No AC3 Audio

[brianl999]

Hi folks

Short history.

OS drive died this past Sunday which forced me into a long procrastinated re-installation. It was XP Media Center (I was running GB-PVR), but it was almost 5 years old so I figured I would upgrade to Windows 7.

System has an ASUS M2A-VM HDMI motherboard, which has on-board ATI X1200 video. CPU is an AMD dual-core 2.6GHz (X2 5000+ by their naming convention), 4GB RAM. In the old XP configuration it was connected to a receiver via HDMI and SPDIF. Using GB-PVR, I was able to play files with AC3 audio without issues. I believe I was using AC3filter at the time.

So, same hardware, new OS - Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (It's kind of funny, I didn't like the XP Windows Media Center interface back in 2007 when I built the original machine, and I don't like the one in Windows 7, either). The one hardware change is I have disconnected the SPDIF and am using HDMI for the audio (and video).

It's a clean Win7 install. I downloaded Media Player Classic last night and used it to watch a video w/AC3. I didn't expect to get AC3 audio, but it played in stereo so I was happy. Tonight I installed NextPVR along with SAF 6.0.6. Now, I'm getting no audio at all on the AC3 videos.

Audio/Music Renderer are set to Default. Decoders - MPEG2/H.264 - Disabled, the rest set to LAV Audio Decoder. I am getting analog audio, but not AC3.

Pretty sure I'm missing something (and I did try and search), but if someone can point me in the right direction.

Thanks

Brian

Glad to see GBPVR/NextPVR is still around!

[mikeh49]

Win7 comes with a good MPEG2 video decoder called Microsoft DTV-DVD decoder. Works fine for me in the US - I'd suggest setting your MPEG2 video decoder to that, at least to get started. You need an AC3 decoder as the Win7 one from MS does not work with 3rd party apps. I use AC3 filter, but only have stereo so can't help with surround sound. If it worked in XP, I'd expect it to work in 7. IIRC, in NPVR you have to make selections for both MPEG1 (stereo) and AC3 decoders.

Others use the LAV decoder, so I'd expect that to work also. I've tried it, but again, only for stereo.

[Grampz]

In control panel/sounds I hafta set the default to the digital audio interface. Then in AC3filter I enable the spdif interface. This pushes Dolby Digital to my receiver for live and recorded tv.

In npvr decoder configuration I have default selected for audio renderer. AC3 Filter for MPEG1 and AC3. For music renderer I must use direct sound instead of default... don't know why, yet!

Greg

[brianl999]

OK, so I installed AC3filter and switched the audio back to the SPDIF. I thought I'd try it without changing the decoder, and left it at LAV.

Worked! Only tried one video, but the receiver showed Dolby Digital and the rears were clearly in use.

Now to deal with Windows 7 dual display issues...

Thanks, I'm sure I'll have more questions.

Brian