Understanding playable PS3 media formats

[GLE3]

This is what is currently listed:

MPEG-1 (MPEG Audio Layer 2)
MPEG-2 PS (MPEG2 Audio Layer 2, AAC LC, AC3(Dolby Digital), LPCM)
MPEG-2 TS (MPEG2 Audio Layer 2)
VC-1 (.wmv)
AVCHD (.m2ts / .mts)
AVI[50]
DivX, DivX VOD
XviD
Motion JPEG (Linear PCM)
Motion JPEG (μ-Law)
MP4 Video
MP4 via DivX AVI
MP4 SP
MP4 AVC / MP4 H.264
DVD Video (region locked)
BD Video format on Blu-ray disc (region locked)
BD Video format on DVD-ROM


My question comes in with the H.264 codec. I know the PS3 doesn't natively support mkv, which is a popular file container for H.264. Since it doesn't, what did Sony expect you to carry the codec in? As far as I know, avi can't hold H.264. What else can, other than mkv?

[guns1inger]

MP4, M2TS can both handle H264 with either AAC or AC3 audio. M2TS can also handle DTS audio.

AVI can hold H264, although I am not sure how widespread the support for it is.

I generally use the MP4 container because the size overhead for M2TS is rather large.

[yoda313]

I generally use the MP4 container because the size overhead for M2TS is rather large

Is there official support for ac3/dts 5.1 in mp4 yet? This might be a concern to the op if surround sound is desired. I believe the only current support for surround in mp4 is aac 5.1. However if you have an older amp that isn't hdmi you probably won't get 5.1 out of aac 5.1.

I read in a post awhile ago that mp4 was going to support ac3/dts. I don't know if this has happened yet and I don't know if the ps3 is going to play in that game either.

[guns1inger]

MP4 supports AC3 and has for quite some time. Quite a few converters are still to catch up on this, however.

I know that M2TS certainly works well with surround systems over HDMI or optical connections.

I will have to look and see if I have any 5.1AC MP4 to confirm it. I am pretty sure I did test this a while back though.

[yoda313]

@guns1inger - that is good news about mp4/ac3. However does the ps3 recognize that as well? If not than it doesn't help the poster. But it is good to know in general.