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Devices => JRiver Id -- Hardware by JRiver => Topic started by: bunglemebaby on February 07, 2019, 09:02:43 pm

Title: IdPi for Surround Audio over HDMI?
Post by: bunglemebaby on February 07, 2019, 09:02:43 pm

Hi, I'm trying to figure out if the IdPi supports multichannel audio formats (with gapless playback). My files are all FLAC and will be streamed from my server, with the IdPi/Renderer connected via hard line ethernet.
Will the IdPi work here? Other suggestions, if not? Any caveats, if it can?

Title: Re: IdPi for Surround Audio over HDMI?
Post by: Duffin on February 22, 2019, 06:06:50 am

Seeing as no-one answers, I will try. Assume well meant attempt to help, not expert knowledge.

If you connect the IdPi to a USB DAC that supports multichannel I believe that will work, theoreticaly at least. The IdPi onboard DAC (Soundcard) only has Stereo options visible, so I would assume multichannel out of HDMI or optical digital port would not work, only stereo. The other question would be: if you do connect to an external multichannel capable DAC would the IdPi have enough numbercrunching capability to push multichannel out to it without faltering (stuttering)? I am not too sure about that. The Intel NUC Id manages Multichannel very well. Might well be a bit limited on the IdPi.... which is a great piece of kit, but it is not a monster cpu. Hope I havent confuised the issue.

Title: Re: IdPi for Surround Audio over HDMI?
Post by: bob on February 22, 2019, 08:55:32 am

Unfortunately the HDMI chipset support on the Raspberry Pi doesn't support multichannel, it appears the bandwidth is too low.
Some people have hacked the driver to try to make it work. Reports are that it's spotty.