Pioneer Reciever Doesn't Detect PS3 Formats (DTS,DD,true hd, etc) - WON'T SHOW SIGNAL LIGHTS

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Ransome

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I have recently invested into a high quality home cinema, which includes:
Pioneer VSX-823-K Receiver
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/AV-Receiver...
A 5.1 Speaker System: a Morel Solan (front) + Morel Primo SP1 (back) + Morel Sub8 (sub).
http://www.morelhifi.com/home-audio/solan
My TV is: 55" SAMSUNG LED SMART TV: UA55D6400
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/814260-REG/Samsun...

I have a PS3 SLIM 120 GB connected to the DVR/BDR hdmi port.
A PS4 connected to the GAME port.
A PC connected to the BD port.
And Cables connected to the SAT/CABLE port.
DVD port is empty.
The Reciver is connected from the HDMI OUT to the Samsung Smart TV's HDMI 2 (ARC) port with a HDMI WITH ETHERNET cable.

Now the problem is mainly with the PS3:
I never detects the format: meaning no SIGNAL LIGHTS are shown or light up - when I play a game, or watch a Blu-ray movie/series: even though I have set Audio settings to Auto: and all the advance formats are ticked-on: DTS, DD, etc...

I run games that have Dolby Digital or DTS featured for sure: Ni No Kuni, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Dark Souls, Resistance 3 and more: the receiver never shows: "DTS" or "DD" on the display, and no signal light icons are lit.

I tired changing the audio to EXT.Stereo, I tried changing to AUTO-Surround, and I have also tried changing to DIRECT: nothing happens:
The display on the panel of the receiver just shows "DIRECT" that glides and disappear after 3 seconds.

The same issue cannot be said to happen with my PS4:
When I go to the PS4 audio settings: the default was LPCM:
I have changed it to DTS: and I can see DTS flashing on the front panel for 3 seconds, and also a *DTS* bright blue signal light - lights up at the bottom left portion of the front panel.
When I change the audio settings to DD: a DD is flashing on the front panel for 3 seconds, and a small *DD* signal light is shown constantly at the bottom of the panel.
Those lights remain constantly regardless of anything. I only have Killzone Shadow Fall atm, so I can't test more.

So the main issue is with the PS3: Why doesn't the Pioneer receiver detects the audio formant and indicate it - by showing it on the front panel? Does it mean I will never enjoy any of those formants: DD, DTS. Dolby True HD, DTS HD etc - formants that my VSX-823-K receiver is advertised as featured?!

Another odd issue worth mentioning with the PS3: is whenever I play a game, or exit a game, or a movie, a Blu-ray disk - whenever the resolution changes and the screen turns off and on abruptly: the entire monitor flashes with static "snow" white with rainbow colors. Similar to the "snow" effect on ancient TVs when no signal was shown.
So I launch Ni-No-Kuni for instance: the monitor turns black, then flashes with static white for about a second: and then black again with "720p 60hz" shown at the upper corner: then the screen turns on and I can see the game. I never had this issue back when my PS3 was directly connected to the TV.


 
Solution
My receiver doesn't show the format used unless I push one of the 4 buttons above the arrow keys. Normally, my receiver just flashes words like "MP3 Playback", "IPOD", "DIGITAL PLAYBACK". It is probably just a preview mode.

Anyway, I have my PS3 set to only output Linear PCM formats. However, the only other options my PS3 gives me are AAC, DTS 5.1 Ch., and Dolby Digital 5.1 Ch.

I think it might be important to point out that, my PS3 is the 1st gen model, the CECH-A1. Later models have more audio formats to choose from and that could be why things are a bit more complicated with your PS3 than mine.

To check that I am using PCM when I am using my PS3, I click the ALC/STANDARD button on my remote, clicking through the 3 options I have...

XM Keeper

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I have the VSX-522-k. Unfortunately, It is one of the three models that cannot get firmware updates. To my knowledge, your receiver is the model up with a much better TV interface, more inputs, and the "3" in 823 means it can handle 4K.

My remote doesn't have a "NATRADIO: button. My receiver's interface can only be accessed through the composite out and it looks like it was made in 1990. However, it is jaggy because it is such a low resolution. As for the flicker, since I have to use old analog composite video, I do get some interference/noise.
 
1:
when plugged in directly i dont really see a discernible line however the screen flashes white and then i do see some sort of rainbow effect without a discernible line. (instead of flashing just once with a line/rainbow radiating effect it flashes twice with two different looking effects) to be completely honest with you here such things are pretty normal when swapping to different resolutions on different devices. the anomoly really isnt all that bright and if you blink you could miss it. i've gotten used to some sort of flicker, line or other anomoly when swapping on various devices and televisions it is not related to just receivers and my own personal tv. even computer monitors may flicker when changing resolution on them. its pretty commonplace for "flicker" or in some cases a "line" however i'm not sure about snow! for the record i use an older sony bravia tv.

what causes it? well i'm not an expert on that subject so i can only guess. i can only tell you that i've noticed such things for years and havent found it to be an issue. at least not flicker or a line. again, i've never had snow. my tv is at least 4-5 years old now and going strong.

2:
as i said previously, ext-stereo is not meant for 5.1 sources. it duplicates the speakers to the rear. also volume levels are boosted. this is mainly meant for playing music like if you had a party and wanted whole house music to play. i sometime use it for stereo movies though.

you would have to look in the manual but i believe pure direct might be surround sound as well. in any case many people on the net run their receivers for surround sound movies with pure direct or direct modes (at least i saw reference to this on two forums) which points towards that assumption as well. again perhaps you may want to look in your manual or check it out yourself though.

4:
well i cant doublecheck you but it seems like you looked for the right way to do it and that you are getting the info you should.

if the file sizes are the same and more importantly if the file names are the same its likely the same update.... however honestly cant say for sure.

i agree you probably shouldnt have screwed with it as much as you did. changing settings is one thing but going in and doing resets and firmware updates should be left for if there really is a problem. however, i dont think it hurt anything as your system appears to be working fine.

honestly i think the people you are dealing with are a bunch of crooks.

 

Ransome

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Welcome to Israel's customer service and sales. Where the customer matters the least, and his wallet the most. Once the money in the bag, sayonara! :)

So I am thinking the snow flicker isn't that bad, and yes, its a "you blink it you miss it" thing, unless you really stare than it seems long, but it is actually 1 sec probably.

Thank you two for all of your help.
I am left with the choice to either attempt to force the shop/lab to replace my model for a new one (the same) or to keep my Receiver and don't let strangers touch it.
I am leaning toward the latter. Of course if bigger issues arouse I will go and ask for replacement, but god willing, I hope I won't need to contact them for service ever.

Hey thought about posting some photos of my build later this evening, please come back to take a look later and tell me what your think. g2g atm.
Oh, can you tell me what's the best way to upload photos to the forums here?
Thanks!
 
you cannot host photos on the forum directly..

i would highly suggest either tinypic which allows you to host temporary images or even better yet postimg.org which allows you to make folders and store them longterm free but it does require an account (username, password, email.... thats it). i personally love using postimg.

both give you either direct links to the photos or links with the img tags already attached (convenient!) for posting in forums.
 

XM Keeper

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So just to recap on the main issue here:

Your receiver doesn't get any sound from your PS3 through HDMI when are DD and DTS are selected in the PS3 audio settings. Your receiver can't identify and decode the formats from your PS3.

Okay.

Now here is a question you asked earlier:
"Anyway: I didn't understand you: when you are playing PS3 games: do you see light indicators like DD, DTS, DTS HD MA? or do you always see PCM???"

This is my best answer to your question;

When I am playing PS3 games through my receiver (with sound), I see PCM when I press ALC/Standard on my remote. However, this is only when I play PS3 games.

Now, my further, off-topic opinion on the matter:

I don't watch DVDs or Blu-rays, so I don't know how my receiver would interpret them, if it could even decode it all. However, I do know that my receiver CANNOT decode PS2 games through HDMI(on my PS3). I think this is because PS2 games are written in Dolby 2 channel sound, and my receiver cannot decode dolby 2 channel sound.

Now, my Xbox 360 plays both xbox 360 games and original xbox games with sound through HDMI. Both game formats are written in Dolby 5.1 channel sound, so it makes sense why they play without a hitch. However, here is where some more problems occur. In my Xbox 360 audio settings, I have 3 options: Dolby 2 channel, Dolby 5.1, and Dolby WMA Pro. Both 5.1 and WMA Pro work fine, but Dolby 2 channel has a huge issue. The instant I change the sound setting to Dolby 2 channel, my audio cuts out immediately. Okay, so I keep it on 5.1, no big deal. But when I use netflix, any movie/show I watch that is only available in 2 channel sound, doesn't have any sound.

If you actually read all of that, the point I was trying to make was that my receiver cannot decode Dolby 2 channel sound through HDMI. And I am not the only one with this issue. Take a look.

Top of 2nd page of reviews for this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882117408

http://forums.roku.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=51144

If these issues persist with the later models(like yours), than it seems that there isn't anything you can do to fix it.

So, your best bet is to try to find work-arounds to these issues.

-Try disabling everything except everything besides Linear PCM on your PS3, or just try different settings in general. All of them.

-Use an optical cable. Only downside, optical cable doesn't have enough bandwidth for some full surround sound formats, like LPCM. Also, I am not positive if this will work.

-Use analog cables. I am positive that these would work for sure, but you are restricted to 2 channel sound.

That is all I have for you. I don't think your receiver is defective, given that it gets along just fine with your PS4. Could be that the PS3 uses HDMI 1.3 or something like that, and the PS4 uses something newer like 1.4.

One thing you could try is playing a PS1 game on your PS3. I don't think they are written in Dolby 2 channel sound, given that they work just fine on my PS3. If a friend of yours has one, give it a try and see what the results are. If it does or doesn't work could lead us to a more specific idea of what exactly the problem is.

And as for the deal of whether or not you should return it, I have no say.

Also, it would be interesting to see your build. Looking forward to it.

Anyway, good luck.
 

XM Keeper

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Read this article. And these sentences caught my eye...

"However, be aware that your receiver will display something like “Multi-CH” or “PCM” on the front LCD display. It’s not going to display “Dolby TrueHD” or “DTS-HD MA” because that’s not what the PS3 is sending to the receiver. Rest assured, you are listening to the lossless version of the audio mix."

Link to the full article on PS3 sound settings.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/demystifying-the-audio-settings-on-your-playstation-3/

Again, good luck.
 

Ransome

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No, you misunderstood me. I always get sound. And had no issue with 5.1 sounds when on Auto-Surr, Direct, etc. I just said I never get signal lights that show it like PCM, DTS, DD etc. But I do get those with PS4 if I pick DTS or DD as the sound format (PS4 is limited to 3 modes - and only one active: DD, DTS, LPCM).
which leads to your next sentence:



That's sounds like the same way my receiver works: I only see PCM if I actually change to it manually by pressing on ALC/Standard when playing PC or PS3 games. PCM don't have any signal lights at small letters.
This confirmation from you, along with the video you sent, and this article. Make me feel a lot more reassured that my receiver is working properly, even if it doesn't show all current sound formats.

Thank you for the detailed reply here.
I suspect your receiver is somewhat limited with formats like those 2 channel sounds. I am sad to hear it.

I don't think my receiver has that issue, but I haven't played with it enough. Also I don't have PS2 games really or a PS2 console for that matter.
I do know that when watching TV from my cablebox, which is basically 2 channel stereo sound: I get 3 new options: Dolby Pro Lab Game, Pro Lab Movie, Pro Lab Music (maybe more). Those sounds better than standard stereo, and become a 5.1 surround sound. Also Ext.Stereo plays 2 channel in 5.1.
I would recommend against disabling modes in the PS3 audio setup - simply set it automatically, and leave all modes ticked.

Anyhow, here is my new build.
Wooden furniture are all hand made, personally designed, crafted, and painted.
This was a month long project, working side by side with my father. Will appreciate opinions:








(aside from the last photo - that long cabinet has been in the family for over 20 years. sry for the somewhat blurry images..)
 
sorry i cant say that i care for the decor myself..

however kudos for working with your father on this (i take it that you helped make the furniture?)

as long as you are happy with it that is the only thing which truly matters.

feel free to poke fun at my own decor if you like (link in signature) :)
 

Ransome

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WWoooow that's UGL.. just kidding :)
Like that huge wall of games/films/anime. Wow that's hefty collection.

Yup! like I said, while I designed and envisioned everything. We both worked hand in hand together. With great thanks to my father, I couldn't have made this without him. I love hand-craft work, especially wood-work. Working with real living wood, carving it, making a jewel out of it, painting it. I still can't believe how well those rear speaker stand came out! I love this unique dark-nut color.
I love this craft, I consider it an art, the satisfaction and peace of mind that it gives - is worth all the hard work, stress and frustration that followed the hard building process. I am proud of it.
Here are some more photos with better lighting&focus:


And finally: Metal Gear Sony4 :)


 

XM Keeper

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Glad to see that everything is good and working smoothly.

"I don't think my receiver has that issue, but I haven't played with it enough. Also I don't have PS2 games really or a PS2 console for that matter."

Lets hope it doesn't. And just to point out, ordinary PS2 consoles work perfectly because they have analog only. And there are only a few rare-ish models of PS3s that can actually play games.

"I do know that when watching TV from my cablebox, which is basically 2 channel stereo sound: I get 3 new options: Dolby Pro Lab Game, Pro Lab Movie, Pro Lab Music (maybe more). Those sounds better than standard stereo, and become a 5.1 surround sound. Also Ext.Stereo plays 2 channel in 5.1.
I would recommend against disabling modes in the PS3 audio setup - simply set it automatically, and leave all modes ticked."

I am not sure if my receiver has the 3 options. But it does have Ext.Stereo. I find myself using that a lot when I want to jam out to some rock or electronic. Also, I did some research and I found out that PCM is equal to the other options. Speaking of which, I only have 3 other options for sound and only 2 of them are useful. I guess that is one of the downsides of buying a 2006 PS3.

Well, I hope you don't mind, but I think I might post a picture of my setup.

http://i.imgur.com/PKtDUR4.jpg

I tend to keep my electronics all close together. While it is efficient, it isn't very unique.

And to the right of my TV, is my (old)gaming PC.
 
i do like the color combinations and since i used to have a red room i think it really stands out.

i just dont care for the style of the furniture myself though thats likely just my own personal taste. you designed it so as long as you love it thats all that matters and my opinion is effectively worth squat :p

my own area is a bit too utilitarian for my own tastes but there isnt much i can do about it for now. i cant do any major modding where i live right now but in the future i do have major plans for what i'd like to do.

yes, that is quite a collection of movies and anime that i have. its well over 1000 different titles now (and probably 3-4x that number in number of disks). i'm an avid move collector but also keep in mind we havent had network television for 9 years or more now. i rely on that collection to keep me entertained :)



 

XM Keeper

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Same for me. No TV service. Mainly, because Netflix is much cheaper and now some service providers actually offer most TV episodes on their website for no charge.

Anyways, nice collection.
 

Ransome

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Thank you @XM Keeper, you have no idea how you and @ssddx have helped me.
I searched the web, I browsed endless owner's manuals, I contacted crooks in left and right, and then I browsed the web again. Then I talked to you guys, for the past few days: you have been the most help and source of info I could find.
Aside from that snow which slightly worries me, but not too great after ssddx info of flickering lines, and aside from the echoey sound of Advance Audio options like Sports, ADvance Game, etc - that disappoints me (to be honest) - I think my Receiver is working properly.


Btw, just saw the image, that's a lot of consoles. Do a little cabling work behind the scene to clean things up a bit, and this will look like a sweet old-to-high tech set-up. I recommend using zip-cuffs and steel nails with plastic U shaped holders for the cables to pass through.
And keep the cable organized behind the furniture, not too messy if possible.
That's what I did and why my mass of cabling - monstrous swarm of cables - are practically invisible. Takes patience, and a lot of care.
You still haven't said a word about my build and new design? what do you think?
 
lol... well to be perfectly frank

we had nothing except for dialup so that wasnt an option.

it was either movie collection or nothing.

thankfully fios moved into our area so now i have many options including netflix (though i dont use netflix currently i cancelled). i currently do subscribe to crunchyroll (anime).
 

Ransome

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Thx @ssddx I am happy with the color scheme and combination myself.
Where do you live guys? are both of you from the states?

While I haven't heard of "fios" or "crunchyroll" - I have heard of Netflix - but unfortunately I cannot enjoy its wonders and 9$ infinite show/anime/movie awesomeness since Netflix won't work in Israel. Their service isn't provided in Israel for now and probably for ever....:(
 

XM Keeper

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Well, I think it is very different compared to mine. Contrasting to what I said earlier, your devices are far apart from each other. Each console sits by its own, making it seem much different than the other. I also guess that gives them a better cooling solution.

However, I have never seen a TV on top of a piano. Interesting. So when you play the piano, do you put the sheet of music on the TV screen?

It seems that your setup would be pretty good to play games with friends. However, most PS3 games and pretty much the entire PS4 library of games are single player or have mediocre local co-op.

I think your red PS3 controller would look really cool next to mine. Red and Blue. The colors of Cole Mcgrath.

As for the PS4, meh. I am going to wait for a a bunch of really good games come out for it. Then, I will probably get one, if I have enough money.

As for your speakers, I think they are fine. Personally, I prefer really big bookshelf or wide floor standing speakers. Hey, at least you didn't get a HTIB of Bose cube speakers.

Just in general, yours looks a lot more professional.
 
i'm from the eastern united states myself.

fios = fiber optic service or optical internet. its well known in the states and pretty fast (though not as fast as some european carriers)
crunchyroll = anime streaming service. its available in multiple countries though content can vary from country to country.

netflix isnt bad however they tend to take awhile to get new content so it gets stale after awhile. definitely not terrible to sign up for a few months then quit and then join a few months later though.
 
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