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GeForce GTX 660 7.1 Audio Sending PCM only

10K views 104 replies 9 participants last post by  anujpuri85 
#1 ·
I have a Pioneer VSX-1021, which supports 7.1 audio. I just purchased a GeForce GTX 660 for my htpc, thinking I could just use an HDMI to send both audio and video from my htpc to my receiver.


Under the sound settings, I have 7.1 audio selected on my computer. However, everything that plays on my receiver says PCM. The receiver shows all 7.1 speakers lit up, meaning it's recognizing a 7.1 audio, but it only plays sound out of my front speakers, due to PCM. If I play my Xbox 360, then the PCM goes away and I can hear sound through all my speakers.


How do I get rid of the PCM that my video card is outputting so that I can get proper dts hd sound through all my speakers?
 
#52 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by renethx  /t/1464707/geforce-gtx-660-7-1-audio-sending-pcm-only/30#post_23134790


Play a stereo PCM source (e.g. music CD) in WASAPI exclusive mode. Does your AVR receives stereo audio stream?


Play a 5.1 PCM source (there are many BD movies with 5.1 LPCM; if you don' have any, I can send you a short clip) in WASAPI exclusive mode. Does your AVR receives 5.1 audio stream?


You can check this by setting your AVR in "Direct" mode (or OSD if OSD shows information on incoming audio channel count and frequency). This is the first step to diagnose the problem.


It's AVR's role to expand stereo/5.1 to 7.1 (e.g. by Dolby Pro Logic IIx). If AVR receives 7.1 with silent surround, it can't expand it.

Unfortunately, I don't have any music cds. I tried downloading some 7.1 THX test mp3s, but when I play them, LAV shows them as being 2 channel only. I have some movies that show 6 channel in LAV settings, however I still don't hear sound out of my rear speakers. My audio settings are set to 7.1 surround. If I change to stereo, then I get sound through all my speakers, however my sub doesn't work then.
 
#53 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by anujpuri85  /t/1464707/geforce-gtx-660-7-1-audio-sending-pcm-only/30#post_23141117


I have some movies that show 6 channel in LAV settings, however I still don't hear sound out of my rear speakers. My audio settings are set to 7.1 surround. If I change to stereo, then I get sound through all my speakers

Then you are still sending audio in WASAPI "shared" mode (i.e. Windows Audio Engine does processing on your audio stream). You will want to send audio in WASAPI "exclusive" mode. Did you follow the instruction?
 
#54 ·

Quote:
I tried downloading some 7.1 THX test mp3s, but when I play them, LAV shows them as being 2 channel only.
 

MP3 doesn't support multichannel audio.

 

 
Quote:
I have some movies that show 6 channel in LAV settings, however I still don't hear sound out of my rear speakers. My audio settings are set to 7.1 surround.
 

6 channels = 5.1 audio. Setup your receiver to upmix to 7.1, not sure what its called.
 
#55 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by renethx  /t/1464707/geforce-gtx-660-7-1-audio-sending-pcm-only/30#post_23141148


Then you are still sending audio in WASAPI "shared" mode (i.e. Windows Audio Engine does processing on your audio stream). You will want to send audio in WASAPI "exclusive" mode. Did you follow the instruction?

I did follow your instructions for setting up ReClock. Any way for me to check whether it's actually wasapi exclusive during playback?
 
#56 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrkazador  /t/1464707/geforce-gtx-660-7-1-audio-sending-pcm-only/30#post_23141167


MP3 doesn't support multichannel audio.




6 channels = 5.1 audio. Setup your receiver to upmix to 7.1, not sure what its called.

My system's already setup to upmix to 7.1. If I connect my phone or laptop and play music through the front input on my receiver, then it upmixes all my mp3s and I get full sound through all my speakers, including my sub.


If I change my audio settings to 5.1 surround on my computer, then I only get sound through 5 speakers (front three and back 2). The back surrounds get no sound, and on top of that, my sub doesn't work. So i don't think it's a receiver issue...
 
#58 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by anujpuri85  /t/1464707/geforce-gtx-660-7-1-audio-sending-pcm-only/30#post_23141354


I did follow your instructions for setting up ReClock. Any way for me to check whether it's actually wasapi exclusive during playback?

Click the ReClock icon in the system tray during the playback and check ReClock properties > Renderers infos > Audio.
 
#59 ·
anujpuri85

Said (I have an Asus P5Q-E with a GeForce GTX 660 video card. HDMI out of my video card does currently work, just not proper 7.1 sound.)

I looked at your bio's in your manual.


I had that problem in the past with an older Asus MB.

If you notice I posted my Bio's for my Asus In advanced mine has the HDMI choice, Your does not.

remember the choice on HD in the bio's is only for ( front or Back)

In my bio's the choice for Digital is SPDIF or HDMI.

Yours is missing that choice.


So what i had to do in order to get 7.1 on that MB was to use HDMI for Video only, & use a Optical cable from the back of the MB to the AVR receiver.

You will have to set the receiver for Video= HDMI , Audio= Optical

You should get DTS, Dolby Digital In 5.1 & 7.1, But may or may not get DTS HD Master Audio or same for Dolby Digital Tru HD ,Depending on your receiver.

Setting it up this way, you should be able to verify 7.1 in Control panel sound test, If you hear it there , It should work with everything else.
 
#60 ·
S/PDIF (optical / coaxila) supports stereo PCM, DD and DTS, but does not support multichannel LPCM, Dolby TrueHD, or DTS-HD MA/HRA.
 
#61 ·
Applications


A common use for the S/PDIF interface is to carry compressed digital audio as defined by the standard IEC 61937. This mode is used to connect the output of a DVD player or computer, via optical or coax, to a home-theatre amplifying receiver that supports Dolby Digital or DTS surround sound. Another common use is to carry two channels of uncompressed digital audio from a CD player to an amplifying receiver.


Full article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S/PDIF
 
#63 ·
I already said that".

I had a ASUS PQ5-E & replaced it with a Asus P6x58d-E For the very same reasons.

It will work if the video card had a S/PDIF connection, because his mother board has a S/PDIF Port on it for a pig tail cable.

or buying a new sound card that will handle DTS HD master audio, 7.1

but they are expensive. & his MB would still be outdated. that's like putting a band-aid in the computer.

the money would be better spent on a new Updated MB that has faster everything plus Full HD 7.1 audio that will work with his GTX660


He is better off with a new board where every thing is faster Sata 6 instead of Sata 3,Its cheaper in the long run.

I suggest He drop a line to ASUS & ask how to remedy this problem,

I did & I bought a new board,

You guy's might want to read back on this forum about two years on this very same problem the tons of people that had the same problems. (No audio ,or poor audio etc,etc via HDMI)

the cure then was to buy a new sound card For like $150.00, Everybody waited for that, Because nobody had a mother board at that time to correct the problem.

now we do, & the price is cheaper than buying a new sound card. You have to weigh the investment
 
#65 ·
GTX 660

Display Support:

4 displaysMulti Monitor

2560x1600Maximum Digital Resolution

2048x1536Maximum VGA Resolution

YesHDCP

YesHDMI 1.42

One Dual Link DVI-I, One Dual Link DVI-D, One HDMI, One DisplayPortStandard Display Connectors

InternalAudio Input for HDMI

DP 1.2Display Port Support

Yes7.1 Channel HD audio on HDMI

YesTrue HD and DTS-HD Audio Bitstreaming

YesPCI Express 3.0 support


Notice it says internal audio input for HDMI

It says it has support for it , It does not say that it is a sound card Providing it.

His mother board has the sound card & it is only S/PDIF.
 
#68 ·
Tuna1934, a couple of years ago you were correct, to get sound over HDMI you either hooked up a sound card or motherboard sound to the video card. But now virtually all HDMI video cards have built-in audio controllers, and do not use the motherboard's built-in audio or a stand-alone sound card. In fact I do not think you can buy a sound card new that sends Lossless over HDMI, the Asus Xonar and Claro had one, but AFAIK they are out of production.

The OP either has a bad video card, or has something wrong in his software setup.My setup is very simple, Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit, and I have Haali medi splitter installed so I can play MKV's. I have Arcsoft TMT 3 on it for BD playback, and that is it. No other codec's installed. And it bitstreamed True HD and DTS HD-Master with no issues at all. I have used both an Nvidia GT440, and the AMD 5670 that is in there now.

So it really has to be a setup issue.
 
#69 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tuna1934  /t/1464707/geforce-gtx-660-7-1-audio-sending-pcm-only/0_100#post_23143353


OK", you win, You fix it.

Asus PQ5-E

This is what his MB manual says.



Asus P6X58d-E

This is what my MB manual says.





Which one handles DTS surround
 

Both can support PCM, AC3, and DTS through the SPDIF output. DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC simulates 5.1 surround on 2 speakers. The motherboard has nothing to do with what the gpu can support audio wise.
 
#70 ·
@tuna1934


I happen to be running ASUS P5Q-EM motherboard (G45 chipset = P45 + iGPU) right now. Its BIOS is almost identical with that of ASUS P5Q-E. I installed GeForce GTX 650 Ti, a younger brother of GTX 660. All HD audio formats (TrueHD, DTS-HD MA, DD+, DTS-HD HRA) are supported wether onboard audio (Realtek ALC1200) is enabled or disabled. The screenshot below was taken when onboard audio was disabled so that only the audio devices from GTX 650 Ti are seen. The current Kepler-based GeForce card supports up to 4 audio devices (i.e. if you connect 4 AVR/displays with HDMI, you can send 4 independent audio streams). TX-SA606X is the name of my ONKYO receiver.




GeForce card could support audio from onboard audio codec or a sound card, but as a matter of fact, there is no such card any longer because the card itself has a HD audio controller. This is true for all AMD Radeon HD 2xxx/3xxx/4xxx/5xxx/6xxx/7xxx and all GeForce GT 210/220/240, GT(X) 4xx/5xx/6xx. (Not every model supports TrueHD/DTS-HD, however. See "Summary HDMI Audio" below.) Illustrations below were used to explain the differences when the first graphics card equipped with HD audio controller was released in 2007 (Radeon HD 2000 series).

Traditinal solution: S/PDIF pass-through



New graphics card with a built-in HD audio controller: The graphics card grabs audio directly from the system memory via PCI Express bus.



Summary of HDMI Audio

 
#72 ·
I haven't read all of your posts. Which part is confusing? Do you see "Dolby TrueHD", "DTS-HD" etc. in "VSX-1021-K" Properties > Supported Formats?
 
#73 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by renethx  /t/1464707/geforce-gtx-660-7-1-audio-sending-pcm-only/60#post_23148128


I haven't read all of your posts. Which part is confusing? Do you see "Dolby TrueHD", "DTS-HD" etc. in "VSX-1021-K" Properties > Supported Formats?

Those are supported formats for my receiver... I can use them when I plug in an external music player or if I use my xbox. I just can't use them with my computer... can't get off PCM.
 
#74 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by anujpuri85  /t/1464707/geforce-gtx-660-7-1-audio-sending-pcm-only/60#post_23152996


Those are supported formats for my receiver... I can use them when I plug in an external music player or if I use my xbox. I just can't use them with my computer... can't get off PCM.

Every latest AVR supports TrueHD/DTS-HD. That's not the problem. Do you see them in the Windows sound control panel, or not? That' the problem. If not, there is an EDID problem, that you have to fix.
 
#76 ·
Then it must be a software problem.


I suggest uninstalling all codecs and players and starting all over with the bare minimum (i.e. MPC-HC.1.6.6.6957.x86 and LAVFilters-0.55.3 ). Remove / reset all personal settings when uninstalling / installing codecs / player. In LAV Audio Decoder configuration, make sure to check all HD audio formats in "Bitstreaming (S/PDIF, HDMI) Formats". Pick up a video file that includes a HD audio track (you can check this by MediaInfo ). Make sure you are using only the following 5 filters at the video playback:


- Default DirectSound Device

- Enhanced Video Renderer (custom presenter)

- LAV Audio Decoder

- LAV Video Decoder

- LAV Splitter Source (and click it to see if the correct audio track is selected in case there are multiple audio tracks.)

 
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