INTERACT FORUM
More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 19 for Windows => Topic started by: lynes88 on October 06, 2014, 08:11:08 am
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I thought I would try and tap into the knowledge here. I am running a HTPC as my movie and audio server using MC 19 to serve the content. My HTPC is connected to my Onkyo TX-NR929 with HDMI.
I have movies (both Blu Ray and DVD) stored on the HTPC and playback works great. I watch in my Theater (136" diagonal screen) and the sound is awesome. My challenges begin when it comes to multi-zone audio.
So my receiver has powered HDMI Zone 2 playback... so that works. I can watch a separate video/audio source in 2 zones. That works great so if the kids watch a Blu Ray in the Theater, I can watch/listen to video/music in Zone 2. But for Zone 3 I seem to be hung out to dry.
My receiver has a powered zone 3 for audio, but I can not get my HDMI source (HTPC) to play in Zone 3. I think it is an analog to digital issue but I am not sure what options I have?
My entire music library is on the HTPC. My connection to the receiver is HDMI (digital) but Zone 3 seems to only work with an analog source. Have you all worked around issues like this? If so, how did you do it?
Even if it takes a separate component or converter...I just want to figure out what my options are....Any advice appreciated. Oh, and the interesting thing that I can do, this receiver has Bluetooth capability - so when I connected my tablet using bluetooth and running Gizmo... I can get Zone 3 to work but not the other zones....it was just weird.
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I will reply to my own thread in case it helps someone else or is interesting. What i managed to do was to stop and think about my situation and when I wanted to play audio in zone 3, which for me is an outside patio.
My compromise is to play the same audio in zone 2/3 at the same time....which is ok since this is likely to be in a party mode situation. What I did was to take the optical audio out from the TV at my Bar, using a spdif adapter into CAT 5e cable back to the receiver and then using a basic digital to analog converter, took that spdif input, used converter and then RCA cables analog into zone 3.
I have to use the audio from the TV but since it is playing the same source I want on my patio/zone3 it works. I still can't get eos remote to control the zones volume so I am playing with Gizmo remote which seems to work best.
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I found a different solution to audio for your Zone 3 where the issue is how to get digital signals into the Zone 3 analog input. I purchased an inexpensive C-Media USB DAC. Insert into one of the computer's USB ports and use a 3.5 MM stereo to dual RCA cable for the other. Plug the RCA's into your Zone 3 audio input. You can now set up a playback zone within JRiver that offers independent audio to your Zone 3 input.
Jeff
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Just saw this... great idea. I think I will try that since I do not have to be tied to the TV for my audio... I will let you know.
thanks