How to get Dolby TrueHD

[admin_exported]

Hey All,

Need some help with my set up. Have just received my Pioneer BDP-LX71 and connected to my LX60 amp via HDMI.

The player is set to output via PCM and the display on the Amp shows PCM, but I can't get it to output in Dolby TrueHD.

Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance.

Dan

 

[professorhat]

You need to set the player to bitstream the signal, rather than PCM - at the moment, the player is decoding the TrueHD signal to PCM, hence why the amp says this is what it's receiving.

 

[Anonymous]

Ok...

I've gone into the home settings on the player and set the HDMI to "Auto" where it was "PCM" before. It now displays Dolby Digital on the Receiver

However the audio settings are fixed at Dolby Digital to PCM, DTS to PCM and AAC to PCM. It won't let me change them, does this sound right?

Thanks

 

[Fisty1967]

I had a similar problem - until i realised the disk i was playing didn't have a TrueHD soundtrack - DOH !

I put in Die Hard 4 and the problem went away.

 

[Anonymous]

Have you changed the audio mode from Mix to Direct?

 

[Sorreltiger]

Pirates (Black Pearl) seems to only offer DD or uncompressed audio. ÿIf you select uncompressed, the receiver shows 'PCM' - there isn't a Dolby True HD option. ÿCould that be the problem?

 

[Anonymous]

Ive just bought Transformers for Blueray this has True HD, i have a Yamaha RX-V363 Amp, all im seeing on the amp is Dolby Digital am i right in thinking the Receiver does not accept True HD just Dolby Digital 5.1. To watch the Blueray i have a PS3 which is connected via HMDI to TV, and PS3 Connected to Receiver via optical.

 

[professorhat]

Because your Yamaha can't accept Linear PCM via the HDMI socket, the best you can get via the optical port will be standard Dolby Digital / DTS 5.1. The good news is, the bitrate is slightly higher than DVDs, so it could sound slightly better.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info Prof.

 

[Anonymous]

I think on some /most discs you have to go into the settings or languages and select the HD audio codecs.

 

[Anonymous]

I've tried it with I Am Legend and it doesn't have any settings for audio on the disc. The main menu only gives you access to the theatrical release, alternate version or all the special features

 

[Anonymous]

The other night I watched Batman Begins on BD and the Dolby True HD track was under languages then 'English - True HD' lol. Seems an odd-place to put it but then what do I know..

 

[professorhat]

Where else would you put it?

 

[Anonymous]

Well the disc had a settings menu as well - surely that's a more logical place for it than languages.

 

[Anonymous]

With Blueray the audio options aren't always in the main menu, with I am legend they are in a sub menu once the film is playing, have a look in the instructions and will tell you how to bring this menu up. You will be able to switch to HD audio in this menu!!

 

[Anonymous]

I believe its in the Bonus View menu!

 

[Sorreltiger]

I discovered by accident that you can change to the uncompressed audio track on Batman Begins - very poorly organized, I agree - by pressing 'Audio' on the Sony 350 remote. ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

The PS3 is unable to bitstream True HD via it HDMI port.

You have to set the PS3 to output in Linear PCM. Linear PCM will show up on the screen of the receiver.

My question is:

Even though you have set the 'PS3 menu setup' to output 'Linear PCM', should you also select 'LCM uncompressed' in the 'BD movie menu', or should you select 'True HD'.

If you chose 'PCM uncompressed' it outputs at a constnt 4.6Mbps

If you chose 'Dolby True HD' it outputs at a vairable amount of sound data depending on the action, sometimes going over 5Mbps (with Spiderman 3).

Boo

 

[Anonymous]

It makes not difference, they'll both be output as PCM. Theoretically there should be no difference between the two, as the whole point of lossless is that it uses VBR instead of CBR to achieve the same thing in less space. I can't for the life of me figure out why they bothered with both tracks on the disc (Warner did the same thing with 300). The PCM will usually be louder, but not 'better', if that's any help.

 

[Anonymous]

Mentasm:It makes not difference, they'll both be output as PCM. Theoretically there should be no difference between the two, as the whole point of lossless is that it uses VBR instead of CBR to achieve the same thing in less space. I can't for the life of me figure out why they bothered with both tracks on the disc (Warner did the same thing with 300). The PCM will usually be louder, but not 'better', if that's any help.

Thank you for that information Mentasm. Great help.

I did not notice any difference (but I dont have proper speakers yet)

So when the disc menu is set at True HD and PS3 is set to output PCM, the PCM output bandwidth varies from 2Mbps to over 5Mbps.

But when disc menu is set to uncompressd PCM its at a constant 4.6Mbps datastream. How come?(just curious)

Boo

 

[Anonymous]

Credit is due to 'PLaystation 3 Secrets'
www.edepot.com/playstation3.html

Bitstream v Linear PCM

The PS3 provides options for "Bitstream" or "Linear PCM" when outputing the audio signal.
Linear PCM is audio data that is not encoded (nor compressed) and is in it's pure digital form, ready for conversion into analog for the speakers. Most audio starting with the DVD store digital data encoded and compressed (like Dolby Digital or Digital Surround).
If the "Bitstream" option is selected, the PS3 will take encoded and compressed audio sending it 'untouched' to the HDMI or TOSLINK cable for your AV amp to decode. In other words, the receiver at the other end of the HDMI or TOSLINK must have special chips that can decode and uncompress formats like Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround, and then convert the resultant Linear PCM to analog (via a DAC) for the speakers connected to the external decoder. If "Linear PCM" option is selected, the PS3 will actually decode the audio into Linear PCM first, before sending it to the HDMI or TOSLINK. In this case the receiver on the other end of the HDMI or TOSLINK only needs to convert the Linear PCM to analog for the speakers connected to it. Because of the current bandwidth limitations of TOSLINK, choosing Linear PCM (the decoded and uncompressed signal) on this connection limits you to only two channels of audio. For multichannel (like 5.1) over TOSLINK, you must use "bitstream", which uses smaller bandwidth of compressed and encoded data.

Hope this helps

 

[Anonymous]

boopolo:So when the disc menu is set at True HD and PS3 is set to output PCM, the PCM output bandwidth varies from 2Mbps to over 5Mbps.

But when disc menu is set to uncompressd PCM its at a constant 4.6Mbps datastream. How come?(just curious)

TrueHD is VBR, variable bitrate, so it will change according to the sound being played. You'll notice that it drops during quiet periods, or periods of no noise. This is because there's little to no info to be encoded, so space is saved allowing the track to be much smaller overall. It'll spike during louder moments, like explosions etc.

PCM uses CBR, constant bitrate, which uses the same bitrate for silence as it does for the loudest moments. Obviously that takes up a lot more room. The easiest way to think of it is like an archiving program for PC data. TrueHD/DTS-HD MA are like .zip for audio.

Just separate the PCM audio format from the player outputting PCM and you're halfway there.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Lewis201:I think on some /most discs you have to go into the settings or languages and select the HD audio codecs.

All of the discs I've played have defaulted to the HD audio codec on the disc. It might be that the player recognises that my equipment is set up to work with any codec and that's why it does it.

 

[Anonymous]

trevor79:Credit is due to 'PLaystation 3 Secrets' www.edepot.com/playstation3.html Bitstream v Linear PCM The PS3 provides options for "Bitstream" or "Linear PCM" when outputing the audio signal. Linear PCM is audio data that is not encoded (nor compressed) and is in it's pure digital form, ready for conversion into analog for the speakers. Most audio starting with the DVD store digital data encoded and compressed (like Dolby Digital or Digital Surround). If the "Bitstream" option is selected, the PS3 will take encoded and compressed audio sending it 'untouched' to the HDMI or TOSLINK cable for your AV amp to decode. In other words, the receiver at the other end of the HDMI or TOSLINK must have special chips that can decode and uncompress formats like Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround, and then convert the resultant Linear PCM to analog (via a DAC) for the speakers connected to the external decoder. If "Linear PCM" option is selected, the PS3 will actually decode the audio into Linear PCM first, before sending it to the HDMI or TOSLINK. In this case the receiver on the other end of the HDMI or TOSLINK only needs to convert the Linear PCM to analog for the speakers connected to it. Because of the current bandwidth limitations of TOSLINK, choosing Linear PCM (the decoded and uncompressed signal) on this connection limits you to only two channels of audio. For multichannel (like 5.1) over TOSLINK, you must use "bitstream", which uses smaller bandwidth of compressed and encoded data. Hope this helpsThank you for that link Trevor.

It also states there what I said ealier: "Bitstream"ing of Dolby TrueHD audio is currently not supported on the PS3. The PS3 must decode the signal internally and only the HDMI cable is supported.

Nice tables there on that website Trevor. Thank you again.

Boo

 

[Anonymous]

Gerrardasnails:Lewis201:I think on some /most discs you have to go into the settings or languages and select the HD audio codecs.
All of the discs I've played have defaulted to the HD audio codec on the disc. It might be that the player recognises that my equipment is set up to work with any codec and that's why it does it.Yes Gerrard, for me too.

So I think I will leave it at True HD in the disc menu together with the PS3 ouputting PCM.