# Audio settings for PS3 to HDTV **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 30, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-settings-for-ps3-to-hdtv/775907 "2016-12-30T17:36:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dante\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@Dante\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante_G)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-settings-for-ps3-to-hdtv/775907/1 "2016-12-30T17:36:09Z")
Ok, I’m not a huge tech geek, but I can get by, so just go easy on me. I have a PS3 that I use for gaming sometimes, but more recently for streaming Netflix. I also use it as a DVD player sometimes. I have it hooked up to my HDTV via an HDMI and the picture is awesome, so no problem there. The issue is with sound quality. What settings should I use so that I can watch a movie and not have to turn up the volume past normal TV viewing levels just to hear dialogue? I was watching Capt. America Civil War last night on Netflix and had the volume up to 18 to ensure I could hear all the dialogue. I’ve watched TV shows on Netflix as well and they usually only require volume of 12-14. If I watch TV period with just my cable, the volume doesn’t need to be any higher than 10-12 for good listening. Can someone guide through what I need to set my PS3 to for good sound? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-settings-for-ps3-to-hdtv/775907/2 "2016-12-30T17:48:05Z")
The problem is not your settings, it’s the way the audio has been mixed. This article may help you, depending on what settings are available on your TV: > **[Why Is the Dialogue So Quiet on My HDTV?](https://www.howtogeek.com/218949/htg-explains-why-the-dialogue-on-your-hdtv-is-too-quiet/)** > > We’ve all been there: the characters on screen are talking and it’s way too quiet so you crank up the volume only to be blasted by a loud explosion two seconds later. Why is the dialogue so quiet and what can you do to fix it? Read on as we show you... ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-settings-for-ps3-to-hdtv/775907/3 "2016-12-30T20:51:28Z")
Huh. I’d been wondering about this for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Dante\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@Dante\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante_G)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-settings-for-ps3-to-hdtv/775907/4 "2016-12-30T21:21:56Z")
I’ve read that article before, but it didn’t really help much. I mean, what should I set the PS3’s audio settings to in order to get the best sound out of my TV. I shouldn’t have to go out and get a surround sound system just to have good sound. There has to be adjustments I can make to the audio settings on the PS3. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-settings-for-ps3-to-hdtv/775907/5 "2016-12-30T22:48:58Z")
> [@Dante\_G](#): > > I’ve read that article before, but it didn’t really help much. I mean, what should I set the PS3’s audio settings to in order to get the best sound out of my TV. I shouldn’t have to go out and get a surround sound system just to have good sound. There has to be adjustments I can make to the audio settings on the PS3. If you don’t have surround sound, the main thing in the article you want to read is about “downsampling” and “dynamic range compression”. These are settings that may be in your TV audio settings or your PS3 settings. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-settings-for-ps3-to-hdtv/775907/6 "2016-12-31T10:55:44Z")
I doubt there are any settings on the PS3 other than to tell it to send a stereo mix rather than a surround mix. (Try that, if you haven’t yet.) What model of TV is it? ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-settings-for-ps3-to-hdtv/775907/7 "2016-12-31T18:26:08Z")
2.0 Stereo (2 speakers) is it if that is all your TV has. If you get a wiz-bang amp, then you can add 5.5, 5.1 EX, 7.1, DTS, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Dante\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@Dante\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante_G)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-settings-for-ps3-to-hdtv/775907/8 "2017-01-03T19:05:31Z")
Right now it’s set to the 2.0 setting and that was what the PS3 auto detected. It’s connected to a Sansui 32" HDTV. No fancy sound system, just the 2 speakers the TV has. Playing games and watching TV is fine, but its the movies and DVD’s that I watch on the PS3 thats got the soft dialogue. Should I turn OFF the DNR and Dynamic Noise feature? ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/audio-settings-for-ps3-to-hdtv/775907/9 "2017-01-03T19:23:13Z")
The DVD/video playing software has an audio volume setting. Play a movie, press Triangle, go to the speaker, put it at 0 though, that’s only for playback of movies… that won’t do anything for video games.