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onesojourner · 2012-04-27, 03:25

In an attempt to get hdmi sound working I failed to document what settings I was using for sound over coax. I have about 15 options to choose from on both audio output device and passthrough output device. Can someone explain what these mean/do?

pumkinut · 2012-04-27, 03:35

This is kind of how I understand it, if I'm off, someone please correct me.

Both are for outputting sound. The audio device is when XBMC decodes the audio in whatever format it's in and sends out the decoded bits (if connected digitally ala HDMI or SPDIF) to receiver or TV receiver. The output can be either stereo or PCM which a receiver should be able to output to the correct channels. Most of the time, if you're connected directly to a TV, and have no checkmarks next to DTS or AC3 capable receiver, XBMC will downmix the multichannel audio to stereo and send that out.

The passthrough device is when XBMC doesn't decode the audio bitstream. It passes the audio information through to something downstream to decode and then convert to analog to put out to the speakers. So if it's a DTS or AC3 (Dolby Digital) sound track, XBMC just passes that information along to your receiver or TV to deal with. That's why you can check or uncheck DTS and AC3 capable receiver. If your downstream equipment is capable of decoding the audio information, and you have a passthrough device enabled, XBMC will just push the encoded bits through.

Now, for as to choosing which option for the two, we need more information. What hardware are you running? I'm assuming it's either integrated audio or a discrete GPU with HDMI out. Is it an all in one box e.g. a Revo? AMD, Intel, or nVidia?

DDDamian · 2012-04-27, 03:41

pumkinuts explaination is bang-on correct.

onesojourner · 2012-04-27, 03:59

Very helpful. So if I don't have DTS or AC3 checked then xbmc does the decoding? Does the audio device selected in ubuntu have anything to do with it?

Specs
Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6813128337

Video Card gt430
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...t02Descrip

running x86 ubuntu 11.10 - xbmc eden

DDDamian · 2012-04-27, 05:24

If you don't have those checked XBMC decodes them to pcm, which any sound device should play.

The device selected, and how it's set up, has a great deal to do with what pcm sample rates and channels you can play, as well as whether passthrough or encoded formats like AC3 and DTS can be played through it.

onesojourner · 2012-04-27, 05:29

HDMI is straight to the tv and digital coax is to a cheap little digital reciever.

DDDamian · 2012-04-27, 05:58

So your sound is going via spdif/coax to the receiver. If the receiver can handle DTS/AC3 enable those accordingly and set your device to the receiver and XBMC to optical (same as coax). If it can't handle DTS/AC3 disable them accordingly.

If you want the sound to the TV, select HDMI, and the TV as your audio device. It will likely handle AC3 fine, but is not likely to handle DTS, so disable that.

boosted · (This post was last modified: 2012-04-27, 10:17 by boosted.)

Hi DDDamian, could you offer any advice on where / what I could look at to get DTS / AC3?
I have an NVidia GTX460 connected via HDMI to my receiver (Yamaha RX-V671) and HDMI to my TV. I have the onboard audio disabled in BIOS.
I just installed Lubuntu 12.04 and sound wasn't working. I installed pulseaudio and added 'load-module module-alsa-sink device=hw:0,7' to /etc/pulse/default.pa. I normally do this.
Sound now works in and out of XBMC but in XBMC I had to disable DTS and AC3, my receiver displays 'PCM' when I play a DTS movie.
Before adding the line to default.pa, pulseaudio volume control gave me options for DTS and AC3 plus others.

sudo dmesg | grep HDMI
[ 15.123243] HDMI status: Codec=0 Pin=5 Presence_Detect=0 ELD_Valid=0
[ 15.147237] HDMI status: Codec=1 Pin=5 Presence_Detect=0 ELD_Valid=0
[ 15.171215] HDMI status: Codec=2 Pin=5 Presence_Detect=0 ELD_Valid=0
[ 15.195208] HDMI status: Codec=3 Pin=5 Presence_Detect=0 ELD_Valid=0
[ 15.195259] input: HDA NVidia HDMI/DP,pcm=9 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.1/sound/card0/input9
[ 15.195365] input: HDA NVidia HDMI/DP,pcm=8 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.1/sound/card0/input10
[ 15.195461] input: HDA NVidia HDMI/DP,pcm=7 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.1/sound/card0/input11
[ 15.195555] input: HDA NVidia HDMI/DP,pcm=3 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.1/sound/card0/input12
[ 16.379283] HDMI hot plug event: Codec=0 Pin=5 Presence_Detect=1 ELD_Valid=0
[ 16.386504] HDMI status: Codec=0 Pin=5 Presence_Detect=1 ELD_Valid=0
[ 16.397162] HDMI hot plug event: Codec=0 Pin=5 Presence_Detect=0 ELD_Valid=1
[ 16.402497] HDMI status: Codec=0 Pin=5 Presence_Detect=1 ELD_Valid=1
[ 17.170062] HDMI: detected monitor ASUS ML238
[ 17.170064] at connection type HDMI
[ 17.170066] HDMI: available speakers: FL/FR
[ 17.170069] HDMI: supports coding type LPCM: channels = 2, rates = 32000 44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000, bits = 16 20 24
[ 17.170080] HDMI hot plug event: Codec=1 Pin=5 Presence_Detect=1 ELD_Valid=0
[ 17.186047] HDMI status: Codec=1 Pin=5 Presence_Detect=1 ELD_Valid=1
[ 17.977607] HDMI: detected monitor SHARP HDMI
[ 17.977609] at connection type HDMI
[ 17.977613] HDMI: available speakers: FL/FR LFE FC RL/RR RC RLC/RRC
[ 17.977619] HDMI: supports coding type LPCM: channels = 2, rates = 32000 44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000, bits = 16 20 24
[ 17.977624] HDMI: supports coding type LPCM: channels = 8, rates = 32000 44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000, bits = 16 20 24
[ 17.977628] HDMI: supports coding type AC-3: channels = 6, rates = 32000 44100 48000, max bitrate = 640000
[ 17.977633] HDMI: supports coding type DTS: channels = 7, rates = 32000 44100 48000 88200 96000, max bitrate = 1536000
[ 17.977636] HDMI: supports coding type DSD (One Bit Audio): channels = 6, rates = 44100
[ 17.977640] HDMI: supports coding type E-AC-3/DD+ (Dolby Digital Plus): channels = 8, rates = 44100 48000
[ 17.977643] HDMI: supports coding type MLP (Dolby TrueHD): channels = 8, rates = 48000 96000 192000
[ 17.977647] HDMI: supports coding type DTS-HD: channels = 8, rates = 48000 96000 192000
[ 17.977655] HDMI hot plug event: Codec=1 Pin=5 Presence_Detect=0 ELD_Valid=1
[ 17.985596] HDMI status: Codec=1 Pin=5 Presence_Detect=1 ELD_Valid=1
[ 18.753145] HDMI: detected monitor SHARP HDMI
[ 18.753146] at connection type HDMI
[ 18.753148] HDMI: available speakers: FL/FR LFE FC RL/RR RC RLC/RRC
[ 18.753151] HDMI: supports coding type LPCM: channels = 2, rates = 32000 44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000, bits = 16 20 24
[ 18.753153] HDMI: supports coding type LPCM: channels = 8, rates = 32000 44100 48000 88200 96000 176400 192000, bits = 16 20 24
[ 18.753155] HDMI: supports coding type AC-3: channels = 6, rates = 32000 44100 48000, max bitrate = 640000
[ 18.753157] HDMI: supports coding type DTS: channels = 7, rates = 32000 44100 48000 88200 96000, max bitrate = 1536000
[ 18.753158] HDMI: supports coding type DSD (One Bit Audio): channels = 6, rates = 44100
[ 18.753160] HDMI: supports coding type E-AC-3/DD+ (Dolby Digital Plus): channels = 8, rates = 44100 48000
[ 18.753161] HDMI: supports coding type MLP (Dolby TrueHD): channels = 8, rates = 48000 96000 192000
[ 18.753163] HDMI: supports coding type DTS-HD: channels = 8, rates = 48000 96000 192000

onesojourner · (This post was last modified: 2012-04-27, 14:18 by onesojourner.)

I don't know if this will be useful but here is the complete list of pass through options:

I would like to be able to switch between hdmi and coax.

boosted · (This post was last modified: 2012-04-28, 09:06 by boosted.)

I just can't seem to get DTS / AC3 to work, tried all options except 'custom' not sure what to put under 'custom'
pulseaudio volume control does show options for DTS and AC3, didn't scroll down.

blm14 · 2012-04-28, 18:50

Can you do the following:

Code:
$aplay -l

from a shell and give us the output?

TheFincher · 2012-04-28, 19:56

I'm in exactly the same boat, i dont have a asound.rc file at all as this seemed to make no difference.

I have just upgraded to Ubuntu 12.04 from 10.04, Managed to get audio working on 10.04 but that was by selecting Analogue output which doesnt exist under 12.04

Here's the results of my aplay -l

Code:
xbmc@xbmc:~$ aplay -l

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****

card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 0: ALC662 rev1 Analog [ALC662 rev1 Analog]

  Subdevices: 1/1

  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 1: ALC662 rev1 Digital [ALC662 rev1 Digital]

  Subdevices: 1/1

  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]

  Subdevices: 0/1

  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

DDDamian · 2012-04-28, 20:05

Hey guys - sorry I'm not a linux guy, but I'm very involved in working with gnif on the AudioEngine code, and one of the recent features added is the ability to enumerate or determine all the device capabilities of your system, something which is obviously a difficult thing on Linux.

Because you are connected via HDMI, AE can read the EDID info and determine the correct device to connect to.

Search for the AudioEngine main thread in the development subforum. You will have to compile your own, or wait about a month until the final merge with master is done.

If you don't wish to go that route (although I would recommend it) hopefully a more Linux-knowledgeable person can help you out here.

boosted · (This post was last modified: 2012-04-29, 03:17 by boosted.)

(2012-04-28, 18:50)blm14 Wrote: Can you do the following:

Code:
$aplay -l

from a shell and give us the output?

Hi, info as requested

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 7: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 8: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 9: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
Subdevices: 1/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

(2012-04-28, 20:05)DDDamian Wrote: Hey guys - sorry I'm not a linux guy, but I'm very involved in working with gnif on the AudioEngine code, and one of the recent features added is the ability to enumerate or determine all the device capabilities of your system, something which is obviously a difficult thing on Linux.

Because you are connected via HDMI, AE can read the EDID info and determine the correct device to connect to.

Search for the AudioEngine main thread in the development subforum. You will have to compile your own, or wait about a month until the final merge with master is done.

If you don't wish to go that route (although I would recommend it) hopefully a more Linux-knowledgeable person can help you out here.

Thanks, I'll give that a try if I can't it working.

Rick

boosted · 2012-04-29, 05:45

Just got rid of pulseaudio and had to create /etc/asound.conf with

Code:
pcm.!default {

    type hw

    card 0

    device 7

}

ctl.!default {

    type hw           

    card 0

    device 7

}

Alsa is working in and out of xbmc but still no DTS or AC3.
Will try AudioEngine