MediaPortal Audio Renderer (2 Viewers)

[doveman]

To get around the fact that I can't use two instances of MPAR in Audio Renderer Changer, I'm thinking of doing the following:

Instance 1 in ARC: Default DirectsoundDevice with ffdshow profile to mix to stereo and duplicate to two outputs (this will be used for TV viewing, watching movies/episodes where the user isn't too bothered about the best sound, although they'll be able to choose between using the TV speakers or their stereo amp)

Instance 2 in ARC: MPAR with ffdshow profile set to mix to four channels (set 1, going to the stereo amp, will carry everything except the centre channel and set 2, going to the TV's speakers, will carry the centre channel)

For both I intend to use LAV as the audio decoder, with ffdshow's mixer used as a post-processor, which will then feed into either renderer. I've tested using ARC to switch between the two renderers and that seems to work fine but I haven't set it to switch ffdshow profiles or inserted ffdshow into the chain as a post-processor yet.

So I just wanted to check whether there's any potential problems using it like this, LAV decoder->ffdshow post-processor (for the mixer)->MPAR?

 

[miroslav22]

Ah thanks, sorry I missed that

 

[tourettes]

Ah thanks, sorry I missed that

And there is a test build that contains that fix + few others: https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/threads/collection-of-audio-renderer-fixes-for-1-3-0-beta.109738/

 

[tourettes]

So I just wanted to check whether there's any potential problems using it like this, LAV decoder->ffdshow post-processor (for the mixer)->MPAR?

If ffdshow doesn't corrupt the timestamps for audio samples then it should work nicely. It is also possible that there is some compatibility issues with the ffdshow as there hasn't been that much testing with ffdshow + MPAR combo I haven't tested it for over a year.

 

[doveman]

If ffdshow doesn't corrupt the timestamps for audio samples then it should work nicely. It is also possible that there is some compatibility issues with the ffdshow as there hasn't been that much testing with ffdshow + MPAR combo I haven't tested it for over a year.

Thanks, fingers crossed it will be OK but the proof's in the pudding as they say, so I'll get testing

 

[LJG]

Hello, I have read lots about MPAR, but remain a little confused (sorry).

I'd like to use MPAR so that I can use WASAPI for live TV which contains the HE-AAC soundtrack, (I'm in the UK and this is used with some Freeview HD broadcasts). LAV Audio can decode the HE-AAC, but Windows 7 will downmix it to stereo, unless I use WASAPI when it will be sent to my amp as PCM 5.1. I haven't found a reliable way of doing this in MediaPortal so I currently have ffdshow as a post processor re-encoding it to Dolby Digital 5.1 and sending it to my amp.

Am I right in thinking that MPAR should be a better solution as using WASAPI would mean less processing, and better reliability and sound quality?

For videos and films I currently bitstream using ffdshow or LAV Filters DD / DTS / DTS HD / Dolby True HD to my amp, but I understand that MPAR doesn't support bitstreaming. Does this mean that it can send those audio codecs untouched to the amp via WASAPI also? And what about AAC (the non HE kind) I use ffdshow to encode 5.1 streams to Dolby Digital otherwise Windows will downmix them to stereo, can MPAR send that via WASAPI to my amp also?

Many thanks for any help with this.

lisa

 

[tourettes]

Sorry for not spotting this post any earlier!

I'd like to use MPAR so that I can use WASAPI for live TV which contains the HE-AAC soundtrack, (I'm in the UK and this is used with some Freeview HD broadcasts). LAV Audio can decode the HE-AAC, but Windows 7 will downmix it to stereo, unless I use WASAPI when it will be sent to my amp as PCM 5.1. I haven't found a reliable way of doing this in MediaPortal so I currently have ffdshow as a post processor re-encoding it to Dolby Digital 5.1 and sending it to my amp.

Am I right in thinking that MPAR should be a better solution as using WASAPI would mean less processing, and better reliability and sound quality?

Using WASAPI exclusive mode (like MPAR does) will bypass the OS mixer and allow less processing with the audio (if audio hardware supports the decoded LPCM format directly then there is no conversion done inside the MPAR and the audio goes as 1:1 to the audio HW).

For videos and films I currently bitstream using ffdshow or LAV Filters DD / DTS / DTS HD / Dolby True HD to my amp, but I understand that MPAR doesn't support bitstreaming. Does this mean that it can send those audio codecs untouched to the amp via WASAPI also?

MPAR cannot process any bitstreamed audio currently mainly as there is no point in it since bitstreamed audio cannot be altered at all. MPAR will actually reject the connections to any bitstreamed format so what would happen is that DS default audio renderer would be used instead and MPAR would be left unconnected in the directshow graph.

And what about AAC (the non HE kind) I use ffdshow to encode 5.1 streams to Dolby Digital otherwise Windows will downmix them to stereo, can MPAR send that via WASAPI to my amp also?

If ffdshowis used to encode the audio to DD then MPAR will just reject the stream and DS default renderer will be used. If ffdshow is just passing LPCM to MPAR then the MPAR will be able to pass the audio as unmodified to audio HW and the sound quality will be a bit better since there is one extra lossy audio conversion (LPCM -> DD) that doesn't need to be done.

 

[LJG]

Thank you for such a full reply. I have just started to use MP 1.3.0 alpha with MPAR and I'm very pleased with the results.

It was all doing what I wanted it to do, but I didn't understand why up until now - your explanations are perfect, thanks

 

[capo56]

Hi, I am still little bit confused. I have found this topic when searching for MP with WASAPI.
I don't need WASAPI for video because my soundcard is connected to AVR with 5+1 speaker setup by digital output, and all my videos have DD or DTS audio, which is decoded in AVR. (or do I?)
But I need WASAPI for music, when playing flac or mp3. As I understand, MPAR is only active when selected as a audio renderer. And this can be done only in Codecs and Renderer settings, right? There is no such a posibility in Music settings, all I can do is to choose Player and Sound Device (no MPAR is offered).

So I have two questions:
1) is the MPAR already included in MP 1.3.0 Beta? I suppose it is.
2) How should I set it up to be used when playing music?

Thanks

 

[tourettes]

1) is the MPAR already included in MP 1.3.0 Beta? I suppose it is.

Yes.

2) How should I set it up to be used when playing music?

Audio Renderer cannot be used from music plugin. Hopefully in the next MP version after 1.3.0 there will be a WASAPI support on the music plugin side.