[clau]

Just built a PC using the MSI 785GTM-E45 board with the Athlon X3 440 CPU. I get audio over HDMI, but it is only stereo. Downloaded and installed the latest Realtek and ATI catalyst drivers, on Windows 6-bit OS. Can't find any menu where I can enable multi-channel audio. Connected this to a AVR via HDMI, and display shows ProLogicII.


Does anyone know whether this board carry multi-channel audio over HDMI? If so, what are the steps to enable it? Thanks.

 

[hirent]

The 785G chipset has the HD4200 IGP. The 4200 audio controller can do only legacy codecs/2-ch PCM. In other words, only plain old SPDIF, no multi-channel PCM.

You'll need an add-on card to get multichannel PCM (HD4000 series) or bitstream if you wish with the HD5000 series.

 

[Stereodude]

You can't it doesn't support it.

 

[clau]

Thanks guys for the speedy response. I have anther PC with a 4350 card that is connected to a bedroom HDTV with no AVR, so I probably should just swap the two.


Wonder why no one mentioned this in the newegg reviews.

 

[clau]

Wait, I seem to get conflicting information here. In this anandtech article, he says:


"For one, thanks to the HD4200, AMD finally offers multi-channel LPCM audio output plus additional hardware video accelerated functions."


So it looks like multi-channel LPCM is supported? Does that mean that I can only get multi-channel via S/PDIF? But I thought S/PDIF cannot carry 7.1 channels.

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3599


Also, in the MSI box, it clearly says "8 channel (7.1) HD audio subsystem with S/PDIF out". Confused

.

 

[diogen]

It can't do multichannel except the standard DD/DTS codecs, the ones you find on DVDs.

So, it will do 6ch DTS 1.5Mbps but not lossless.


Have you configured your PC as having a 6ch speaker setup?


Diogen.

 

[clau]



Quote:
Originally Posted by diogen /forum/post/18259152


It can't do multichannel except the standard DD/DTS codecs, the ones you find on DVDs.

So, it will do 6ch DTS 1.5Mbps but not lossless.


Have you configured your PC as having a 6ch speaker setup?


Diogen.

I could not figure out how to select more than 2 speakers. In Control Panel/Sound, the ATI HDMI device is set as default. When I configure that, the only option is stereo speakers. If I look at the properties of the ATI HDMI device, there is nothing listed under Encoded Formats. I have the latest catalyst drivers and the Realtek ATI drivers. I probably need to uninstall the realtek and ati drivers, and then reinstall them.


I would be happy just to have 5.1 channel DD and 6 ch. DTS.

 

[Artslinger]

I have the same board (I have a 5570 on the way from newegg), and was confused at first by that sound control panel only showing stereo with HDMI selected. I just ignore it because I'm getting 5.1 DD and DTS to my AVR through HDMI. Have you checked your AVR to see if you're getting DD and DTS?

 

[hirent]



Quote:
Originally Posted by clau /forum/post/18259130


Wait, I seem to get conflicting information here. In this anandtech article, he says:


"For one, thanks to the HD4200, AMD finally offers multi-channel LPCM audio output plus additional hardware video accelerated functions."


So it looks like multi-channel LPCM is supported? Does that mean that I can only get multi-channel via S/PDIF? But I thought S/PDIF cannot carry 7.1 channels.

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3599


Also, in the MSI box, it clearly says "8 channel (7.1) HD audio subsystem with S/PDIF out". Confused

.

They later published a retraction saying it can't and apologized for the wrong info. It was discussed in the 785 thread here, I can't recall when.

The 8-ch HD sound refers to the four Analog Out Ports and SPDIF refers to either co-axial or optical out on the board.

The answer is that the 4200 cannot do it.

Hope it saves you some time and hair-pulling.


Just transfer your 4350 and voila it should pop up with multiple speaker options.


If all you want is regular DVD audio tracks (DD & DTS), then it will pass-through those signals over the HDMI even though it shows only 2 speakers. Just set HDMI as the default audio device and play the DD and DTS tests in properties tab of the audio device.

Play a DD/DTS audio track and then check the sound from all the speakers. Barring any other issues it should work.

 

[clau]



Quote:
Originally Posted by hirent /forum/post/18259904


They later published a retraction saying it can't and apologized for the wrong info. It was discussed in the 785 thread here, I can't recall when.

The 8-ch HD sound refers to the four Analog Out Ports and SPDIF refers to either co-axial or optical out on the board.

The answer is that the 4200 cannot do it.

Hope it saves you some time and hair-pulling.


Just transfer your 4350 and voila it should pop up with multiple speaker options.


If all you want is regular DVD audio tracks (DD & DTS), then it will pass-through those signals over the HDMI even though it shows only 2 speakers. Just set HDMI as the default audio device and play the DD and DTS tests in properties tab of the audio device.

Play a DD/DTS audio track and then check the sound from all the speakers. Barring any other issues it should work.

Thanks for the replies from you and Artslinger.


(1) I had installed both the Realtek ATI HDMI and the Realtek Win7 drivers from their website. Apparently the latter drivers screw things up, so I was not seeing the encoded formats available. I uninstalled those, and reinstalled the ATI cat drivers and the Realtek ATI HDMI drivers. I can then see AC3, DD and DTS listed in the encoded formats in the properties of the Realteck HDMI device. But when I play a track with DD or DTS sound, my receiver only show Dolby Pro Logic. So DD/DTS is still not sent via HDMI. There is a "Custom" tab in the HDMI properties that allows the AC3/DD/DTS to be carried by HDMI, and that has been checked already.


(2) Reading the posts on this, I thought maybe I could get different results by removing all the realtek drivers. I disabled the realtek audio device in BIOS, then remove the realtek ATI HDMI driver. I asked windows to update drivers, and it found the ATI HDMI drivers and installed those. Now under encoded format, only DD shows up, no DTS. When I play a track with DD or DTS, again the receiver says Dolby Pro Logic. So still no luck.


Where do you see the DD/DTS tests in the properties tab? I can't find those at all. There is only stereo speakers listed in the "Configure" tab, but that seems to be what everyone else is seeing with this chipset.


When I play those video files using my other computer with the 4350 card, I got 6 channel PCM, so the files have multi-channel sound.


Not sure where I go wrong on this. It seems like the board should give me DD/DTS via HDMI.