PlayStation 3 Goes TrueHD for Blu-ray Playback

Following weeks of rumors, Dolby has confirmed the surround capabilities built into Sony's next-gen game console.

As expected, the Blu-ray player built into the PS3 will support both Dolby TrueHD as well as Dolby Digital. For games, the console will support interactive Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.

Developed exclusively for high-def disc-based consumer media, Dolby TrueHD made waves with early adopters a few weeks back when it was first made available via a firmware upgrade to Toshiba's first-gen HD DVD players. Its inclusion in the PS3 should give the format a well-needed boost.

Of course, first we'll need some Blu-ray discs that actually carry TrueHD tracks -- so far, no Blu-ray supporting studios have released any disc titles featuring the lossless audio format. That's unlike rival HD DVD, which has seen the inclusion of Dolby TrueHD on a number of well-received disc titles, including 'Training Day,' 'The Perfect Storm' and 'Troy.' Hopefully now that the PS3 is officially TrueHD-capable, the extra incentive will be there for Blu-ray-supporting content providers to begin embracing the high-def audio format.