2015-10-30, 12:22
(2015-10-29, 23:23)Eserim Wrote: So, now I have learnt that PCM channels doesn't equal speakers, any thoughts on the Pi Solution? If I get a Pi would it send 5.1 PCM via the optical link?
The SPDIF standard used for optical and Coax connections only supports PCM 2.0 or DD/DTS bitstreamed audio. You can't send 5.1 PCM over a standard optical connection.
To carry 5.1 audio over an optical connection this will need to be in a compressed DD or DTS format. Kodi offers the option of transcoding non-DD/DTS content to DD to allow 5.1 audio not in DD/DTS format to be output in DD 5.1 (so AAC 5.1, FLAC 5.1, PCM 5.1 etc. content will be output as DD 5.1). Because Kodi is re-encoding the audio, the volume can be altered.
(When you are just doing a straight passthrough and playing a DD or DTS track you can't alter the audio volume within Kodi - as you don't have access to the decoded audio, you need to decode the audio to do this. Though if you are using HDMI - which you aren't - and are feeding an AVR with CEC - which you aren't - Kodi can remotely control the Amps volume via CEC when playing bitstreamed audio)