[sdsalsero]

I have a brand-new Revo 7.1 sound card but I'm having a lot of trouble with it. I installed the latest drivers (v5.10.00.35 for WDM) and everything seemed to install perfectly. But then I couldn't get any sound out of the SPDIF connector. I played around with the Revo audio control-panel and finally got sound when I switched the Quickset to "Digital" . But there were no longer any adjustments visible for the individual speakers so I changed back to the 5.1 Quickset; the SPDIF continued to work. So, then I started playing with different apps, e.g. Winamp 2.90, MS Media Player 6.4, and ZP. At some point, the SPDIF stopped working?! Again, I went into the Revo control-panel and played with the Quicksets until it started working again. I spent about an hour doing this: fix the SPDIF; "break" the SPDIF; repeat...


Is this a known problem with the card/drivers?


Is the SPDIF supposed to work all the time, i.e., regardless of which Quickset you select?


Is it possible there's a problem with my Dolby 5.1 decoder (a 2 year-old all-in-one JBL speaker/amp/decoder combo) and that I'd just never noticed it before? I have the digital coax from my HiPix and my progressive-scan DVD player connected to the JBL's one coax input via a generic unpowered video switchbox.

 

[Cliff Watson]

1) S/PDIF does not work full time. It is either analog output OR digital output.

2) For compressed DVD (DD/DTS) audio volume control is provided by your receiver/decoder.

3) For PCM digital audio volume control is provided by the player thru the Windows Volume Control.

 

[Mad Chemist]

Its an either or thing. Either SPDIF or analog.

 

[sdsalsero]

Maybe I wasn't clear:

I only want to use SPDIF but I can't seem to make it work consistently. When it "breaks", my JBL decoder continues to show a DD5.1 "signal" but no sound issues forth.


If I'm understanding you guys correctly, the "Digital" Quickset is only supposed to be used when you're using a DD 5.1 app, eg. WinDVD -- that's the reason there are no line-level controls in it?


Is there a output-connector setting somewhere?

 

[sdsalsero]

Cliff, are you saying that only certain apps can be output via the SPDIF? I thought the Revo was capable of converting regular (stereo?) Windows audio to digital -- in fact, I had it working that way!

 

[Cliff Watson]

â€Cliff, are you saying that only certain apps can be output via the SPDIF? I thought the Revo was capable of converting regular (stereo?) Windows audio to digital -- in fact, I had it working that way!â€


No, I did not say that!


What I said was that the ability to control the volume is determined by the source audio stream.


Dolby Digital and DTS are compressed (encoded) audio streams and are treated as data that does not allow you to apply volume control in a Windows application.


PCM (stereo) is already in digital form and is treated as audio allowing you to control the volume level thru the normal Windows volume control.

 

[sdsalsero]

Thanks for clarifying, Cliff. I kinda understood that already but it's good to know specifically. Since I already have a remote control for the JBL's volume, it's perfectly acceptable if that's the only working volume control! The problem has always been trying to match the output volumes of all the different devices and software apps...


Still no word about why the SPDIF keeps going silent?

 

[Cliff Watson]

"Still no word about why the SPDIF keeps going silent?"


Try a different RCA cable.

"The problem has always been trying to match the output volumes of all the different devices and software apps..."


Most multimedia applications will retain the last volume level setting and can be used to balance the levels so that you can use the remote for the receiver.

 

[sdsalsero]

Sorry, didn't mention that -- I already tried two cables, including the one that I've been using with the HiPix for two years now.


re volume levels, the problem is that my HDTV outputs non digital channels at a much higher level (via analog outputs) than it does digital channels (via optical digital). Also, different digital videos seem to have a wide range of volumes -- and I recorded most of them myself, oops...

 

[Cliff Watson]

"re volume levels, the problem is that my HDTV outputs non digital channels at a much higher level (via analog outputs) than it does digital channels (via optical digital)."


The analog (fixed) output from my HDTV is lower than normal. Check your user setup on the TV to see if it offers a fixed line level and adjustable output.


Sure do wish my TV had channel level balance on the line output (monitor) as it does for the TV speakers.

 

[sdsalsero]

It's a Sony 34BXR2 and it's already congfigured for fixed output, i.e., I control the volume with the JBL. I have a tech coming out next week to fix the focus -- maybe they can adjust the analog outputs fixed-volume level?