[Freddo]

my pleasure, I still want full descrete 6 channel analog output for all codecs though, I'll probably submit a ticket for it sometime after atlantis.

[dellis86]

Agreed. luckily the videos I'm playing are AC3, but if they were some other codec my receiver doesn't understand, then I would be back at square one. Plus having 6 channel output takes the receiver out of the equation, so things are simpler.

[Gamester17]

Please submit a new feature request ticket on trac for "5.1 Multi-Channel Analog Output (discrete 6-channel PCM)"
http://trac.xbmc.org

Note that this is not the same as this other request => http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=34130

[luthepa1]

Hey guys, well I have been searching the forums and the internet all day without success and now post my problem hoping someone can help.

Details are: Ubuntu 8.04, i686, 2.6.24-16 generic, XBMC SVN:15111 PPA install. I am using the mobo's 3x 3.5mm jacks for 5.1 sound output to my sound system. But no spdif connection.

I am experiencing no audio playback for digital encoded divx/xvid movies. Anything in stereo plays (2 channel or what ever), but I have movies in 5.1 AC3 sound format (6 channel) that will not play sound. The movies runs ok at normal speed. I have xbmc set to default for audio device and iec958 for passthrough. If I change the passthrough to different device by looking in alsamixer there still is no sounds, but then video playback is really fast! I made sure all unmuted in alsamixer.

Previously I had ben using the svn builds of xbmc where I would config and compile myself. Thing is teh svn build works with all videos and sounds formats. Never had a problem until now where I have swapped over the PPA distribution of precompiled xbmc.

I am really stuck now. I am thinking I might need to change my asoundrc file to map spdif or digital pcm sound to an analog output like surround51. But not sure how. I am almost tempted to go back to teh svn builds wher eI compile myself but I dont know how to enable all the screens savers and audio visualizations that are in the PPA build. If anyone could help me I'd be greatly appreciative.

Thanks

Paul.

aplay -L
=================================
front:CARD=CMI8738,DEV=0
C-Media CMI8738, C-Media PCI DAC/ADC
Front speakers
iec958:CARD=CMI8738,DEV=0
C-Media CMI8738, C-Media PCI DAC/ADC
IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
null
Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)

aplay -l
================================
card 0: CMI8738 [C-Media CMI8738], device 0: CMI8738-MC6 [C-Media PCI DAC/ADC]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: CMI8738 [C-Media CMI8738], device 1: CMI8738-MC6 [C-Media PCI 2nd DAC]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: CMI8738 [C-Media CMI8738], device 2: CMI8738-MC6 [C-Media PCI IEC958]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

.asoundrc (got me my surround for the pc in general)
================================================
# 6 channel dmix:
pcm.dmix6 {
type dmix
ipc_key 1024
ipc_key_add_uid false
ipc_perm 0660
slave {
pcm "hw:0,1"
rate 48000
channels 6
period_time 0
period_size 1024
buffer_time 0
buffer_size 5120
}
}

# upmixing:
pcm.ch51dup {
type route
slave.pcm dmix6
slave.channels 6
ttable.0.0 1
ttable.1.1 1
ttable.0.2 1
ttable.1.3 1
ttable.0.4 0.5
ttable.1.4 0.5
ttable.0.5 0.5
ttable.1.5 0.5
}

pcm.duplex {
type asym
playback.pcm "ch51dup" # upmix first
capture.pcm "hw:0"
}

# change default device:
pcm.!default {
type softvol
slave.pcm "duplex"
control {
name "Software Master"
card 0
}
}

# for aoss
pcm.dsp "duplex"

pcm.dsp1 "duplex"

[Gamester17]

5.1 Multi-Channel Analog Output (discrete 6-channel PCM) is currently not supported in XBMC.

Merging into existing feature suggestion discussion thread. Feel free to submit a trac ticket.

[Freddo]

I've posted a feature request on trac for this: http://trac.xbmc.org/ticket/4871

It's worth noting if you must have this feature right now, if you run the windows build and use 6CH FLAC as your audio codec this works by some bizarre fluke and/or bug.

[schmoko]

See my post here: http://forum.xbmc.org/showpost.php?p=198578&postcount=9

It seems dvdplayer supports playback of 6 channel audio in FLAC, and WILL pass it through, but atm there is just a conditional prohibiting it in the current XBMC ALSA code. Commenting it out fixes the issue, but probably breaks something I'm not aware of.

I'm also interested in replacing my current SPDIF pass-through solution with a sound-card with high-end DAC and using 8 channel analog to pass LPCM/FLAC to my receiver's multi-channel input. I figured I would look into the code more when/if I buy a sound card with a decent DAC. My integrated card has far too much noise to make the effort worthwhile.

[harryzimm]

so does this mean even though i have my shuttle xpc connected to 5.1 surround sound speakers (analog). Movies with dts or ac3 audio are outputed in stereo to all speakers. Or am i just reading this wrong? Should i be using spdif?

Using the linux build by the way.

[Freddo]

yeah basically any and all sound material is down mixed to stereo. Unless you use a digital interconnect in which case you can pass-through the audio intact for decoding in an external reciever.

[harryzimm]

Man i feel like an idiot. Heres me thinking i've got 5.1 surround sound, what a plonker. Is it worth upgrading my speaker system to digital using spdif or waiting for a fix? Is there much of a differance in quality?

[Freddo]

well it'll actually be surround sound but... I wouldn't bother spending any money, hopefully it'll be a fairly simple addition post-atlantis and then you will have surround.

[harryzimm]

Nice one Freddo. Thanks for the info.

[kebirek]

Hey guys. Thanks for this amazing piece of software, beats every other media center easily.

I would really appreciate if this feature was implemented. Most computers have onboard 5.1 audio, so it would be really nice to provide that out of the box.

I'm a developer, perhaps I could help. I've read most of the documentation (in the wiki) and I have all required hardware and software. Can I get in touch with someone that has tried doing this, or someone willing to point me in the right direction? I understand that it's using PAPlyer for audio decoding, and perhaps that module might not be very easy to modify, however this feature is present in many codecs and some of them are open source (so I wouldn't be developing something actually new).

Thanks!

PS: Sorry for my english, it's not my mother tongue.

[Gamester17]

I'm a developer, perhaps I could help. I've read most of the documentation (in the wiki) and I have all required hardware and software. Can I get in touch with someone that has tried doing this, or someone willing to point me in the right direction?

elupus is the guru on this but jmarshall, spiff and other team members will probably be willing to answer any questions you might have, try to catch them on IRC or sent them a PM asking about their preferred contact method, see:
http://wiki.xbmc.org/?title=Appendix_D:_...ct_methods

I understand that it's using PAPlyer for audio decoding, and perhaps that module might not be very easy to modify, however this feature is present in many codecs and some of them are open source (so I wouldn't be developing something actually new).

"PAPlayer" is only used for standalone music file playback, and "DVDPlayer" is used for video playback (including audio streams in video containers), see:
http://wiki.xbmc.org/?title=Video_Players
and
http://wiki.xbmc.org/?title=Audio_Players
and
http://xbmc.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/x...iew=markup

[GooglieS]

Any news with analog 5.1 sound in Linux?