Optical Audio woes.... Suggestions? (1 Viewer)

[Shrynn]

TV-Server Version:
MediaPortal Version: v1 RC 2
MediaPortal Skin:
Windows Version: XP Pro SP3
CPU Type: AMD
HDD: 400 Gb SATA
Memory: 2gig
Motherboard: Gigabyte MA78GPM-DS2H
Video Card: Integrated ATI
Video Card Driver: Catalyst 8.4
Sound Card: Integrated Realtek
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card:
1. TV Card Type:
1. TV Card Driver:
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:
MPEG2 Audio Codec:
h.264 Video Codec:
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case:
Cooling:
Power Supply:
Remote: Harmony 550
TV: Panasonic TH-50PX60U
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI

Media Portal is great everything is working fine. I have one nagging issue though:

I have the PC connected to the TV via HDMI but I have an optical cable from the sound card to my Receiver, because I have no HDMI in on the Receiver.

I cannot get ANY sound to play through the receiver in MP or Windows EXCEPT from the RealTek HD audio Center, that test produces perfect 5.1DD sound. I've been messing with the AC3Filter for a while now with absolutely no change. The sound always comes out of the TV.

I was running MythTV on Ubuntu Linux before installing XP and MP due to ATI drivers sucking on Linux. On the Linux box though the sound worked perfect.

So I have two questions....

1. Does anybody have any trouble shooting ideas for this?
2. Is there a way to find out what audio a particular file is encoded in? If I knew this I could at least try to trouble shoot each type. (5.1, 2 stereo, DTS, whatever...)

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum.... My brain is frazzled from 3 sleepless nights trying to get this thing completed and my living room cleaned up again.

 

[finrudd341]

TV-Server Version:
MediaPortal Version: 0.2.3.0
MediaPortal Skin: Hmm...good question...the one it came with?
Windows Version: Windows XP Pro SP2
CPU Type: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Processor
HDD: 2 x Wester Digital*WD10EACS 1000Gb (RAID 1) & 1 x Wester Digital WD1600Js 160GB boot drive
Memory: 2 x 2GB Kingston (cheap stuff) DDR2
Motherboard: Asustek P5E-V HDMI L775 Motherboard
Video Card: Asustek EN8500GT Silent 512MB
Video Card Driver:
Sound Card:
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: Not got it yet - probably will be the Hauppauge pvr 500
1. TV Card Type:
1. TV Card Driver:
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:
MPEG2 Audio Codec:
h.264 Video Codec:
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case: Zalman HD160-XT PLUS Case Silver
Cooling: Zalman CNPS8500 LED CPU Fan
Power Supply: ZM600-HP Heatpipe Cooled 600W Modular PSU
Remote: Zalman
TV:
TV - HTPC Connection:

Hi Shrynn,

I have a similar question now I am connecting in to my Marantz SR4002 AV Receiver. I do have HDMI on the receiver though, and on my motherboard, but am still going directly from the graphics card (DVI) to HDMI on the TV. I was then hoping to make another connection from the optical audio out on the motherboard, to the optical audio in (both coax) on the AV Receiver. I am also using an on-board Realtek Audio.

I will let you know how I get on today, as I am spending some time on this.

Out of interest, would you output from HDMI on your HTPC into the AV Receiver, and then HDMI from Receiver on to the TV? I am wondering if this is a better way of doing it, by outputting video and audio over HDMI into the receiver, and then sending video on to the TV< while the audio is outputed over the speakers.

 

[Shrynn]

Yes if my receiver had an HDMI in I would use it the way you explained. I'm not sure if you get any degradation by passing the video signal through the amp first but I'm no video expert, I'd just deal with it.

Let me know how you make out. I'm still stumped on this issue.