*Official* Asus Xonar HDAV1.3 thread - Page 99

Thats strange, i tested another DVD and DD lit up?

The frame rate (hicup) issue ive found is a conflict between the HDAV and the Video driver. When playing video connected directly to my television (bypassing AMP and HDAV) it does not exist.

You have the same problem like me when I was using PDVD8 for DVD. Because of that I don't use PDVD8 to watch DVD instead I used VMC. Now with this card, I use TMT for both DVD and BD playback.

Just wanted to say I received my DVI splitter cable today and it did not allow me to split the video out of the video card's DVI into two, feeding one straight to the TV, and the other to the Xonar/receiver while maintaining the protected audio path. It actually seemed to create some other major problems since now my display properties sees the splitter cable as the display device.

Sigh... If only the Xonar and the receiver could remain transparent for video in the chain - it doesn't seem like ANYTHING digital allows for absolute transparency because even a damned splitter cable my video card detected it, even by it's name. Although the latest Splendid driver does fix the overly bright washed out problem, my receiver clips blacker than blacks and whiter than whites and doesn't allow to use my displays native resolution. I really, really need to try to bypass my receiver while maintaining the protected audio path so I can enjoy crystal clear un-altered video.

Two last things I can try... HDMI splitter and split the signal after the Xonar and not before, or just buy a secondary video card dedicated for the HDTV so I can use both DVIs maybe in a clone type mode, one out to the display, and the other to the Xonar... Might wanna unplug my PC monitor and try that with my existing video card first though....

That is odd on the DVI splitter. What kind of splitter was it? Really you'd think a passive splitter shouldn't be detectable.


Another thing to consider is just have a fake signal come into the xonar. The trick ofcourse is what to use. The hdmi splitter if you get one may work with the cable box and split that rather than a protected signal.

BTW, UPS just dropped off my xonar. So wanting to play with it right now, but it'll be my reward after my finals tomorrow morning. Hopefully this one isn't DOA. The first movie I'm watching (if everything goes well - Dark Knight).

We're still just using the driver + app from from the asus website right? And splendid if I have an overbright issue.

Hello guys,

so I narrowed my problem:

when the TMT plays BD or HD-DVD in MPEG 2 format everything is OK, but when the film is MPEG 4 - AVC format it hugely stutters.

Any sugestions how to resolve it?

Thanks in advance.

Kamil

what video card,cpu,ram & chipset do you have, and what os?

everyone thats saying they can't use the xonar without passing video thru it.....
why don't you go and buy the cheapest dodgiest dvd or digital tv box you can find with a hdmi port and just plug that into the xonar input?

Doesn't work for the protected audio path. First thing I tried. However doing this you can output normal sounds and decoded PCM over HDMI this way, but you wont get Hi Def bitstreaming passthrough without the video from the videocard being mixed.

Anyway I was playing with bitstreaming to my receiver vs letting the Xonar do the decoding and outputting pcm and think the Xonar does a better job than the Yamaha RX-663. Dialog is much clearer, bass is slightly cleaner, and there's a 'tad' more channel separation. I think I'm going to stick to PCM output and perfectly clear picture. Bitstreaming wasn't all what it was cracked up to be if you have a decent decoder in the PC to output PCM.

That doesn't make any sense unless the yamaha is doing something else to the PCM or bitstreamed audio. There shouldn't be any difference between the PCM sent to the Yamaha and the PCM the Yamaha decodes from the bitstream. You can have better or worse DAC's in a sound card vs a reciever, but the decoder should give the same results.

I am not discounting your observation, but it shouldn't be happening that way in theory. Its very possible that the Yamaha is doing something else to one or both of the streams that it isnt doing to the other.

Any chance you can level match them and have a friend help you do a blind A/B test?

Edit: I also have a yamaha 663, and have not yet bought this card (explains why I'm more interested in what you are seeing than normal).

I mean nothing he says makes any sense, he's still chasing blacker than black for some stupid reason too even though no video format besides a test pattern contains blacker than black. He can now hear difference between two basically identical audio formats now too. HAHA he's awsome.

It wouldn't be unheard of for a receiver to have a minor dB difference between two "sources". Generically speaking, a small level difference can make one source sound better, even if they are identical.

Doesn't make sense? Forget normal PC/Desktop use without the normal PC color range. Maybe some people wanna view photo albums or do other PC work/gaming on their HDTV? Not only that, but the loss of 1:1 pixel mapping through the receiver is another major let back - I like my text crisp and clear and not blurry/aliased. A lot of people are on about 24p...I don't see the need for that since it doesn't seem to bother me or my setup, but does that mean it shouldn't matter to other people because I don't have the personal need for it? Actually there was a lot of people complaining about the 663 and color clipping in the 663 thread just like the people here complain about the 24p issue.



I believe the Yamaha RX-663 looses some features when receiving a bitstream of HD since it doesn't have the processing power to do the HD decoding and add things like EQ (EQ says N/A when bitstreaming HD for example). It is a budget receiver after all. This might be part of the reason for the difference I'm hearing - when receiving PCM some of the functions that aren't available when bitstreaming are working. I kept testing back and forth while the movie played so I could hear the difference about as fast as flipping a light switch on and off (It's as easy as selecting HDMI then 5.1 in TMT - don't have to stop the movie playback to switch back and forth) so I had no down time for my ears to re-adjust - I played certain scenes over and over while switching back and forth. Or the Xonar just flat out does a better job of decoding than the budget Yamaha receiver does?

It's like you could take five different receivers and feed each one the same exact bitstreamed soundtrack and let them do the decoding, doesn't mean they're all going to sound exactly the same. Some will over emphasize the sound on purpose and have more dynamic impact (more fun for soundtrack playback), some will be more close to neutral, some will sound kinda flat, thin, and have less dynamic impact.

Whatever the case may be, I'm kinda glad and kinda disappointed at the same time. I'm glad I won't be missing anything by not bitstreaming over using PCM, but I'm disappointed that all this time waiting for HD bitstreaming didn't open up a new level of sound quality/clarity - in fact ever so slightly worse on my setup. Be it because the RX-663 looses some ability when decoding HD because of lack of processing power, who knows, but there is a difference.

True enough, but that sure doesn't explain

"think the Xonar does a better job than the Yamaha RX-663. Dialog is much clearer, bass is slightly cleaner, and there's a 'tad' more channel separation"

Nor does losing blacker than black explain

"perfectly clear picture"

I'm only half busting his balls, but seriously. ......ok I'm done. Nevermind.

24p is an issue, it's effect is real. Black than black doesn't have anything at all to do with playback of movies. Yes I know it effects pc, notice how I said video format. I agree with the card somehow refusing to go past 1920x1080 is lame. My monitor is 1920x1200 being stuck at 1080p sucks. This card will pass higher res, I don't know how the hell I did it, but mine did for 3 days then stopped.

I think you may have hit the nail on the head here. If the yamaha's EQ and other DPS functions are disabled when bitstreaming, then that could easily account for the differences.



While this is very true, this has nothing to do with the HD lossless decoders. Its more a property of the other DPS/effects/DAC's/amps. If you could rig up a receiver to take in a bitstreamed HD codec, and then spit out PCM on HDMI, all receivers should be identical unless something is horribly wrong. The decoders aren't like DAC's where you have various levels of quality.


I think its more of a reassurance. If you can't get the PAP code working well enough for bitstreaming to work, then chances are that the PCM is being molested as well.

Even if the 663 sounds better with PCM, its nice to have the option, and its nice to be able to subjectively decide which sounds better. And, I may not own the 663 forever =).

Well if you're going to rip my posts apart, might want to take into consideration exactly what I said! My complaints apply to other PC uses other than video playback only. My box isn't a dedicated video playing machine, it's the only PC I have and I like to do some PC tasks on the big screen that otherwise work perfectly fine before being forced to run my video through two additional devices that both monkey with the signal because of some copyright protection crap that doesn't even stop people from pirating the damned movies to begin with! When using a PC as a PC and not getting the full color range of a PC it *CAN* be a problem. And its effect *IS* real.

Again you're not comprehending my complaints fully:


Loss of 1:1 pixel mapping - case closed on that one.


See you really do agree with me when you get to the bottom line. I think everyone could agree that true un-altered video passthrough of all devices would be most ideal and leave far less doors open to problems - same theory with bitstreaming audio untouched, but with video. I mean if you care so much about getting the audio transferred in the most pure and un-touched form, why wouldn't you care the same about the video side of things?



You can fully bust my balls, I can handle it. Might direct some of the pain away from the broken foot.

Yea it's probably the loss of certain features when the receiver is doing the decoding. You even loose certain BD features as explained in the owners manual. So in the end, with the RX-663 it might turn out better to not bitstream to it do to lack of processing power. And yea, I probably won't own the 663 forever either. Patiently waiting for Emotiva to release the XMC-1 (already have the XPA-5). Then it's B&W 800 series from there (currently on the 600 series).

Overscan cant be put off on an Philips 37PF9830/10
And the problem is the nvidia resize function because it only shows me a quarter of the image

1080p is the standard.
You went and bought a monitor which isn't a 1080p native resolution.
You bought a xonar card for watching BD/HDDVD @1080p.
Your fault.
I'm sure its all worth it for those few mniutes of TDK IMAX scenes :P
Does anyone else run HTPCs at any other res than 720p/1080p?

Haven't had an answer - can someone with Vista please check please ?

Have you checked your cpu usage during playback?

Dear HDAVers,

If you ever experienced NO SOUND at all from your Xonar HDAV1.3, chances are:

You have set the resolution to NON-HDTV standard resolutions.
Yes, Asus has it written in the FAQ, but I've missed it somehow.
Anyways, I lost my audio after played around with the res settings, and got it back after i set it back to 720P, or 1080P etc.


Just sharing my experience.

Yes 30 - 40%. I think missing codec is the culprit.

Kamil

which codec are you using for mpeg-4?

I believe that ffshow, but I was under impression, that TMT has its own codecs. Bacause .mkv files with MPEG 4 AVC running smoothly.

Kamil

Hi All

I have a BIG problem I would like to try out ver. 125 of TMT but I can't find my paperjacket the CD came in so I don't have tke KEY anymore (still have the cd if that helps).

I still have ver. 122 installed is there a way to check the KEY.

Hope someone can help with my problem.

Best Regards

Chewie1

Have you an ATI card in your computer? I mean from the 2000, 3000 or 4000 range of ATI cards? Well if you do than that is the HDMI audio device in the sound options in your control panel. Just disable it.

Well you'll know if it's using the ffdshow codec as the icon will be in the taskbar.

That is it, it is not there. I'm suspecting nVidia driver, will try to reinstall. I believe that nVidia driver is responsible for Pure HD Video.

Kamil

The only feature the Yamaha RX-V663 does not have when receiving a bitstreamed HD-Audio signal is the ability to perform DD PLXII processing. If you don't have a 7.1 system then there will be absolutely NO difference.

The problem you are describing arises because of calibration. Remember when you receive a bitstreamed signal into the Yamaha Receiver the only place to do the calibration is in the receiver itself. The computer does not touch the audio at all. However, when decoding in the computer and outputting PCM you have the ability to adjust the calibration in both the computer and the receiver.

The best way to correctly test PCM vs. bitstream is to use the DVE Blu-ray to calibrate the bitstreamed DD-TrueHD signal by adjusting your receivers levels. Then play the same disc while decoding to multi-channel PCM. This time leave your receiver settings alone and ONLY adjust the levels via the ASUS software.

If you do that properly with an SPL then both decoding methods will sound identical in the latest ASUS TMT version.

Did you actually calibrate your system properly?