To start off with, this isn’t a question about the Plex Media Server, or the transcoding or bitstreaming of AC3 etc. This is a question about how the PS3 Plex app configures the PS3 to output audio. I have one major problem, and one minor problem.
First. When playing media which is 2 channels, currently the PS3 Plex app outputs this as Multi-Channel PCM. This causes my receiver to switch into Multi-Channel PCM mode, which means I can’t to Dolby Pro-Logic. This really sucks, because I’m forced to listen to the 2 channel audio in stereo mode basically, and it is impossible to use the center speaker in this set up.
Second. When playing media which is AC3, the PS3 Plex app outputs this also as Multi-Channel PCM. This was common on the PS3 back in the fat PS3 days when bitstreaming was not available on the PS3. But since my PS3 does support bitstreaming of AC3 etc. It would be nice for the PS3 Plex App to output the audio as a bitstream so like above I could run Dolby Pro-Logic IIx on it. (Among other benefits of having the bitstream go all the way to the receiver.)
Like I said the first is a major issue for me, is mostly making the PS3 App very difficult to use, since I can’t listen to my movies which are encoded in 2 channel audio via Dolby Pro-logic to get some surround back from them. The second is is more of a nice-to-have, but since I’m actually getting surround sound it isn’t horrible, just a little constraining.
The Netflix app is a great example of how I’d like to output to work. Bitstreaming AC3 etc, and outputting 2 channel PCM otherwise.
