[Tim.]

I have been running XBMC for Window's on my Acer desktop PC for a few weeks, and it has been running fine. I decided I would try running XBMC Live on it for improved boot times, better support, etc.

Under Windows I have full audio capabilities, system sounds, digital audio, etc. However when running XBMC Live via a USB, I get no audio at all for anything. No menu sounds, no digital sounds, nothing. My computer is using a GeForce 8200 with HDMI output for both audio and video. As stated previously, under Windows there are no problems. Do I need to add some drivers to the USB drive in order for my audio to work? I played with the settings a bit but nothing seems to work.

I am not familiar with Linux, and apologize for any obvious questions. Searches throughout the forum have not turned up any clear answers for my particular graphics card. Thanks!

[rodercot]

I have been running XBMC for Window's on my Acer desktop PC for a few weeks, and it has been running fine. I decided I would try running XBMC Live on it for improved boot times, better support, etc.

Under Windows I have full audio capabilities, system sounds, digital audio, etc. However when running XBMC Live via a USB, I get no audio at all for anything. No menu sounds, no digital sounds, nothing. My computer is using a GeForce 8200 with HDMI output for both audio and video. As stated previously, under Windows there are no problems. Do I need to add some drivers to the USB drive in order for my audio to work? I played with the settings a bit but nothing seems to work.

I am not familiar with Linux, and apologize for any obvious questions. Searches throughout the forum have not turned up any clear answers for my particular graphics card. Thanks!

Have a gander at this.

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=38977

rgds,

Dave

[Tim.]

Thanks Dave,

I looked into the Alsamixer already, I see no option for iec958. I have 'Master' 'PCM' (Cannot be muted, there is no option), 'Headphone,' 'Front Mic,' 'Front Mic Boost,' 'Surround,' 'Center,' 'Side,' 'LFE,' 'Line,' 'CD,' 'Mic,' 'Mic Boost,' 'PC Speaker.' Now my PC I am using has analog outputs (6 mini-jacks) which I assume most of those refer to. I do not want to use those, but the digital audio output through the HDMI cable the video is currently running through.

I set the Digital Audio settings to ON with DTS and AC3 Passthrough turned ON. Also the current settings are Default, iec958.

Still no luck. Any other ideas?

[rodercot]

Tim,

Tell me what hardware (chipset for audio) your using. Try changing the iec958 in your XBMC settings page to default and restart xbmc.

Second with alsamixer did you arrow all the way to the right there is usually more then one page and then sometimes if you hit the tab button it will give you a second window for capture and sometimes the iec958 option are under that and usually there are more than one iec958 option so you need to enable only the one for output.

Dave

[Tim.]

Already tried setting it to 'default' with no luck.

When I tab through Alsamixer all it gives me is the capture devices, none of which named iec958. I don't see iec958 anywhere.

Alsamixer tells me the chipset is: HDA NVidia / Realtek ALC888.

Thanks Dave!

[Tim.]

Bump.

Still no solution on my end. Anyone else got an idea?

[rodercot]

Tim,

I just reread your post I think... LOL. You will not be able to use HDMI Audio at all. If you do not have a digital (spdif) output physically on your mainboard either toslink or coaxial, you have two options.

1. Open up your case and down near the bottom of the board you should see a SPDIF header with 4 pins in a row but missing the third pin you can look in your manual as well. Build a coax spdif outpu bracket, very simple drill a whole in a slot cover, get a gold rca jack and solder a two wire 22 guage to it, one for - and one for + then you can use an old connector from a cd audio cable or an old reset etc switch connector from an old case. Make sure you have the + and - to the right pins on the mainboard, there should be a pin out in the manual. Coax will need 2 of the three pins and no attenuation circuit, Toslink is more complicated as the thrid pin supplies 5V to the toslink IC for the LED. I have made one of these as well at one point that does both but you need to make a IC to do this. The coax is much easier.

2. If you do not want to do the above, get a cheap 7.1 pc sound card with spdif out and disable the on-board sound all together your HDMI will still pass video no problem. I have done this with my Asus M3N78-VM board as well. I use a X-plosion 7.1 this is a really good card and supported well through Alsa with the c-media chipset.

Hope this helps, barring this you are into recompiling kernels and alsa drivers, which you do not want to get into and most of the time that does not work either.

rgds,

Dave

[Tim.]

Perfect. Thanks for the help!!

I'll just have to get a USB soundcard instead (It's one of those 1/3 size desktop PCs).