Topic: Surround Sound Help (Read 5010 times)

Seviien · « **on:** April 30, 2003, 09:51:19 am »

I want to play DVD's on my computer, but I'm a bit unclear on how to do so and get surround sound. Is there anyway for me to play DVD's using MC but output the sound to my recevier for 5.1/6.1/DTS decoding? Or would MC be able to decode a 5.1/DTS signal by itself?

Thanks for your help...

DocLotus · « **Reply #1 on:** April 30, 2003, 10:51:24 am »

Try this...

* Select... Player/Player Options/DSP Studio.
* Check the... Output Format box.
* Select... Channels... select 5.1 -JRSS2.0.

See if that does it.

Seviien · « **Reply #2 on:** April 30, 2003, 10:56:34 am »

Yeah... I was wondering about that. As best I understand it, though, JRSS is like Dolby Pro Logic or DPL2. It spilts a two channel audio source into five discrete channels plus a subwoofer.

I was wondering more how MC handled audio that was already in 5 channels (e.g. AC3, Dolby Digital, etc...)

DocLotus · « **Reply #3 on:** April 30, 2003, 11:18:15 am »

I only know about AC3 (Dolby Digital).

Unfortunately, MC9 does NOT handle AC3 at all.

I have gone down that road already & JRiver does not want to pay the very high fee for the use of AC3. Too bad, as Creative SoundBlaster has supported AC3 for over 2 years starting with the Live! Series & continuing in the Audigy series.

According JimH, don't hold your breath for AC3 support any time soon.

It's a shame as AC3 really sounds great. Makes regular 2 channel stereo sound totally dead!

gkerber · « **Reply #4 on:** April 30, 2003, 11:35:04 am »

I suspect a lot of the DD 5.1 stuff is handled by your sound card, assuming it supports the format.

Then your sound card must have a set of outputs for you to run to your receiver. Either discrete analog outputs for every channel, or a digital output, coax or optical. Optical is way expensive. Coax can be run using good quality RG-6 coax cable.

I don't use any surround sound, but I do have a digital coax connection from my PC sound card to my living room audio system.

DocLotus · « **Reply #5 on:** April 30, 2003, 02:10:45 pm »

The Audigy has all types of outputs...

* Discrete analog outputs for every channel
* Digital coax out (I'm using that one).
* Optical (through the Live Drive bay).

For the Digital coax output I'm using a RadioShack 3 foot Digital Audio Cable with gold RCA jacks & a gold RCA to mini jack adapter for the output from the Audigy sound card.

This set up is VERY quiet... even with the volume up all the way (no music playing). I'm amazed that there is so little noise picked up from the computer electronics.

PhatPhreddy · « **Reply #6 on:** April 30, 2003, 08:38:12 pm »

Perhaps I am miss understanding the comments above but if you use digital out then you dont need to pay ANY licence fees for passthrough...

you can simply pass the AC3 track un decoded out via SPDIF and pay no royalties...

Also when using directShow interface you can use the pre installed AC3 decoders in WinDVD / PowerDVD / NVDVD / Sonic / Etc, perfectly legally and normally...

Lets face it JRiver have not written and DVD MPeg decoding code they simply utilize directshow for the decoding (as is normal and correct) why not use the same interface to decode the audio ?

Baffled as to why there would be resistance on that ??

rossp · « **Reply #7 on:** May 01, 2003, 12:29:10 am »

I agree with PhatPhreddy, there should be no cost for a pass through system.

MC is not the one that plays them all yet!!!

Ross

PhatPhreddy · « **Reply #8 on:** May 01, 2003, 03:24:19 am »

I am rereading the post I made above and it makes it sound like I am putting JRiver down for using directshow filters to play DVD's (the ther peoples codecs comments)... that is not intended as a dig at all rather that this is the way it SHOULD be done...

By using other peoples directshow codecs (what WMP9 and many other players like TheaterTek or Zoom player do) you get access to the filters in the way windows media applications are supposed too...

There is nothing wrong with using PowerDVD audio for decoding or WinDVD audio for decoding and gaining DTS / DPLII (wanted for stereo to multichannel) / DD etc... In the same way as its not wrong for WMP9 to use Sonic filters etc in thier Multi media XP packs...

As people are more and more commonly ripping 5.1 AC3 tracks from DVD misic and DVD-Audio discs having AC3 playback is a very desirable function and the above solutions allow for both analogue and digital outputs with JRiver having to go through the licencing costs...

just wanted to clear that up as the post reads negatively and thats my miss communication...

Jaguu · « **Reply #9 on:** May 01, 2003, 04:10:14 am »

Just wondering...

as I do not have Dolby Surrond yet, I was wondering what happens to tracks recorded in standard MC format (ape / stereo)?

Will they always sound as stereo, or will an 5.1 sound card rework the sound and output it in Dolby Surround format. Or will it be necessary that the source already being recorded in Dolby Surround?

It would be important for me to know, whether it is worthwhile to buy a Dolby Surround/5.1 equipment.
My basic needs are lots of classical music/ a little DVD, not too much. Thanks for answering!

PhatPhreddy · « **Reply #10 on:** May 01, 2003, 04:36:59 am »

Almost any reciever will be able to perform some sound matrixing on a 2ch digital signal sent to it... If you liuke DPLII its version of 2ch to 5.1 ch is debated by many but...

If feeding analogue 2ch out most reveivers will not do any matixing functions so then its down to the audio app and or its drivers... You could use ythe JRSS to matrix 2ch to 5.1 or have a soundcard like the M-Audio Revo which will provide you with Circle Surround II (from SRS) which is a superb matrix setup for 2c to 5.1...

Niether of these technbiques is creating a DD bitstream merely using either SPDIF for PCM 44.1 digital (like a CD deck) or analogue... The nForce chipset can create a DD soundfield from multiple channels but I think thats mostly for EAX and gaming... Eg it takes a 5.1 and encodes it to something your reciever understands (DD) as no recievers have EAX decoders built in

!! What an nForce chipset can do with a 2ch 44.1 PCM bitstream is beyond my knowledge

escaflo · « **Reply #11 on:** May 11, 2003, 12:19:20 pm »

Hi guys,

Just a note to let you all know that it is actually possible to get Dolby Digital DVD playback using MC. All you need to do is install NVDVD. Once you install NVDVD, MC will use the NVDVD decoder to playback the dvd. And you will be able to get the Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.

I am using it and I am glad to say that it works like a charm. Right now MC is my player for almost everything. Now to get it to play VCDs correctly. Any help?

DocLotus · « **Reply #12 on:** May 11, 2003, 03:08:51 pm »

Where do you get NVDVD?

DocLotus · « **Reply #13 on:** May 11, 2003, 03:15:15 pm »

Are you referring to Nividia NVDVD?

That looks like a competing product with MC.

Could you explain NVDVD a little more?

How is it used with MC9?

PhatPhreddy · « **Reply #14 on:** May 11, 2003, 06:38:23 pm »

NV DVD is NVidia's DVD player (pretty good filters... Getting better fast)... I have it on a testbed machine but not in primary use...

Somehow NVDVD must install a high merit system to its audio renderer and / or decoder (depending on if just passthrough or playback) that allows MC to utilize this decoder...

MC is a directshow player so ALWAYS relies on other applications for DVD playback or both video and audio... I would suggest that MC must start to contain some control over the merit based system of directshow filter control otherwise you never have control of what playback filters are being used eg I have WinDVD / PowerDVD / TheaterTek / NVDVD / Cineplayer / etc filters on my machine, somtimes multiple release versions in different places, which one is being used ? There is no infomration and control over this...

Take a peek at Zoom Player 3 (beta 3.10) to see this handled superbly...

escaflo · « **Reply #15 on:** May 11, 2003, 06:49:21 pm »

Hi,

You can get NVDVD from Nvidia website, that is the trial version but it will work all the same I believe.

All you need to do is sinstall it and when you use MC to play the dvd, you will see a small Nvidia icon in your system tray. If that appears, it will most probably means that you are playing it using NVDVD decoder.

You can even adjust the NVDVD decoder inside MC by just right clicking and choosing audio/video and decoder properties.

DocLotus · « **Reply #16 on:** May 11, 2003, 06:51:45 pm »

I've been using Zoom Player for the last year as it is far superior to MC in playing DVD's.

escaflo · « **Reply #17 on:** May 11, 2003, 07:34:09 pm »

I was trying to make MC the one and only player that I will use on my computer for playing all media.

I am not sure about zoom video but MC with the nvDVD decoder allows me to manipulate the video and decoder settings just like the nvDVD player itself. I think it is still a bit limited but it is good enough for normal playing of dvds.

PhatPhreddy · « **Reply #18 on:** May 11, 2003, 07:39:36 pm »

Ahh but will it link the filter connections to allow FFDShow and Reclock... you want options and post processiong... you got options and post processing...

Also the WinDVD filters (and new DMO) that WinDVD leave exposed on thier japanese FTP have lots of nice image control options too...

escaflo · « **Reply #19 on:** May 11, 2003, 07:50:33 pm »

hmm no idea on that. as i am not very good with all these dvd's filters and stuff, i am sorry i couldn't help out there.

i will be interested to know though.

if u want to find out more about it, try giving it a whirl? who knows, you might know more about it by just looking at it than me who have spent the whole night trying to just get it to work.

PhatPhreddy · « **Reply #20 on:** May 12, 2003, 02:35:47 am »

I was being faceatious (I can be it but I cant spell it

) as no these kind of advanced features are not (yet) in MC... for high quality DVD viewing Reclock is a must for me... FFDShow is hotly debated... I 'sometimes' use it depending on if I feel the DVD is mastered a little soft...

Sadashiv1 · « **Reply #21 on:** May 17, 2003, 07:05:51 pm »

Bottom line questions.

I want to play my 2 ch stereo files in 5.1.

1. I need to setup JRSS for 5.1. Correct??
2. What sound card do I get (M-audio revo??)
3. Connect coax cable from sound card to my DD
receiver. ?? I get digital sound out of MC and
sound card??
4. Where does CSII plug-in fit?

Please answer in simple complete sentences.
Looking for a dummies guide.

shAf · « **Reply #22 on:** September 14, 2003, 06:26:43 am »

I'm investigating why I cannot get DVD 6-channel analog sound out of my M-Audio Revo, and thought I'd dredge this thread out, and hope for an up-to-date response from someone who got it to work with a M-Audio Revo analog output (to power amps).

First, let me say I haven't got it to work with any DVD player, not the ATI player which came with my AIW 9700P, not with a purchased version of Sonic "Cineplayer Surround 1.5". MC9, on the other hand, offers much better support.

As far as I have investigated, I cannot find anything which has apparently disabled DVD multi-channel output. For example, my Win2000 control panel applet is set for 5.1 Surround, but the Sonic player always reports "the output you have selected cannot be implimented ... setting to stereo." Whereas, M-Audio's implimentation of CSII works beautifully (not that CSII is the decoder for DVD 5.1, just that multi-channel analog out works for one decoder, but not another). It's almost as if there is an enable switch somewhere and I haven't found it.

Today I am playing with MC9, and the DVD player would imply multi-channel is available. The help file implies "you can adjust the properties of the DVD decoder that is being used for your DVD sound." ... but there is little else said. Audio properties allows "select audio device", and I have a number to select from.... e.g., "M-Audio Revo", and "Directsound: M-Audio Revo (emultaed)" ... "Default Waveout" and "default Directsound device" ... and a Ravisent ATI S/PDIF (not applicable?) ... and there is an entry which is a collection of letters, looks to be a registry key, but begins with "AC3 ..."

There are so many options, and it would seem so many degrees of freedom has allowed for something enabled (or installed) to have disabled something else.

So ... I thought I throw yet another plea for help out there. I include my system info below, but it would appear JRiver needs to add some info with respect to DVD variables. And ... altho I'm reluctant to install MC9.1 as unfinished software, feel free to let me know some of these issues are being addressed there and not with MC9.0.

tia

Media Center Registered 9.0.180 -- C:\Program Files\J River\Media Center\

Microsoft Windows 2000 5.0 Service Pack 4 (Build 2195)
Intel Pentium 4 2403 MHz MMX / Memory: Total - 523 MB, Free - 329 MB

Internet Explorer: 5.00.3700.1000 / ComCtl32.dll: 5.81 / Shlwapi.dll: 5.00.3806.1200 / Shell32.dll: 5.00.3700.6705 / wnaspi32.dll: N/A
Ripping / Drive D: Copy mode:ModeSecure CD Type:Auto Read speed:4
Digital playback: Yes / Use YADB: Yes / Get cover art: Yes / Calc replay gain: Yes / Copy volume: 32767
Eject after ripping: Yes / Play sound after ripping: No

Burning / Drive D: PLEXTOR DVDR PX-504A Addr: 1:1:0 Speed:8 MaxSpeed:16 Use MJ Engine:Yes
Test mode: No / Eject after writing: Yes / Direct decoding: Yes / Write CD-Text: No
Use playback settings: Yes / Normalization: None

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Author Topic: Surround Sound Help (Read 5010 times)

gkerber