Help with psvr audio

[mannjon]

Title.

I have my PS4 Pro plugged directly into my TV to get the best video quality when I don't play VR. The port it is plugged into is a 4k 60 hz. I use an ARC plugged into a 4k compatible receiver and I have my TV, PS4 and receiver all set to Bitstream. It sounds great on my Xbox One, and even on the Pro when I play movies and even some games with good sound encoding.

However, when I use the psvr, the sound mode automatically switches back to PCM. I suspect the psvr switch box is the problem. Is the psvr not able to send a Bitstream signal back through the box? I'd really prefer for my receiver to do the encoding.

Anyone have a good setup for a 5.1 setup with psvr? Should I not use the ARC for psvr and go directly from the PS4 to my receiver? I'd like to avoid it because that would be a pain to switch out from games to movies.

[blackwiggle]

I've had to get a multi port 4K HDMI switch unit to run my two 4K sources [PS4 Pro and Panasonic 4K disc player] into HDMI 1 on the TV, as only HDMI ports 1&2 accept 4K signals on the TV, but port 2 also happens to operate as the TV out port/ ARC....which is a PITA.

Anyway, what that has meant is that I run the PS4 PRO into the 4K HDMI switch unit then into the HDMI 1 port on the TV, and use a optical cable for the sound into the HT amp...[All this could be avoided if I updated the HT Amp to one that had 4K pass through ] The Panasonic disc player run HDMI out into the HDMI switch unit for visuals, and it has a second HDMI out for Audio that I run into the HT amp.

I've always found that there is numerous ways to achieve the switching you want, but it tends to be dependent on the features on your HT amp and PS4 and TV on how well it all works.

IMHO I'd be firstly looking at the audio settings on the PS4 Pro to see if it can switch automatically to Bitstream out when it detects the PSVR is in use.
Failing that, I'd next be looking at setting up a specific 'SCENE' preset on your HT amp you can switch to when the PSVR is in use.
I'll have a look at my rig to see if I can find a away to do what you need, but as I mentioned, I have mine wired up differently, even though our systems are pretty similar.

I know what a huge PITA trouble shooting these sort of things can be, and even worse when you do eventually get it working the a system update on something changes it, especially since just about everything nowadays asks for internet access....My HT Amp, TV, PS4 and Panasonic disc player, as well as the PS3, PSTV and a laptop are all wired up for internet in my lounge room.[I don't like using wireless for quality reasons]

EDIT: I just had a look at the PS4 PRO and there are NO options for switching audio output type in the PSVR settings section.
BUT, on the PS4 go to settings > Audio output selection > Audio Format [Priority]....you then are given three options...Liner PCM, Bitstream Dolby, Bitstream DTS.....see what you have it set at ATM, you obviously want it to Bitsream DTS if your HT amp can do it.
The fact that the wording [Priority] after Audio Format gives me the feeling that even if you do have Bitstream already selected, or do so shortly, that the settings might still be allowed to be over ridden in some situations [what those situations might actually be is the big question, sensing that a PSVR is connected might be one of them]
Worth a try at least.

[mannjon]

Yeah I've already set the ps4 out to Bitstream. I think the psvr switch box degrades the bandwidth of the signal and forces a PCM connection despite what you configure.

You can change the settings in vr, but they appear grayed out which leads me to believe that the second generation vr unit can only output to PCM and is incapable of sending a Bitstream signal.

[blackwiggle]

Have you got a optical cable you can run from the PS4 to HT amp?
You'll need to change it in settings so audio isn't sent via HDMI.
Just use the HDMI direct to the TV for the visuals.
The switching to PCM might only happen if audio is sent via HDMI, so using a optical cable shouldn't be effected....in theory at least.

My biggest PITA with having a PSVR hooked up if if I want to watch a 3D Bluray, the PS4 won't send the visuals to the TV, it will always detect that a 3D disc is being asked to be played and only give the PSVR as the only available option to watch it on.......as if.

EDIT: I just tested the sound format using optical out from the PS4 Pro, and Bitstream 5.1 selected, as that's the best option I'm given in Audio settings via optical, no DTS etc options via optical strangely [probably a DRM/copy protection thing], this is with the PSVR helmet active and the Omega pack running......I'm not getting the PCM audio override happening, so this seems to be the work around if that's what your after.

[mannjon]

I was hoping to avoid using an optical out if possible. Just tried again. The receiver switched from Bitstream to PCM the instant I turned on the vr. When I turned it off it switched back to Bitstream.

So it seems that optical only way to not force a PCM audio out when in vr.

[blackwiggle]

I'm just trying to re-think possible causes of your problem.

It's got me thinking that if you just tried swapping HDMI inputs from the PS4/HT amp to TV, and visa versa, to one that took 4K input into the TV, but wasn't also the ARC HDMI port, you might not be get the Audio switching happening.

It only seems logical that this is a HDMI 'Handshaking " problem between source and HT amp, as it doesn't happen if optical audio is used, well at least with my rig.

I'm using a Yamaha HT receiver, maybe your brand of HT receiver works/[software] differently, and is the cause.