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[Matt]

MC19 rethinks how an audio device is selected in Options.

Instead of leading with a somewhat cryptic mode like WASAPI or ASIO, the program now leads with the device name.

When you open the device list, a list of available devices on the system will be presented.  The recommended output modes (ASIO and WASAPI) will be at the top, and less common modes will be nested in a submenu.

Device names are cleaned a little bit so they're easier to read.  For example, MC18 might show 'Speakers (2- AudioQuest DragonFly)' but MC19 shows a more intuitive 'AudioQuest DragonFly'.

The default choide is 'Default Audio Device [Direct Sound]'.  It will always be at the top of the list.  If Windows can play sound, MC should be able to play sound when using this setting.  Start here if you're having problems.

Here's a screenshot showing the change:


The dialog also makes it more obvious that you're configuring settings for a specific zone (and allows configuring multiple zones by changing the selection).

Read more about picking the best audio output mode for your device here:
http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Audio_Output_Modes

[6233638]

It's a small change, but a big improvement over MC18's device selection. Thanks.

[Catskinner]

IMHO bitstreaming and DSP setting should be integrated in the same menu with the selection of bitstreaming graying/disabling the DSP options.

[Tolga]

You may want to add better support for USB audio drivers. When I set a zone for my headset and plug it out, it defaults to computer speaker. This is disruptive because every time I reconnect the driver, I have to make sure that the zone is set correctly.

[Hendrik]

with the selection of bitstreaming graying/disabling the DSP options.

Can't do that. Even if you enable bitstreaming, not all files are bitstream-capable, for example in video i can bitstream AC3/DTS and some more codecs, but for example i cannot bitstream AAC or MP3 audio, so those still get decoded and processed by DSP - so disabling it is not an option.

[6233638]

You may want to add better support for USB audio drivers. When I set a zone for my headset and plug it out, it defaults to computer speaker. This is disruptive because every time I reconnect the driver, I have to make sure that the zone is set correctly.

This sounds like a device or driver issue. I can disconnect my USB DAC from the system, or switch it between USB 1 & 2 modes (which show up as different devices) and Media Center always sends it to correct device.

[trajanmcgill]

The dialog also makes it more obvious that you're configuring settings for a specific zone (and allows configuring multiple zones by changing the selection).

Big vote toward doing more of this kind of thing. One of the most confusing things for me as a new user has been opening things that are presented (by virtue of being chosen from a menu that belongs to the whole application) to look like application-wide dialogs only to find that these dialogs contain different settings for the same things at different times. There are zone-specific and application-wide settings (and other scopes?) mixed together in a single dialog that gives the appearance of having application-wide scope. So it is always hard to know whether you're setting something universally or just for the current scope that has been selected by some other means. A clear presentation of what the settings apply to is very helpful, so although this seems like a small change, I'm quite glad to see it, and my hope is that eventually the options dialog will be completely, 100% application-wide in nature, and every option that applies to a specific zone or to any other specific thing will say so and allow selecting which one.

[Reuben.F]

Please add "Default Audio Device [WASAPI]" to the selection, this should allow automatic device switching in windows using the WASAPI mode.