[rdave]

I have a new HTPC with XBMC.

Specs:
- Windows 7 Pro 32bit
- Geforce 9500GT with HDMI out and PureHD video Technology

http://www.biostar-usa.com/app/en-us/vga...hp?S_ID=77

- Blue-Ray/DVD/CD Combo Drive
- AM2 Mobo
- AMD Athlon X2 3.0 Ghz Dual Core Processor
- 3GB DDR2 RAM
- 450 Watt Power Supply
- Wireless B/G/N Card
- 32 in 1 Memory Card Reader

Setup:
XBMC--> Sony STR-DA3500ES Receiver --> Sony KDL-XBR5 LCD all three are connected by HDMI 1.3 high speed cables.

Problem:
I am only able to get linear PCM to the receiver, no Dolby Digital/DTS pass through or DD/DTS lights on receiver . I am only able to get a center channel with discrete left, right and rear effects when I switch the receiver to eSURROUND (Dolby Digital PLIIx).

Settings:












Sorry about all of the images, but a picture tells a thousand words.

I searched the forum and the best info I found was this posted by joshuass:

"Don't worry about the supported formats not listing everything. We are actually just passing the sound data through to the receiver for it to decode. And finally, the reason you are seeing stereo and not anything else, is because our hdmi sound chips (which are different than that of the spdif chips) don't support multichannel. With HDMI you have either stereo, or DTS/Dolby pass-through.

I also recommend setting "downmix to stereo" on too. That way, if you play any multichannel videos that aren't in AC3 or DTS, it will downmix those to stereo so you can atleast still listen to it. Multichannel AAC files do not play right throug HDMI since they can't be decoded by the receiver".
__________________

The other helpful post I found was this by natethomas:

"Unless something has changed recently, I don't believe you should need to do anything with advancedsettings in windows. If you choose analog audio, XBMC will simply decode the DTS and AC3 sound and send the results data as a PCM stream to your soundcard. Your HDMI card should be able to handle this, as should any receiver equipped for PCM sound, which should be any receiver that accepts and HDMI input. The AC3 and DTS lights won't pop up, but you should get 5.1 sound".

I have tried the advice in the above 2 posts and have only been able to get linear PCM, no Dolby Digital/DTS pass through. Also neither of the 2 test buttons will work. I can only get a 44khz test chime of I run a optical cable from my LCD monitor to my receiver. I have tried several movies off of my HD.

Could it just be the case of a simple overlooked setting and not a bug?

RDave

[davilla]

Wow, all those details and yet nothing indicating which XBMC version you are using ?

[rdave]

I am so new to it all, I don't even know where to look (I'm sure each forum member has been here at one time before!). Does this mean that I need an update?

What is the latest update, and where can I go to download it.

thanks,

DRave

[davilla]

I am so new to it all, I don't even know where to look (I'm sure each forum member has been here at one time before!). Does this mean that I need an update?

What is the latest update, and where can I go to download it.

thanks,

DRave

http://mirrors.xbmc.org/nightlies/win32/

[Mallet21]

I'm not familiar with the 9500GT but if its connected via HDMI shouldn't there be an HDMI audio device listed in Windows? Why is it showing SPDIF? Or is this one of the deals where you have to connect a cable to the mobo from the video card?

[rdave]

Yes, a SPDIF Cable had to be connected from the video card to the motherboard.

Do I just download the lastest version? There seems to be a new one almost every day. How often does everyone update?

Will this solve my problem?

thanks,

RDave

[rdave]

I found a lot of info here:

http://trac.xbmc.org/ticket/8751

But still no answer to my problem..


RDave

[AzzX]

I have tried the advice in the above 2 posts and have only been able to get linear PCM, no Dolby Digital/DTS pass through. Also neither of the 2 test buttons will work.

This indicates an issue with your sound in general. If you can't get Dolby / DTS from the OS, testing xbmc will prove nothing at this stage.

Is your receiver set to correctly decode Dolbly and DTS from an optical cable or is it set to 2.0?

Why aren't you using Audio over HDMI? Select it as the default audio device and also set it in xbmc.

[StevenSeagull]

Just for kicks... try to wire your soundcards spdif via coax/optical to your reciever and try out.
It smells like your soundcards drivers are trying to decode dts/dolby on its own. Creative is "famous" for doing this... can't tell for your integrated one.

[rdave]

This indicates an issue with your sound in general. If you can't get Dolby / DTS from the OS, testing xbmc will prove nothing at this stage.

Is your receiver set to correctly decode Dolbly and DTS from an optical cable or is it set to 2.0?

Why aren't you using Audio over HDMI? Select it as the default audio device and also set it in xbmc.

I have my receiver set to AFD which automatically decodes the input. I tried the output from XBMC via HDMI to my monitor then the optical cable out from my monitor to my receiver, and I still get LPCM only.


If you look at the first photo in my original post it shows that under audio device, I am using "Digital Audio (S/PDIF) High definition audio device".

RDave

[rdave]

Just for kicks... try to wire your soundcards spdif via coax/optical to your reciever and try out.
It smells like your soundcards drivers are trying to decode dts/dolby on its own. Creative is "famous" for doing this... can't tell for your integrated one.

I have my receiver set to AFD which automatically decodes the input. I tried the output from XBMC via HDMI to my monitor then the optical cable out from my monitor to my receiver, and I still get LPCM only.

RDave

[rdave]

Posted by ECEC:

"Apparently I never installed the Nvidia HDMI driver, so I did that and now have a NVIDIA HDMI Out device in the sound devices menu. If I set XBMC to Digital I now get sound."

Does anyone think that I need to do this? Because on my audio output settings it comes up as analog or digital instead of HDMI.




RDave

[rdave]

I ran:

HTPC (XBMC) via HDMI cable to Sony Monitor, then Optical cable from the Sony monitor to my Receiver. Then I switched the receiver from Auto Format Direct (A.F.D.) to Enhanced Surround (Pro Logic IIx).

My XBMC audio settings are:

Audio Output --> analog
Audio device --> Digital Audio (S/PDIF) High definition audio device

I watched Avatar and Dark Knight and had awesome 5.1 surround effects with discrete separation. I am now happy with my system. Even though the Dolby Digital and DTS lights don't light up, I am sure that I am getting the full effect. "natethomas" you were right about the lights on the receiver not lighting up, but still getting the 5.1 surround effects.

RDave

[nu1mlock]

There are very few TVs that passthrough DTS/DD from it's optical output to a reciever. Most TVs transforms the signal to stereo and then pass it through the optical output to the reciever as stereo.

Pro Logic II isn't true surround, but (easily put) virtual surround. You're being fooled.

Unless your TV can passthrough DTS/DD (it probably can't), the only way for you to get DTS or DD is to connect the reciever directly to your optical output on your motherboard/soundcard.

To make it even more complicated, most TVs CAN output DTS and Dolby Digital through optical, but only if the signal comes from the antenna input.