I know it's supposed to go through the HDMI, but I don't know if it first converts it to uncompressed PCM or not. (I hope so.) If it doesn't, does that mean the receiver would somehow need to include an SACD-decoder?

There wouldn't be so much of a home brew DTS trading scene if the major labels would just give us some SACD/DVD-Audio (or even official DTS) releases of the old quad stuff sitting in the vaults. And then some new stuff, of course....

 

[halothane]

There wouldn't be so much of a home brew DTS trading scene if the major labels would just give us some SACD/DVD-Audio (or even official DTS) releases of the old quad stuff sitting in the vaults. And then some new stuff, of course....

Agree 100%. If they release it, i'll buy it. More people can play DTS than SACD or DVDA (though a DVDA with a DTS track on the DVD Video side would keep me happy).