[emueyes]

I'm building a new HTPC and seem to have run into a problem. Everything I've read suggests that my system should be able to bitstream TrueHD and DTS/MA. System details:


Intel DH67GD motherboard / Realtek 892 onboard sound, i3 2100 CPU, Xonar D2/PM


Realtek drivers 6.0.1.6410

Intel HD gfx drivers _8.15.10.2462

Xonar drivers UNi Xonar 1794 v1.41 (modded 1794 Asus drivers)

(all the latest drivers I can find)

Windows7 64bit SP1


In the Control Panel | Sound pages, I think the IntelHD and Xonar entries should both have a list of supported formats that include TrueHD and DTS/MA, but they do not.


Is there some step I'm missing?


Rob

 

[Davinleeds]

Use the Intel hdmi drivers for direct hdmi connection to an AVR. Not familar with your 1155, but my i3/530 works fine. Is the i3 2100 HD capable? I think for 1155 you need clarkdale cpu.

 

[DJWikiera]

Are you using HDMI or Toslink connection to your receiver, only HDMI will carry HD audio with what you have. The Xonar D2/PM doesn't bitstream HD audio. Do a search of the forum on Intel HD Audio setup. Don't own one and forget a driver name you might have to install also from Intel.


Take the Xonar out of the system and start from there.

 

[captain_video]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davinleeds Use the Intel hdmi drivers for direct hdmi connection to an AVR. Not familar with your 1155, but my i3/530 works fine. Is the i3 2100 HD capable? I think for 1155 you need clarkdale cpu.

Clarkdale uses 1156. 1155 is for Sandy Bridge.


No need for the Xonar sound card with either setup. All audio is bitstreamed via HDMI. You won't see anything in the control panel for HDMI audio. In fact, you need to configure the audio in Control Panel for 2-channel stereo or else you'll have issues with the audio output via HDMI.


HD audio will only work if you're bitstreaming Blu-Ray discs from the HTPC. TMT will automatically detect the HD audio stream and set it up automatically. If you're using PDVD then you need to start playback and then go into the audio setup menu to select HD audio. Otherwise, you'll never see the option to select it. Once you've set it up you won;t have to select it again unless you choose another DVD format for playback via PDVD.

 

[emueyes]

Cool. I'll keep the Xonar though, for headphones.

 

[emueyes]

the ppl here
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=107736&page=2


are showing what I thought I should be getting, on both the Realtek and Xonar panels. Also close to what I want to do, stream files with HD audio to the receiver. The PC as already connected via HDMI to the receiver so that's easy.


btw here http://www.silentpcreview.com/intel-sandybridge1 is a link for comparison of the snb chips to the 1st generation

 

[renethx]



Quote:
Originally Posted by emueyes /forum/post/20875761


the ppl here
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=107736&page=2


are showing what I thought I should be getting, on both the Realtek and Xonar panels. Also close to what I want to do, stream files with HD audio to the receiver. The PC as already connected via HDMI to the receiver so that's easy.

There are two kinds of 'Realtek' audio devices:


- AMD HDMI audio (i.e. Radeon HD 2xxx/3xxx/4xxx/5xxx/6xxx graphics card) + driver supplied by Realtek (I am not sure why he does not use AMD's own HDMI audio driver.)

- Realtek onboard audio codec, that supports analog sound and S/PDIF (no HDMI).


Realtek onboard audio codec is your case, which you won't use anyway.


XBMC does not support HD audio bitstreaming (you will need an external player + ffdshow Audio Decoder or LAV Audio Decoder for this purpose).

 

[emueyes]

For XBMC I'm using MPC-HC with ffdshow audio, and am experimenting with LAV - their VC-1 codec is very nice indeed, and so are the audio drivers.


Seems there's more to this though. I also need Intel MEI (Intel Management Engine) which wasn't installed at first. This review http://www.missingremote.com/review/...bl-motherboard talks a bit about it, and though a little old now this article http://www.missingremote.com/guide/b...mats-your-htpc makes it very clear. This situation with MEI has been the case since the 5 series Clarkdale chips.


Initially MEI showed that nothing had been added to manage, until I installed the very latest HD video drives (which includes HDMI audio). Now those HD drivers show up in MEI but still no list of HD formats, I assume MEI is meant to be installed first ( I got an OEM board with no box, disk etc, so I downloaded what I thought was needed).


Gee this is getting complicated. What happens when I finally get this to work? I'll have an HDCP compliant TV and a non-HDCP compliant monitor...

 

[Davinleeds]

MEI inclusion is discussed on the Clarkdale and Sandy Bridge threads. I check the Intel site and motherboard site for current drivers. Mine was installed first as was included on disk. That should resolve itself on reboot but I don't recall a discussion on install sequence as many installed MEI afterwards to enable HD audio. Initially mine didn't work but only on reboot with AVR on did HD audio work. Be sure Intel audio is selected in playback devices and configure is done.

 

[renethx]



Quote:
Originally Posted by emueyes /forum/post/20878574


For XBMC I'm using MPC-HC with ffdshow audio, and am experimenting with LAV - their VC-1 codec is very nice indeed, and so are the audio drivers.


Seems there's more to this though. I also need Intel MEI (Intel Management Engine) which wasn't installed at first. This review http://www.missingremote.com/review/...bl-motherboard talks a bit about it, and though a little old now this article http://www.missingremote.com/guide/b...mats-your-htpc makes it very clear. This situation with MEI has been the case since the 5 series Clarkdale chips.


Initially MEI showed that nothing had been added to manage, until I installed the very latest HD video drives (which includes HDMI audio). Now those HD drivers show up in MEI but still no list of HD formats, I assume MEI is meant to be installed first ( I got an OEM board with no box, disk etc, so I downloaded what I thought was needed).


Gee this is getting complicated. What happens when I finally get this to work? I'll have an HDCP compliant TV and a non-HDCP compliant monitor...

MEI driver affects only commercial BD players: H55/H57 MB supporting HD audio bitstreaming (the same applies to H67/Z68). It does not affect the list of supported audio formats in Sound control panel (without MEI driver, ffdshow/LAV Audio Decoder can bitstream HD audio).


What receiver are you using? An EDID problem?


HDCP matters only when you use commercial BD players.

 

[emueyes]

I'll be using a Yamaha RX-V667, and that may be the problem: it isn't actually plugged in yet. I wanted to get the PC set up properly before moving it, and have now read that HD out won't appear unless the AVR and PC are connected.