Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today introduced a new, more dynamic look and faster, more fluid navigation to PLAYSTATION(R)Store for PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)). As part of the revamp, PLAYSTATION Store, previously a Web-based storefront, now lives natively as an application on the PS3 system, dramatically improving navigation speed. PS3 users can now more quickly and seamlessly shop, purchase and download...

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Of more interest to me, the update also added decoding of DTS HD MA (i.e., outputs LCPM). General consensus is that PS3 is hardware constrained and will never "bitstream" the two lossless codecs. However, the result between LCPM and bitstream should be the same.

The new PS3 store is undeniably a step forward in its clarity of organization and functionality as compared to its previous incantation. There was one minor hiccup with downloading it on my system however. After completing the download I found that I had lost my wireless (Lynksys) connection used for the download. Restarting the PS3 solved the problem.

However, the result between LCPM and bitstream should be the same.

From an upcoming HD DVD player review...

The HD-A35 provided my first opportunity to directly compare the native bitstream to converted PCM. While PCM decoding should be identical in theory, the reality is upon entering your A/V receiver it will be sliced and diced yet again so it can be applied to your room correction and speaker setup which is part and parcel of any HT sound system. One of the annoying attributes of analog multi-channel inputs was the fact that you could not typically perform those functions at the receiver and the player lacked the in depth adjustments as a substitute. Those receivers that could perform those functions had to convert the analog back into digital for the slicing and dicing adding another process to degrade the sound. By being able to pass on the native bitstream from the disc to the receiver, processing steps get bypassed providing the potential for superior performance.

Based on testing, that is what my ears experienced. The difference was not dramatic but it did exist. The best description is slightly more of everything as if a slight veil had been removed between my ears and the speakers. Like SD DVD, if you are looking for the best in sound, native bitstream decoding by your A/V receiver is the future!
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