The home theater receiver does the audio decoding of the incoming signal. If you select Bitstream as the HDMI audio output setting for a Blu-ray player, the player bypasses its internal Dolby and DTS audio decoders and sends the undecoded signal to your HDMI-connected home theater receiver.
PCM VS DOLBY DIGITAL SOUND BAR FULL
A digital optical or digital coaxial cable does not have sufficient bandwidth capacity to transfer a decoded, uncompressed, full surround audio signal like an HDMI connection can. However, here is what happens when you choose either setting.įor digital optical and coaxial connections, while the bitstream output option can send a standard Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 surround sound signal to a receiver for decoding, the PCM option sends a two-channel signal. In terms of sound quality, whether you set the device (Blu-ray Disc player or another device) HDMI audio output PCM or Bitstream does not matter, generally speaking. Others still do not know which option to choose or which is best for them.įor audio, if you connect a device (Blu-ray Disc player, Ultra HD Blu-ray disc players or other similar devices) to a home theater receiver via HDMI, there are two main audio output settings available: Bitstream vsPCM (which is similar, but not equal, to LPCM). When it comes to setting up an audio system, in the discussion PCM vs Bitstream, people often confuse LPCM and PCM with Bitstream. Without speakers, the DTS and Dolby option will sound looser than PCM losing quality in the volume and smaller sounds.
This is my personal view and I do not have actual evidence retrieved. For me, PCM is for those who do not use speakers or play with headphones. PCM gets the sound directly from your console without having to go through a home theater to get it right. IN THE UPPER LEFT OF THE PICTURE, SEE THE PCM VS BITSTREAM OPTION. In terms of actual audio quality, it does not matter if the HDMI audio output from your Blu-ray Disc player is set to PCM or Bitstream. In terms of the actual audio quality, whether you have the audio output configured via HDMI to PCM or Bitstream is not important.įor audio, if you connect your Blu-ray Disc player to your home theater receiver via HDMI, there are two main audio output settings available: Bitstream and PCM (similar to LPCM, but not the same thing). In terms of the actual audio quality, whether you have the audio output configured via HDMI to PCM or Bitstream is not important ( 11). If you have your player connected to the AV receiver via HDMI, there are 2 main audio output settings available: Bitstream and PCM ( 9). Players (we include Blu-ray players or any kind of player) have various options for audio and video output settings, depending on how the player is physically connected to the AV receiver ( 10 ). Likewise, we will also mention a few cases where the PCM vs Bitstream discussion has relevance ( 5) ( 6) and you should care about it ( 7) ( 8). We will discuss below the evidence that we have to demonstrate it ( 3) ( 4). In this update, we can certify that for the users, there is practically no noticeable difference in quality between PCM and Bitstream ( 1) ( 2). Playstation Specific Case For Bitstream And PCM