[geeksquads]

Hello XBMC Community,

I've been using XBMC for a while now. I think it's be best thing ever!
I've recently upgraded to a new computer with a blu-ray player and Optical-out. Since XBMC doesn't play blu-ray discs natively at the moment, I have resorted to use PowerDVD 12. I followed this guide to setup XBMC with PowerDVD12: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid...nal+player

Everytime I try playing a blu-ray disc, there is no audio and the video is usually sped up. There is no audio from any other applications either(games, vlc...). I notice that this only happens when I try playing audio from other applications WHILE XBMC is open. After closing XBMC and restarting the other applications, the audio works and the video is not sped up. It seems like XBMC is somehow taking exclusive control over the audio device and not letting other applications use it.

I have resorted to modifying the .bat(PlayBDMV.bat) files from the link above to first close XBMC and then opening PowerDVD. My solution partially works, but I would rather not having to do this at all. Does anyone know what is going on and/or how to resolve this issue?

Thanks for reading and helping me out!

My System information is below, following the posted checklist:
1. XBMC Version: XBMC 12.0-Alpha3 GIT: 20120701-37fc72c (Compiled: Jul 12 2012)
2. Operating System: Windows 7, 64-bit Build 7600
3. CPU/Architecture: Intel® Core™ Ivy Bridge i5-3570K @3.4GHz, 64-bit
4. RAM amount: 8GB
5. Video Card and Driver version: NVidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti, Ver 301.42
a. Direct3D version: 8.17.13.0142
6. Sound Card and Driver version: Integrated SPDIF, Creative Sound Blaster, Realtek High Definition Audio, Driver Version: 6.0.1.6554
7. Other devices related to issue:
a. MotherBoard Model: GigaByte Z77X-UD5H
b. BIOS Version: F5
8. XBMC Revision: May Monthly Cycle Snapshot Frodo 12.0-Alpha3
9. Detailed Instructions to Reproduce the Problem: See above.
10. FULL Debug Log: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NqFm...2DDeY/edit OR http://pastebin.com/Lv88Wgjr
11. MediaInfo output: N/A

[thrak76]

That's because xbmc takes exclusive control over the WASAPI audio device. If you use the directsound audio device, I believe you'll be able to hear audio from other apps.

EDIT: I just tested this on my own system and could not get audio from anything other than xbmc, even after changing to directsound. But, I don't have a spdif connection, only HDMI. This is probably directly related to AudioEngine then. Have you tried disable exclusive mode in Sound playback devices properties in Windows?

[geeksquads]

@ thrak76 - Thanks for the QUICK reply!

After checking my audio setting in XBMC, the "Passthrough output device" setting was using WASAPI. I tried changing it to DirectSound and restarted XBMC, however that did not seem to change anything. There is still no sound from other applications.

I have also tried disabling exclusive mode in the Sound playback devices properties in Windows, and YES, this does allow other applications to play audio. However, this causes XBMC to be unable to play Dolby digital audio. When I attempted to play a video with Dolby digital audio in XBMC, there was no audio and the video started lagging until the video came to a complete halt.

Do you know of any other solution?

If needed, my XBMC audio settings are included below:
Audio Output: Optical/Coax
Speaker Configuration: 5.1
Boost Volume Level on downmix: ON
Output stereo to all speakers: OFF
- Dolby Digital (AC3) capable receiver: ON
- DTS capable receiver: ON
- AAC capable receiver: ON
- Multichannel LPCM capable receiver: OFF/NOT AVAILABLE
- TrueHD capable receiver: OFF/NOT AVAILABLE
- DTS-HD capable receiver: OFF/NOT AVAILABLE
Audio output device: DirectSound: SPDIF - Realtek Digital Output(Optical) (Realtek High Definition Audio),
Passthrough output device: DirectSound: SPDIF - Realtek Digital Output(Optical) (Realtek High Definition Audio),
Play GUI sounds: Never

and here is another debug log, if neccessary(both outputs are directsound, exclusive mode ON): http://pastebin.com/G53TL9V9
and another with different settings(default audio output is DirectSound, Passthrough is WASAPI, exclusive mode OFF): http://pastebin.com/Hh4iJQM7

[thrak76]

I won't be able to help with debug logs for the audio - i just don't understand them! The AudioEngine dev is on a hiatus it seems.

Perhaps you can try to rollback to an Eden final install. You're not requiring HD audio with your setup, and AudioEngine is stable with the Eden release.

[Death-Axe]

That's what you get for only having one guy do the audio: a broken app.

[Martijn]

That's what you get for only having one guy do the audio: a broken app.

If you haven't got anything else to do better keep quit.

You neither have knowing of the internal workings or why it is like that. You are also very wrong that only one person worked on it.

Works is being done and you should all remember Frodo is still very very alpha state so you have no reason to complain about a FREE app.

[geeksquads]

@ thrak76 - I originally moved to the Alpha3 release because it supported 10-bit playback. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but) As far as I know, Eden only supports 8-bit encoded videos. I'm not requiring HD audio because the options are grayed-out, as if they were not supported (Probably because audio is going through SPDIF). Hopefully someone else will come along some more knowledge of the AudioEngine. Thanks for your help, thrak76!

@ Death-Axe - I wouldn't say it's broken... XBMC works pretty darn well.

[thrak76]

@ thrak76 - I originally moved to the Alpha3 release because it supported 10-bit playback. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but) As far as I know, Eden only supports 8-bit encoded videos. I'm not requiring HD audio because the options are grayed-out, as if they were not supported (Probably because audio is going through SPDIF). Hopefully someone else will come along some more knowledge of the AudioEngine. Thanks for your help, thrak76!

Yeah, you're right. 10-bit is not supported with Eden. If you don't have a ton of 10-bit content, it may be worth the try to rollback to Eden, and see if your issue is resolved. It may not work then either - I don't know. I suspect the issue is AudioEngine though. So maybe you shelf your 10-bit content while we wait for some bug fixes in Frodo. At least you may have a chance to get those external players working with Eden. I say try it out.

[baijuxavior]

I also have this problem with Fordo Alpha 3 and other nightlies. Only after closing xbmc, sound will come through other applications. This is same for analog, optical and hdmi outs. But there is nothing to complain about as I'm using xbmc as a dedicate htpc and I'm not using any external players.

[DDDamian]

This issue has been addressed, and I've just fixed the transcoding issue as well (will hit nightlies in a couple days).

@Death-Axe - your comments are way off-base and frankly piss me off. If you don't want to wait until *our* priorities and time allow a fix then shut up and stick with a stable release. Multiple devs devote more than their share of time and talent, and perhaps too much reading whiney posts across multiple threads about known issues. We work pretty diligently to address issues - don't whine.

[DigitalAnvil]

This seems to be the problem that I am having as well. From the above posts, it seems this was related to Frodo Alpha 3 and earlier. I'm on Frodo Alpha 5 and this issue is affecting both of my systems that are using HD Audio. Both are exactly the same system (pretty much in terms of setup):

Intel i7 3770K
Asrock Z77E-ITX
Windows 8
(one is connected to Pioneer SC-57 [then to GoogleTV and then Sony 60inch TV 1080i] and the other Pioneer VSX-1127-K [direct to Sony 47inch TV 720P])

It's as if XBMC took over the sound and won't share with any app....

[Martijn]

Get latest version

[aenoch]

my frodo beta 2 lost sound a couple times i had to restart xbmc to get it back

[LSU Jonno]

Bump.

I'm on Frodo RC3 and still having this exact issue. Using Direct Sound, not WASAPI.

If I use Advanced launcher to launch WMC for example to watch live TV and I have "allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" checked in my output device's advanced properties, when I launch WMC it plays fine. XBMC will still be running in the background however, so when I kill WMC and return to XBMC I no longer have audio in XBMC.

If I uncheck "allow applications to take exclusive control of this device" in my output devices's properties then launch WMC, it plays, but when I return to XBMC it will no longer play sound. GUI sounds do not work, and launching a movie causes video to stutter then freeze with no audio.

Killing then relaunching XBMC fixes the issue 100% of the time.

[jjd-uk]

Hmmm, strange as exclusive control is only used for WASAPI devices. Can you provide a debug log?