I'm attempting to have my console communicate 5.1 DD or DTS audio with my Turtle Beach Montego 7.1 DDL over toslink to output to analog into my Logitech X-540 speakers. I realize the card has no dolby decode in hardware, so I use graph edit to route the signal from the sound card into AC3filter (I tried ffdshow too) out to analog connectors. This is peachy when I only select the 2 channel defaults in PS3 XMB Sound settings, but obviously no surround effects are working. As soon as I enable DD and/or DTS, the sound is garbled and has this clicky/tapping rhythm to it. I set AC3filter to detect SPDIF in PCM input, no passthrough, and output format to 5.1/16bit analog. It appears sound is kernel streamed without noticeable delay at all, so I'm not worried about that issue. I'm fairly confident that the audio stream is not properly decoded by the filters, so I want to ask how should I approach this. Thanks in advance.
Playstation 3 optical out to sound card spdif input (DD decode)
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I don't want the card do decode anything - like I said it doesn't have hardware support at all so it's not even possible. I just want it to pass the bitstream to the CPU, process everything in software, and spit out as regular sound.
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I am fully aware of all limitations of optical spdif, but this is what I have to work with. I also read that thread before, and what I want to do classifies under what is possible, bullet 2 - with kernel streaming so no delay that is mentioned there. I'm not that into home theater, I play PS3 on my computer LCD once in a while and I want to have decent surround on I have now and what I think should work.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lifespeed /forum/post/18125543
There is a thread on this subject. Be forewarned it is near-impossible to get working.
The reality is SPDIF is a legacy, lossy format, and I personally choose not to support it. Once cablecard arrives, I can throw away the only box I own with SPDIF, the Comcast DVR.![]()
But each to their own.
I am fully aware of all limitations of optical spdif, but this is what I have to work with. I also read that thread before, and what I want to do classifies under what is possible, bullet 2 - with kernel streaming so no delay that is mentioned there. I'm not that into home theater, I play PS3 on my computer LCD once in a while and I want to have decent surround on I have now and what I think should work.
Actually I did make it work. I found that using the newest cmedia reference drivers, the card correctly captures toslink at 48khz/16bit instead of 96khz/24bit with the turtle beach drivers. I feed that input to AC3filter 1.63b and back out to my card via WDM streaming drivers. DVDs play in 5.1 without any lag (sound goes to static when I pause so I have to mute speakers, but resumes as soon as start playback). Audio in games is also in full 5.1 so I assure you this setup can be made to work.
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Congrats! Clearly that is at the outer edge of practicality for an HTPC. I used to use a Creative Labs X-Fi elite pro that would natively decode DD. However, I had to ditch it due to their refusal to support Vista.
Someday SPDIF will go away entirely. But not today.
Congrats! Clearly that is at the outer edge of practicality for an HTPC. I used to use a Creative Labs X-Fi elite pro that would natively decode DD. However, I had to ditch it due to their refusal to support Vista.
Someday SPDIF will go away entirely. But not today.
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SPDIF multichannel doesn't have the bandwidth for lossless audio, and can only carry DD (horrible quality) and DTS (decent, but not great).
We've had DTS-HD and Dolby True HD, both lossless 24-bit formats, for a few years now. And HDMI for the digital interconnect. And analog out from the soundcard works very well also.
If you have a compelling need to support the legacy stuff, well, good luck. Supposedly it is possible with a great deal of effort, the right hardware and codec manipulation, and a few prayers to the HTPC gods.
The solution, at least for me, as to move the last source (cable DVR) into the HTPC. There is then no need to accept digital audio in. The other sources (music, DVD, BD) have been inside the HTPC for years now.
Unfortunately the HTPC is considered by Hollywood to be a pirate machine, and there is little to no support for HDMI input, audio, video or both.
SPDIF multichannel doesn't have the bandwidth for lossless audio, and can only carry DD (horrible quality) and DTS (decent, but not great).
We've had DTS-HD and Dolby True HD, both lossless 24-bit formats, for a few years now. And HDMI for the digital interconnect. And analog out from the soundcard works very well also.
If you have a compelling need to support the legacy stuff, well, good luck. Supposedly it is possible with a great deal of effort, the right hardware and codec manipulation, and a few prayers to the HTPC gods.
The solution, at least for me, as to move the last source (cable DVR) into the HTPC. There is then no need to accept digital audio in. The other sources (music, DVD, BD) have been inside the HTPC for years now.
Unfortunately the HTPC is considered by Hollywood to be a pirate machine, and there is little to no support for HDMI input, audio, video or both.
But isn't the whole point of bit-stream so that (1) better error correction (2) more data in a narrow pipe via compression.
Main reason I care about digi-in (for sound) is for gaming consoles....
I want to use my HTPC as a DH (or similar) adapter, I don't want to use the SU-DH1 or Mixamp...
Also I had planned to keep BD players separate....
Mainly because in Linux it's too much of a lengthy process of 1st ripping then re-constituting (this step not imperative unless storing) before material is played.
Do you know for sure that HDMI-in (bitstream, PCM, whatever) is deliberately locked, or has it just not been utilised yet.
Main reason I care about digi-in (for sound) is for gaming consoles....
I want to use my HTPC as a DH (or similar) adapter, I don't want to use the SU-DH1 or Mixamp...
Also I had planned to keep BD players separate....
Mainly because in Linux it's too much of a lengthy process of 1st ripping then re-constituting (this step not imperative unless storing) before material is played.
Do you know for sure that HDMI-in (bitstream, PCM, whatever) is deliberately locked, or has it just not been utilised yet.
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I do not know the details, sorry. I have not had success with DD optical input other than my old X-Fi Elite Pro under Win XP.
If you want to buy it (cheap!) and try the hacked Win 7 drivers you are welcome to try. The X-Fi was a unique solution in that it performed the DD/DTS decoding in hardware, rather than the 'other' solution of attempting to get the soundcard to pass the DD/DTS bits to AC3Filter or FFDShow.
PS - bitstream does not provide better or worse results than analog out. Just moves the D/A conversion from the soundcard to the receiver. X-Fi does not have HDMI output, only analog and SPDIF.
I do not know the details, sorry. I have not had success with DD optical input other than my old X-Fi Elite Pro under Win XP.
If you want to buy it (cheap!) and try the hacked Win 7 drivers you are welcome to try. The X-Fi was a unique solution in that it performed the DD/DTS decoding in hardware, rather than the 'other' solution of attempting to get the soundcard to pass the DD/DTS bits to AC3Filter or FFDShow.
PS - bitstream does not provide better or worse results than analog out. Just moves the D/A conversion from the soundcard to the receiver. X-Fi does not have HDMI output, only analog and SPDIF.
Actually I may have found some solutions: HDAV1.3 or Hometheatre HD
Quote: A main feature of the HTHD 7.1 is offering HDMI 1.3a I/O to the end user which allows full resolution, high definition audio with no down sampling. A very interesting feature of the HTHD 7.1 is the use of an external receiver is NOT required to have support for these high definition standards.
While the use of an external receiver is an option, the card allows any speaker system connected to the card to output Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and DTS-HDMA in full resolution.
What's not certain to me is whether these cards can decode/convert DTS/DD formats & pass-through video coming via HDMI, instead of locally.
Even more ideal would be to use my existing Core i3-530 + motherboard w/HDMI-in....
But I'm not sure if Intel HD Graphics is able to receive A/V via HDMI, let alone decode w/approp. s'ware & redirect to 3rd party DAC.
I doubt it's able to, nor do I expect it'd be possible with sw updates & right mobo/adapters...
The main reasons I want something like this is to;
1) Send digi-Audio (HD or non-HD) to my PC to create virtual surround in stereo (CMSS, DH etc)...
2) Have a PAP* compliant solution so I can receive & play or locally play HD A/V, for the times I'm too lazy to rip/transcode.
It's a shame that I prolly won't be able to redirect decoded DD & DTS formats to my Essence ST + H6 for superior analogue output.
I suspect that'd break the PAP/xxx....
So for analogue-out of received or locally played HD DD & DTS, I'll be forced to use the same card.
Unless I've gone to the effort of ripping & converting beforehand....
*forgotten what the video equivalent is called
Actually I may have found some solutions: HDAV1.3 or Hometheatre HD
Quote: A main feature of the HTHD 7.1 is offering HDMI 1.3a I/O to the end user which allows full resolution, high definition audio with no down sampling. A very interesting feature of the HTHD 7.1 is the use of an external receiver is NOT required to have support for these high definition standards.
While the use of an external receiver is an option, the card allows any speaker system connected to the card to output Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and DTS-HDMA in full resolution.
What's not certain to me is whether these cards can decode/convert DTS/DD formats & pass-through video coming via HDMI, instead of locally.
Even more ideal would be to use my existing Core i3-530 + motherboard w/HDMI-in....
But I'm not sure if Intel HD Graphics is able to receive A/V via HDMI, let alone decode w/approp. s'ware & redirect to 3rd party DAC.
I doubt it's able to, nor do I expect it'd be possible with sw updates & right mobo/adapters...
The main reasons I want something like this is to;
1) Send digi-Audio (HD or non-HD) to my PC to create virtual surround in stereo (CMSS, DH etc)...
2) Have a PAP* compliant solution so I can receive & play or locally play HD A/V, for the times I'm too lazy to rip/transcode.
It's a shame that I prolly won't be able to redirect decoded DD & DTS formats to my Essence ST + H6 for superior analogue output.
I suspect that'd break the PAP/xxx....
So for analogue-out of received or locally played HD DD & DTS, I'll be forced to use the same card.
Unless I've gone to the effort of ripping & converting beforehand....
*forgotten what the video equivalent is called
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Well, seeing that the Auzentech card you mentioned has the second-generation Creative X-Fi chip it may be one of the few cards to accept SPDIF input. You would be wise to confirm this, however. The review is mute on this point. Remember, all cards claim SPDIF input, but they don't accept DD or DTS in, so are basically worthless.
Also, you should be aware that the fact this card uses the Creative DSP chip will also make you subject to Creative's vile 'business practice' of not supporting new operating systems on 'old' hardware, and non-existent driver support. The drivers will come from Creative, not Auzentech. At least the key portions of said drivers.
Lastly, you are locked into PDVD for non-downsampled HD audio output direct from BD disc.
Also, you should be aware that the fact this card uses the Creative DSP chip will also make you subject to Creative's vile 'business practice' of not supporting new operating systems on 'old' hardware, and non-existent driver support. The drivers will come from Creative, not Auzentech. At least the key portions of said drivers.
Lastly, you are locked into PDVD for non-downsampled HD audio output direct from BD disc.
Not sure what you mean by S/PDIF...
If it does decode received DD/DTS (inc. HD), that content would come in via HDMI-audio, not S/PDIF.
X-Fi? Eiiww, I can't believe I missed that! Hmm, might have a closer look at the HDAV1.3.
Although another user claims the general consensus is that the hometheatre is better overall (yet to read)
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/26...usion#t2077675
Good point, and if it does in-fact allow for decoding of bit-streamed BR content via HDMI-in, the same lock-in would apply.
Not sure what you mean by S/PDIF...
If it does decode received DD/DTS (inc. HD), that content would come in via HDMI-audio, not S/PDIF.
X-Fi? Eiiww, I can't believe I missed that! Hmm, might have a closer look at the HDAV1.3.
Although another user claims the general consensus is that the hometheatre is better overall (yet to read)
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/26...usion#t2077675
Good point, and if it does in-fact allow for decoding of bit-streamed BR content via HDMI-in, the same lock-in would apply.
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Nowhere did I read the Auzentech card would decode HDMI audio inputs. Prove it, many would like such a card.
The HDAV1.3 has an HDMI input also, but all it does with it is take video from the video card and ad in the audio. It is not an audio input.
The HDAV1.3 has an HDMI input also, but all it does with it is take video from the video card and ad in the audio. It is not an audio input.
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