[bobotech]

WIndows 7 64bit on a core2duo htpc with Gotham 13.1. I am connecting my htpc to my tv via HDMI and sound via optical SPDIF to my surround sound receiver.

When I am in XBMC, it is acting as though it is strictly a stereo setup. When I am playing a AC3 encoded video file, the receiver is only outputting stereo sound and he receiver only shows that it is receiving a stereo signal.

As a test, I stuck a real LOTR dvd into my HTPC and played it via XBMC. While in XBMC, I played the dvd and even went into sound/screen setup and chose the surround choice but still only stereo.

Now the kicker is if I exit XBMC and play the same DVD via Windows Media PLayer, surround sound works perfectly and the receiver shows that it is getting a 5.1 signal. No reboots, no configuration change, just exit XBMC and play same dvd via WMP and sound works properly.

I have gone into System Audio Output and reset all the settings to default in expert mode and even rebooted and nothing changes.

A strange symptom I have noticed, with my old computer using the same setup, optical output, the volume control on the remote would not work because passthrough was enabled and it was passing the raw signal to the receiver which gave me 5.1 surround sound but in my current setup, passthrough never seems to be enabled even though all the enable passthrough options are clicked on in XBMC.

Any ideas?

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Note, my old system did NOT have HDMI, that is the only real difference as far as connectivity is concerned. Not sure if that matters or not.l

[madjockxbmc]

It sounds like you don't have the correct option selected.

When you have optical selected, it will let you enable passthrough and just give you DTS and AC3.

Unsure if you are selecting the HDMI audio or something, I would have thought if it was all selected it would work.

[nickr]

post a debug log (wiki) and screenshots of your audio settings (with expert settings level set).

screenshots are via the prtscr button on a keyboard, and some remotes have the "rec" button defaulted to screenshot.

[z31fanatic]

I may be wrong but I think unless you have the optical cable connected directly fro your PC to your AVR for sound, the xbmc won't give you the option to choose optical as audio output.

Going hdmi to the TV and then optical from Tv to AVR is not the best solution. A lot of TVs can only pass two channel stereo audio through optical.
Although it is weird that you are able to get DD 5.1 if you play the DVD with WMC but not with xbmc.

[nickr]

I think you may indeed be wrong. I don't believe that there is no way for the software to detect whether there is an optical cable present as far as I know.

But until the OP posts his logs and settings, it is all guesswork on our part.

[themedserv]

You have to setup 2 channels as ouput if you have a S/PDIF connection.

Here is a complete guide to set up surround sound with Kodi and a HTPC:

http://themediaserver.com/understand-5-1...htpc-kodi/

[P_Jamula]

You have to setup 2 channels as ouput if you have a S/PDIF connection.

Here is a complete guide to set up surround sound with Kodi and a HTPC:

http://themediaserver.com/understand-5-1...htpc-kodi/

cannot access the above link it gives an error