Well, I guess you need an HDMI receiver to get better audio than DVD with the PS3. Are Dolby Digital tracks on BDs typically encoded at a higher bitrate, say 640kbps?

Why does the optical out have the option for PCM if it doesn't work over optical? And when you select bitstream, it says it may not play all parts of the audio? I'm guessing they mean if you pick uncompressed PCM while you have bitstream selected? But if picking PCM doesn't actually work over optical, you're actually losing much more audio (at least seperation) by picking PCM? Shouldn't that option be removed? I've tried picking PCM over optical, picking uncompressed, then using pro-logic & it sounds fuller & seems to fill the rears properly. But I'm guessing that the directional sound isn't really accurate?

I think the point of having the PCM choice is if you have a receiver with an optical input, but just two speakers, and you want everything mixed into 2 channels. The bitstream option allows for DD or DTS to pass, and apparently downmixes the multichannel PCM to 2 channels.

I received my PS3 on Tuesday and have watched Enemy of the State, The Devil Wears Prada, and started Kingdom of Heaven last night. To answer the thread's title question, my opinion is that the PS3 makes a great Blu Ray player. Fast load times (not that I mind waiting for my HD DVD player), pretty intuitive controller, great quality picture...as a $499 Blu Ray player, it works very well.

The only "downside" (and I don't particularly care, as my HD DVD player works very well in this regard) is that it's not a spectacular DVD player. First off, it has gray bars on the side (I personally prefer black). Secondly, for some odd reason, I can't seem to get it to play anything anamorphic that's not HD. It seems that, when it plays 480i/p material, it squeezes it into a 4x3 frame. For example, when I played my SD version of Enemy of the State (for comparison), it squeezed it into a 4x3 frame and actually squeezed it to fit, as though it were playing anamorphically, but then compressed into a 4x3 frame. I'm sure it has to do with some setting on my PS3, but I don't know which one...any ideas?

So I can't discuss the quality of standard def discs on the PS3, but from what I saw (squeezed, that is), it didn't look upscaled (not that I expected it to be).

Yeah, its a setting. I have the opposite problem. It wont pillarbox any 4:3 material. Pic qualitywise, I think the PS2 plays DVDs better than this thing. DVDs look terrible!!

But, for a cheap BD player, its decent. Pic and sound are good. Thats really all that matters once the movie starts.

Anyone looking for the remote check your Gamestop, I got one there today, $24.99.

Have there been any rumors of DTS-MA support with a firmware update?

I thought the PS3 supported DTS-MA out of the box?

From what I have read it does over the optical. I cannot confirm yet. Soon, though.

DTS-HD MA cannot be played over optical. Only the lossy DTS core can. Huge world of difference.

Yeah, what I've read is that it will only decode the core, not the lossless audio, even over HDMI. I hope it's not something they're going to leave for the high-end players.

You are correct. Yup.

dj, how did you finnaly do it? I had the exact same problem and it is driving me nuts, I sent you an email if you don't mind checking...

I'm going to test set up my (well my son's) PS3 tomorrow. I have a 25' HDMI cable for my PJ, but before I run the wires in the attic, I want to make sure all works well.

I plan to hook up HDMI directly to the PJ and optical or coax (if it has coax) directly to my HT receiver (H/K).

Anything I need to know? Suggestions?

I actually switched mine to OPTICAL out of my PS3 now. It was TOO unstable through the TV out. So, I recommend running your optical from the PS3 to receiver. If you need another optical input, just buy an optical switch from monoprice.com...that is what I did.

so optical out from the ps3 to the reciever, and then HDMI from ps3 to TV, then you change the setting on the PS3 menu to "optical", and then turn that bitstream setting off and its good to go? (thanks again for the help)

I got a PS3 for xmas. I watched about 20 mins of Ricky Bobby. I will say that I'm not terribly impressed by the PQ over component vs. my HD-DVD over HDMI. I will reserve final judgment until I can view PS3 video over HDMI (and view more than one title for 20 mins of course).

Yes, that is what I did. I think I actually had to turn Bitstream on for Blu-Ray....but yeah, the optical from PS3 to Receiver is the best bet at this point.

Pick a different flick also. Talladega Nights is not one to show off PQ.

Yeah, you definitely need to view some better transfers. I personally thought Talladega Nights looked a little better than most people made it out to be, but it definitely is not reference material. I'd recommend something like Kingdom of Heaven, MI:3, or Black Hawk Down.

Well, I was going to sit this format war out, but I got a PS3 and an Xbox 360 with HD player for Christmas, so now I am a dual-platform viewer. So I pop a disc(I have the BD of AeonFlux and borrowed a friends HD-DVD copy) in each one, try different resolutions, run HDMI on the PS3 and component on the Xbox and much to my suprise, I can see no difference in picture performance. Absolutely identical. What impresses me about both systems is you put a disc in the movie starts immediately. I was worried about load times after hearing everyone say how long the Toshiba took to start the movie, but both systems have virtually no load time. I would have to give the edge to the PS3 since all you have to do when the system is on standby is slide the disc in the slot and it automatically starts up and the disc starts playing. No wait at all. I do like the 60gig drive on the PS3 and the built in wireless and the flashcard ability is nice, but I am enjoying playing "Dead Rising" on the Xbox. So now I don't care which format titles are released in, but considering I have over 4000 titles in SD, I only have a few titles right now I feel an upgrade would be nice.

4000 dvd's!!! holy crap! how does one re-watch all of those? I have 10% of what you have and can't get to all of them....

Clearly he's buying movies just to collect them and not because he likes them.

I have decided to buy a PS3 simply because I feel this format war will not be ending any time soon and I dont want to spend $15-20 on SD releases when a BR is available for a bit more. Seems like a waste now to buy certain SDs when a HD/BR is available.

Of course ive seen PS3 EVERYWHERE in the past week, and now that I want one...its no where to be found.

You mean something's wrong with that?

BTW, quick off topic question to mallet. Do you think you can add me to your Wii so you won't be greyed out anymore?