[boosted]

I'm in exactly the same boat, i dont have a asound.rc file at all as this seemed to make no difference.

I have just upgraded to Ubuntu 12.04 from 10.04, Managed to get audio working on 10.04 but that was by selecting Analogue output which doesnt exist under 12.04

Here's the results of my aplay -l

Code:

xbmc@xbmc:~$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 0: ALC662 rev1 Analog [ALC662 rev1 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 1: ALC662 rev1 Digital [ALC662 rev1 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

Hi, are you getting any sound? or just the same as me ie no DTS / AC3.
If no sound, are you using pulseaudio or just alsa?

If alsa, add / create the following to /etc/asound.conf

Code:

pcm.!default {
    type hw
    card 0
    device 3
}

ctl.!default {
    type hw          
    card 0
    device 3
}

If pulseaudio, add the following to /etc/pulse/default.pa

Code:

load-module module-alsa-sink device=hw:0,3

I then have 'Audio output devive' set to 'Defaults (ALSA)' and 'Passthrough output device' set to 'hdmi (ALSA) - DTS and AC3 disabled

Remember to backup any files before any changes and restart alsa / pulseaudio after changes (reboot will do)

[TheFincher]

I'm currently using Pulse Audio but the sound is coming out of the wrong channels on my 5.1 but this was just so me and Mrs F could watch Game of Thrones last night!!

Every other build I've had has used Alsa and ideally thus would do the same. Will try both options from your post and see if that works.

Are you saying that you currently. Have no DD or DTS working??

[TheFincher]

I'm in exactly the same boat, i dont have a asound.rc file at all as this seemed to make no difference.

I have just upgraded to Ubuntu 12.04 from 10.04, Managed to get audio working on 10.04 but that was by selecting Analogue output which doesnt exist under 12.04

Here's the results of my aplay -l

Code:

xbmc@xbmc:~$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 0: ALC662 rev1 Analog [ALC662 rev1 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 1: ALC662 rev1 Digital [ALC662 rev1 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 0/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

Hi, are you getting any sound? or just the same as me ie no DTS / AC3.
If no sound, are you using pulseaudio or just alsa?

If alsa, add / create the following to /etc/asound.conf

Code:

pcm.!default {
    type hw
    card 0
    device 3
}

ctl.!default {
    type hw          
    card 0
    device 3
}

If pulseaudio, add the following to /etc/pulse/default.pa

Code:

load-module module-alsa-sink device=hw:0,3

I then have 'Audio output devive' set to 'Defaults (ALSA)' and 'Passthrough output device' set to 'hdmi (ALSA) - DTS and AC3 disabled

Remember to backup any files before any changes and restart alsa / pulseaudio after changes (reboot will do)

Weirdness going on today. Added my asound.conf in /etc and changed the settings in XBMC and everything played perfectly. Turned off the Revo and came back to it later and then nothing worked again with audio. Tried to access alsamixer but couldn't access it with the asound.conf being deleted

Currently running the pulse audio settings with no digital audio being outputted. Most annoying

[boosted]

I'm currently using Pulse Audio but the sound is coming out of the wrong channels on my 5.1 but this was just so me and Mrs F could watch Game of Thrones last night!!

Every other build I've had has used Alsa and ideally thus would do the same. Will try both options from your post and see if that works.

Are you saying that you currently. Have no DD or DTS working??

Got it working

I had to install pulseaudio due to my security cam setup, tvtime on my monitor via cheap USB easycap device. might try zoneminder. Just ordered a 4ch PCI card with no audio.
Passthrough mode may need to take full control of audio.
With tvtime on my monitor and xbmc on my TV (using pulseaudio) passthrough didn't work. Stopping tvtime, passthrough worked perfectly with xbmc. Now get DTS etc on my receiver.

You will need to use hw:0,3, mine is hw:0,7. You might be able to use just alsa and get rid of pulseaudio.

my changes

In xbmc, use 'Custom' and 'hw:0,7' and enable DTS and AC3

/etc/asound.conf

Code:

pcm.!default {
    type hw
    card 0
    device 7
}

ctl.!default {
    type hw          
    card 0
    device 7
}

I added the following
/etc/pulse/default.pa

Code:

load-module module-alsa-sink device=hw:0,7

[TheGremlyn]

I tried to get this working, but had no luck. It sounds like what I am looking to do, which is a nice simple setup that allows me to pass DTS and AC3 audio over to my receiver.

I currently have the a52 plugin installed and using that to output my 5.1 surround, but it's been a little flaky and I'd like a more permanent solution. I'm not sure if have that installed would conflict in anyway with trying to setup the audio with the methods described here. From the aplay output below, you can see my nVidia card is residing at hw:1,3, so that is what I used in place of other devices. I also tried both the Defaults (ALSA)/passthrough and Custom settings, and neither worked with or without DTS and AC3 selected.

aplay -L

Code:

default
    Playback/recording through the PulseAudio sound server
pulse
    Playback/recording through the PulseAudio sound server
front:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC892 Analog
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC892 Analog
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC892 Analog
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC892 Analog
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC892 Analog
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC892 Analog
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC892 Digital
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
dmix:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC892 Analog
    Direct sample mixing device
dmix:CARD=PCH,DEV=1
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC892 Digital
    Direct sample mixing device
dsnoop:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC892 Analog
    Direct sample snooping device
dsnoop:CARD=PCH,DEV=1
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC892 Digital
    Direct sample snooping device
hw:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC892 Analog
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
hw:CARD=PCH,DEV=1
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC892 Digital
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
plughw:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC892 Analog
    Hardware device with all software conversions
plughw:CARD=PCH,DEV=1
    HDA Intel PCH, ALC892 Digital
    Hardware device with all software conversions
a52:CARD=PCH
    HDA Intel PCH
hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0
    HDA NVidia, HDMI 0
    HDMI Audio Output
dmix:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3
    HDA NVidia, HDMI 0
    Direct sample mixing device
dsnoop:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3
    HDA NVidia, HDMI 0
    Direct sample snooping device
hw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3
    HDA NVidia, HDMI 0
    Direct hardware device without any conversions
plughw:CARD=NVidia,DEV=3
    HDA NVidia, HDMI 0
    Hardware device with all software conversions
a52:CARD=NVidia
    HDA NVidia

aplay -l

Code:

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC892 Analog [ALC892 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: ALC892 Digital [ALC892 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

sudo dmesg | grep HDMI

Code:

[   13.492753] HDMI status: Pin=4 Presence_Detect=0 ELD_Valid=0
[   13.516748] HDMI status: Pin=5 Presence_Detect=0 ELD_Valid=0
[   13.532811] input: HDA NVidia HDMI/DP,pcm=3 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.1/sound/card1/input7
[   13.532874] input: HDA NVidia HDMI/DP,pcm=3 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.1/sound/card1/input8
[   16.397961] HDMI hot plug event: Pin=5 Presence_Detect=1 ELD_Valid=0
[   16.408755] HDMI status: Pin=5 Presence_Detect=1 ELD_Valid=0
[   16.416761] HDMI hot plug event: Pin=5 Presence_Detect=0 ELD_Valid=1
[   16.424762] HDMI status: Pin=5 Presence_Detect=1 ELD_Valid=1
[   17.216787] HDMI: detected monitor TX-SR313
[   17.216788]      at connection type HDMI
[   17.216791] HDMI: available speakers: FL/FR LFE FC RL/RR
[   17.216795] HDMI: supports coding type LPCM: channels = 2, rates = 44100 48000 88200 176400 192000 384000, bits = 16 20 24
[   17.216799] HDMI: supports coding type LPCM: channels = 6, rates = 44100 48000 88200 176400 192000 384000, bits = 16 20 24
[   17.216801] HDMI: supports coding type AC-3: channels = 8, rates = 44100 48000 88200, max bitrate = 640000
[   17.216804] HDMI: supports coding type DTS: channels = 8, rates = 48000 88200, max bitrate = 1536000
[   17.216806] HDMI: supports coding type DSD (One Bit Audio): channels = 6, rates = 48000
[   17.216808] HDMI: supports coding type E-AC-3/DD+ (Dolby Digital Plus): channels = 8, rates = 48000 88200
[   17.216811] HDMI: supports coding type DTS-HD: channels = 8, rates = 48000 88200 176400 192000 384000
[   17.216813] HDMI: supports coding type MLP (Dolby TrueHD): channels = 8, rates = 88200 192000

[puntloos]

Quick question: when you say 'XBMC decodes to PCM', will it then send these PCM samples to my LPCM capable receiver anyway?

I am aware that running other algorithms over the sound might lose some audio quality, but as long as I keep my surround channels properly I think it would be nice - Night mode / Dynamic Range Compression seems very useful.