Issues using S/PDIF

[serafis]

I have an ASUS K8VSE motherboard with onboard Soundmax audio and a co-ax SPDIF output. Getting it to work reliably was really hard, and I could never get it to work at all in Windows media Player MP or Media Centre Edition because (I think) they use the DirectSound Audio Renderer by default and the ASUS Soundmax drivers only output SPDIF to the Waveout audio renderer (there are Via drivers that work instead, but they gave me other problems).

Anyway, this is the most reliable way I've got it to work (Graphedit is also a really useful tool to see what codecs / renderers are being inserted invisibly into the play chain!)

First, uninstall unwanted codecs (Cyberlink, Intervideo, AC3Filter, XVid, anything else you've installed) - the "cleaner" it is the better it works!

1. Install NVIDIA PureVideo decoder - I have the platinum version that includes SPDIF support, I'm not sure all versions do.

2. Download and install FFDShow codec (primarily for MPEG4/Xvid/DIVx). Don't worry too much about the options you use during install, we'll change them later.

3. In GBPVR Config Playback tab, set the Video codec to NVIDIA, the Audio codec to FFDShow and the audio renderer to Default Waveout device (or your soundcard driver Waveout if listed)

4. In GBPVR DVD tab, set Video codec to NVIDIA, Audio codec to NVIDIA and audio renderer to Defaullt Waveout device (or your soundcard driver Waveout if listed)

5. Go to Start, Programs, FFDShow, Audio Decoder Settings

a. Under the Codecs tab, set AC3 and DTS to SPDIF. If you want MP1/MP2/MP3 passed through (so you can let your amp recode surroundsound if required), set them to "disabled". This is what I prefer, but if you want to use use FFDShow to recode them into different surroundsound formats, leave them enabled (see c. below).

b. Under the Resample tab, turn resampling on and set it to 48KHz (98KHz may also work)

c. Under the Mixer tab, you can either leave it off, or turn it on and set the type to "same as input" to pass through to the amp. (You can play around with the options here and the codec settings you have enabled, if you want FFDShow to remix into different surroundsound formats.)

d. Under the Output tab, check the "AC3" box.

6. In your Soundcard drivers, make sure the soundcard output is set to SPDIF and AC3. How you do this will vary from soundcard to soundcard.

7. Start GBPVR / PVRX2 in windowed mode (not -FSE for the next bit!).

8. Play a DVD from DVD drive or Hard Drive files. The NVidia codec icon should pop up on the taskbar. Right click it to enter configuration mode.

a. For Video codec configuration, make sure hardware acceleration is on and choose VRM9 output as default. (I also find setting deinterlacing to "Auto" rather than "Smart" gives less jitter / tearing, don't know why)

b. For Audio codec, set it to Receiver / SPDIF mode.

9. Stop the DVD and play an AVI (MPEG4/DIVx/XVid). The FFDShow video and audio codec icons should pop up on the taskbar. If you need to "tweak" any settings, you can do it by righ clicking these.

10. Now stop GBPVR, restart the PC (not really necessary but always a good idea). SPDIF *should* now be working. Make sure GBPVR is set back to start -FSE if you changed it earlier.

If it's all working properly, DVDs should use the NVidia audio decoder and pass AC3/DTS through to the amplified via SPDIF. MP3 and MPeg 1/2 should either pass through to SPDIF unchanged, or use the FFDShow audio codec (depending on how you set it).

Give this a try anyway, and post back results - I'll try to help troubleshoot if I can.

P.S. If you have video jitter / tearing, always start GBPVR with the the -FSE switch; in your video card settings, for jitter reduce antialiasing (or turn it off), also anisotropic filtering; for tearing, force horizontal sync on.

Cheers.

[stustunz]

mint lots of info there
the only thing i would add is if the nvida icon doesnt show up when you run gbpvr set the video decoder to default (as long as nvidia decoder was the last you installed) then the icon should show up (if no icon then hardware acceleration wont be working as it should)
for some reason it doesnt always work when you set it to nvidia decoder
this is only if the icon doesnt show up

[serafis]

Or use Graphedit, insert the Nvidia Audio filter from the Directshow list, right click it and edit its properties from there - useful way to get to the properties of DX filters that don't show on the taskbar (and lots don't!)

[nchamp]

Firstly, many thanks for taking the time to type all this out.

2. Download and install FFDShow codec (primarily for MPEG4/Xvid/DIVx). Don't worry too much about the options you use during install, we'll change them later.

Done

3. In GBPVR Config Playback tab, set the Video codec to NVIDIA, the Audio codec to FFDShow and the audio renderer to Default Waveout device (or your soundcard driver Waveout if listed)

4. In GBPVR DVD tab, set Video codec to NVIDIA, Audio codec to NVIDIA and audio renderer to Defaullt Waveout device (or your soundcard driver Waveout if listed)

Here's the main problem - FFDShow is not appearing in the drop downs for Audio renderers in the Playback or DVD tabs of GBPVR Config. I perservered with the rest anyway, to see what happened.

6. In your Soundcard drivers, make sure the soundcard output is set to SPDIF and AC3. How you do this will vary from soundcard to soundcard.

And here's another one - I can't find any config for my soundcard! I'm using a Shuttle PC, with onboard sound. According to the docs, it uses Realtek ALC650. The driver is the Realtek AC97.

8. Play a DVD from DVD drive or Hard Drive files. The NVidia codec icon should pop up on the taskbar. Right click it to enter configuration mode.

b. For Audio codec, set it to Receiver / SPDIF mode.

Only the video part of the Nvidea config is available from the taskbar.

Any ideas?

[JonnyCam]

Or just install AC3 filter. It has worked with all of the Realtek chips I have used.

To get to the properties of your sound chip - you should have a little blue icon in your taskbar - soundman.exe - if not, see if you can find it on your PC, or install new drivers from Realtek - there should be a digital output tab in there.

If you can set it to digital output, then any of the AC3-capable audio decoders should work.

I use AC3filter in all of my machines, as it has worked everytime - I just install, set it to 5.1 mode in the drop-down box in the config, and if I want it to output SPDIF, then check the SPDIF box (this will output DD 5.1 upsampled from non-DD sources, and AC3 passthrough where already in DD mode)

I swap between spdif on & off depending on what I am watching and if the Amp is on (obviously no sound from the TV when spdif mode is enabled)

Cheers

[serafis]

Here's the main problem - FFDShow is not appearing in the drop downs for Audio renderers in the Playback or DVD tabs of GBPVR Config. I perservered with the rest anyway, to see what happened.

FFDShow should be in the list of Audio Decoders, not Renderers (or is that what you meant?). The Renderer should be set to Soundmax Digital or Default Waveout Device.

And here's another one - I can't find any config for my soundcard! I'm using a Shuttle PC, with onboard sound. According to the docs, it uses Realtek ALC650. The driver is the Realtek AC97.

If you don't have a Soundmax icon on the taskbar (blue arrow), you might be able to get to this by double-clicking the Volume (little speaker) icon on the taskbar, then select the "Advanced" button below the Volume slider.

You could use AC3Filter instead of FFDshow if you prefer (you will probably have to configure it to use SPDIF and AC3 in much the same way) - I used to use it, but had occasional audio/video sync problems and video stutter which I was never able to fix.

And as I wanted to install the fewest DX codecs, and wanted FFDShow for its MPEG4 video decoding, I finf its audio decoding works well for me. But I'd say it's entirely a matter of personal choice - either should work well if configured properly

Only the video part of the Nvidea config is available from the taskbar.

If your NVidia decoder configuration only has a Video tab, I'd suspect you either haven't selected the NVidia Audio Decoder in the GBPVR config for DVD playback, or maybe you don't have the Platinum Purevideo version.

Anyway, if you prefer, you can select FFDShow Audio Decoder (or AC3Filter) instead for DVD playback, and it should work alongside the NVidia video decoder for DVDs
(i.e. Vido Decoder - NVidia, Audio Decoder - FFDShow / AC3filter , Audio Renderer = Soundmax Digital / Default Waveout).

Good luck!

[bogyver]

I have a question for you guys, I have a soundblast audigy (orgional) I dont have the original drivers, so I downloaded the ones form creative's website.
I used to have a audgiy 2 and I remember it had its own mixer / volume thing.
The drivers I have from creatives website didnt install a mixer / volume control. All that is installed in the creative folder is a configuration tool, that allows me to set the spdif mode and cmss and other things. The problem I have is that when every the machine is rebooted, the settings I set in that control panel go away, go back to defaults. So I have to go back in and redo them again.
Does any one know how to make the settings stick or have the orginal drivers applicable for this card, I suspect that even the drivers for the audigy 2 would work.
Thanks

[nchamp]

FFDShow should be in the list of Audio Decoders, not Renderers (or is that what you meant?).

Yeah, sorry, that's what I meant. It was late

I followed your instructions to the letter, did the FFDShow download and install just fine, but it doesn't appear in the GBPBR config options

If you don't have a Soundmax icon on the taskbar (blue arrow), you might be able to get to this by double-clicking the Volume (little speaker) icon on the taskbar, then select the "Advanced" button below the Volume slider.

"Advanced button by volume slider"? Nope, don't have that either :-) In fact, I've never seen an 'Advanced' button on the Volume app! I've checked, and Soundmax.exe does not exist on my system anywhere. And I'm not sure why it would - the drivers for my (onboard) soundcard are Realtek?!?!

I have a Realtek branded utility, which is useless and doesn't appear to do anything useful.

You could use AC3Filter instead of FFDshow if you prefer .

OK, maybe I'll give that a whirl instead.

Many thanks for your help, all the same!

Neal

[nchamp]

AC3Filter - OK, maybe I'll give that a whirl instead.

OK, download AC3Filter, and installed it ok. Three things:

1. The output on the optical cable is working, as it's the only sound connection I have from PC to AV amp. However, it only seems to deliver stereo, because...

2. AC3Filter doesn't appear in the drop downs in GBPVR either.

3. Under WMP11, going to Options|DVD|Advanced *does* bring up all the AC3Filter options. Whenever I turn on SPDIF Passthru, the A/V amp lights up, saying it's getting a digitial Dolby 3/2 feed, but no sound comes out! When I turn off SPDIF passthru, the amp goes back to 2 channel + sub-woofer, but at least sound comes out.

I'm fairly sure the amp is ok, as my DVD player drives it digitally just fine(with coax, not optical, tho).

I think I'm going to give up...

[stustunz]

are you sure you are looking in the right place
mpeg audio decoder is where it should show
once selected and you playback mpeg it should show as icon in task bar
are you not getting this happening
for testing start pvrx2 in window mode or vmr custom and pull up task bar to see if icons are there

im just asking this to see where you are at
explain if you are getting these things happening