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[horse]

So I got some time this weekend to play with MC and attempt something that has been on my wish list for a while . . .

I have various live concert DVD's that include a multichannel soundtrack which I would like to listen to without actually watching. (No video cable from my audio server to the main zone receiver either)
Using DVD Audio Extrator to rip the AC3 (DD) or DTS soundtracks, I imported them into MC17 and tried playing them via a zone configured as a S/PDIF connection to my main receiver.
By default MC would generally downmix and send just 2 ch Stereo. Only after setting dts and ac3 to "J River video engine" in Tools > Options > File Types and enabling bitstreaming under the video section for that zone, did I finally get a bit perfect stream (so I hope) being sent to the receiver and now AC3 and DTS audio files play fine.
Dolby Digital and DTS decoders are triggered automatically.

My next challenge is  each track from the live DVD is saved as an individual file. When I playback multiple tracks even with "Switch tracks = gapless" and "Use gapless for sequential album tracks" enabled. I still get a couple of seconds of silence between tracks. On the receiver I see the input bitstream stop and then start again.
With standard 2 ch files all is fine over the same zone. This interupts the flow of the live concert.

Three questions: -

1/ Is there any other settings I should be using to get AC3 and DTS audio files to play without using the video engine and bitstreaming?
(All DSP effects are disabled)

2/ Is it because I'm using the Video Engine that gapless playback is not working how I would expect it?

3/ Is there a better multichannel file format I should use that can be sent bit perfect over a S/PDIF connection to my receiver and be handled correctly for gapless playback?

[EdBrady]

I have run into this also.  I don't think you're doing anything wrong... you could play ac3 & dts files using the audio engine in MC15, but they changed to the current system in MC16.

Here is the workaround I've used successfully.  You need to download a program called 'spdifer' which is from the author of ac3 filter, a directshow filter for ac3 playback.  What you need is the executable program, not the filter with the same name -- it is confusing.  It can be found at ac3filter.net, under "ac3filter tools."

Once you have spdifer, you simply use it to process your ac3 and dts files.  This will give you wav files, which MC17 might still try to decode.  I go ahead and convert the resulting wav files to flac format (you could use any lossless format), and MC17 will happily stream them via spdif, and do so gaplessly.  You also get the benefit of flac tagging.

[horse]

Thanks EdBrady,

Using DVD Audio Extractor I have the option to rip the soundtrack directly to 6ch Wave or 6ch Flac, so created a couple of test tracks and confirmed the format with Mediainfo.
Resetting the S/PDIF zone to defaults for Output Mode and DSP studio, it plays 2ch. 
Disabling DSP studio and it refuses to play and complains my hardware will not support the format. Trying various options will not allow a 6ch Wave or FLAC files be played.
Checking the hardware using the OS (Windows 2008 R2 SP1) it passes DD, DTS, 41KHz, 48KHz, 88.2KHz, 96KHz and 192KHz sound tests. DD and DTS all trigger multi channel on the receiver correctly.
Attached screenshot shows the supported formats for the hardware.

Q/How do you have your zone setup to play 6ch Flac?

[EdBrady]

I don't believe you can play discrete multichannel files via spdif; doing so would require HDMI.  Spdif can handle 2-channel, or multichannel via ac3 or dts only.

My previous suggestion was a way to get ac3 or dts files to play gaplessly in MC17.  It's basically a trick to get MC to leave the files alone and stream them as if they were regular stereo files.

[horse]

EdBrady

I apologize I misunderstood what you meant and should have read more about the tool you pointed me too.
Ran the tool on some ac3 files and played them as wav and . . . . . .

Pure genius sir!!!  That is quite a neat trick and indeed I am playing wave files in MC and the receiver lights up all 6channels and plays gapless.
The only thing I need to look at when it is not so late is the levels seem a little hot. The display in MC is maybe just tricked out but even the receiver at -47dB is at quite a reasonable listening level. I'm normally 10dB louder for just background listening. Time to really rattle some windows!

Either way, totally awesome trick and thanks for lesson.

Yet another reason MC is totally worth the money, where else do you get to learn so much from such a dedicated, smart and creative group!