need pc high def audio help

[soupey]

im running a media center plugged into my tv, and im using a Asus K8N motherboard with integrated realtek high definition sound, so far im using the coaxial spdif output to my reciever, my reciever usually lights up with a blue bar and automatically goes to 5.1 surround sound whenever it gets teh signal when i use it with a dvd player, ive been trying to get proper 5.1 surround sound using my pc, but i cant figure out where to enable it to 5.1 sound...ive already gone into the control panel to set it to 5.1 speakers, and ive already got the realtek drivers installed, im not sure what else i should be trying, im sure someone on here can help me out, thanks in advance.

[b_t]

The onboard sound output only works for 2.1 man... I was always told that it could take a 5.1 source and play 5.1, but I've never actually gotten that to work. It takes anything and then outputs as just stereo.

If you want 5.1 from your onboard sound you need to get an older nForce 3 motherboard, those ones still do it.

[soupey]

i JUST got it to work for 1 video, (all the vids im using have ac3 encoded audio..)...but after i quit the video i lost all sound...i had to go into ac3filter properties...then change the setting to 3/2 SW 5.1 channel and click in the checkbox for spdif, i cant get it to work again tho...:banghead:

[dragonone]

it works on my amp:dunno:
r u running 44khz or 48? or 96?
@ 96 ( i think) it only does stereo (2.1)
but at 48 it recognizes the signal, and then the dolby pro logic II thing comes on and it's 5.1
those settings can be changed in the spdif settings of realtek

[frostyda9]

Originally posted by dragonone
it works on my amp:dunno:
r u running 44khz or 48? or 96?
@ 96 ( i think) it only does stereo (2.1)
but at 48 it recognizes the signal, and then the dolby pro logic II thing comes on and it's 5.1
those settings can be changed in the spdif settings of realtek

Pro Logic II is an emulated 5.1 output from a stereo source, not true 5.1 discrete audio channels.

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by soupey
im running a media center plugged into my tv, and im using a Asus K8N motherboard with integrated realtek high definition sound, so far im using the coaxial spdif output to my reciever, my reciever usually lights up with a blue bar and automatically goes to 5.1 surround sound whenever it gets teh signal when i use it with a dvd player, ive been trying to get proper 5.1 surround sound using my pc, but i cant figure out where to enable it to 5.1 sound...ive already gone into the control panel to set it to 5.1 speakers, and ive already got the realtek drivers installed, im not sure what else i should be trying, im sure someone on here can help me out, thanks in advance.

bt is partially correct, your computer can only output a PCM signal normally (and you need an nForce3 chipset to output AC3.) However, if you're playing AC3 or DTS encoded material, you can set your AC3 codec to output the digital signal directly to the receiver without decoding it first. The key is to select spdif output in the codec AND your audio drivers. It's a PITA if it's your first time doing it.


Originally posted by b_t
The onboard sound output only works for 2.1 man

2.0. A PCM signal is just 2 channels, left and right...no LFE.

[soupey]

k got it narrowed down to using ac3filter to get it to work...problem is, it only worked for me when i used an alpha release of ac3filter....problem is, after i quit any media player, the ac3 thing screws up and i lose all audio until restart...which made me think i should get the beta version instead...

when i downloaded the beta version, it doesnt use the ac3filter for all of the movies i play...and i end up only getting 2.0 sound...how do i make my computer use the beta ac3filter for any videos, even if they're encoded with mpeg layer 3 audio...

[GTS Jeff]

umm just get k-lite. It has ac3filter included.

[soupey]

uhh i wrote that i installed it, its just that the alpha version works well, but its not stable...the beta version only works for ac3 encoded files..it wont work for any random video i decide to play...soo im trying to figure out how to make the beta version of the ac3filter work for all the videos i play....

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by soupey
uhh i wrote that i installed it, its just that the alpha version works well, but its not stable...the beta version only works for ac3 encoded files..it wont work for any random video i decide to play...soo im trying to figure out how to make the beta version of the ac3filter work for all the videos i play.... Unless a video is pre-encoded with AC3, you're not going to get 5.1. AC3filter only works with AC3 audio, not stereo sources.

As for AC3filter not working...all I can suggest is getting the latest version of it. If that doesn't work, then look for another AC3 decoder. And are your audio drivers set up right?

[soupey]

^not quite right

the alpha version of ac3filter allows for ac3 on the fly encoding, and therefore can turn mpeg layer 3 audio into ac3 encoded audio, which my amp then automatically switches into 5.1, i kno thats not true 5.1 sound, but it still sounds pretty decent, especially when watching movies...

and yes i have all my audio drivers installed correctly

and for some reason the alpha release of ac3filter seems to be working for me now... anyways heres a quick quote off the ac3filter site...so far im getting anything encoded with mpeg layer 3 or ac3 to give me an ac3 signal thru the coax spdif output.


Features of AC3 Filter 1.02a :

- Decoding of AC3/DTS/MPEG1/2 Audio Layer I/II formats
- Support of DVD, AVI/AC3, AVI/DTS, WAV/AC3 and WAV/DTS
- Audio processing for any source
- 6-channel decomposition of any source
- Full information about audio track format
- Support of SPDIF passthrough mode
- Multi-channel audio output from all sources on SPDIF (on-the-fly AC3 encoding)
- Channel-by-channel amplification for all input/output channels
- Channel-by-channel delays (for compensation of distance difference to speakers)
- Automatic gain control
- Clipping
- Dynamic Range Compression, DRC
- Level indication for input and output channels
- Matrix mixer and ability of direct modification of mixing matrix
- Dolby Surround / Pro Logic / Pro Logic II mixing

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by soupey
^not quite right

the alpha version of ac3filter allows for ac3 on the fly encoding, and therefore can turn mpeg layer 3 audio into ac3 encoded audio, which my amp then automatically switches into 5.1, i kno thats not true 5.1 sound, but it still sounds pretty decent, especially when watching movies...

and yes i have all my audio drivers installed correctly

and for some reason the alpha release of ac3filter seems to be working for me now... anyways heres a quick quote off the ac3filter site...so far im getting anything encoded with mpeg layer 3 or ac3 to give me an ac3 signal thru the coax spdif output.

That's news to me, I've never used the alpha version. Cool I guess. My guess is that the AC3 encoding is a 5ch stereo...which really is less than ideal because it destroys the sound stage.

[dragonone]

well is there a difference between the AC3 on-the-fly encoding to 5.1, or the DDplII on a typical amp?

[soupey]

Originally posted by dragonone
well is there a difference between the AC3 on-the-fly encoding to 5.1, or the DDplII on a typical amp?

what is DDplII?....

[dragonone]

dolby pro logic II
since they're both emulated, is there a difference?

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by dragonone
dolby pro logic II
since they're both emulated, is there a difference? Hell yea!!!

PL2 is a very complex surround system that takes 2 channels and makes up the other channels with mathematical equations and shit. So when a plane flies by, it will actually fly by the front then the back.

This "on-the-fly" AC3 encoding is probably just 2ch upconverted to 5ch stereo...as in the 2 rear speakers play the same sound.

[soupey]

^no...it isnt, ive been watching 24 episodes and listening to all the speakers...its definately processing the audio and turning it into 5.1 sound...i dont think it does planes going from front left to rear right or anything like that, but it still filters background sounds, midrange-vocal, and bass to the woofer...

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by soupey
^no...it isnt, ive been watching 24 episodes and listening to all the speakers...its definately processing the audio and turning it into 5.1 sound...i dont think it does planes going from front left to rear right or anything like that, but it still filters background sounds, midrange-vocal, and bass to the woofer... Uhhh if you're talking about a crossover for the LFE, then sure...but that's like 1% of what PL2 can do.

[frostyda9]

GTS Jeff is talking about directional steering. The PLII undoubtedly does a better job of that. Low frequency filtering is sort of a moot point as just about any sub has a low pass crossover network that will only let frequencies at or below the specified point "pass through".


edit - oops he beat me to it

[dragonone]

that's what i kind of thought
some freeware codec sounding better than a DDplII amp lol