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apachehavok · (This post was last modified: 2014-04-16, 21:11 by apachehavok.)

Hi all!

Have an HTPC hooked up to the TV via HDMI and the receiver VIA optical using a sound blaster X-fi sound card windows 7 (XBMC frodo)

EVERYTHING IS WORKING GREAT, except one thing.

Every once in awhile, when I start a video file, I hear some popping sounds in the audio. When I just stop the video, wait a sec, then start it again it fixes the issue. This happens every like 10 or so videos and can always be fixed by just stopping the video, then just restarting the same video.

Any ideas? Thanks!

Piers · 2014-04-16, 22:44

Can I just ask, why don't you have HTPC -> HDMI AVR -> HDMI TV? There is no advantage over using a SB X-Fi over HDMI audio.

apachehavok · 2014-04-17, 01:11

Unfortunately my receiver, although high end at the time doe not support HDMI audio. Its just a pass through or splitter if you will. So the only way to get DTS or Dolby 5.1 is through optical.

Piers · 2014-04-17, 01:44

Oh, that makes sense.

I'm going to make a guess but popping you describe sounds like the audio stream stopping output. I've never used optical on a X-Fi so can't really offer further advice. Just curious, does your TV allow pass-through? You could do:

HPTC -> HDMI TV -> Optical AVR if it does.

apachehavok · 2014-04-17, 02:32

It does but not DTS or Dolby. Its a nice TV (73 inch) and the receiver sounds amazing when its working so I would like to not replace them for now.

Just wondering why it would pop and crackle, then when stopping and starting again, it would be fine. Same file.

bluray · 2014-04-17, 03:39

(2014-04-17, 02:32)apachehavok Wrote: Just wondering why it would pop and crackle, then when stopping and starting again, it would be fine. Same file.

Have you try to disable "Play GUI sounds" or at least select the option "Only when playback stopped"?

apachehavok · 2014-04-17, 18:51

Cool ill try that thanks!

apachehavok · 2014-04-21, 18:37

Yeah didnt help...

I have no idea what the problem is. I tried switching out cables, same thing. Every like 10th or so file I play it sounds like crackling and sound clipping. Then when i just hit stop, wait a sec and relaunch it, its fine...

pr0xZen · (This post was last modified: 2014-04-21, 19:12 by pr0xZen.)

This sounds like it could be an issue with the AVR, but please do a debug log and post it here. If you need to run debug for long to await the issue, you can input this into Userdata\advancedsettings.xml (only do the <loglevel> part if the file already exsists):

Code:
<advancedsettings>

     <loglevel>1</loglevel>

</advancedsettings>

This will always run debug log in the background - but not show the onscreen debug overlay stuff. If you do it this way, your log file might get quite large. Please note the time (and what video/audio file) when you experience the issue - so that it will be easier to find in a big log.

(2014-04-17, 01:44)Piers Wrote: I'm going to make a guess but popping you describe sounds like the audio stream stopping output. I've never used optical on a X-Fi so can't really offer further advice. Just curious, does your TV allow pass-through? You could do:

HPTC -> HDMI TV -> Optical AVR if it does.

Bitstream passthrough from HDMI -> TV -> Anything other than HDMI - is in breach with HDCP standard and licence, thus extremely few (if any) TVs will do this. Attempting to force bitstream passthrough in this scenario, will either fault at HTPC end, or come out as an extremely unpleasant and loud static.

Piers · 2014-04-22, 05:05

(2014-04-21, 19:10)pr0xZen Wrote: This sounds like it could be an issue with the AVR, but please do a debug log and post it here. If you need to run debug for long to await the issue, you can input this into Userdata\advancedsettings.xml (only do the <loglevel> part if the file already exsists):

Code:
<advancedsettings> <loglevel>1</loglevel> </advancedsettings>
This will always run debug log in the background - but not show the onscreen debug overlay stuff. If you do it this way, your log file might get quite large. Please note the time (and what video/audio file) when you experience the issue - so that it will be easier to find in a big log.

(2014-04-17, 01:44)Piers Wrote: I'm going to make a guess but popping you describe sounds like the audio stream stopping output. I've never used optical on a X-Fi so can't really offer further advice. Just curious, does your TV allow pass-through? You could do:

HPTC -> HDMI TV -> Optical AVR if it does.
Bitstream passthrough from HDMI -> TV -> Anything other than HDMI - is in breach with HDCP standard and licence, thus extremely few (if any) TVs will do this. Attempting to force bitstream passthrough in this scenario, will either fault at HTPC end, or come out as an extremely unpleasant and loud static.

That I wasn't aware of, thank you. Can you provide a source for that information?

pr0xZen · (This post was last modified: 2014-04-22, 23:37 by pr0xZen.)

(2014-04-22, 05:05)Piers Wrote: That I wasn't aware of, thank you. Can you provide a source for that information?

That I should be able to to - HDCP Licence Agreement - See Exhibit C - Compliance rules, paragraph 3.3 -Page 38 ->

Note: There are newer revisions out, but this was the "cleanest" one I could find atm.

EDIT: I do believe, there are some TVs that can output AC3 if receiving an AC3 signal. But be noted: I'm still not sure how this works with regards to HDCP. AC3 is a "gray area". Like LPCM, it could possibly be forwarded - as it is encoded, but not encrypted (more correct wording would be "does not require encryption). I'm just guessing here though. If you can manage to get this to work (trying it should at the very worst just fail, adjust volume down /LOW/ in case of failure) - then XBMC can transcode to AC3.