On the back of the PS2 model SCPH-5001/N there is an optical digital output. What does it do, how can i use it

Question

itz smallish and i hav no clue y itz there. but id lyk 2 learn

Answer 1

First you will need a fibre optic audio (aka TOSLink) cable. Considering that the data carried over the cable is digital, any brand of cable should do as there should be no perceivable difference in quality.

You'll then need something to plug that cable into -- most likely a home theatre receiver -- that offers optical inputs. Connecting and using the cable is no different than using your standard RCA cables.

If you already have a receiver that offers optical inputs, then the investment is nothing more than price of an optical cable. They're a bit on the expensive side as far as cables go I suppose, but you should be able to find something reasonable -- obviously stay clear of Monster brand cables if money is an issue.

Why would you want to use the optical connection? It can deliver better quality as it isn't susceptable to electrical interference or noise, and it is required to make use of any of the digital surround sound formats like Dolby Digital or DTS.

Is it worth it for the PS2?

If you use it as a DVD player and you have a 5.1 speaker setup then you definitely want to use the optical connection to take advantage of the Dolby Digital and/or DTS sound. You're missing out if you're watching movies in bland stereo.

If you only use your PS2 for games then I think it's questionable whether it is truly worth it. I would say that 99% of the games use Dolby Pro Logic, which is an analog method of encoding surround sound audio into two normal stereo channels. This means that it can also be carried over normal RCA stereo cables as well -- the optical connection is not required. As long as you connect your PS2 to something that supports Dolby Pro Logic, you can take advantage of surround sound from your games that support it regardless of which connection you use.

There were a few titles that supported Dolby Digital 5.1 during the cutscenes only (ie. Metal Gear Solid 2), and a few years ago there were some games that supported DTS in-game (ie. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City), but support for either format seems to have faded away. You would need the optical connection to take advantage of the digital audio from those games. Personally, I don't feel these titles justify using the optical connection on their own.

Answer 2

You would hook an optical toslink cable into it. The other end would hook into one of the newer sound systems that support dolby digital. The PS2 sends an optical signal through the cable with Dolby Digital or Dolby Pro Logic, most new DVD players have the same thing in the back. The system would generally be a surround sound system. On a decent system with the digital output enabled in the PS2 menu the sound is awesome.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOSLINK