PS4 and AV Receiver

[near dark]

Hi,

Currently I have a Yamaha RX-V371,and was wondering about a connection between my PS4

I have read on some web sites,that connecting the PS4 via HDMI does not produce a 1080p image,nor HD sound.

Any thoughts please

Thank you

 

[Glacialpath]

Hi,

Currently I have a Yamaha RX-V371,and was wondering about a connection between my PS4

I have read on some web sites,that connecting the PS4 via HDMI does not produce a 1080p image,nor HD sound.

Any thoughts please

Thank you

Well that sounds strange. I would have thought when the PS4 detects an HDMI input on a receiver it would optimise it's video and audio out put. I think however the default for the audio is PCM. That means the PS4 is decoding the audio and the receiver is just amplifyint it. The video could be their TV is not capable of 1080 pregressive and only takes 1080 interlaced or some setting on their receiver is wrong. Either that or the PS4 doesn't default to pregressive.

HDMI is the way you want to connect it up. There is no reason your amp should not accept 1080p and HD audio codecs.

You need to make sure the PS4 HDMI BD audio out is set to Bitstream to allow the amp to decode it and show DTS HD-MSTR or Dolby TrueHD on the display and the video setting on the PS4 to 1080p or auto if you like. You should be able to select an info button on your TV remote to show you what picture resolution it is receiving.

What TV do you have?

 

[near dark]

I will have a play with the settings & connections,and see whats shown via the info button.

Can I ask please?,is selecting PCM better then select Bitstrem ,DD DTS etc

Also,does PCM mean the device is ouputing the decoded signal,and bitstream is alowing the AV to decode then signal?

Thank you

 

[near dark]

Sorry,UE46F6500

 

[professorhat]

What you read is not true, the PS4 outputs 1080p and HD audio from the HDMI socket (I have one).

Can I ask please?,is selecting PCM better then select Bitstrem ,DD DTS etc

Also,does PCM mean the device is ouputing the decoded signal,and bitstream is alowing the AV to decode then signal?

Thank you

No, it's not better. As you've correctly stated, when you choose PCM, the PS4 is decoding the HD audio and sending this uncompressed to the amplifier. With bitstream, the audio is being sent encoded and the amplifier then does the decoding. In theory, there's no reason why doing it in one place is any better than another.

If you're playing games, I would leave the sound as PCM - many games come with an uncompressed PCM soundtrack, so this is the best setting for these. Since there shouldn't be any difference in decoding on Blu-ray soundtracks, it seems the most sensible approach to me.

 

[Glacialpath]

What you read is not true, the PS4 outputs 1080p and HD audio from the HDMI socket (I have one).

Can I ask please?,is selecting PCM better then select Bitstrem ,DD DTS etc

Also,does PCM mean the device is ouputing the decoded signal,and bitstream is alowing the AV to decode then signal?

Thank you

No, it's not better. As you've correctly stated, when you choose PCM, the PS4 is decoding the HD audio and sending this uncompressed to the amplifier. With bitstream, the audio is being sent encoded and the amplifier then does the decoding. In theory, there's no reason why doing it in one place is any better than another.

If you're playing games, I would leave the sound as PCM - many games come with an uncompressed PCM soundtrack, so this is the best setting for these. Since there shouldn't be any difference in decoding on Blu-ray soundtracks, it seems the most sensible approach to me.

Near Dark, and Professorhat. It may be different with the PS4 but with the PS3 letting and AVR do the decoding was better than letting the PS3 do the decoding as the AVR should have a better processor.

Just because a game might have a PCM audio codec on it you should still let the AVR do the decoding. YOu will just see PCM on the display. That way you don't have to keep changing the players setting. The codec is on the disc be it PCM, DTS HD-Master or Dolby TrueHD. The player gets used as a transport and the amp does what it's meant for.

I'm pretty sure the amp will do a better job than the PS4 otherwise you would set all BD players to do the decoding and AVRs wouldn't need to have the chips in to decode uncompressed audio.

PCM is a direct copy of the master. DTS HD-Master and Dolby TrueHD i'm pretty sure are tweaked to make the audio just that bit clearer and more pleasing to the ear.

 

[professorhat]

Near Dark, and Professorhat. It may be different with the PS4 but with the PS3 letting and AVR do the decoding was better than letting the PS3 do the decoding as the AVR should have a better processor.

Just because a game might have a PCM audio codec on it you should still let the AVR do the decoding. YOu will just see PCM on the display. That way you don't have to keep changing the players setting. The codec is on the disc be it PCM, DTS HD-Master or Dolby TrueHD. The player gets used as a transport and the amp does what it's meant for.

I'm pretty sure the amp will do a better job than the PS4 otherwise you would set all BD players to do the decoding and AVRs wouldn't need to have the chips in to decode uncompressed audio.

PCM is a direct copy of the master. DTS HD-Master and Dolby TrueHD i'm pretty sure are tweaked to make the audio just that bit clearer and more pleasing to the ear.

That's certainly an opinion shared by some. As I say though, in theory, there should not be any difference between letting the amp decode the track, or the PS3 / PS4 / whatever Blu-ray player. It's just compression, and a set algorithm is used to decompress the encoded track (be it DTS, Dolby or whatever). It's very similar to a ZIP file on a computer - whether you use WinZip or 7zip to decompress a ZIP file, you get the same data out.

Whether or not you subscribe to my view is up to you and you're obviously free to set your setting as you see fit. I'm just putting across my point of view in that, it doesn't really matter, so just leave it set to PCM since this is what most games will use.

By the way, you're incorrect in saying PCM is a direct copy of the master - a soundtrack may or may not be a direct copy of the master, but that's irrelevant to the format it's stored in on a Blu-ray. PCM is just an uncompressed digital format (see Wiki for full detailed technical explanations). Dobly TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio are just ways in which a PCM soundtrack can be compressed to ensure more content can be placed on the Blu-ray disc.

 

[near dark]

Hi,

And many thanks for help & advice.

I think the best thing to do,is just see what setting generates the best sound in my environment . Personally I prefer to see DTS HD/DD HD appears o my AVR,not happy when PCM appears. Doesn't seem correct??

Will post back when my tests are complete

 

[Glacialpath]

Hi,

And many thanks for help & advice.

I think the best thing to do,is just see what setting generates the best sound in my environment . Personally I prefer to see DTS HD/DD HD appears o my AVR,not happy when PCM appears. Doesn't seem correct??

Will post back when my tests are complete

You're welcome. Entirely your own choice of course. Bare in mind some film are just PCM uncompressed audio so even set ti Bitstream your AVR will show PCM (or should do) but all the other codecs will show up on your display and there are many of them.

I'm interested to see which you feel is best.

 

[bigboss]

Near Dark, and Professorhat. It may be different with the PS4 but with the PS3 letting and AVR do the decoding was better than letting the PS3 do the decoding as the AVR should have a better processor.

I haven't found any difference in audio between "PCM" and "Bitstream" options on my PS3 connected to Yamaha RX-V1900 AV receiver.

 

[Glacialpath]

I haven't found any difference in audio between "PCM" and "Bitstream" options on my PS3 connected to Yamaha RX-V1900 AV receiver.

Fair enough.

It was a Sony amp at work that the PS3 slim was connected to. When I switched the PS3 to Bitstream the audio became more full and dynamic. Not day and night but deffinitely a noticable difference. I can't remebe if it was DVD or a BD that is was doing QC on.

I agree that there shouldn't any difference when dealing with digital audio and video codecs but even when I used to do compatibility testing on various different player connected to the same monito via a switcher box the picture from the same disc would be different in each one. Also even though some of the discs used the same assets in the trailer build before the menu even the picture quality could be different and these were coming from the the same client and authoring house.

 

[near dark]

Hi,

And many thanks for help & advice.

I think the best thing to do,is just see what setting generates the best sound in my environment . Personally I prefer to see DTS HD/DD HD appears o my AVR,not happy when PCM appears. Doesn't seem correct??

Will post back when my tests are complete

You're welcome. Entirely your own choice of course. Bare in mind some film are just PCM uncompressed audio so even set ti Bitstream your AVR will show PCM (or should do) but all the other codecs will show up on your display and there are many of them.

I'm interested to see which you feel is best.

Hi,

Well,I have conducted my tests,and I can not hear any noticeable difference between the two.The only visible difference was the display on the AVR.

I only used PS4 games,I will test again with some Blu Rays.

Will update again after.

Thank you all

 

[irina]

Guys, any recommendations on vendors? somebody reliable. have good recommendations on http://www.wilsonamplifiers.com/ - has anybody used? am actually afraid of delivery conditions and possibilities of exchange. Thank you in advance.

"If you're playing games, I would leave the sound as PCM - many games come with an uncompressed PCM soundtrack, so this is the best setting for these. Since there shouldn't be any difference in decoding on Blu-ray soundtracks, it seems the most sensible approach to me." -

and, yes, I am playing games

 

[bigboss]

I'm afraid we can't help you with the website as it's not UK based.

 

[Glacialpath]

Guys, any recommendations on vendors? somebody reliable. have good recommendations on http://www.wilsonamplifiers.com/ - has anybody used? am actually afraid of delivery conditions and possibilities of exchange. Thank you in advance.

"If you're playing games, I would leave the sound as PCM - many games come with an uncompressed PCM soundtrack, so this is the best setting for these. Since there shouldn't be any difference in decoding on Blu-ray soundtracks, it seems the most sensible approach to me." -

and, yes, I am playing games

Hi there. Just to let you know. Though games have mainly PCM audio codecs you don't have to get the player to do the decoding just to experience the uncompressed audio. Any modern AV receiver will be perfectly capable of decoding the audio as PCM and will show PCM on the display.

When you see Dolby Digital on the PS4 display because you have the player set to Bitstream, what you are seeing is the core audio that is carrying the the info to tell the amp to use the PCM decoder.

If the PS4 just sent the receiver Dolby Digital the AVR wouldn't use the PCM decoder and it would only show up as Dolby Digital. So you are getting proper PCM through the AVR if the PS4/PS3 is set to Bitstream.

As I said in another thread I used to have to test the core audio. It just happens to be Dolby Digital as PCM can only be uncompressed and DD is the most widely used codec for home cinema and TV decoding.

 

[jorwoo14]

Just thinking how incredible it would be to link a PS4 up to SONOS . . . can you even do that? Got my Sonos from Simply Sound and Vision in London and would love to try it!

 

[Glacialpath]

Interesting. Just throwing some thought out here. Could you do it via WIFI or Blutooth?

What connections are on both bits of kit?