[johnnyawful]

Alright helpful XBMC folks, I feel like I've tried everything and I'm still having no luck.
Here's the issue, which I'm sure isn't uncommon, any thing played with HD audio and playback stutters, almost frame-by-frame. Every other audio source plays fine and is detected properly by my AVR.
First here's my setup:
Windows 7 Professional HTPC with
AMD A8-3870 APU (3.00 GHz) Processor
AsRock A75M Motherboard
HDMI from that to Sony STR-DH820 AVR
HDMI from that to Sharp Aquos TV

I have tried the following:
I have uninstalled Realtek drivers, and deleted remaining files off of C:/
I have installed AMD drivers
Moninfo seems to indicate that my computer recognizes the AVR and the TV, but I'm not really clear how this EDID stuff works

XBMC has only ever given me the option of DirectSound, I don't know how to turn WASAPI on, but I do have all the correct settings in the control panel (i.e. exclusive control, etc.)

On Audio Output screen I have
Audio Output Device: DirectSound: AMD HDMI output (AMD High Definition Audio Device)
Passthrough Output Device: Error - no devices found


Folks, I completely uninstalled XBMC, profiles and everything and did a clean install, and still no results. I'll post the requisite screenshots in a moment.

[thrak76]

Welcome to the forums.

First: Your screenshots are too small. Crop the important areas.

Second: Try shutting down Spotify before running XBMC.

Third: Change speaker setup in Windows to stereo

Fourth: Consult the stickies at the top of this forum, and after all that it still isn't resolved, please post a Debug log, and maybe some screens of your audio settings in the gui.

[johnnyawful]

Sorry about the picture size, I'll post new ones and a log tomorrow. I've tried, I believe, all the things in the sticky, new gui settings file, changed windowed mode and DXATV2 (or whatever that is)

But I don't know how to determine whether I have an EDID problem. How can I determine that?

[DDDamian]

The first issue is no WASAPI - you don't have to turn it on - it's always there on > Vista SP1, and you've enabled its exclusive mode correctly.

Without that no HD audio.

A Debug Log will help here

[TRaSH]

...

Third: Change speaker setup in Windows to stereo
...

just curious why to stereo and not to your setup ?

[thrak76]

...

Third: Change speaker setup in Windows to stereo
...

just curious why to stereo and not to your setup ?

I don't have a definite reason. But it works on my setup. After all XBMC takes exclusive control of the WASAPI audio device anyhow. So it doesn't matter what you select in windows sound properties. I think i did it first because of some conflicts with WMC and then just left it that way because it works.

[Malosar]

Yeah I'm not sure of the reasoning behind it either but it's the only way everything works for me. Set as stereo in windows control panel then setup 5.1/7.1 in your programs like XBMC, WMC etc.

[steelman1991]

There was none - seemed to be something introduced by Shark - the only thing it ever affected AFAIR was lack of Multichannel PCM/FLAC playback - stereo in stereo out.

As Thrak points out though with exclusive control through WASAPI it makes no difference.

[bluray]

AMD A8-3870 APU (3.00 GHz) Processor

HDMI from that to Sony STR-DH820 AVR

It seems that you configured the sound playback devices in Windows control panel correct. I notice that your Sony AVR has CEC option, and CEC is a little tricky. If you enabled this feature, you have to have the right HDMI cable for it to work right. You need HDMI cable with ARC option as this "Mediabridge Ultra Series - High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet". My wife and kids enjoy using this option in our home theater. They can simply press a single power button on LEDTV remote controller to turn on both LEDTV and AVR. The volume of the AVR can be controlled by LEDTV remote controller after everything turned on. If you don't have the right HDMI cable, it may cause problem and some HTPC might not be compatible with some AVR CEC either. You can try as below-

-make sure that you update your AMD driver from here- AMD Driver Autodetect
-try another HDMI cable
-try disable CEC in AVR
-if everything communicate correctly, you should be able to do as what I have in my screen shot below-

[steelman1991]

Time you did some reading on the subject of hdmi cables - there is no special requirement for cable construction to carry ARC, or any other signal for that matter (purely marketing blurb) - though in this instance it certainly isn't about rip-off pricing. All the cable does is feed the signal, its the equipment that needs to be ARC enabled not the cable. As jjd.uk quoted in his set-up thread, disable it and research an alternative way to get your preferred option - if you don't, then it seems likely to prepare yourself for issues.

http://www.avforums.com/forums/hdmi-cabl...hread.html.

[bimme]

Are u trying to Run xbmc in compability Mode to xp sp3? Cause doing that, u get the exactly behaviour with error in wasapi throughput Setting...

[johnnyawful]

Are u trying to Run xbmc in compability Mode to xp sp3? Cause doing that, u get the exactly behaviour with error in wasapi throughput Setting...

This is absolutely exactly what the problem was. I feel like such a moron. Thanks for the help everyone.