Audio Connections on NextGen Consoles? *spawn*

orangpelupa

Elite Bug Hunter
Legend
News on arstechnica.com, xsx won't have optical audio port /toslink /spdif. Also no IR.

Remote function will be done via hdmi cec.

No info on the real-time audio encoding codec.
 
News on arstechnica.com, xsx won't have optical audio port /toslink /spdif. Also no IR.

Remote function will be done via hdmi cec.

No info on the real-time audio encoding codec.

The leaked photo clearly showed an optical port, I think it was even labelled spdif.
 
Do people still use that widely? One of my recievers has it but that ones old.

thats the issue. Sound systems basically lasts forever. Even the 10+ years old ones probably still sounds as good as new. and with 3D audio renaissance coming with next-gen, even old 5.1ch sound system could get even better sound locality.

Sure you can use HDMI to TV to Optical. But TVs usually adds additional lag, even in "hdmi audio to optical pass thru" mode. According to comments on arstechica, even expensive TVs like LG OLED series still adds audio lag.
 
It potentially adds even more headache if you want to look for the ones that able to keep not only 4K but also HDR, VRR, etc. Also not sure it adds additional lag or not.

Nonsense, If you're running 4K you're going to have a 4K capable AVR or an AVR with ARC/eARC or should get one.
 
i though we were talking about HDMI audio extractor

That's for the people who refuse to update to the mid 2010s. Then you said what about 4K so if they're updating to 4K they need to at least update their AVR/Soundbar too. No sense in keeping their gimped equipment that they shouldn't have bought in the first place. People who cobble together crappy equipment will eventually have to face reality and either spend $15-$25 for a solution to limp on by or power-up and replace it with something that isn't already obsoleted.
 
That's for the people who refuse to update to the mid 201x's. Then you said what about 4K so if they're updating to 4K they need to at least update their AVR/Soundbar too. No sense in keeping their gimped equipment that they shouldn't have bought in the first place. People who cobble together crappy equipment will eventually have to face reality and either spend $15-$25 for a solution to limp on by or power-up and replace it with something that isn't already obsoleted.

sound systems have ridiculously long life span. It doesn't matter whether you have crappy or audiophile-grade surround system, it usually will still sounds as good despite the age. Even if its broken, it usually still can be fixed again and again and again. So there's no reason to upgrade sound system to the new shiny stuff. Even less reason to upgrade if your old sound system is audiophile-grade or THX certified and calibrated, etc and its already sounds godly.

looking at ars comments, it seems even people with expensive TV like LG OLED TV still use surround sound system with optical audio. They probabaly have audiophile-grade surround sound system, as they able to afford expensive stuff like LG OLED TV.

then, if you do upgrade from 5.1ch to atmos with height speakers, it could be a real pain to setup depending on the design of the structure of your home (is ceiling easily accessible?), the interior design, etc. Should be relatively simple if you upgrade from 5.1ch to 5.1ch tho, as nowadays there are wireless rear speakers. So you can just plops them in the old locations. You probably just need to do sound calibration, nothing else.

But then if you already have 5.1ch, why upgrade to 5.1ch that could potentially sound just the same as your old sets that works just fine, or... sounds even worse. So go straight to atmos.

I'm sure MS already have the audio usage statistics.
So its probably that most people only use 2ch, and those that use surround sound systems probably are people with new sets with HDMI audio, or rich enough (they probably can tie console audio device usage to content ownership or spending on ms store) to have the money to throw away (or sell or gift) their old system and buy new ones and hire professional installer and audio calibrator.


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Now what i'm not sure is, does this means Xbox Series X will only able to ouputs LPCM and Atmos over HDMI? Then not only those with historical stone-age sets are screwed, but those with HDMI input (but no atmos support) could be too. Because HDMI LPCM has been limited to stereo for years. Only sets in 2020 or end of 2019 have 7.1ch over HDMI LPCM AFAIK.
 
You dont have to upgrade to new shiny stuff, you just have to get something that doesnt scream "orangelupa didn't follow advice and cheaped out to get obsolete equipment from over a decade ago" to be able to use audio with your brand new 4K HDMI only TV setup. Or buy a $15 to $25 adapter that works well enough until you can afford to get decent equipment this side of the decade.
 
You dont have to upgrade to new shiny stuff, you just have to get something that doesnt scream "orangelupa didn't follow advice and cheaped out to get obsolete equipment from over a decade ago" to be able to use audio with your brand new 4K HDMI only TV setup. Or buy a $15 to $25 adapter that works well enough until you can afford to get decent equipment this side of the decade.

I was not talking about new sound system purchasers https://forum.beyond3d.com/posts/2112267/

If upgrading, we still dont know we must buy new shiny stuff or we can "get something that doesnt scream "orangelupa didn't follow advice and cheaped out to get obsolete equipment from over a decade ago" ". Need to wait for more info from MS for the audio codecs XSX will output for video games. If it only outputs surround sound in LPCM or/and Atmos, then you'll need new shiny stuff. Not just "something that doesnt scream "orangelupa didn't follow advice and cheaped out to get obsolete equipment from over a decade ago" ".

Searched "surround sound system" on amazon, and got this 400dollarsh-ish https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-Yht-4...=sourround+sound+system&qid=1584662960&sr=8-2 as the first result. It does not support Atmos for surround, but it supports eARC (no support for HDR10+ and only 4K up to 60p). So it should supports surround over LPCM. That's the catch, so you also need

1. Audio output device that supports eARC. I assume XSX will support eARC (and it will replace all media player in your home). Curren-gen stuff like PS4 pro or GeForce RTX didnt support eARC.
2. TV that supports eARC (AFAIK for LG, it starts with the 2019 model, e.g. LG OLED series 9). Otherwise you are forced to go from audio output device to sound system, then to TV, instead of having freedom to connect to TV then to sound system or to sound system then to TV. Depending on the device you currently had and connected, this could be a simple 1-2 cable thing, or a headache.

If Xbox Series X still supports outputting video games with old codecs made for old 5.1ch SPDIF (dolby digital, dolby digital plus, DTS), then even something from 20+ years ago will still work by using optical audio port on TV. No need to get HDMI audio extractor with unknown compatibility and latency. While newer (but old) stuff with HDMI 1.4 at minimum IIRC, will be able to use HDMI ARC for surround (via dolby digital, dolby digital plus, DTS).

EDIT:
sorry got a few things swapped, also added more details.
 
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and Xbox won't offer a second HDMI out for audio either, now it has to go through the TV which is not the same as a direct link between xbox and audio receiver.
 
Not an issue at all for ARC or eARC on AVRs or even those $15-$25 adapter boxes.
 
and Xbox won't offer a second HDMI out for audio either, now it has to go through the TV which is not the same as a direct link between xbox and audio receiver.

audio will all be handheld thru HDMI eARC for late 2019 to 2020 TVs and sound systems (dunno what year, maybe also late 2019-2020 ?), assuming XSX will support eARC. No HDMI splitter needed.

What not so sure is whether XSX will also supports encoding games to older codecs that are needed for HDMI ARC to deliver surround sound. HDMI ARC has been on the market for years, i think for more than 5 years. But the implementations are still all over the place (sometimes the TV wont pass thru surround DD to sound system via HDMI, sometimes the tv will add too much audio lag, etc). In this case, a HDMI splitter wont help. Need HDMI box with Ac3 encoder.

all of this surround audio issues wont be an issue for anyone buying the majority of 2020 stuff for all their media chain, as it all will come with eARC that supports 7.1ch LPCM. In 2021 probably eARC will be on everything.

EDIT:
Using XSX as media player wont be an issue. as it will simply pass thru the encoded audio. Assuming the TV can properly pass thru the encoded audio to your surround sound system.
 
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I have a pioneer elite thx certified 7.1 system that sounds fantastic. It's running as well as the day I bought it. It supports HDMI but nothing higher than 1080p. If HDMI is required and optical out from tv is borked, simply buy an hdmi breakout box. It's much less expensive than replacing a $2000+ receiver. Audio should be a longer term investment than a tv. Display tech moves at a far more rapid pace.

BTW I have a b7 oled, and no lag issues using optical out.

A breakout box that supports hdmi 2.0 for less than $100. Hdmi 2.1 spec boxes will be out by next gen
https://www.amazon.ca/EZCOO-Rackmou...DMI+Audio+Extractor+hdr&qid=1584677874&sr=8-5
 
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