Audio Dropping on PSX games via optical cable

[Cloud121]

So I was playing some NBA Shootout 97 (I'm a huge sucker for old sports games) on my recently purchased SCPH-90001 Slim PS2 tonight, and noticed that the audio was dropping a lot with the announcer. Whenever the announcer would say a player's name, the game would go silent for the duration of the announcement.

Puzzled, I decided to put in GameDay 98, and it was doing the same with the announcing and the QB cadence. I then remembered this happened last week when I was testing Chrono Cross (apparently CC doesn't play well with the 90001 series PS2 during the final battle). The audio would drop out for just a second every now and then in Chrono Cross. The audio also crackles, quite a bit too when recovering from the silence.

A few possible ideas:

My sound bar does not support Dolby Digital at all. Only PCM (The Xbox 360 automatically sets it to Dolby Digital when playing a standard def disc, and therefore no sound. HD DVDs play fine). Vizio has a newer model out that does support DD that I am interested in.

I'm playing my PSX games via an optical cable. Obviously the PSX never had an optical out, so the software is doing something it necessarilly wasn't meant for. Though the same could be said for Component cables on the PS2, but there's no issues there that I know of.

Could possibly be my new powered optical switcher I purchased last week. My Xbox 360, Blu Ray player, and PS2 are all connected to this and have had no problems at all. They sound absolutely incredible connected optically to my sound bar via this switcher.


I'll test tomorrow with my original 30001R model from December 2001, see if that has the same issue. I bought the slim though for it's small design and progressive playback (It's the best standard def player of my three disc players). Anyone else have a similar problem, and/or possibly know what's going on?


Did some more tests with the previous sports games. They sound perfectly fine when playing through the component cable analog audio, and passing through the TV via optical cable (I have a four way optical switcher. Input 1 is my 360, Input 2 is my Blu Ray player, Input 3 is my PS2, and Input 4 is my TV). Though it sounds quite a bit quieter when passing through the TV.


A very minor inconvenience yes, but I'm still curious about this. I want to say it's partially due to the fact I'm playing PSX games via an optical cable?

[theclaw]

Well some N64 and even SNES games had ways to emulate surround sound. It isn't much of a stretch to think PSX might also.

[isufje]

I believe you have to modify your console for Digital Audio. http://nfggames.com/forum2/index.php?topic=3858.0
I've never done an Audio Mod, but from what I gather, it's RGB for the Ears.

[Cloud121]

I'm playing the games on a PS2, not a PSX. Just to clarify.

[theclaw]

I can't help either way. I don't know the technical side of how PS2 implemented PSX audio.

[wiggyx]

I'm playing my PSX games via an optical cable. Obviously the PSX never had an optical out, so the software is doing something it necessarilly wasn't meant for. Though the same could be said for Component cables on the PS2, but there's no issues there that I know of.

It'd be less confusing if you just say PS1 and PS2 and not PSX. The PSX nomenclature made sense when there was no PS2/3, but not anymore. Of course, if you're actually playing on an honest to goodness PSX, then that's a different story.

The PS2 was designed with component video in mind. In fact, the games that make full use of it look fantastic.

I imagine the difference between PS1 games that use redbook audio versus yellowbook could possibly be the issue. I'd test a few yellowbook games against some redbook titles and see if there are consistent issues with the yellowbook games when compared to the red.

I'm playing my PSX games via an optical cable. Obviously the PSX never had an optical out, so the software is doing something it necessarilly wasn't meant for. Though the same could be said for Component cables on the PS2, but there's no issues there that I know of.

What PS driver is loaded on your PS2?

[Kitsune Sniper]

I thought some games weren't compatible with the optical cable on purpose.

Stuff like Parappa The Rapper 2. Maybe that's the case?

[MarioMania]

It'd be less confusing if you just say PS1 and PS2 and not PSX. The PSX nomenclature made sense when there was no PS2/3, but not anymore. Of course, if you're actually playing on an honest to goodness PSX, then that's a different story.

The PS2 was designed with component video in mind. In fact, the games that make full use of it look fantastic.

I imagine the difference between PS1 games that use redbook audio versus yellowbook could possibly be the issue. I'd test a few yellowbook games against some redbook titles and see if there are consistent issues with the yellowbook games when compared to the red.



What PS driver is loaded on your PS2?

It stil bugs me to this day people keep saying PSX...I just use PS...

Like saying Xbox 1, just say Xbox, if people don't know what you talking about, there dumb

[TonyTheTiger]

Kinda hard to argue against PSX since, despite its oddity, it was the most common abbreviation until the slimline PSone hit. And old habits die hard.

Sony was just being really asinine when it used "PSX" for its PS2 DVR.

[wiggyx]

It made sense when the PS1 was still internally known as the PlayStation eXperimental, but that's about it. It became instantly antiquated nomenclature once the PS launched.

And, like you said, with the arrival of the PSX, it becomes even more of a PITA to be absolutely sure of what people mean when they use PSX.

Anyway, I'll try a few games myself later. I don't have any of the sports titles that you mention, but if you want to try a few other non-sports titles (I only own a couple of sports titles and they're all Hot Shots titles), then I'll see if they're in my collection and if I can reproduce the same audio issues that you're having in order to rule out a problem with the console or PS emulation version that your PS2 is running. I've got 3 PS2s that I can try out. I'm not sure which version of the PS2 firmware or PS emulation soft they each have, but I can obviously figure it out.