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2.0 sound through 5.1 SPDIF

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  • Audio
  • Home Theatre
Last response: in Home Theatre
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April 25, 2014 6:16:45 AM

Hello to everyone within this site.

I recently bought a Philips HTD3540/98 home theater unit that I planned to hook up to my PC using SPDIF. But since my PC had no onboard SPDIF (my motherboard is a Gigabyte B75M-D3V), I bought a sound card as well, a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio PCIe. However, after installing everything and updated the latest drivers, I found out that it only played back 2.0 sounds through the speakers, in that the front and rear pairs played the same audio, while the woofer doesn't play at all when I used a 5.1 test file (supposedly) that I got from a youtube link. However, when playing a regular 2 channel video, sound came from the woofer.

A solution that I found that I don't want to use if possible is to use the receiver's aux in port together with the onboard Realtek audio and set it so that it uses 5.1 speakers within the Realtek audio setting. However, a test of each speakers also showed that the woofer does not produce any sound, when it does on the optical audio.

Anyone with this same problem or knows the issue? Thanks in advance!

More about : sound spdif

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April 25, 2014 6:34:24 AM

This isn't a problem as such, that's by design - spidif is only designed to carry a stereo signal, it doesn't have the bandwidth to carry a 5.1 surround sound signal.

There is a solution, it's called Dolby Digital Live, it takes your uncompressed 5.1 audio and compresses down to Dolby Digital 5.1 which is compressed enough to fit down an optical cable.

I personally use a Xonar U7 sound card to send 5.1 down an optical cable to my surround sound system.

Edit: unfortunately it doesn't look like your soundcard is supported, according to the "specifications" tab here:

http://us.store.creative.com/Dolby-Digital-Live-and-DTS...
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April 25, 2014 6:37:50 AM

I see... How do you do that? Are there any disadvantages/issues with it?

EDIT: Yeah... It looks like so... Any workarounds for this?
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April 25, 2014 6:42:51 AM

renegade_officer89 said:
I see... How do you do that? Are there any disadvantages/issues with it?


Assuming your soundcard supports it, which I don't think yours does, you simply go into your audio settings and set the default format to DDL: http://www.bbpix.com/files/1/2012/realtec_ddl_z68xp.png

The disadvantage is that the audio is compressed. It's still 768kbps though and outside of audiophile equipment and ideal conditions I bet you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the uncompressed audio and the compressed Dolby Digital audio. So no, no real disadvantages.
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April 25, 2014 6:53:20 AM

And since my card didn't support it (since it's not in the default format options), it means that I am completely s**t out of luck here? Or are there other solutions?
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April 25, 2014 9:02:53 AM

You're out of luck, I think. Your PC produces uncompressed PCM audio. There are only 2 ways of getting uncompressed 5.1 sound out from your PC (that I am aware of): HDMI or using the 3 analogue outputs (the green/pink/black ports on the soundcard).

If you want to send 5.1 out via spidif you have to compress it so it fits. That means Dolby Digital Live.

I made the same mistake. The Asus Xonar U7 cost me £70 to fix this problem :( 
(it's an awesome soundcard, mind you, I'm not sad I have it, I'm just sad that I had to spend so much money to fix the issue).

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April 25, 2014 9:10:20 AM

My home theater set only had a HDMI output, sadly, and none of those 3 analogue ports. I have no way of connecting it to my PC other than the aforementioned single cable (which works, strangely) or the TOSLINK. And since money's something I'm rather short at right now, I guess I'll buy that 3.5mm male-to-male cable, but a longer one.

Unless if there's any other solution, then I'm all ears.
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April 25, 2014 1:04:06 PM

SPDIF coax will carry Dolby Digital and DTS 7.1 multichannel audio with no problem. It won't carry lossloss audio codecs that are on Bluray discs. If the audio set up for the soundcard doesn't allow you to set the output to 5.1 then the problem is there. Also check the set up menu on the HTib.
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April 25, 2014 6:38:18 PM

The problem is that I am unable to check the speaker configuration for the sound card, though the card was labeled as a 7.1 capable sound card. I assumed that the setting is automatic. Or am I wrong?
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April 28, 2014 2:05:02 AM

renegade_officer89 said:
The problem is that I am unable to check the speaker configuration for the sound card, though the card was labeled as a 7.1 capable sound card. I assumed that the setting is automatic. Or am I wrong?


The setting isn't automatic so you have to set it through the creative software and most likely Windows too. If you have recently bought the card, I would talk to them about trading it in for a Creative Z card which has the proper components/software.

You bought the wrong HTiB setup too. Always go HDMI inputs/outputs (analog, display port too) that have true discrete surround sound.

The realtek sound chip you can get 7.1 with some configuration but only with 5.1/7.1 analog which your HTiB doesn't support. Most HTiB unfortunately are a piece of crap . The fact that that it doesn't even have a HDMI input is bad.

Mobo manufacturers are somewhat deceptive on their audio abilities in terms of what it can reasonably do. They say it's capable of 5.1/7.1 but in reality they can't because the lack of outputs or licensing agreements with Dolby, DTS and etc.

SPDIF just needs to go away and mobo and sound card manufactures need to stop using it and use more HDMI/Display port.

My rant, be seeing you, the Prisoner...

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April 28, 2014 2:18:32 AM

Hmm... I think I could make do with what I have right now. It's a bargain buy (at that time) actually, so no problem for me. Found some hacked driver online that enabled Dolby/SRS/DTS Surround functionality. Not really the best, but empty pockets means no new HTiB set yet... Thanks for the advice anyway.
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July 31, 2014 4:31:44 AM

Okay. So I have bought an Asus Xonar DS because it has DTS-Connect and other stuff that is similar to DDL. However, I still am unable to listen to 5.1 audio through SPDIF. I feel like I missed something in the settings for it. Any ideas? Below is my settings on the Asus Xonar DS.



And below is my Windows speaker properties.



I have no idea what I am doing wrong now. Is there anything I've missed here?
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July 31, 2014 6:45:35 AM

Hmm, in my Windows speakers properties on my Asus Xonar U7 I have another option at the bottom for DDL, looks like this:

http://i.imgur.com/2ZBcK.jpg

(not my screenshot, pinched from Google Images)


perhaps contact Asus support and ask how to enable DTS Connect with your card.
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July 31, 2014 8:09:10 AM

But that is an Asus Xonar U7... It has different drivers (I think). That's also DDL, not DTS. Maybe that has anything to do with it? But so far, when I looked at DTS settings, there's always the same selection, but DTS:Interactive or something at the default audio options... Why is that???
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July 31, 2014 1:48:16 PM

I probably wasn't very clear in my previous reply, what I was trying to say was: I have no idea. I assumed it would work the same way as DDL, but obviously not. Which is why I suggested contacting Asus Support directly.

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July 31, 2014 4:52:50 PM

Already emailed, but no reply as of yet. I might return it back to the shop and change the card, see how it goes with a DDL-capable card instead of DTS:Connect. Wish me luck.
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August 1, 2014 5:28:26 AM

Good luck!

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!