[smodak]

I have MCE 2005, NVIDIA .67 installed in my HTPC. My onboard soundcard is connected via S/PDIF to the onkyo receiver. I get perfect DD 5.1 sound from real and ripped DVDs when playing in MCE.


When I try to play the downloaded WMVHD clips in MCE, I have to set 2 speakers in control pannel (instead of 5.1) to get any sound from the center speakers. I heard installing AC3Filter and setting 5.1 in the control pannel would fix this issue. AC3Filter would take the 5.1 distinct channels - re-encode it to DD5.1 and passthrough to the recever over S/PDIF.


I still want my DVDs (ripped or otherwise) to use NVIDIA decoder passthrouh (or may be AC3filter passthrough). That is to say, I do not want to decode the DVD sound into 5.1 distinct audio, and then re-encode using AC3filter. I want only WMVHD (and maybe 2 channel MP3s) to be re-encoded by AC3Filter.


In short,


1. The DVD DD5.1 track should pass through as-is to the receiver - to avoid decode/re-encode to and from a lossy format.


2. The WMVHD and other 2 channel audio should be re-encoded and passed through to the receiver.


Is this possible? How do I configure AC3filter to ignore the DVD DD5.1 tracks and just pass it through (my NVIDIA decoder is setup that way) at the same time re-encode WMVHD 5.1 distinct tracks to DD5.1?

 

[GrantMeThePower]

I'm not 100% sure (i'm sure someone else will chime in to correct me if I'm wrong), but AC3Filter won't decode and reencode DD5.1 and DTS. It should just pass those through untouched, while at the same time, it will pick up on the WMA of the WMVHD titles and encode those to 5.1. See, its not actually decoding and reencoding the WMA, it is just encoding because the audio by nature is unencoded 5.1 discreet channels. When it senses DD5.1 or DTS it knows to just pass that through when your output is S/PDIF.

 

[smodak]

Thank you! That will be just great! Can anyone confirm?

Also, is there any tutorial on how to properly setup AC3Filter?

 

[GrantMeThePower]

I said I wasn't 100% sure, just to cover my butt and not piss anyone off, but I'm pretty sure that it'll work fine. To set it up for MCE 2K5, first thing to do is download the latest version, install, go to the configuration, make sure that the S/PDIF box is checked, then on the last tab check everything.


Go to start, run, regedit. Find the local machine, software, microsoft, windows, current version, media center, services, video something or other and there will be a reg key for MPEG audio decoder. Change it to {A753A1EC-973E-4718-AF8E-A3F554D45C44}.


There you go. Should work fine.

 

[smodak]

Thanks GrantMeThePower,

I am so glad to be a part of this forum that is full of smart people like you!

I will try that and let you know how it goes.

Regards

 

[GrantMeThePower]

Hey man, definetly credit the forum and not me. I didn't know squat until I started reading here and learning. One of the great things is getting information and helping others. I needed help (and still do!) from a bunch of people to get here, and once you get this working, you'll be able to help people. Its really a great cycle.

 

[smodak]

OK,

I exactly followed the steps. Everything (WMV-HD, DVD, itunes) works beautifully.. until I try playing MP3 files through MCE My Music or WMP10. That's when the problem starts. Absolutely no sound for MP3 files..Dead. After I try to play mp3 files in MCE, even itunes stops producing any kind of sound. ALL DVD, WMVHD are still OK. Once this happens, only way to get play MP3s (or any kind of analog sounds-e.g. the noise MCE makes when starting etc.) is to do a system restore (I create a restore point before I attempt any sw install or tweak). I tried three times, repeating the steps and playing with mpeg settings in AC3Filter, but, no luck!

My settings are as follows.

1. MCE2005 with NVDIA decoder.AC3Filter RC5

2. control panel set to 5.1 surround

3. AC3Filter set to 5.1/16bit - SPDIF checked

4. All checkboxes in the last tab checked. Ac3Filter is preferred, DirectShow is preferred.

5. Tried both with and without the registry hack mentioned by GrantMeThe Power



Any pointers??


EDIT: I do see the equalizer bars in WMP when there is no sound. My onboard sound is AC97 based (which resamples everything to 48khz). Could it be a problem due to 44.1 KHz resampling to 48 KHz?

 

[GrantMeThePower]

Hey there. Glad to hear that everything else is working, but that really sucks about the MP3's. Sorry to hear it.


Is it ONLY MP3's? Do WAV files work? Does a regular CD work?


We'll get this figured out!

 

[smodak]

Thanks Man. I will try with a CD and WAV. Do your MP3s work? What kind of Sound Card do you have? Onboard? AC97 based?

 

[wordgasm]

Quote:

Originally posted by smodak OK, I exactly followed the steps. Everything (WMV-HD, DVD, itunes) works beautifully.. until I try playing MP3 files through MCE My Music or WMP10. That's when the problem starts. Absolutely no sound for MP3 files..Dead. After I try to play mp3 files in MCE, even itunes stops producing any kind of sound. ALL DVD, WMVHD are still OK. Once this happens, only way to get play MP3s (or any kind of analog sounds-e.g. the noise MCE makes when starting etc.) is to do a system restore (I create a restore point before I attempt any sw install or tweak). I tried three times, repeating the steps and playing with mpeg settings in AC3Filter, but, no luck! My settings are as follows. 1. MCE2005 with NVDIA decoder.AC3Filter RC5 2. control panel set to 5.1 surround 3. AC3Filter set to 5.1/16bit - SPDIF checked 4. All checkboxes in the last tab checked. Ac3Filter is preferred, DirectShow is preferred. 5. Tried both with and without the registry hack mentioned by GrantMeThe Power Any pointers?? EDIT: I do see the equalizer bars in WMP when there is no sound. My onboard sound is AC97 based (which resamples everything to 48khz). Could it be a problem due to 44.1 KHz resampling to 48 KHz?

Well this wont help you, but I'm curious for me


Will wmv files play ok, with all the others you mentioned? I want to try this fix, and I don care about mp3's or the MCE sounds. If 5.1 TV, stereo TV, WMV-HD, DVD's and Videos, wma plays, then I'm golden!


Can I add games in there at 5.1, even if all the proper EAX sounds aren't reproduced exactly correct?


Thanks


Jeff

 

[GrantMeThePower]

I use onboard sound. It is Realtek ALC850, which is AC'97 Rev 2.3 based. For your other question, I know it sounds crazy, but: I don't have any MP3's. I've never really gotten into the downloading services thing, and I'm going to start ripping my music to use with MCE 2K5, but I'll be using WMA.


My girlfriend has a bunch of MP3's, though, so I should be able to try tonight when I get home.

 

[smodak]

I don't play games, but for me "5.1 TV, stereo TV, WMV-HD, DVD's and Videos," play very well.

 

[GrantMeThePower]

Jeff- The AC3 filter doesn't work with EAX sounds. You'll still only get two channels out of S/PDIF with games. Totally sucks. I don't know why Xbox can encode games in real time with DD5.1 but the PC doesn't.


If someone's found a way to do it, I haven't heard of it.

 

[wordgasm]

Thanks Lads!


I dont have any mp3's either, just all my CD's ripped to wma lossless for MCE (Had them all ripped in APE for JRMC and reripped for MCE, oh well it was only about 350 CD's


Thanks


Jeff

 

[wordgasm]

Quote:

Originally posted by GrantMeThePower Jeff- The AC3 filter doesn't work with EAX sounds. You'll still only get two channels out of S/PDIF with games. Totally sucks. I don't know why Xbox can encode games in real time with DD5.1 but the PC doesn't. If someone's found a way to do it, I haven't heard of it.

If someone were to spit out that little piece of code in a few weeks for about $10 a pop, they'd have a nice little $250,000 + nest egg in a heartbeat I'd think!

 

[GrantMeThePower]

Okay, smodak, i've been doing some looking into this for you, and I think that the problem is with which boxes are checked on the last tab. I told you to check them all, but I think that that is part of the problem with the mp3's. Sorry about that. Try unchecking the "PCM" box. See if everything works. It might be a different box, but I think that one might do it.

 

[smodak]

Quote:

Originally posted by GrantMeThePower Okay, smodak, i've been doing some looking into this for you, and I think that the problem is with which boxes are checked on the last tab. I told you to check them all, but I think that that is part of the problem with the mp3's. Sorry about that. Try unchecking the "PCM" box. See if everything works. It might be a different box, but I think that one might do it.

Nope,

If I uncheck PCM, WMVHD does not work (no 5.1), neither does MP3(no sound). Only thing works is DD5.1 for DVDs. My be because I am uninstalling-reinstalling several times, but now sometimes when I play DVDs, MCE just stops responding and I have to hard reset.

Thanks a lot for all the help man!

 

[GrantMeThePower]

Ok, you're right. I guess this is what happens if I try to give advice from work without checking at home. Sorry!


On the last tab, there are two columns. THe "Use AC3Filter for" and the "S/PDIF passthrough". In the first column, ONLY check the PCM. I told it to you backwards.


I think that with all of the S/PDIF passthrough boxes checked, but just the PCM box checked, you should get 5.1 through S/PDIF for your WMA and of course your pass through of DD5.1 and DTS, but your other files should play fine. Try that and let me know what happens.

 

[smodak]

Quote:

Originally posted by GrantMeThePower Ok, you're right. I guess this is what happens if I try to give advice from work without checking at home. Sorry! On the last tab, there are two columns. THe "Use AC3Filter for" and the "S/PDIF passthrough". In the first column, ONLY check the PCM. I told it to you backwards. I think that with all of the S/PDIF passthrough boxes checked, but just the PCM box checked, you should get 5.1 through S/PDIF for your WMA and of course your pass through of DD5.1 and DTS, but your other files should play fine. Try that and let me know what happens.

Man, Don't be sorry! You are doing me a great favor by checking these things for me. I will definitely try that tonite and see what happens.

Thanks a lot.

 

[GrantMeThePower]

One more thing. If that doesn't work try unchecking the MPEG audio box from the S/PDIF passthrough section and try again.