Can't configure surround (2 Viewers)

[shaharh]

I just installed a new PC and the MediaPortal on it.
I upgraded the sound card to Crative Audigy with the I/O extender and connected it oiptically to my sound reciever.
When I watch movies on BS Player, I get the AC3 to work properly. getting the full surround.
Watching movies via the Media Portal gives me only stereo!!!
I tried using the internal viewer and the BS Player as an external viewer...
Doesn't work :-(
It seems like the Media Portal is using its own codecs and ignors what I configure.
(I'm using ffdshow)

Can anyone help?!?!?!

Thanks,
S.

 

[yatesd]

I don't know BS Player, but I think you should check what codes are being used by getting hold of GraphEdit.

You can check firstly with BS Player to see how it is handling the files and then you can also configure it to run (search in Forums) also in MP to validate the differences. Once you have that information it should be easier to check the configuration and find a solution.

 

[shaharh]

Thanks for the reply.

The thing is, I tried using the BSplayer from as an external player in MediaPortal and still got only stereo whereas running it "stand alone" resulted in full surround...................
I think I got the same effect with Microsoft media player...

I'm not familiar with GraphEdit, I'll try learning it and try it.

Thanks,
S.

 

[yatesd]

You can also try looking at the settings in the MP Configuration under "Direct Show Filter Control". there are a number of options there for specifying Audio maybe you have something set so that it is downmixing in MP on AC3.

 

[shaharh]

Giving up

No... doesn't work.
I'm giving up.
Its a lot easier just doing everything directly from windows.

Thanks for your help
S.

 

[Spragleknas]

Hi.
What audio codec have you set under setup -> video?
Only some codecs will appear under the Direct Show Filter Control, not FFDShow. This is to be configured manually in FFDShow.

Try using MPA and set to SPDIF under Direct Show Filter Control

 

[shaharh]

I started with CCCP.
Switched between every option the MP has, every codec.
With MP I got stereo without, surround.
Then, I removed the CCCP and installed the AC3 codec recommended by this site.
Again, tried all options, all available codecs.
With MP I got stereo without, surround.

This thing cost me more then 5 hours of my life I'll never get back

S.

 

[Spragleknas]

And you set the codecs to SPDIF?
You could play around with AC3filter - and loose a couple more hours (Hey, who has a life anyway?).

 

[JonL]

I'm having this same problem. Playing files in MPC, WMP, Zoom, etc. (external) Graphedit shows filename.mp4(h264/5.1 AAC, for example)->ffdshow Audio Decoder->AC3Filter->Audio Switcher->Default DirectSound Device. I have 3 HTPCs using this method with MCE and I get full 5.1 DD over SPDIF passthrough to my external receiver on all 3. I've used this method for over a year. I'm basically decoding MP3 stereo and AAC 5.1 to 16-bit integer for AC3Filter so that it can transcode it to 5.1 640kbps AC3 and send it over SPDIF.

I have set MP to use ffdshow and DirectSound in the Movies configuration and have made no other changes (but have tested with many between both ffdshow and AC3Filter). What Graphedit shows me when playing the same file using MP's internal player is filename.mp4->ffdhsow Audio Decoder->DirectSound Device. It is not sending to AC3Filter->Audio Switcher which is responsible for the AC3 transcoding. I'm getting analog 2-channel at my receiver sent over SPDIF. I have audio, but it's not acceptable.

I've been through this forum backwards and forwards and have tried all the suggestions/workarounds/band-aids suggested and none get me much closer. I'm no the only one experiencing this, so is it being worked on? There has to be a problem in the way the internal player is handling audio in relation to codecs.

If this were fixed, I'd switch immediately.

 

[visteon]

I dont know much about how this is supposed to work but i'm pretty sure it does not.
I want to play 5.1 sound over SPDIFF from a 2ch source. I use ac3filter with windows media player and this works fine but with mediaportal I have not been able to get it to use ac3filter in all cases. It does use it sometimes for some types of audio but I want everything to go through ac3filter.

Tried the same avi with Graphedit and that works fine and it is using the MPA Decoder to pass to AC3Filter so I can't see why this does not happen when playing the avi from within MP.