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Netflix bad sound? Dolby Digital Plus PS3 bug?

21K views 14 replies 6 participants last post by  tvmaster 
#1 ·
Hi all. Just started watching Breaking Bad S2 on Netflix on my PS3. The sound is really awful.

It's not bandwidth related, because the picture quality is HD and looks great.

Interestingly, the "Dolby Digital Plus" logo lights up on my Denon amp for this episode. Which suggests the PS3 is bitstreaming the audio in native Dolby Digital Plus format to the amp for decoding, like it does with Blu-Rays. The PS3 goes to the amp via HDMI, it's a Denon AVR-1909, about 5 years old.

It sounds like a 56kbps mp3...lots of shwooshing on the S's and T's in the dialog. Unbearable. Cloth movement sounds like a waterfall. :eek:

When I play the same episode on the Apple TV, the audio is fine. The Apple TV doesn't bitstream the DD+ audio, just outputs regular 5.1. So, a bug with the PS3 perhaps?

There is an audio option in the PS3 to change bitstreaming to Linear PCM, but that seems to only affect Blu-Rays and DVDs, not app content (in this case Netflix).

Anyway, thought I'd mention it, see if anyone else is hearing this. It's so bad.
Thanks.
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Thanks andrela, must be something in my setup...I tried some other movies and TV shows yesterday, and anything with DD+ provides the same results, swooshy bad audio. Basically makes Netflix useless to me.

I did some googling, nothing useful yet.

*update* - Tried my second PS3...same thing. And there's no updates for my Denon.
 
#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
Ok, here is a work around I found elsewhere..tried it out, solved my problem!

Basically you can go into the "PS3 Settings/Sound Settings/Audio Output Settings/HDMI/Manual". Uncheck "Dolby Digital Plus", leave the other ones checked.

Now the PS3 will no longer try to bitstream DD+ (which causes the garbage I'm hearing), instead it outputs regular Dolby Digital 5.1 to my amp...no more whooshy audio, yay! :cool:

And it doesn't effect anything else, blu-rays still bitstream HD audio, those formats are separate checkboxes.

Thanks.
 
#10 ·
from everything I've learned about 5.1 over Netflix, they ONLY send 5.1 via Dolby Digital Plus (which is a variant of DD). I found this out by outputting my WD Plus to my receiver, neither of which are capable of DD+.

Result: Pro-Logic surround.

I'd be surprised if after you de-select that checkbox you're actually hearing 5.1 encoding, 'cause the last time I spoke with Netflix tech support (?), they claimed the only way to decode 5.1 was via a Playstation 3 or X-Box.

Does your subwoofer trip? Can you clearly hear nothing but low frequency from your sub?
There seems to be a great deal of mis-information from Netflix on this.
All I know is, with a Yamaha receiver capable of DD and DTS, neither light would trip when fed from the WD Plus, or my Tivo Premiere's.

Surround, yes, DD no
 
#8 ·
So, it gets worse (or better). Turns out my Denon AVR-1909 receiver is one of the "early units" affected by a firmware bug, discussed on DigitalHome here. I checked my version, my numbers are lower than the ones listed there.

Who knew! :confused: Will update if I get any further with this. Also, looked it up, my amp is just over 4 years old (Jul 2008). I thought it was much older.
 
#12 ·
netflix testing

Hi folks, thanks for the replies.

rweakly, no I didn't end up getting a firmware update...actually, I sold that receiver this summer and bought a new Denon AVR-X2000. (Also got a new TV.) I wanted more inputs and better features. :cool:

tvmaster, I think you're correct, unchecking DD+ on the PS3 should result in Pro Logic, not actual 5.1.

EDIT: Hang on, did some googling...on Dolby's web site, they say DD+ is backwards compatible with Dolby Digital systems. "...Easily converted to Dolby Digital, enabling compatible playback through current Dolby Digital equipped systems"

Now, it depends what they mean by that...they probably just mean DD+ folds down to Pro Logic, do you think?

Curiously, I just tried all my Netflix options for comparison, here's a summary/recap:

1) PS3 Netflix app: DD+ still sounds like garbage when enabled. Turned off DD+ in the PS3 Sound menu, sounds normal again...but that's probably Pro Logic then?

2) AppleTV Netflix app: Apple doesn't list sound options/specs in Netflix...but I know Breaking Bad is DD+, so I tried the same episode as the PS3 for comparison. Sounds normal (no swooshy S's).
Seems like the Apple TV doesn't support DD+...the Settings menu just has "Dolby Digital - Auto, On, Off". Mine is set to Auto. So that's probably Pro Logic as well?

3) Win8 'Metro' Netflix app: DD+ acts the same as on the PS3, swooshy sounds. So that's interesting...so maybe it's not necessarily a bug in the PS3...perhaps it's a problem with Denon after all?

4) Panasonic TV Netflix app: Sounds normal sending back to the Denon, but I can't tell if this is DD+ or not, but I don't think so, since it's not doing the swooshy sounds.

I'll have more time to test on the weekend. Also I'll have a read through the receiver manual, it has some info in there regarding Dolby Digital Plus modes and Pro Logic, hopefully will clear this right up!
 
#13 ·
generally speaking, the only time true Dolby Digital is present, it should trigger the DD lights on your receiver to trigger - on my Yamaha there are six little boxes that represent the six speakers. When a true, DD 5.1 signal hits, those light up. Otherwise, just two speaker icons illuminate.

Some receivers use the word (as my Yamaha does when a DTS signal hits).
When Pro-Logic signals hit the Yamaha, it illuminates two speaker icons and says "Pro-Logic"

You should be able to actually hear the difference - your subwoofer usually being the key, but you have to get down on the ground for that.

I've heard that Apple TV does decode some form of 5.1 from Netflix, just not sure if it's DD+ or regular DD 5.1. Also, it may depend on which version of Apple TV you have as well.

Why Netflix decided to muck with this is beyond me. Both my satellite and cable boxes output good ol' DD 5.1, which is what ALL broadcast and satellite channels transmit.

It's why I still haven't renewed my Netflix subscription - sound is just too important.
 
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