DVD 5.1 Audio With PowerDVD

[danc]

This is my first post. It is time for me to give something back to this forum and this great PVR software.....

I started using GBPVR a couple of months ago. The software delivered everything I was after, but I had continuing problems where I was unable to obtain 5.1 Audio from DVD (either ripped ISO of DVD disk) through SPDIF connection to my receiver from GBPVR. This was strange as DVD playback worked without fault through the PowerDVD application directly. All I was getting through GBPVR was PCM encoded stereo. I tried completely rebuilding my machine, various patches for PowerDVD, driver upgrades for the sound card, and trying combinations of almost every setting in the Config of GBPVR. There were a couple of hints on this forum that looked like they would be successful (ie set SPDIF in WMP), but still had no luck.

Finally I stumbled onto a discussion in a Medio forum and eureka I had 5.1. The trick is a small registry tweak to specifically tell PowerDVD to use the SPDIF output when being used through GBPVR. For PowerDVD, each application can have separate default audio settings (or so it appears). See below:

HKEY_Current_User\Software\Cyberlink\Common\Claud\gbpvr -> "AuDsInterface"=dword:00000004

I think this was previously set to 2. Once changed to 4, 5.1 was enabled from the SPDIF connection to my receiver.

As an aside on the audio discussion. I was also having minor problems with the DVD picture breaking up in GBPVR. I changed from VMR9 to Overlay mode, and now the picture is perfect also.

Apart from these issues with DVD playback, the software is the best I have seen. I am now a convert and have hung up my copy of Showshifter. Keep up the good work Sub.

[sub]

Cheers danc.

[zaldwaik]

Danc,
Great found. I patched PowerDVD 5 and my SPDIF stopped working. After trying just about every type of setting, I found your post and my problem was solved. Thanks!

Do you know if there is a setting that will allow my to switch between SPDIF audio and PCM on the fly? I do not want to always use the receiver, especially with children movies, most of them have Dolby 2 and are played with digital out, my default option.

[danc]

With my setup it automatically switched between AC3 and PCM depending on what is being played (ie even music is played as PCM over the digital port). All of my audio passes through the SPDIF port to the receiver. I think your issue may be related to settings for your sound card. On the setup for my card (VIA Envy24), there is a setting, which when enabled, will switch between AC3 and PCM automatically. See if you can find something similar for your card.

[zaldwaik]

I actually happen to have the same sound driver. I, too, get PCM and AC3 through the digital output per the setting you referred to (I can set it to just pass AC3). I can listen to PCM through TV as well as the receiver, which is great. However with AC3, I can only get it through the receiver, which is expected. I would like a similar functionality to my DVD player, where regardless of the audio source on the DVD (AC3 5.1, 2, DTS or PCM) I always get a PCM version through the RCA jacks that I use with my TV. Since most of my movies are AC3, I am always forced to use the receiver with them.

Another related question. If a DVD has more than one audio channel, is there a button on the 45 keys remote that would allow me to switch between channels? (Again if the channel is Dolby 2 for example, it would still go through the receiver with my setup)

[jh61408]

Hi, I had the same problem with dd output thur my soundcard. I read your
thread and still had the problem. I did not have powerdvd on my system and did like using the player as it always crashes. I looked at my registry and saw two other players under the My computer\Hkey_current_Usser\Software\
intervideo\common\AudioDec\GBPVR\Defaut Reg_sz I noticed under the
Media player is showed two added reg entrys. I know the Media player would
play my dvd's great with Dolby digital and DTS both working So I added them to Intervideo and it works perfect now. The Two added were Audio - Reg_Dword and AudioChan Reg_Dword The First Data Value is 6 and the second is 7. It seems to be more than one cure for the NO audio output for Dolby Digtal and DTS. I appears to be that the default setting for the player are igonored when playing on GBPVR In the Video Library with DVD's. I really
like the interface of GBPVR.

[psycik]

Do we know what versions of Power DVD this works for, or what versions you guys are running?? I have PowerDVD 4 and it doesn't create these keys.

I can get DTS and DD out of PowerDVD by itself, just trying to get it out of GBPVR.

[danc]

I am using PowerDVD 6.

[zaldwaik]

I am using PowerDVD 5, with the latest patch.

[psycik]

Thanks guys. A reinstall of an OEM copy of PowerDVD 5 I had did the trick.