Optical out on PS2 work with IIDX?

[Soldatoj57]

Guys, I Know I read this somewhere, but can't find it now...does the optical out work on the PS2 IIDX games? How about 5.1 surround?

[rmz]

Optical yes, 5.1 no. All of the IIDX games output in standard Stereo.

[Compass]

Do people run the optical cable straight to their stereo? Or to the TV, and then from there to the stereo? Any advantages/disadvantages to doing it either way? I'm not sure my SD Sony TV has optical inputs/outputs, so I'll likely have to go straight to the stereo. But I'm concerned there will be lag.

And where can you get a super long optical cable? I'll need one at least ten feet long to reach from my PS2 to my stereo.

[Opethian]

the optical out on the PS2 only outputs audio on DVD movies (dolby 5.1/DTS)
in games it only uses the RCA audio

[Compass]

Eh? There was someone on here recently saying how much crisper IIDX sounded after switching to optical.

[eggnog fan #83]

optical does work with games -- if the game has no digital/dts/etc support (no IIDX games do as of yet,) it will output in PCM 2.1. it does sound better; "crisper" is a perfect term. you may or may not need to enable optical audio in your PS2's settings beforehand.

optical audio cables can be VERY expensive though. i'd consider moving your PS2 closer to your receiver prior to buying a 10+ ft. cable, which would probably run you around $40-50. and to answer your question, the cable should run directly to your receiver from your PS2.

but it's worth it. optical audio + receiver (headphone amp) + excellent headphones = the best IIDX you'll ever hear.

[rmz]

Originally Posted by Opethian

the optical out on the PS2 only outputs audio on DVD movies (dolby 5.1/DTS)
in games it only uses the RCA audio

bzzzt

Like the previous poster said, all IIDX games output to the optical port as well, even if it's only in two-channel.

My PS2 goes straight into my receiver (well, I don't really know of any TV's offhand that have optical in/out ports so I don't see any other option) and it sounds great for most games, and amazing for the ones that support Dolby Digital

[BabyRyoga]

The best way I can describe the sound difference when using optical with IIDX is louder, without losing any clarity. Yes, "crisp" sounds like a pretty accurate term.

Although IIDX is not mastered for 5.1 or anything other than stereo sound, there is an obvious jump in sound quality with newer versions. It becomes way more apparent if you use the optical out.

[Soldatoj57]

Nice new avatar rmz, and as always, you come to the rescue
One more thing--any lag to adjust to using optical straight to receiver?

[rmz]

Originally Posted by Soldatoj57

One more thing--any lag to adjust to using optical straight to receiver?

It depends. Most receivers have different processing modes, and some have digital sound processing (DSP) lag, some don't.

My receiver has a little "DSP" light that illuminates whenever DSP is activated so I know which modes not to use while playing Bemani. If I just use standard Stereo it doesn't use DSP so there's no lag.

[Dreamcube017]

It might be on BMUS but I KNOW it's on SuperNOVA, (Kind of off topic, but I have to ask.) Why is there a Dolby Logic II option there? Is Dolby Logic II 5.1 or just a nicer stereo?

[rmz]

Originally Posted by Dreamcube017

It might be on BMUS but I KNOW it's on SuperNOVA, (Kind of off topic, but I have to ask.) Why is there a Dolby Logic II option there? Is Dolby Logic II 5.1 or just a nicer stereo?

To my knowledge, Dolby ProLogic is a way to emulate surround sound from just standard Stereo. The Wii uses Dolby ProLogic to simulate 5.1 surround sound while only using 2-channel stereo output from the console.

SuperNOVA has Pro Logic support, but no Beatmania games ever have. ProLogic processing generally adds slight lag, though, so for Beatmania that would be a bad thing :P

[Starscream1215]

Yeah that's right rmz, ProLogic is just a simulated Surround Sound version, and yeah it does cause a bit of lag. Not a whole lot, I'd say in the neighborhood of 20-40ms worth, but in a game that demands as much precision as IIDX does, it will bite you later.


For the guy that was wondering how much of a differnce optical does as opposed to the standard A/V inputs:

The difference between optical and standard A/V is basically the audio equivalent of using a Component cable (RGB) instead of a Composite (single Yellow). The audio, like the video, is FAR crisper, cleaner, and much more vibrant. It's much easier to pick out the different sound channels, and frankly will likely lead to better scores.

Basically, I play with Component and Optical....I had to unhook my receiver because I was rearranging my room. I was too lazy to hook the receiver up and just jacked a regular set of RW/Y cables into the side of the TV to play...I made it through one song before I said "Alright...that's not working" and hooked everything back up.

Optical and Component are the Nectar and Ambrosia of IIDX =P

[Dreamcube017]

Well seeing as I don't think my stereo has those, I'll have do make due... although I think my Sound Blaster card has that on it.

[tora]

Originally Posted by Starscream1215

Optical and Component are the Nectar and Ambrosia of IIDX =P

In regards to music gaming, and IIDX especially, I've found S-Video cables to be much much more effective in delivering a very crisp and clean picture.

But that's just my little 2 cents.