Beginners guide to Mediaportal Codecs and what to use. (2 Viewers)

[elsmandino]

Great - I think I am finally starting to understand all this now.
So are you saying that I should just leave the amp on straight (i.e. PCM) all the time and let Mediaportal take care of all the decoding and outputs etc?

This being the case, does Mediaportal also have the ability to create 5.1 from just 2 channels like the amp?

If so, if I now understand correctly, if I play a video with stereo, it will make it sound like 5.1 but if I watch something with proper 5.1 audio, it will automatically output this properly as intended?

 

[HomeY]

Great - I think I am finally starting to understand all this now.
So are you saying that I should just leave the amp on straight (i.e. PCM) all the time and let Mediaportal take care of all the decoding and outputs etc?

Yeps

This being the case, does Mediaportal also have the ability to create 5.1 from just 2 channels like the amp?

Yes, you can use the Mixing function of the LAV Audio Decoder for example

If so, if I now understand correctly, if I play a video with stereo, it will make it sound like 5.1 but if I watch something with proper 5.1 audio, it will automatically output this properly as intended?

Yes.

 

[infinite.loop]

I am a long time user of mediaportal but the one thing I have really not tinkered much with is the Codec section - primarily because I just do not get it.



Is there anyone that might be able to give me an idiot's guide to what everything is and, further, what settings/options I should be using on my setup?

MediaPortal 1.3.0 comes with LAV codecs.
So you don't really need anything else.

Only thing to do is open LAV Video Configuration and select the "Hardware Decoder to use:" usually thats dxva option you want (usually dxva2 native).
Then open MediaPortal Configuration and make sure that LAV Video / audio codecs are set everywhere.

*edit* after I posted this message, the thread suddenly showed 3 more pages. Seems like my browser has some issues today.
You seem to be in good hands here already.

 

[elsmandino]

Excellent stuff - thanks a lot.

Now I realise that the amp is only really just powering the fiver speakers and not really needed for any decoding, I probably spent more time than necessary in picking it.

I also realise what you mean now, Homey, in your comments above in relation to HD audio - i.e. my particular amp does not decode this but if I am decoding on the HTPC itself, it is irrelevant.

I shall have a mess around tonight with the various settings and shall report back here if I have any problems.

I have also been reading a bit more on audio/video generally and realise that my terminology in my last post is a bit strange. Rather than saying this:

This being the case, does Mediaportal also have the ability to create 5.1 from just 2 channels like the amp?

It was more accurate to have asked whether Mediaportal can upmix stereo to 5.1 with Dolby Pro Logic II - I am learning bit by bit.

Many thanks

Alex

 

[elsmandino]

Hi,

I spent all weekend messing around with the codecs settings and, further to the above, I just cannot get mediaportal to upmix stereo to 5.1.

I currently have my amp permanently on PCM (straight) and whenever I play anything in true 5.1, it comes out of all speakers as intended. However, despite my trying various combinations, anything stereo channels just comes out the front two speakers only.

I attach a copy of my current settings - any help would be very much appreciated (I should add that I am using MP 1.4). Hopefully it is something really simple and/or obvious that needs changing.

 

[azzuro]

Why matrix encoding in Lav Audio is set to "Dolby Pro logic II" you don't have real 5.1 amplifier ? it working with stereo channel only ! (Old engine)

 

[elsmandino]

Hi Azzuro,

My amp is a real 5.1 amplifier - what I am attempting to do (if possible) is upmix the stereo audio (which I get on most TV programmes) to output from all 5.1 speakers using Dolby Pro Logic II.

 

[azzuro]

Dolby prologic is for use with old AMP with only stereo input (5.1 stream is send to 2.0 channel but channels are splitted to each frequency and décoded by AMP, it's was used for analog connection)
Your amp can do this effect "All stéréo" i think is not MPAR issue, maybe LAV Audio or Soundcard setting

 

[Atomic7431]

when using a stereo input source or from when watching the tv via mediaportal, i use the sur. decode button on the remote to change the audio into pl || (pro logic 2 movie), this will change the speech from the front left and right to centre speaker as you would expect, i found that most tv channels dont output audio correctly for people with amps, expecting the majority to only have the stereo speakers on the tv and so uses a left/right audio output.

hope this helps.

 

[elsmandino]

Hi,

I am still not sure I get what is going on.

Further to Atomic's comments above, what is the difference between using the pro logic 2 setting on mediaportal and using it on the amp?

I am beginning to think that, as Azzuro says, there is perhaps another soundcard setting that I need to mess around with to get this working.

Although I note that you can switch between straight and mixup on the amp by pressing the "sur" button, it would be nice to have everything change automatically, depending on the audio source.