[bluray]

I feel your pain, and I wish that you live close by. I can definitely make it playback 1080P BD w/ DTS-HD and TrueHD with your hardware. In number #2 worked as expected. It cannot playback DTS-HD and TrueHD because XBMC doesn't include DTS-HD and TrueHD playback capability. In number #3, can you install ArcSoft TMT 5 and try to playback BD m2ts or iso files with it.

I wish that I have time to write up step by step instruction in post #36. With 4 kids, it is hard to spend a lot of time on the computer. I'm kinda pop in and out the room to reply to this thread. Everything have to be precisely set/configured playback 1080P with DTS-HD and TrueHD on MCE, and you'll never have to change anything afterward.

Whatever you do, please don't destroy it!

[Spyderturbo007]

With 4 kids, it is hard to spend a lot of time on the computer.

I can imagine.

I just don't know what to try. I've done ever troubleshooting step I can think of with no luck. Are you just using MCE or have you tried launching MPC-HC from within XBMC to play HD audio on a BD rip?

I'm not sure that I'll destroy it, but I may end up sending back some parts and eating the restocking fee. I'll have to see what I can return and what I can't because I know their return policy changes based on the product. The big problem is that I think I threw out all of the boxes since all of the components were functional. So I'll probably end up eating the $300.

At this point, I just want something that works. I have way to many hours in this thing already.

[bluray]

I can imagine.

I just don't know what to try. I've done ever troubleshooting step I can think of with no luck. Are you just using MCE or have you tried launching MPC-HC from within XBMC to play HD audio on a BD rip?

I'm not sure that I'll destroy it, but I may end up sending back some parts and eating the restocking fee. I'll have to see what I can return and what I can't because I know their return policy changes based on the product. The big problem is that I think I threw out all of the boxes since all of the components were functional. So I'll probably end up eating the $300.

At this point, I just want something that works. I have way to many hours in this thing already.

I have tried everything, and this little Asrock motherboard worked w/ everything that I threw at it as the other more powerful HTPC's in the house. I kept MCE because of the Media Browser, ArcSoft TMT 5 and MCE remote control integration. My wife likes all the TVShow in MCE too. It's installed in my main home theater system with 56" HDTV. If there is a flaw in this little thing, I wouldn't install anything in the media room. I returned Boxee Box, Xtreamer, etc media players because it cannot playback DTS-HD and TrueHD as their specification suggested. My wife wouldn't except anything less than flawless playback in this room.

Have you try ArcSoft TMT 5? It's a very powerful media player, and it can playback BD iso/m2ts/bd-rom with full dts-hd/truehd. You'll have 16 days full function free trial on it.

[Spyderturbo007]

Have you try ArcSoft TMT 5? It's a very powerful media player, and it can playback BD iso/m2ts/bd-rom with full dts-hd/truehd. You'll have 16 days full function free trial on it.

I will give it a shot when I run home for my lunch break. I'm assuming that can be launched as an external player from within XBMC.

If you aren't using MPC-HC, perhaps it's something with that, one of the hardware drivers and ffdshow?

So just follow your instructions in Post #36 and use ArcSoft TMT 5 to play the file and I should get TrueHD and DTS-HD or is the HD bitstream support part of the program and there is no need for additional software?

[bluray]

I will give it a shot when I run home for my lunch break. I'm assuming that can be launched as an external player from within XBMC.

If you aren't using MPC-HC, perhaps it's something with that, one of the hardware drivers and ffdshow?

So just follow your instructions in Post #36 and use ArcSoft TMT 5 to play the file and I should get TrueHD and DTS-HD or is the HD bitstream support part of the program and there is no need for additional software?

I still use MPC-HC once in a while, and I left it installed on all my HTPC's. For the ffdshow, I used the version that included in W7 codecs pack.

For the ArcSoft TMT 5, it can be launched by itself or with MCE (setup to launch in MCE general setting). TMT 5 can playback BD m2ts/iso (from the folder or file) and bd-rom with dts-hd and truehd codecs. It doesn't required extra software. It really is a total media player, and it is very friendly too. I used to have PowerDVD 9, and TMT out shined it.

[Spyderturbo007]

Sounds good. Hopefully the use of TMT5 will allow me to do what I want without dealing with these hassles anymore.

I'll report back later this afternoon when I get a chance to try it out. I'll eat the $99 to get this up and running properly.

Thanks again bluray!

[eskro]

i guess TEST #2 says it all,,,,

You get no stuttering when using XBMC player

but you do get stuttering when using MPC...

have you tried to play with MPC's options?

try PLAYBACK --> OUTPUT --> http://i.imgur.com/PcxAp.png

and have you tried to set your desktop refresh rate to the same as your HDTV??

like my HDTV is 1920x1080 60HZ, so my desktop was set to 1920x1080 60HZ

[Spyderturbo007]

i guess TEST #2 says it all,,,,

You get no stuttering when using XBMC player

but you do get stuttering when using MPC...

But unfortunately that defeats the entire purpose of purchasing that machine, which was to get both playback of my 1:1 BD rips along with the HD audio. Hopefully TMT5 works and I can put all this behind me.

have you tried to play with MPC's options?

try a different PLAYBACK --> OUTPUT

Yep. I tried every one of them.

and have you tried to set your desktop refresh rate to the same as your HDTV??

like my HDTV is 1920x1080 60HZ, so my desktop was set to 1920x1080 60HZ

The are the same. If I remember correctly there were only two options, 60Hz and 59Hz.

[bluray]

Sounds good. Hopefully the use of TMT5 will allow me to do what I want without dealing with these hassles anymore.

I'll report back later this afternoon when I get a chance to try it out. I'll eat the $99 to get this up and running properly.

Thanks again bluray!

I hope that you can get it to work too. You can use this coupon, and it is $74- ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre 5
Coupon Codes & Offers. You can mount BD ISO to Virtual Clone Drive, and it integrated with TMT 5 seamless.

[eskro]

when u play a file in MPC, do u see --> DXVA iwritten in the bottom left?

[Spyderturbo007]

when u play a file in MPC, do u see --> DXVA iwritten in the bottom left?

Yes I do.

Well, TMT 5 does exactly the same thing. I uninstalled everything except for the the drivers and TMT 5. It still stutters.

Here is a video I took with my phone. Sorry for the quality, but I had to drop the resolution to upload over 3G.

It might be hard to see the Performance Monitor since the quality was dropped. I'm stumped. I looked and I can get my money back for the RAM, the Fan and the Motherboard. Minus a 15% restocking fee. I would have to eat the SSD, which is hopefully isn't the problem and the case. I could have returned the case, but I threw away the box.

So I would be out $174 + return shipping. Add that to the cost of something that actually works and this turned out to be much more expensive than I planned.

[bluray]

Yes I do.

Well, TMT 5 does exactly the same thing. I uninstalled everything except for the the drivers and TMT 5. It still stutters.

Here is a video I took with my phone. Sorry for the quality, but I had to drop the resolution to upload over 3G.

It might be hard to see the Performance Monitor since the quality was dropped. I'm stumped. I looked and I can get my money back for the RAM, the Fan and the Motherboard. Minus a 15% restocking fee. I would have to eat the SSD, which is hopefully isn't the problem and the case. I could have returned the case, but I threw away the box.

So I would be out $174 + return shipping. Add that to the cost of something that actually works and this turned out to be much more expensive than I planned.

Sorry to hear that, but at least you're getting some refund!

[eskro]

i wish i was there to trouble shoot...
this is really weird....
specially since bluray has the same motherboard and works without issues...

~sorry~

[Spyderturbo007]

I'll mail it to you with a return shipping label.


I just can't think of anything that I haven't tried. At this point it almost has to be a hardware issue that I can't see or test.

I've thrown multiple programs at it, along with different versions of operating systems, drivers, codecs and players. None have worked. I've tried different cables, switches and displays as well.

I guess just to be 100% sure, I'm going to take my i7 SB with 16GB of RAM and install XBMC, MPC-HC and ffdshow to make sure it's the hardware. If that is the case, I'll just move on to something with more power.

What does anyone think about this:

• Thermaltake Black SECC Japanese steel LANBOX
  
• ASUS P8H61-I (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel H61
  
• PNY VCGGT5201XPB GeForce GT 520 (Fermi) 1GB 64-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16
  HDCP
  
• CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 V2 430W ATX12V
  
• Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz
  
• G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
  

There should be absolutely no question as to the ability of that machine to bitstream HD audio and handle a 1:1 rip, right? The only things I'm not sure of is the compatibility of the sandy bridge CPU and the H61 chipset. Also, I'm assuming I need the video card, as opposed to using the i3's decoder, because of the HD audio output?

[eskro]

Wait a sec, your HDTV, is it an LCD? and if it is,
do you have a feature called NATURAL MOTION or MOTION FLOW?

cuz with my SAMSUNG LCD 60Hz,
if i enable such a feature,
my HDTV then turns into 120Hz,
which then stutters for me too!

just check that!