DTS sound from PS3

[Daragon]

I seem to have somewhat of a problem with DTS playback through my PS3. Basically, if there aren't any loud explosions or **** like that going off in DTS supported films or games such as the Uncharted 1+2 and Ratchet and Clank the playback sounds really dull and quiet and it doesn't sound like any sound is coming through from the rear speakers at all. Explosions and generally loud bang type crap comes through fine, it's just everything else that doesn't.

I'm using the Logitech Z5500s hooked up to the PS3 via optical and I've got DTS 5.1 ch selected in the PS3's audio options with Linear PCM 2 44.1KHz and Linear PCM 2 ch. 48 KHz also checked but greyed out.

Anyone know what the problem might be? DTS can't possibly sound as bad as I have it, surely?

[koenshaku]

Had probs with my DTS recently as well, found a solution by disabling that new 'Multi audio out' feature. I think that's what it's called.
Now everythings peachy, front and back.

[Daragon]

Mine's always been disabled.

An especially noticeable issue I have with DTS, is music playback. The main menu music from both Uncharted 1+2 and the latest Ratchet and Clank games would be inaudible if they were any quieter, is this just a characteristic of DTS in general?

[Matt]

Dynamic settings?

[Matt]

And actually, shouldn't you be doing BitStream if you're sending DTS via optical?

[Daragon]

How do I find those?

As for bitstream, maybe I should, but I'm no expert in all this business, pretty much why I'm asking on here.

[sj33]

Bitstreaming sends the DTS signal to the decoder (in your case, built into the receiver with the big volume knob) for decoding, which is what you want as this will give you 5.1. PCM makes the PS3 decode it, but it will only send it as 2.0 sound due to the limitations of optical.

This setting should be in the Audio Settings section.

[Daragon]

Right, so do I want to disable the PCMs somehow or do I want to enable bitstream?

[koenshaku]

Setting to bitstream is found in the video settings section.

[Daragon]

Well, that's just confusing - why would an audio related setting be found in the video options?

[Matt]

Yep. Basically, how I understand it:

PS3 Optical to amp - BitStream, max you get is 5.1, amp does the decoding

Fat PS3 HDMI to amp - PCM, PS3 does the decoding and sends all channels (up to 7.2 I believe) to the amp, works with HD formats

Thin PS3 HDMI to amp - BitStream then amp decodes HD formats (Thin can send HD formats via HDMI, Fat can't). However I understand often the PS3 does a better job at seperating the HD formats than the amp, in which case use above.

I only found this out yesterday myself Why this **** is so technical I don't know. Plug and play would be nice!

As for Dynamic, somewhere in the audio menus on the PS3 (and on the amp, so check there are well) you can mess around with Dynamic (sometimes known as Night mode). It limits sound so explosions etc are quieter for night viewing. Wondering if you can't work it the other way?

Sounds like you may be outputting PCM say 2 channels instead of BitStream 5.1 channels and are losing the centre channel in the process?

[koenshaku]

I'm still scratching my head over that one?

[Daragon]

Me too!

[koenshaku]

My settings in a nutshell.

Audio multi out - off
BD/DVD Dynamic range control - off
BD/DVD audio out (both options) - bitstream

[sj33]

Don't enable dynamic, it just compresses the dynamic range. It makes quiter stuff louder (meaning you don't need to turn up the volume) and also makes explosions quieter (because it 'compresses' both ends of the scale. It makes everthing sound flat and crap.