[KRayner]

Hi guys,

I am having the same issue (albeit with the Live Camelot version) as the following guy in this thread: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=62876.

System Specs:
AMD 3200+
MSI Nforce4 K8N SLI
Geforce 8400GS
RealTek ALC850 integrated audio chipset
Logitech Z-5500's

on

XBMC Live Camelot (9.11)

What happens

When using an Optical cable the audio works in menu's and when playing non-digital audio (such as standard avi's) however as soon as I open a 5.1 encoded movie there is no audio at all. Seems like XBMC is not passing the digital signal through to the Logitech's.

-------------------

I have come from using an Xbox (I have been using XBMC happily for 5 years now on my Xbox) with the latest T3CH release on it which worked perfectly using the same Optical cable and Logitech Speakers. This could be some sort of driver issue? I have looked for newer drivers for the ALC850 chipset on the Realtek site however they date back 2 years and I am sure the latest build of Ubuntu that XBMC was 'built' on would have these already installed.

So can anyone help me?

Update:
I know someone else who has tried out XBMC Live (Camelot) however they have a Nforce 3 motherboard (which would have a slightly older Realtek audio chipset) and they have the exact same problem. He tried installing XP and then the Windows XBMC version which then works fine with Digital Audio which does make it seem as if it is simply a driver version. I would really prefer not to have to go the XP route as I am quite happy with the Live version (with this one obvious exception of course).

Thanks

[KRayner]

Bump

[althekiller]

http://wiki.xbmc.org/?title=HOW-TO_submi...Bug_Report

[KRayner]

althekiller, thanks for the tips I really appreciate it :-)

I have managed to retrieve the log files using SFTP to connect to XBMC Live. I disabled 'Update Library on Startup', enabled Debugging rebooted and then when I was back in XBMC I played a 5.1 encoded video (speakers kinda crackle a bit and then go silent). After I stopped the video I logged in via SFTP and downloaded the 'fresh' xbmc.log file.

The log file is posted below:

http://pastebin.com/m7c665339

If anyone could have a look and let me know that would be great, I really don't know too much about this stuff :-p

[KRayner]

Hey guys, is there no one out there with this problem that has found a solution? kristoffer_1 (from the other post I mentioned earlier) ended up buying a USB soundcard which solved his problem. I think I would rather install a stripped down version of XP with XBMC as the only app running on startup (I assume there are others doing this) however I would really prefer not to have to do that :-p

[dandirk]

ok I assume by live you mean the off the CD version?

I just installed ubuntu 9.10 and stable xbmc 9.11 and was having spdif issues receiving the error "Failed to initialize audio device" when starting a movie.

At first I could change a few options and get sound to work, then I formated and reinstalled and had all sorts of sound issues.

I ended up just uninstalling pulseaudio. I think the command is "apt-get purge pulseaudio"

There also are a few scripts about to disable pusleaudio when starting xbmc...

[KRayner]

Hi Dankirk, if by 'off the CD version' you mean the 500mb ISO that you need to download then yes. I know it first installs a version of Ubuntu however I have no idea how to do anything in Linux OS's so I wouldn't really know where to begin.

Oh, I installed XBMC Camelot 9.11 for Windows on my main PC (the one the HTPC gets all the media from) and copied the userdata folder straight from the Live version to the Windows one and it works perfectly :-)

My main PC is not using SPDIF and trying to use the option gets the error you mentioned (Failed to initialize audio device) which is to be expected however on the HTPC which is using a SPDIF connection (Optical) I get no such warning from XBMC at all. All I get is silence and when stopping the 5.1 video I get a bit of feedback from the speakers.

Are you using the Live version then as well, or the Linux one?

[dandirk]

I am using the linux verion. I install ubuntu 9.10 (from ubuntu site), then install xbmc on top of full ubuntu.

Live I think is a pure version of xbmc/ubuntu, not intended to use with other apps etc. The linux version is just like the windows version, inteneded to install on top of an OS.

With your live version do you have access to any part of the OS? I assume it boots straight to xbmc. What happens when you shut xbmc down?

sorry have not used the live version and am a windows geek that is now just dabbling in linux/ubuntu.

With the full linux version I was able to access sound settings, muted spdif options etc that may help your situation, if no one else can help with Live...

[KRayner]

Hi Dankirk, yes Live is the 'pure' version of Ubuntu as it installs a version of it before installing itself on top of that.

No you do not as far as I am aware and yes it does. It shuts down the PC.

Same here, this problem is making me want to install a stripped down version of XP with XBMC windows (would be a last resort though).

Yeah I don't think it is, well at least not through any sort of GUI, perhaps through a command line interface however I'm not even sure how you would access that...

[eepunk]

My understanding of the problem, from what I've read here and on the Ubuntu forums, is that it is manifold.

Pulseaudio
Problem - Does not presently support passthrough for 5.1. This notwithstanding, you should still see down-mixed stereo through optical.

Solution - remove Pulseaudio. Install esound. (copied from here)

Code:

sudo apt-get purge pulseaudio gstreamer0.10-pulseaudio
sudo apt-get autoremove

sudo apt-get install alsa-base alsa-tools alsa-tools-gui alsa-utils alsa-oss linux-sound-base alsamixergui

sudo apt-get install esound esound-clients esound-common libesd-alsa0 gnome-alsamixer

Restart your PC

in terminal type;

Code:

sudo alsamixer

Make sure IEC958 is not muted, it will have MM above the entry then mute is on. Press m to unmute. You may want to unmute/max out the volume of the Master entry as well. I'm just not sure about that one.

Press Esc to exit once changes are made. In the terminal still, type;

Code:

sudo alsactl store

The sound card will be identified in alsamixer (top left), ensure that its correctly identified. If it is not please post the output of the command;

Code:

aplay -l

This will show what audio devices you have onboard.

Problem - xbmc

Soultion - no idea, I can get stereo from non-5.1 sources but if I put a film on with an AC3 soundtrack, it all just goes to shit. I get a "failed to initalize audio device pop-up" and the movie doesn't play.

Hope this gets you a bit closer.

E.E.