How do I output DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA and PCM? + Vista speaker setup Q?

dlthorpe · 02-01-2009, 4:27 PM

Hey all,

Hoping someone can easy my confusion.

Recently purchased a HTPC with the Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H AMD 780G linking to my Yamaha RX-V1800. Im connecting it to via HDMI for audio and video. I am running Vista 64.

What I want to do is get DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA and PCM to play through my system. Ive been reading the internet like crazy in the last two days and it seems only the "ASUS HDAV1.3" sound card will allow these new HD Audio formats to output from a PC. It cant be done with the on board HDMI.

Also in Windows the HD Audio settings only allow me to "configure" my speakers as "Stereo". If I go into the settings for the HDMI, on the "supported formats" tab I can test and hear successfully both AC3 and DTS. So as soon as I click "test" my amp speaker display changes and shows all my speakers and I hear a test sound from them all. This is all via the Realtek audio driver.

As soon as the test is over it goes back to Stereo. When I apply the above supported formats and then go back to "Configure" for the speakers - again only "Stereo" is listed. So windows itself doesnt know I have a 5.1 setup.

I have a LG GGC-H20L Blu-Ray Reader & HD-DVD ROM and installed the bundled PowerDVD. Now in PowerDVD I go to the "Configuration" and the "Audio" tab. In here if I select "HDMI" and "AC3 / DTS pass through".

When I play a HD-DVD the 5.1 speaker configuration works fine. I also tried a standard DVD with a DTS track and this also works fine.

So my questions are...

1) Can I get the new HD Audio formats (DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA and PCM) to work with the onboard HDMI?

2) Is the ASUS HDAV1.3 card the only way to output the new HD Audio formats?

Or another way of asking it - with my setup what can I do / what do I need to output DTS-HD, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA and PCM?

3) Why does Windows only report Stereo? I am not sure if this really matters yet, but im thinking if I try a game then it wont use HD Audio - it will just use Stereo.

Really appreciate any help.
D

underzone · 03-01-2009, 12:12 PM

Hi,

I have given up trying to get any form of surround out of my Ati HD4550 hdmi gfx/inbuilt 7.1 sound chip I can get stereo over hdmi no problem. I have tried 4 players (vlc, mpc with ac3 filter, wmp11 and powerdvd8) on both Vista and XP Pro, with drivers from M$, realtek and ati. No joy.

I have gone back to using onboard sound thru spdif till the hdmi method is more common and the media players (or drivers from realtek/ati) support it properly.

Apone · 03-01-2009, 12:30 PM

You could try to use the onboard analogue audio minijacks and take the sound from the motherboard to the Yamaha external 6 channel inputs. In powerdvd, configure the speakers as '6 speaker'. Your HDMI cable can then supply the picture to your flat panel/projector. hth

flash101uk · 03-01-2009, 3:40 PM

i had a similar problem with this exact board, though using spdif instead of HDMI.
It wouldnt output dolby digital formats to my amp because the drivers are crap. I had all sorts of problems trying to set all the software, and windows to output digital correctly. I gave up in the end. I had more luck with an old soundcard: a Trust SC-5250 . These have some community made divers which'll output all digital formats through to my amp without any problems whatsoever.

Although this is not a trueHD audio card i expect your having a similar problem. Basically I think its crappy driver support. If your after nothing less than HD audio via HDMI asus make a sound card that'll do just that: Xonar HDAV1.3
It'll set you back a fair bit though.

pablo_paul · 03-01-2009, 3:58 PM

I don't think any of the sound cards are 100% people still seem to be moaning about beta drivers etc these sound cards are all just a little bit hackey for me. you can buy dedicated Blueray players now for less than these sound cards.

I Don't want to put a downer on Blueray on the PC because I love my HTPC but after recently buying a Sony BDP-S350 the sound quality you get out of a PC is not comparable (even DTS) to be fair i do use on board SPDIF.

Stephen Neal · 03-01-2009, 5:12 PM

I have no problems outputting 5.1 PCM via HDMI with my Gigabyte 4550 video card into an Onkyo SR 606 (must use DVD / HDMI 1 input on the Onkyo) and then into a 40W4000.

It is 48kHz / 16 bit only - so any 96/192kHz or >16 bit tracks are downsampled - but many (most?) BD tracks are 48/16 anyway.

pablo_paul · 03-01-2009, 8:11 PM

I think your correct most BD tracks 48/16 i remember reading that somewhere.

I don't know why it sounds so different between my pc asus p5k-vm mobo and my stand alone player.

underzone · 03-01-2009, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen Neal

I have no problems outputting 5.1 PCM via HDMI with my Gigabyte 4550 video card into an Onkyo SR 606 (must use DVD / HDMI 1 input on the Onkyo) and then into a 40W4000.

It is 48kHz / 16 bit only - so any 96/192kHz or >16 bit tracks are downsampled - but many (most?) BD tracks are 48/16 anyway.

Really? What player/drivers/os do you use please? I also have a gigabyte card, so maybe all is not lost.

Stephen Neal · 04-01-2009, 2:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pablo_paul

I think your correct most BD tracks 48/16 i remember reading that somewhere.

I don't know why it sounds so different between my pc asus p5k-vm mobo and my stand alone player.

Probably stuff like bass management, LFE etc.?

Stephen Neal · 04-01-2009, 2:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by underzone

Really? What player/drivers/os do you use please? I also have a gigabyte card, so maybe all is not lost.

Vista 32 SP1

Total Media Theater

ATI HDMI Sound Driver 6.0.1.5668 (Realtek Semiconductor)

In Control Panels I have only 48kHz selected and no Dolby, DTS or WMA bitstream support selected.

underzone · 04-01-2009, 6:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen Neal

ATI HDMI Sound Driver 6.0.1.5668 (Realtek Semiconductor)

Is this the driver installed by Catalyst or the separate download from Realtek? If it is the one from realtek, did you download the standard driver + the hdmi driver? Or just the hdmi driver?

Many thanks

Stephen Neal · 05-01-2009, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by underzone

Is this the driver installed by Catalyst or the separate download from Realtek? If it is the one from realtek, did you download the standard driver + the hdmi driver? Or just the hdmi driver?

Many thanks

It used to be a separate download, but I read elsewhere that it was now bundled with Catalyst. It is still available as a separate download though I believe. I haven't had to upgrade it for a while.

dlthorpe · 07-01-2009, 5:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stephen Neal

I have no problems outputting 5.1 PCM via HDMI with my Gigabyte 4550 video card into an Onkyo SR 606 (must use DVD / HDMI 1 input on the Onkyo) and then into a 40W4000.

It is 48kHz / 16 bit only - so any 96/192kHz or >16 bit tracks are downsampled - but many (most?) BD tracks are 48/16 anyway.

Wow lots of people have replied since ive been away. Awesome thanks.

Looks like i might get a 4550 at some point then. Then after than i need to wait for the low-profile version for the Asus Xonar to get the new audio formats on HD-DVD and Bluray.

Money money money...