PS3 Audio - Need Advice

I am planning to directly connect my PC to my PS3 by ethernet cable. I run an optical cable from the PS3 to my Receiver (receiver has no HDMI input). I am running JRiver on my PC.

My FLACS ripped from CDs are all 16/44 so they are not a problem, however I rip my vinyl to 24/96. However, I have just realised that the PS3 only outputs: 44.1, 48, 88.2 and 176.4 - not 96 for some strange reason.

My question is, when I play back my 24/96 flacs with JRiver, what will the PS3 do with the audio it sends to my receiver through the optical?

Thanks in anticipation.

 

Why do you send your PC streaming data to your PS3? Go directly to the receiver, Optical? or other digital means depending on what is available, then no issues other than what your receiver is capable of doing as a DAC.

 

Sorry, I neglected to mention that I also want to stream video from the my PC via the hard wire.

 

Can you explain this setup a little more? Are you trying to use the PS3 as a DAC for the PC? And you're able to do this through the PS3's Ethernet port?

 

At first one assumes you're going to stream to the PS3 with DLNA, but then we get to "when I play back my 24/96 flacs with JRiver, what will the PS3 do with the audio". That dog won't hunt I'm afraid.

 

I'm trying to use the Ps3 as a Media Server. There's a good DAC in my Receiver. Yes I am able to do this through the PS3's Ethernet port.

 

How will JRiver interact with the media on the PS3 in a way that will send the digital bitstream out of the PS3's TOSLINK port? If the PS3 is just a media server, JRiver will do the streaming.

 

JRiver can work as the DLNA server, but unless it can transcode also FLAC on the fly (which the PS3 doesn't support), it's not going to work.

 

a) Sounds like you want to use the PC as the DLNA server (where the music files are stored), and use the PS3 as the DLNA client/player. Correct?

b) Directly connect an ethernet cable from your PS3 to PC? Why not just put them both on your LAN or WiFi? I mean it's technically feasible to do a point to point connection, but it's unusual and requires a bit more knowledge and possibly a crossover ethernet cable.

c) Pretty sure 96k is one of the output options on the PS3. Have you been into the Video/Audio Formats setup? There's all sorts of formats and sample rates you can enable or disable. Perhaps the device that the PS3 is connected to was autodetected as not supporting 96k.

 

It will work as JRiver acts as the player, its worked wirelessly with periodic stutters, that's why I want to hard wire. I'm more concerned about what PS3 downscales 24/96 audio to, 88.2, 48, 44.1?

 

It seems you have everything in place to try it and find out for yourself?

 

Yes there are a number of options, the ones I mentioned & 5.1, but no 96 unfortunately.

Will I lose much if I re sample the audio files to 24/88.2?

Thanks.

 

I was in front of a PS3 when I read the OP this morning, and sure enough, it doesn't support 96/24. I guess due to its pedigree as a SACD player it just does 88 and 176.

 

Ok, I googled this and here's what I think is happening:

• JRiver MediaCenter is being used as a DLNA server
• A PS3 is being used as a DLNA client of the aforementioned DLNA server
• When the PS3 encounters an audio file with sample rates that are multiples of 48000, it resamples it to a multiple of 44100 for the TOSLINK port.

 

Sure enough, the optical output only supports the 44.1k family, plus 48k but not the rest of its family. HDMI supports both families. You could pipe to an HDMI device that has an optical out and will pass the sound through. A TV, for instance. You'll have that on anyway if you're using the PS3 as your player.

 

I think for high res you need to be using HDMI. And AFAIK, HDMI on the PS3 only does PCM out I believe. There are also various flavors of the PS3, some which support SACD and some which do not. I haven't kept up with newer developments/versions of the PS3, FWIW. I use my PS3 for BDs, but I wouldn't imagine using it for audio, the fan noise is not quiet at all.

 

The old fat PS3 will not bitstream Dolby Digital HD or DTS HD. It also doesn't support Dolby Digital Plus. But the newer, thin PS3 will bitstream all of those formats.

 

That's correct, however it will output all of those PCM, which accomplishes the same thing. I have the old and fat one.

 

Except Dolby Digital Plus. A fat PS3 cannot decode or pass that format. I discovered this the hard way with Netflix. A newer, thin PS3 solved the problem.

 

Hmm, I'll have to explore that. I don't do any streaming withe my PS3, straight BD, so hadn't been an issue for me. But I do have Amazon Prime, I just haven't used any of the video streaming yet but thinking about it. I probably won't be picky about the audio for that though, I stick to BD pretty exclusively when I care about quality.

 

IMO you'd be better off forgetting the PS3 and looking into other streaming devices. I've used a bunch of different DLNA players and the PS3 was the worst out of all of them for random a/v issues and format support. As already mentioned, it was also the only device that had a fan.

I'm currently using LaCie LaCinema HD boxes for DLNA streaming. I don't think they're still making them, but they were $50 each at the time and I've had really no problems with them playing any video or audio format. Another perk is if you plug a USB hard drive into the LaCie (it has two USB ports), it basically functions as a NAS and you can access your content from anything on your network.

The WD TV is also good, but I think they've stripped features out of the newer models. All the little box DLNA media players I've owned support FLAC and MKV as well, unlike the PS3 which will not play either format without transcoding.

 

I can't imagine using the PS3 as a streamer either. But, the OP is already doing it and its working for him, the only question is how 96/24 files will sound being converted on the fly by Jriver. But again, he should just try it and let us know!

 

I think the on-the-fly conversion happens in the PS3. I too agree that a PS3 makes a mediocre audio streamer.

 

Unfortunately, my PC is in a different room to my PS3 & system and my modem in a different room to both. If I proceed it will involve possibly moving the modem and running long cables all over the house. A lot of work. Therefore I'd prefer to know everything before I decide to proceed, rather than just try it.

 

So that means a file with a sample rate of 96 will be downsampled to 88.2?