For Glynor. Here is a detail of what is happening.
System specs and associated stereo gear:
Upstairs Gameroom:
Stereo: Krell Showcase Pre amp
McIntosh Power amplifiers
DIY HTPC - Windows 7 32bit, Pentium, 2 gigs RAM, Nvidea videocard with 1 gig RAM. Creative X-fi soundcard (using only digital out to Krell's digital input)
Elo touchscreen monitor ( DVI out of video card + USB for touchscreen + 120 volt AC power source ), and Optmia 120" LCD projector (connected to VGA output of video card) - both connected to HTPC
Wireless Bluetooth keyboard and mouse for regular Windows use.
5.1 speaker system (soon to add 2 more side speakers)
MC 17.0.71 latest build, on home wired network
External hard drive housing 2 terrabytes of FLAC music (music streamed to downstairs music only pc for 2 channel music playback, running Windows 7 32 bit, MC 17.0.71 build)
This gameroom HTPC sees and streams movies from downstairs Family Room HTPC for playback here in the Gameroom. (bottom Family Room HTPC is on MC16 final build, 6 terrabytes ripped DVD and blu-ray movies in external hard drives)
Downstairs HTPC:
DIY HTPC Windows 7 64 bit, AMD quad core, digital output from mobo, Bluray playback, 6 terrabytes movie storage on external hard drives, hardwired LAN home network.
Yamaha reciever, HTPC connected to Yammi with coax digital cable from mobo
5.1 speaker setup
Problem:
On my upstairs Gameroom HTPC i can see and access all my movies on my downstairs Family room HTPC, and MC will playback those movies with no issue in picture - but sound is the issue. My main use for my Gameroom HTPC is for both hi-rez music 2 channel playback and 5.1 Dolby Digital movie playback.
I use ASIO, or WASAPI for the output mode. Output Mode Settings shows my Creative ASIO Device for ASIO playback. In DSP & Output Format, I *want* to select "Source Number of Channels" in the channel box, and "Source Bitdepth" in the Bitdepth box. I do not want any JRSS upmixing or downmixing - or mixing of any kind. My goal is to play all my FLAC music in 2 channel stereo and all my movies in their proper 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound with no mixing, up-sampling, or any other DSP function. Selecting "Source Number of Channels" *should* allow me to achieve this with no user intervention as all sources will be decoded properly. Instead, after making the selection of "Source Number of Channels", I then proceed to click the "X" at the upper right of the page, then click "OK" on the remaining OPTIONS page. This *should* have locked my selction of "Source Number of Channels".
I then go into THEATER VIEW and scroll to playback, for example, Pink Floyd's The Wall. The movie plays with no visual problems, but the sound will be 2 channels only - front left and right. I can stop the movie and exit THEATER VIEW and go back to the OPTIONS - AUDIO - DSP STUDIO and find that the "Source Number of Channels" that I previously selected is now 2 channels, with JRSS 2.0 mixing selected.
If I play a music file at this point my music plays back in 2 channels as they should. No problem. But my movies are also in 2 channel. Not good. If I select 5.1 channels and "Output surround sound as Dolby Digital", turn off JRSS, and keep the ASIO on, when I play back a movie MC will commit an error and stop working and will close.
Now, If I select Output Mode: WASAPI Event Style, and Device as SPDIF, then choose 5.1 channels in DSP studio, select "Output surround sound", and turn OFF mixing, then play back a movie, the movie will now play in Dolby Digital surround sound!!!! I'll now stop the movie and choose a song from my MUSIC library. The song plays in 5.1 Dolby Digital ( as shown on my Krell and heard from all my speakers) - not good.
Going back into DSP and selecting "Source Number of Channels" (with WASAPI-Event Style this time), and then play back a movie again. Movie plays back in stereo and not Dolby Digital, but a music file plays back in stereo! Re-checking the DSP studio shows that the Channel selection has gone back to 2 channels.
If I select WASAPI, instead of WASAPI-Event Style, the same happens just as before - no difference.
Even if I insert a DVD movie disc into my HTPC and let it play in MC, it will still give me the "reverse surround sound" bug. But if I play back that DVD disc, or any movie file, in Windows Media Center, it plays back correctly and in full Dolby Digital surround sound, while my music plays back in proper 2 channel stereo. This proves to me that my movie and music files are proper ( and they play back just fine as they should on my downstairs Family Room HTPC), and that my Krell is operating correctly, and that the problem is in the MC 17.0.71 of my upstairs Gameroom HTPC.
Glynor, if there is anything else you need me to describe let me know. I'm also posting a few pics of my 3 systems - the downstairs Family Room HTPC with MC 16 final where my movie library is stored and streaming to my upstairs Game room HTPC; my downstairs 2 channel music only system running MC 17.0.71 streaming all music from my upstairs Gameroom HTPC; and my upstairs Gameroom HTPC which houses all my music and streams it to my 2 channel system downstairs, and plays back my movies from my Family Room HTPC (this Gameroom HTPC is the one with the "reversed surround sound" bug).
Jimmy
Downstairs Family Room HTPC:
2 Channel music system:
Upstairs Gameroom HTPC: