プレイステーション3
スーパーオーディオCD
プレイステーション3
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スーパーオーディオCD
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Home | PS3 hardware | AV Receivers | SACD music | FAQs | Forums | Feedback | Links PS3 SACD FAQ | General SACD FAQ | How to make a DSD Disc
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PS3 SACD FAQ Last update: June 3, 2008 This FAQ aims to be the most comprehensive FAQ on the web concerning Super Audio CD functionality on PlayStation 3, but also independent, unbiased, practical and readable. If you have any corrections, suggestions, or relevant questions that you don’t see answered here, please use our feedback form. Table of Contents
References and further reading
About this siteIs this site Sony-sponsored?No, it’s completely independent. If you like this site you can support it by following the advertisers’ links. That’s all funding we have.
GeneralWhat is Super Audio CD precisely?For general questions about SA-CD refer to the general SA-CD FAQ.
Why did Sony include SA-CD with PlayStation3?Sony’s rationale was probably that PS3 ought to be a future-proof media player that takes all experiences to the next level in terms of resolution: games, movies and music. SA-CD is the highest-quality music media, like BD is for movies and PS3 titles are for videogames.
It should be noted that (with the latest firmware) PS2 games and DVD-Video can be upscaled to High Definition and Audio CD can be upsampled to high-resolution PCM. Of course, this does not necessarily raise the quality to the same level of the new media. Especially in the case of SA-CD the multichannel aspect is missing. Various sources point to a high interest in surround sound and ownership of home theater systems in general and among gamers in particular:
Do all PS3s play SA-CD?Not anymore, unfortunately. The third generation, introduced worldwide in October/November 2007, is the first model that is not SACD-compatible. Probably all future models aren’t either. Apart from finishing and bundled accessories, the differences between the models are as follows:
(CECHD01 is the type number of the 20GB unit for Europe that was never released) All models include: BD/DVD/CD drive, HDMI 1.3a, Bluetooth 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, and PlayStation1 backward compatibility.
How do I tell if my PS3 plays SA-CD?Either check the type number against the above table or see if the SA-CD logo is printed on the side of the unit, in between the DVD and Compact Disc logos.
Why did Sony take SA-CD out of PS3 again?Obviously, Sony is under strong pressure to reduce the cost of the console and SA-CD playback is simply not a function that’s essential to gameplay (unlike Blu-ray Disc playback – PS3 games are published on BD-ROM discs); it’s not even related. Did it save cost? Probably. Perhaps elimination of SA-CD allowed use of cheaper PCM DACs (Digital-to-Analog Converters) instead of DSD DACs but this is unlikely since PS3 can convert DSD to PCM in software. Also decompression of DST to DSD it can handle in software. So rather than in the ‘back end’ of the hardware, the cost reduction more likely lies in the ‘front end’, in the circuitry needed in the optical drive for dealing with SA-CD’s unique copy protection techniques. Lacking solid information about this we can only speculate here.
Equipment/ConnectionsHow should I connect my PlayStation3 in order to play SA-CDs?There are
Can’t I use the optical digital output?Originally, you could for games, CDs, DVDs and even BDs but you couldn’t for SA-CDs. The optical connection, also known as Tos-link, is a so-called SPDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface). It can carry stereo PCM or compressed multichannel audio like Dolby Digital and DTS, but not lossless discrete multichannel audio like DSD, multichannel PCM, Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio. With system software v 2.00, if you’ve got an AV Receiver without HDMI PS3 can convert multichannel SA-CD to multichannel DTS for you and feed it to the optical digital output. If you disable DTS out it will output PCM stereo, also during multichannel SA-CD playback. The output frequency is 48kHz. In version 2.01 however, DSD-to-DTS conversion is disabled again. Optical output from SA-CD remains supported but in stereo only. Can PS3 simultaneously output stereo via analog out and multichannel via digital out?No (unlike PS2, reportedly). You are forced to choose between stereo and multichannel. Can PS3 output DSD audio?Streaming of the pure DSD signal would be very preferable over conversion to PCM but unfortunately at this moment PS3 does not support that. Why not?This is a mystery. Standards and regulations permit it. HDMI from versions 1.2 and up can transmit DSD securely with HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection). We can only hope that there are no PS3 hardware constraints here and that Sony will issue a firmware upgrade in the future that enables this function. Sony has already released an AV Receiver that accepts DSD input. What receiver should I use?In principle any AV receiver with multichannel PCM input via HDMI will do. Models that do so include:
If you, like us, presume that Sony at some point in the near future will issue a firmware upgrade that lets PS3 output a pure DSD bitstream via HDMI you may want to buy an AV receivers that’s prepared for that. Choices include:
For more information about these receivers see this overview. Note: these lists are by no means complete yet. I’ve got an other/older receiver. Can I still enjoy multichannel SA-CD?As long as you’ve got multichannel PCM input you’re OK. Otherwise, if you’ve got Dolby Digital and DTS, you can still enjoy games, DVDs and Blu-ray Disc in surround sound but not SA-CD – except if you process it with a feature like Dolby Pro Logic II but that’s not quite how it’s supposed to be experienced. If I use the analog stereo output while playing multichannel SA-CD, what will I get?You will hear just the left and right front channels, so you may miss most of the sound. You don’t get a ‘downmix’ of the multichannel sound to stereo or Dolby Pro Logic because downmixing is ‘not done’ with SA-CD. Can I upgrade the AV-out cable?Yes, companies like Monster Cable offer high-end cables for the PlayStation’s ‘multi-AV’ output. Bear in mind that this output uses a proprietary connector type so you need very specific cables for it. Which is the best video connection?The ranking is, in order of increasing quality:
SCART can provide CVBS or RGB. Fully connected cables deliver RGB, and so will the Sony PS AV-out-to-SCART cable. Few if any AV receivers handle SCART so if you use this connection it'll have to be direct to your TV set. Do I need the PS3’s ‘BD remote’ for playing SA-CD?Not necessarily but it does make for more convenient use if you frequently use your console for audio (and video) playback. More convenient and less awkward at least than doing so with the standard game controller.
SettingsCan I import/record/copy SA-CD audio to the Hard Disk?No, you can’t. What about the CD layer of a hybrid SA-CD?The ‘red book’ audio or ‘CD-DA’ layer you can import but with an SA-CD you can only access this when under System Settings ‘Disc Auto-Start’ is switched off. What difference does the firmware version make for CD and SA-CD?
Can I downgrade the firmware version?No, PS3 is programmed to only accept system software that is newer than what is currently loaded. No method is known for forcing it to accept a ‘downgrade’.
What do the Bit Mapping options mean?Bit Mapping in this case refers to a ‘treatment’ that is done at the end stage of DSD decimation to 24-bit PCM (reportedly, internally an even higher resolution is used) to prevent distortion. Different techniques are possible. Firmware 2.10 offers the following options:
That’s a matter of taste, which is probably why Sony made this setting user-configurable. Type 3 appears to get the most favorable reviews from users. Do these settings work only for SACD or also for CD?Bitmapping applies to CD upsampling as well as SA-CD output. Do these settings affect also the analog output or only the digital output?The settings affect both the analog and the digital output, SCE has indicated.
Other audio disc formatsIs PS3 compatible with DTS CDs?Yes, it is. If you only get noise, try the following: Under "Audio Output Settings" select HDMI or Optical. When using HDMI, stipulate you want to use manual settings. Deselect LPCM 2ch 88.2 and 176.4, leave only 44.1. Under "Music Settings" set Audio CD Output Frequency to "44.1/88.2/176.4 kHz".
TroubleshootingI’m trying to play an SA-CD but get an error message “This media cannot be played on the connected hardware”Your HDMI receiver probably cannot handle multichannel PCM.
I’m trying to play an SA-CD but get an error message “playback of this disc using the connected device is prohibited.”Your HDMI receiver may not be HDCP-compliant.
I’m trying to play an SA-CD through HDMI but my receiver gives no sound and no error message either.If you’ve got a TV set/monitor/display connected to your AV receiver via HDMI i.e. you’ve daisychained your PS3, receiver and screen, the PS3 may be confused by the audio capabilities the TV set communicates downstream via HDMI. Disconnecting the screen may help but that’s probably not a very pleasing solution. Switching the video output down to 480p may also work in some cases, according to users’ reports.
I’m playing a multichannel SA-CD but I only get stereo sound.If you’ve made sure you’re playing the multichannel mix (not the stereo DSD mix or the CD layer) and you’re using the HDMI output (not optical or AV multi out) it could be that your receiver doesn’t support multichannel PCM – only stereo. Sony’s STR-DG510 and STR-DG710 are examples of such receivers.
My on-screen menu doesn’t show the CD layer of a hybrid disc, only the high-density layer.Turn off ‘disc auto-start’ in the system setting.
I’m playing a DTS-CD but I only get noise.See ‘Is PS3 compatible with DTS CDs?’
I’m playing a CD but the sound is distorted.Use the triangle button on the controller to reset the volume to normal zero level. Using the PS3’s volume control can cause audio distortion.
References and further readingWhere can I read more?Have a look at the links page on this site and the references section of the general SA-CD FAQ.
DisclaimerI followed your advice and bought this equipment but it doesn’t work. How can I now sue you?PS3SACD.com accepts no liability for the contents of this site.
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