AC3 remixing for AVIs, PCM for MP3s?

[serafis]

Hi,

Bit of a complex question, hope it makes sense to someone.

My setup is HP PVR150-MCE and an ASUS K8V-SE deluxe motherboard with onboard AC97 (SOUNDMAX) and SPDIF co-ax output, which I feed to my Yamaha AC3/DTS HT 6.1 receiver.

It was a bit of a learning curve for me to get SPDIF working at all, and then AC3/DTS passthrough for DVDs, but mostly OK now.

I've tried lots of different codec setups (Cyberlink, Intervide Wincinema, Nvidia Purevideo, free ones etc.) and the combination that works best for me (smoothest playback, consistent sound) is as follows:

- Installed video codecs: Intervideo CSS (from Hauppauge), Nero Video (as part of Nero Digital suite) Intervideo set as preferred.

- Installed audio codecs: ffdshow, AC3Filter, Nero audio (as part of Nero digital suite). Both AC3Filter and ffdshow audio are set up to mix to 3/2+LFE, outputing on SPDIF and with AC3 and DTS passthrough.

In GBPVR Config:

Playback Video - Intervideo CSS, VMR9 Custom
Playback Audio - AC3Filter
Audio Renderer - Soundmax Digital Audio

DVD Video - System Default (nothing shows in the list)
DVD Audio - AC3Filter
Audio Renderer - Soundmax Digital Audio

Under GBPVR 0.99, this combination worked just the way I wanted, i.e.:

- DVDs (including those ripped to hard drive), and AVIs with AC3 encoding, play back (via AC3filter) with AC3 pass-through.
- AVIs with stereo soundtrack play back (via ffdshow audio decoder), remixed to AC3 3/2+LFE
- MPEGs with stereo soundtracks (e.g. recorded TV) play back (via AC3Filter) remixed to AC3 3/2+LFE
- MP3s playback (via AC3Filter I think) unmixed as PCM/stereo not AC3.

Why AC3Filter and ffdshow? Well, I use AC3Filter for AC3 DVD/AVI passthrough, and for MPEG remixing because using ffdshow sometimes causes my receiver to "twitter" between AC3 and PCM, with "broken" (if any) sound. I use ffdshow for remixing AVIs with stereo soundtracks because AC3filter just doesn't seem to do this.

Now I've just upgraded to GBPVR 1.08. Changed nothing else, used the old config.xml and rechecked all settings, but now MP3s play back like AVIs - i.e. via ffdshow remixed to AC3 3.2+LFE, instead of via AC3Filter in PCM stereo.

When I think about it, this is maybe actually kind of what I expect to happen, as I think that AVISplitter outputs the AVI soundtrack as MP3 - but it definitely worked before and doesn't now.

So the question is how I can get stereo AVIs remixed to AC3 3/2+LFE,but MP3s to stay in PCM/stereo.

I've tried everything I can think of and couldn't find any answers googling or searching the forums. I would really like mp3s to play back as stereo/PCM, but AVIs to be remixed.

Any help or suggestions gratefully received. And if I can help anyone else who's trying to get SPDIF/AC3/DTS working in a similar setup, happy to offer suggestions, just drop me a line.

Cheers,

Jon.

[serafis]

Fixed this by installing a MP3 Source Filter from free-codecs.com in addition to AC3Filter and ffdshow - the MP3 Source Filter decodes only files with an .mp3 extension, not .avi etc. which get passed to ffdshow for remixing.

All works brilliantly now - all Dolby Digital/DTS movies, and videos are passed through to the receiver to decode, all stereo movies, videos and TV recordings are remixed into 5.1 Dolby Digital and passed to the receiver to decode, and all mp3s are passed through in PCM stereo. Fantastic. GBVR's so cool, thanks Sub.

[sub]

Great - glad you got it sorted.