S/PDIF 5.1 output...

[JohnInSJ]

I've finally added the s/pdif output connectors to my shuttle running gbpvr. Which lead to several hours fighting with the configs.

Apparently the key is to get ffdshow audio to do all the audio processing, with various settings suggesting it should use s/pdif as appropriate...

I've got all the settings that are working for me if anyone needs/wants me to dig em up, but right now I'm getting 5.1 out of TS playback (assuming it was there in teh source) as well as from ripped dvds and downloaded content.

It's all very nice

Yeah I'm home sick so I have time to play with the much neglected HTPC.

[mmatheny]

If you could, could you post the settings?

[sgilani]

No need to ask people if they need info; just always throw it out there! Always comes in handy for someone else.

[Deusxmachina]

FFdshow and AC3filter were a pita for me using SPDIF to a 5.1 receiver. Then used Dscaler5 for audio (it's quite good for video, too), and setup with that is easy-peasy.

If someone is trying to do some fancy stuff with the audio, that'd be different, but I was having problems even just getting the receiver to receive the 5.1 and not 2.0.

PureVideo has a nice and simple audio setup, too. I think the video part is crap, though.

[JohnInSJ]

Well, oddly enough my setting are working for everything except, er, those great downloadable pre-compressed shows with ac3 5.1 surround. Those are coming out as stereo.

So two out of three. Sigh.

I'll see if I can figure that last one out and then post up the settings.

[BigMoose]

FFdshow and AC3filter were a pita for me using SPDIF to a 5.1 receiver

I'm curious as to what problems you had. I found them both dead easy to get 5.1 out to a 5.1 receiver (in my case using an optical spdif out). I use AC3/DTS passthrough and it does just that, passes it through. That's using either ffdshow or ac3filter.

That said, for BBC HD playback of recordings I cannot get the AC3 sound in sync with the picture.... All other AC3 playback (DVDs, BBC HD live TV etc) are all fine.

[Deusxmachina]

I'm curious as to what problems you had. I found them both dead easy to get 5.1 out to a 5.1 receiver (in my case using an optical spdif out). I use AC3/DTS passthrough and it does just that, passes it through. That's using either ffdshow or ac3filter.

That said, for BBC HD playback of recordings I cannot get the AC3 sound in sync with the picture.... All other AC3 playback (DVDs, BBC HD live TV etc) are all fine.

I don't remember the problems with FFdshow. AC3filter, though, I messed with that one a lot, and sometimes it would work fine, other times it wouldn't. Some of the "obvious" checkmarks/options would be as if they were doing the opposite of what they should. There's the "passthrough" boxes, but then I'd also have to check this or that box on another page. I simply couldn't get it to reliably play 5.1. I'd look over half the time, and my receiver would be in 2.0 mode.

I can't recall if I had any out of sync problems, but I wouldn't say I didn't, either. Actually, I did, but I think it was always on live TV, and it's hard to remember the last time I watched live TV to know if it's still there or not. My HTPC has been running well for quite awhile now for how I use it, and I haven't messed with it much since.

Regardless of all that, the audio setup in Dscaler5 is simple and worked for me. No more looking over and seeing the receiver randomly in 2.0 mode.

And an easy-peasy setup might be a big deal for a lot of people, seeing as how we are currently in a thread with a purpose of how to setup 5.1 in FFdshow. No one needs a how-to thread to setup 5.1 in Dscaler5. :p

[BigMoose]

No one needs a how-to thread to setup 5.1 in Dscaler5

Well now you mention it... I might just give it a go!! I'm not quite sure what grief ffdshow was giving the OP either as I set that up with passthrough without too many difficulties. Although have the same recorded BBC HD sync issues.