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How To Properly Set Up Your Sony PS3 as a Blu-Ray Player

122K views 32 replies 18 participants last post by  dangerbeard 
#1 ·
How To Properly Set Up Your Sony PS3 as a Blu-Ray Player

Sony's PS3 uses a menu interface called XrossMediaBar (XMB™). Along the horizontal row are the categories and the the vertical rows contain the sub menu items.


You'll want to navigate to 'Settings' in the Horizontal row. Then navigate down to 'Video Settings'. There are several items that will need attention here. We will list each and our recommended setting.

Video Settings



BD Internet Connection

When you put a blu-ray disc in, your PS3 will connect to the internet to look for updated content for that particular disc.

Recommended - Allow



BD/DVD Cinema Conversion

If the video content has been recorded using the interlaced format, this option allows you to select how the PS3 will convert the content. This will mainly apply to DVD content. Automatic will allow the PS3 to detect and select the best conversion mode automatically.

Recommended - Automatic



BD/DVD Upscaler

Content that has been encoded using the standard definition format can be upscaled. But which one to choose? There are four options here. Off is self explanatory. Double Scale will double the horizontal and vertical resolutions. This can result in a softer, blurry look to the content. Full Screen stretches the content to fit. Normal will set the conversion to match your screen size.

Recommended - Normal



BD/DVD Video Output Format (HDMI)

One of the settings under this menu item is labeled 'Automatic'. Normally you would think that this would be the best option but in this case it isn't. There have been reports of the PS3 having difficulty determining what the color space should be set to. Therefore it's best to set the color space according to the display you are using - RGB for a monitor and Y Pb/Cb Pr/Cr for a HDTV.

Recommended - Y Pb/Cb Pr/Cr for TVs, RGB for PC monitors.



BD 1080p 24 Hz Output (HDMI)

This relates to the frame rate or refresh rate of your display. Blu-ray generally delivers 24 frames per second. But your display may not support this rate. Therefore it's best to set this option to 'Automatic' and let the PS3 decide what the best option is for your display.

Recommended - Automatic



BD/DVD Dynamic Range Control

This control concerns audio, particularly when you are watching a blu-ray at a low volume level. What it is supposed to do is boost the dialogue portion of the sound. However it has been found to boost other portions as well. Therefore we recommend leaving this option 'Off'.

Recommended - Off



BD/DVD Audio Output Format (HDMI)

Recommended - Linear PCM (PS3 Fat)
Recommended - Bitstream (PS3 Slim)


BD/DVD Audio Output Format (Optical Digital)

Recommended - Bitstream


Display Settings

Navigate out of Video Settings and go down to Display Settings.



RGB Full Range (HDMI)

Limited conforms to the HD video standard, 16-235.

Recommended - Limited



Y Pb/Cb Pr/Cr Super-White (HDMI)

This setting will give you deeper blacks and brighter whites if your display supports a Y Pb/Cb Pr/Cr signal via HDMI. Even if your display doesn't it won't cause any undue effect.

Recommended - On

 
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#2 ·
Thanks for the guide. I've often wondered about some of those settings (super white). Quick question, why the different hdmi audio recommendations for slim and original? I assume all these recommendations come from trial and error, is there actually an audible difference here? Anywho, thanks again.
 
#4 ·
yeah, in the end it will be pcm anyway, but people like to see the little light on the front of the avr that says "DTS Master Audio" or "Dolby Digital TrueHD", which means the avr is decoding the raw audio stream (bitstream) into pcm. The Fat PS3 cannot pass this stream, so it will decode it and pass it to the avr as pcm. You should hear the same quality regardless :D Thanks to the OP for this post.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for taking the time to do all the screen shots. I think I have all of those settings but I'll check when I get home tonight.

I have the older PS3 fat 60GB and HDMI so I use the LPCM as the audio output format.. I hope that the audio quality is not affected in any way when the "DTS Master Audio" or "Dolby Digital TrueHD" signals are converted to LPCM as caper26 stated.. I'd rather not have to get an OPPO BR player..
 
#9 ·
I prefer to keep the Internet Connection to "not allow" since it slows down the load time of the disc and I have no desire to download pics, wallpapers, etc for the movie I'm about to watch. So if you are like me and don't care about those things turn it off for faster load/access.
I also prefer to set the 1080p/24 to "on" since some discs will not automatically output at 24 when they 'can'. For the records I have the original FAT PS3.
 
#12 ·
HTip said:
Deep color (12 bits) was a nice initiative but in my opinion not more than that. To my knowledge there isn't one BD that supports deep color and all movies are 8 bit color depth.

So, like mechman said, auto would be fine. It will be off either way ;)
I've hon back and forth with deep color. On the one hand it's supposed to eliminate some banding in color gradients but it's not to rec-709 spec so it is enherantly not to spec. That said I've seen little difference to the naked eye. I leave it off.
 
#20 ·
First, thanks so much for this post. I was about to lose my mind trying to figure out why all my videos looked so dark... that "RGB Full Range" setting made a huge difference. Can't believe I missed that all this time...

One addition: you suggest setting for bitstream audio output. That is a good idea IF your receiver supports all the lossless codecs. Mine does not, so that setting would cause the PS3 to pass the DTS or AC3 stream instead of the lossless streams. That does work, and it makes the happy lights turn on, but I think it is better to let the PS3 decode the lossless stream to PCM in this case where the receiver is older and missing the proper decoders. So, I've kept the setting to PCM, allowing the PS3 to do the first decode step, so I can use the lossless audio tracks.

Thanks again, great documentation.
 
#21 ·
Well finely finished the Move to Navarre Fl. and competed the million chores needed doing in the new place. I bought a new TV. A Panasonic ST60 60 inch Plasma. I reset the PS3 slim to these settings and it is great.

Thank You one more time I'm a happy camper.
 
#23 ·
2 possible options here.
1st if your Yamaha has HDMI then I would pass audio and video though it.

2nd if it does not then you should go into audio settings and set primary audio to optical. If you don't do this then your optical will only pass stereo and not surround.
 
#26 ·
I haven't found an official comparison, but I did a comparison at a friends house who had both a PS3 and a PS4 connected to his projector and watched scenes from the same Blu rays on both and honestly I couldn't tell a difference. However, that could be because of his projector just being 720p (BenQ W770ST).
 
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