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More => Old Versions => Media Center 15 (Development Ended) => Topic started by: fitbrit on November 25, 2010, 03:59:47 pm

Title: Changing buffering settings results in output format error message
Post by: fitbrit on November 25, 2010, 03:59:47 pm

I've been having a few problems with 5.1 DTS encoded wav music files often looping about half a second of the track while MC is doing something. I changed the buffering settings to be more skip resistant (increased the buffering). This resulted in the output format error message:

Quote from: approximately The error

Playback could not be started on the output "WASAPI" using the format XXX Hz, 16 Bits Per Sample, Y Channels".
This output format may not be supported by your hardware. You can use DSP Studio to change the output to a compatible format.
Also, make sure that your system has a valid sound playback device and that it is properly configured in playback options.

So reading this, I went and started to change the sampling, bitdepth and output mode settings. I should have suspected the buffering setting to be the culprit straight away, but the error message threw me off, and I started messing with the wrong things.
Of course, none worked, and some were even potentially dangerous to the sound system. Eventually I began to suspect the buffering settings, and discovered that that was the sole problem; in fact, my system has a lot of flexibility in the other settings it would appear. I just can't increase the buffering too much.

So I just wanted to ask "is this normal?" That changes in buffering can break playback? It would have been more helpful if a buffering specific error came up, or at least mentioned buffering as a possible setting that might have been changed, causing the error.

Title: Re: Changing buffering settings results in output format error message
Post by: Matt on November 26, 2010, 07:55:47 am

Unfortunately, this varies from hardware to hardware.

In WASAPI hardware exclusive modes, some hardware will fail to open when requesting too large of a hardware buffer size.

Our code tries to automatically size the buffer down in these cases, but since different cards fail differently, this won't always happen.

As an aside, you might try WASAPI - Event Mode if your hardware supports it.

Title: Re: Changing buffering settings results in output format error message
Post by: fitbrit on November 26, 2010, 09:12:43 pm

Hi Matt

Thanks for the answer. My hardware is an i3 530 CPU and a Gigabyte h57 chipset going to an Onkyo TX-NR5007 receiver. I think the HTPC combo is a popular one for people wanting to use the onboard video/audio capabilities of the Clarkdale CPUs and H55/57 motherboards.
Anyway, my point was that perhaps buffer size as a possible reason for breaking playback could be included in the error message.