Suggested connection/settings for PS3 to receiver

Question for any of you that have a PS3: How do you have your PS3 connected to your receiver (assuming it's not just connected to the TV)? I am using HDMI, but since you can also use optical cable, I was wondering if anyone uses that and if so, what for? Furthermore, what settings are then used in the PS3 menu for either connection? You can set both the HDMI and optical connections to LPCM or Bitstream. I haven't experimented yet and am looking for some advice.

My situation is as follows: I have the PS3 connected to my Denon 2808 with HDMI with LPCM, and the video is passed through to the TV but the audio is processed by the receiver. I've noticed that on the Denon front panel display, it says "multi-ch in" when I'm playing a CD or games, and I can't seem to change the audio to Dolby PLII on the Denon. This seems strange to me.
When playing movies, I do get the Dolby Digital display on the Denon. I don't have any blu-ray discs with the lossless audio formats to try yet to see what the display would be when they are played.
Anyway - if you have any 'best-practice' advice, I'm all ears.

thanks a bazillion!

Mine's connected via HDMI. The way I understand it, if you want to take full advantage of the uncompressed formats (TrueHD) that you find on Blu-Ray films, you want to use LPCM. While in Bitstream mode the PS3 will do its own compression to the signal (and cannot send uncompressed via bitstream.)

Generally, you're probably fine leaving it set to BitStream if you don't want to train the wife to change for BRD formats. That's usually the choice for most other formats as it sends a multichannel signal for DD, DTS, etc.

The AVS folks talked about this at length if you want more detail (and confusion) http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13982054

Hi DBD,

I had a similar question a while ago. I have the Onkyo 605, but my receiver seems to do very similar things to yours. The LPCM for HDMI is the way to go (provided that the Denon accepts LPCM through HDMI, which I'm pretty sure it does). If you lock the optical to LPCM, you'll only get 2 channel sound.

I have noticed that pretty much anything I do on my PS3 that isn't specifically DD (like from a DVD) my receiver constantly says "multi-channel PCM." No matter what the input. However, it does seem to only play the 2 channels when I have music going. When you do use a blu-ray it will probably, like mine, still just display "multi-channel in" because the PS3 does the decoding and sends out the lossless - or lossy - codecs in LPCM form.

Hope that helps!

If your audio processor accepts and processes multi channel PCM via HDMI, then just use HMDI. Don’t screw with optical. Select PCM in the PS3 audio (manual) set up menu. The PS3 will then internally decode (unpack) all audio formats regardless of what it is and it will send it to your audio processor in an uncompressed PCM format. Your audio processor is showing exactly what it should be showing when it displays M-PCM.

If your audio processor does not processor HDMI audio, use optical and set the PS3 audio to Auto.

DB, in addition to the good suggestions above, you might find it worthwhile to study the article that appeared in Hometheater magazine last month, which untangles the new audio format transmission complexities involving the PS3 and other units about as well as anything.

HDMI here. I let the PS3 decode everything and send it to my receiver via LPCM. There is some discussion that receivers do a better job of decoding regular DD and DTS than the PS3, but I can't tell a difference. The only time I use bitstream is for 6.1 DD and DTS as the PS3 cannot decode these formats.

Keep in mind that the PS3 is not able to properly decode some 7.1 DTS HD MA tracks, so these will only be 5.1

I think that 7.1 dts ma is only a problem with New Line blu-ray discs since they weren't manufactured with a correct flag for the PS3 to know it is 7.1 (or something like that).

- Nick

I had a similar problem. When listening to a 2 channel cd I was getting a 5.1 one hundered something kHz signal sent to the receiver. I wasn't able to change the receiver to all channel stereo or anything else really. So here is what I changed. Go to sound settings then audio output settings and if you select hdmi auto then it will be fine as suggested. Or if you select manual then look up what kind of DA converters you have in your receiver in the manual. My Onkyo has 192kHz/24-bit ones so I selected Dolby Digital, AAC, DTX, 44.1 kHz 2 channel pcm (this one you can't not select), 48 kHz 2 channel pcm, 192 kHz 5.1 pcm and 192 kHz 7.1 pcm. I had them all selected before. After I changed this I got 2 channel 48 kHz pcm to the receiver as it should be. I was able to select any processing at all on my receiver then.

- Nick

As stated, the HDMI and PCM setting on the PS# is golden.

Be sure you have the current firmware for the PS3 (2.35).

While the Denon displays the multi ch. message, you ARE getting the benefit of the Blu-Ray dts-HD MA audio for all 7 channels.