[esmesm]

Hi,

I just ordered a new HTPC based on i3-2120 for the purpose of running XBMC. I'll get it in a few days and in the meantime I'm reading all I can about XBMC to carefully choose my setup.
The machine is meant to be used with a standard AIM remote control, the on-board Intel HD Graphics card and a 3TB WD HDD. The catch: I have a DTS-HD capable receiver and I'd like to fully utilize it by bitstreaming anything possible.
I've been browsing through many forum entries, but since the "formal" support for bitstreaming HD audio was added just in Eden I was unable to get a clear up-to-date picture of the current situation. Many forum threads mention that DTS-HD and TruHD streaming is possible only in Win7 and won't work in Ubuntu, is this still relevant? Also many threads mention audio dropouts and lag in the Windows version, is still also still relevant? (I'm moving to XBMC specifically because I can't stand the dropouts in my Boxee Box)
I generally prefer the robustness and power of Ubuntu over Windows, but has anyone got Eden working with Ubuntu and can testify that HD bitstreaming works well? And is there anything else with the hardware I mentioned that might pose a serious issue?

Thanks

[DDDamian]

Couple of comments - DTS-MA/TrueHD is unofficially available now for Windows Vista and newer here. It does not suffer from the dropouts/stuttering you mention if you have the right GPU. You may have issues with the I3 in general - if you go this route I'd suggest getting a cheap ATI/AMD 6450 and you'll getboth 1080p and bitstreaming.

The other method, available for more platforms, is the AE branch, but as of today it's not perfect and does suffer from the audio dropouts you mentioned. It's your best shot for Linux builds. You can search the thread here for how it fairs with Ubuntu, but I think Ubuntu is going to give you trouble for bitstreaming.

For completeness you can look into using the DSPlayer variant for Windows only, which essentially uses external players/codecs to do bitstreaming/bd menus, etc.

Final note - "formal" support for HDAudio was not added for Eden - that was announced just before the feature freeze.

[esmesm]

Thanks for the detailed information! I checked out the options you suggested, and to make sure I got it right: can DSPlayer be used without any additional hardware (i.e. a 6450 card) to support 1080p with bitstreaming? I read XBMC can be configured to use DSPlayer by default, so in this case, what are the disadvantages of such setup compared to the "native" solution?

[DDDamian]

DSPlayer can be used with no additional hardware - as long as you're running Windows Vista/7/8 for bitstreaming.

The main disadvantages I see to DSPlayer are the time invested in setting up the external players and codecs, and the fact that it may or may not be a seemless experience depending on which external players you chose. The most popular is MPC-HC, which is a good player and quite seemless.

The I3 can bitstream, but Intel has driver issues with DXVA, and it's generally a touch underpowered for 1080p. There can be timing issues with 24p playback as well. That's why I mentioned the 6450 card as an alternative.

If your interest is purely DTS-MA/TrueHD today without delay, I personally would go with the unofficial patch, Win 7 and an AMD 6450, If you want to use an external player for other reasons go with DSPlayer. If you want to wait a month and go with a non-Win platform then go with AE.

Hope that narrows things down