PS3 SACD playback?

Jarrath

Hey all,

Anyone know if the 80gb ps3 is capable of playing Super Audio CD's? I heard somewhere that the first two generations of the ps3 can play them but the feature was removed in later ones?

Not sure where the 80gb fits into that?

Thanks,
Jaz

RangeR

A very simple search, and I mean a VERY simple search says that it does support SACD.

Zonda999

Wikipedia says that it does'nt anyway. It looks that the only european ps3s that had sacd playback were the launch 60gb sku's

Jarrath

IrishTLR wrote: »

A very simple search, and I mean a VERY simple search says that it does support SACD.

Always the simple search's that catch me out.. Cool, must take a look at this feature..

Thanks,
Jaz

**EDIT**
Just seen the second note... Buggar

RangeR

Hmm, the wiki article seems to be in direct contradiction to what Sony themselves are saying.

OP, do you have an SACD to hand? Can you obtain one? Just stick it in and see if it works.

This is the quote from my link.

[Bitmapping (Super Audio CD)] is an option in [Music Settings] under Settings. You can adjust settings for the audio output of Super Audio CDs.

Off: Disable bitmapping.
Type 1: Use a technique called dithering to reduce noise or distortion that was produced during data output.

Although I don't have any SACD's, I do have this option in my XMB. I've a 40GB model from a year or so ago.

RangeR

Interesting. Zonda's post above sparked me to search for definitive proof. I feel I must take back my original statement of "simple search". At first it seemed simple but the background isn't.

On this link, it spells it out even more clearly.

Zonda appears to be correct. The later models of 40GB, 80GB and 160GB no longer support SACD. Sony's only web site is flawed [surprised???]

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. All models are compatible with DSD Disc.

Apart from finishing and bundled accessories, the differences between the models are as follows:

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.



Are SA-CD compatibility and PS2 compatibility related?

Super Audio CD compatibility and backwards compatibility with PlayStation2 are correlated i.e. there are PS3 models that play both SA-CD and PS2 games and there are other models that play neither while there are none that play one format but not the other. This might lead one to conclude these functions use some shared hardware but most likely it’s pure coincidence and the respective formats require different circuitry that was incidentally eliminated at the same time when Sony needed to find ways to reduce the bill of material yet are completely independent.

As explained in the previous answer, SA-CD playback (specifically handling of SA-CD’s proprietary copy protection) requires special logic in the front end i.e. the optical drive. Decoding of the DST and DSD signals in PS3 happens entirely in the back end i.e. on the Cell processor. The fact that here nothing has changed between different generations of PS3 is proven by the fact that all models can play DSD Discs.

PS2 games on the other hand are published on CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs, both of which all PS3 drives can read. The first generation of PS3 contained effectively a ‘PlayStation2 on a chip’: an integrated circuit containing ‘EE+GS’ – the Emotion Engine (CPU) and Graphics Synthesizer (GPU) from PS2, an expensive piece of silicon. To cut costs, in the second generation of PS3 Sony implemented PS2 compatibility by emulating the GS in software. Apparently the EE could not be emulated in software and was kept in. To cut costs further, in the third generation of PS3 the EE was removed altogether and PS3 emulation with it.

Jarrath

Hey guys,
Thanks for all your help in this.. I have a SACD somewhere. (NIN - The Downward Spiral)..
I know ordinary cd players play the cd due to there being both the conventional and hi-res layers on the disk..

Don't see the sacd logo on the side of the box. Plus my ps3 model no: doesn't match the wikipedia list of compatible 80gb units (mines CECHKxx, compatible models is CECHExx) so pretty sure I can't get the full use of sacd through the ps3...


Bit of a balls but the main thing is we survived..

Thanks again.
Jaz

culabula

Jarrath wrote: »

Hey guys,
Thanks for all your help in this.. I have a SACD somewhere. (NIN - The Downward Spiral)..
I know ordinary cd players play the cd due to there being both the conventional and hi-res layers on the disk..

Don't see the sacd logo on the side of the box. Plus my ps3 model no: doesn't match the wikipedia list of compatible 80gb units (mines CECHKxx, compatible models is CECHExx) so pretty sure I can't get the full use of sacd through the ps3...


Bit of a balls but the main thing is we survived..

Thanks again.
Jaz

The only PS3 that plays SA-CD is the original launch 60GB model (and my main reason for purchase). It is an excellent SA-CD player and it is a shame that Sony withdrew this option on launch of the 2nd generation machines.

No other model in any other territory plays SA-CD no matter what Sony, Wiki and any other misinformed site may say.

www.ps3sacd.com

The_7th_Taylor

culabula wrote: »

The only PS3 that plays SA-CD is the original launch 60GB model (and my main reason for purchase). It is an excellent SA-CD player and it is a shame that Sony withdrew this option on launch of the 2nd generation machines.

No other model in any other territory plays SA-CD no matter what Sony, Wiki and any other misinformed site may say.

www.ps3sacd.com

Almost, Culabula, but in fact both the first and the second generation i.e. the 20GB, 60GB and 2007 80GB model play SACD. From the third generation on the situation's changed: the 40GB, 160GB and 2008 80GB model don't support SACD. See the FAQ on the above site.

culabula

The_7th_Taylor wrote: »

Almost, Culabula, but in fact both the first and the second generation i.e. the 20GB, 60GB and 2007 80GB model play SACD. From the third generation on the situation's changed: the 40GB, 160GB and 2008 80GB model don't support SACD. See the FAQ on the above site.

Is that a fact? My mistake then, I thought it was phased out immediately after the demise of the 60GB. Never seen that sweet logo appear on any other machine.

You pop up everywhere :-)

The_7th_Taylor

culabula wrote: »

You pop up everywhere :-)

I do. You'll need a pop-up blocker to get rid of me :-)

Hope to see you again on the other site.

Zonda999

The_7th_Taylor wrote: »

Almost, Culabula, but in fact both the first and the second generation i.e. the 20GB, 60GB and 2007 80GB model play SACD. From the third generation on the situation's changed: the 40GB, 160GB and 2008 80GB model don't support SACD. See the FAQ on the above site.

Yea, but the "2007" 20gb and 80gb models were never available in Europe. They were available in North America only. Make no mistake, the only EU ps3s that support SACD are the legendary launch 60gb versions. That was only available till about December 2007. The 40gb ps3 that was launched here in October 2007 for sure, DOES NOT support SACD.