Cannot make HD audio through HDMI work (1 Viewer)

[MPM]

Hi,

I've been struggling with this for a while and cannot figure out if it's a codec, driver or configuration issue.
Short story is simply that I cannot play files with HD audio (DTS-HD or TrueHD)...
My HTPC is connected to a HD capable AVR (Onkyo TX-NR609) and I have latest SAF package installed (6.05). And of course, I have confirmed a connection to a HD AVR during SAF install...

I have installed latest Realtek audio drivers that give me the "Allow AC3/DTS/WMA output" option but after enabling it and restarting I only get DTS Audio and Dolby Digital in the supported formats tab, no HD formats. Have installed and re-installed multiple times with AVR turned on...

I have seen a related discussion with similar symptoms (https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/codecs-external-players-55/how-play-mkv-dts-hd-91654/#post698571) and I'm "almost sure" that I successfully played a DTS-HD file when testing right after install too but solutions shared there were for Intel platform and are not applicable for my system... (Don't have a back-up from that point and don't want to re-install Windows... Yet...)

To make the whole story even more strange (at least to me), if I uninstall Realtek audio drivers and go back to Windows' basic ATI audio driver, I will still get the passthrough functionality for other formats even though there is no "Allow AC3/DTS/WMA output" option available. (DTS-HD or TrueHD don't work this way either...)

It's probably not relevant given the lack of format support in the driver, but behavior in the MP is that it does nothing if I try to play a file with TrueHD. If I try to play it directly in the GraphEdit, I get the message "The graph could not change state. This pin cannot use the supplied media type. (Return code: 0x8004022a)". It connects it to Default DirectSound Device through LAV Audio Decoder via LAV splitter...

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
MPM










MediaPortal Version: 1.2.2
MediaPortal Skin: StreamedMP
Windows Version: Windows 7, SP1
CPU Type: AMD Athlon II X2 250 (3GhHz)
HDD: Samsung HD401LJ (400GB) + WD Caviar Green (640GB)
Memory: 4GB Kingston (2 x DDR2 PC2-6400)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA780G-UD3H
Video Card: on-board (Radeon HD3200)
Video Card Driver: ATI Catalyst 11.12
Sound Card: on-board (Realtek ALC889A)
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: FireDTV-C
1. TV Card Type: DVB-C + CI (CAM: Dilog Conax CAS 5.0)
1. TV Card Driver: 5.7
2. TV Card:
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: SAF6 (recommended settings)
MPEG2 Audio Codec: SAF6 (recommended settings)
h.264 Video Codec: SAF6 (recommended settings)
Satelite/CableTV Provider: Canal Digital
HTPC Case: Evolution (Brasse HTPC)
Cooling:
Power Supply: Corsair VX450W
Remote: Microsoft MCE Remote
TV: Samsung LE46B535
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI (through Onkyo TX-NR609)

 

[Paranoid Delusion]

Hi

Just read this and if you are trying to get HD audio over hdmi, then you need a video card that supports the format, not spdif which would be the Realtek.

 

[Owlsroost]

I'm fairly sure the Radeon HD3200 doesn't support HD audio formats over HDMI (it's too old) - stereo PCM and AC3/DTS is all you can have....certainly that's the case with the stand-alone HD3xxx video cards.

Tony

 

[MPM]

@Paranoid: I'm using HDMI through Onkyo TX-NR60, not spdif.

Owlsroost: I will dig deeper, but I'm fairly sure it's supported. See for example Conclusion : AMD and Nvidia Platforms Do Battle, and like I said I'm "almost sure" I had it working directly after install...

 

[Owlsroost]

I think tomshardware got confused - see AVS Forum - View Single Post - Video cards with audio over HDMI? and Features For The Home-Theater Crowd : Updated: AMD 785G: The Venerable 780G, Evolved

Tony

 

[the_thunder]

I guess the question here is if your HTPC really is streaming audio through your HDMI-interface. In your logs, MP shows to use your onboard (Realtek) audio-device. This audio-device will not be able to stream HD-audio.
Check your PC audio properties to check if HDMI is selected as audio device (I suspect this not to be the case)
If this should be the case, check your codec settings and see if direct streaming (bypass) of audio is selected.

If you do not have an HDMI Audio-device avaliable in your windows audioproperties, your soundcard is not audio-over-HDMI-compatible (my theory), and you need to purchase a new audio-card. They are really cheap now.

I use an ASUS Radeon HD 5450 512MB cabable of audio over HDMI, and this has been working flawlessly with Shark007 codec pack on two HTPC in my home. This codec-pack has an excellent configuration-tool embedded, so setting up is a walk in the park. I rip my BDs with DD HD/DTS HD into mkv, and this works great. I also use a Yamaha RX-V-765 receiver to process the sound btw.

 

[jameson_uk]

780G chipset is not capable of bit streaming HD audio.

It can send multichannel LPCM over HDMI but this means the HD audio needs to be decoded on the PC. DTS-HD is a problem because there is no open source decoder and the commercial ones are coded not to play nicely.

IIRC you need a commercial DLL to decode DTS-HD via LAV.

You will never see the true HD or DTS-HD lights on you amp come on with a 780G mobo

edit sorry I lied. The 780G will only send stereo over HDMI as Tony said. The only way to get HD audio out is using the analogue outputs (which still needs decoding done on the PC)

 

[MPM]

Well, the more I read the more I'm convinced that it unfortunately is like you say and 780G cannot support streaming HD audio. And regarding my "memory", I'm testing an Asus Eee Box 1501P in parallel with my existing system so I may have confused it and have seen the HD lights on the amp when 1501P was connected... Thanks for all the input!

I still have problems with files that will not play... If I re-install SAF and don't choose that I have a HD capable amp, will it then simply configure LAV so that DTS-HD is "downgraded" to DTS before playing? Or do I have do more than so?

EDIT: Yes, it was that simple...