2014-05-21, 14:08
I have been running XBMC 12.x up until recently on top of desktop Ubuntu 12.04 LTS in my HTPC. Even with pulseaudio, I was able to have multi-channel output via HDMI (NVIDIA) into my AV amplifier working correctly. By working correctly, I mean that the source channels matched the output into my amp... so 2-channel stereo would only drive 2 channels and no upmixing was occuring. 5.1 sources were output as 5.1, etc.
Now, after updating to Gotham, I cannot find settings that enable me to get source-matching output. Gotham wants to upmix 2-channel stereo to my 5.1 speaker setup. I want 2-channel stereo to play back as 2/2.1, as it was in 12, not upmixed to 5.1. I do not want to have to go into the settings every time I change from movies to music and re-configure my audio settings. This was not necessary in 12.
I find this very disappointing that I had a perfectly working 12 setup and 13 seems to have a major functional regression here. Is there a magic setting that I am missing? I have set the audio output to go directly to my NVIDIA card, not to the pulseaudio sink. I played with the obvious settings already, but it seems I cannot get back to a working setup like in 12, which worked beautifully.
A note to developers, if you are reading this... do NOT assume that just because I have a multi-channel speaker setup I want to send audio to every speaker. Audio should be by default "same as source", that is a 2-channel source should output 2-channels (or 2.1), not 5.1. If I want to upmix 2-channel audio I can enable one of the many "enhanced" surround modes in my amplifier to upmix to multi-channel audio. I do this on occasion, but mostly I listen to music in 2-channel mode.
Wanted to add some more detail about my system. I am running the x64 version of Ubuntu and I have the current Ubuntu 12.04 "recommended" NVIDIA driver installed (331 series, if I recall). CPU is Core i3 2100 and the GPU is GT 430 connected via HDMI to my multi-channel amp. All Ubuntu updates installed as of today.
Now, after updating to Gotham, I cannot find settings that enable me to get source-matching output. Gotham wants to upmix 2-channel stereo to my 5.1 speaker setup. I want 2-channel stereo to play back as 2/2.1, as it was in 12, not upmixed to 5.1. I do not want to have to go into the settings every time I change from movies to music and re-configure my audio settings. This was not necessary in 12.
I find this very disappointing that I had a perfectly working 12 setup and 13 seems to have a major functional regression here. Is there a magic setting that I am missing? I have set the audio output to go directly to my NVIDIA card, not to the pulseaudio sink. I played with the obvious settings already, but it seems I cannot get back to a working setup like in 12, which worked beautifully.
A note to developers, if you are reading this... do NOT assume that just because I have a multi-channel speaker setup I want to send audio to every speaker. Audio should be by default "same as source", that is a 2-channel source should output 2-channels (or 2.1), not 5.1. If I want to upmix 2-channel audio I can enable one of the many "enhanced" surround modes in my amplifier to upmix to multi-channel audio. I do this on occasion, but mostly I listen to music in 2-channel mode.
Wanted to add some more detail about my system. I am running the x64 version of Ubuntu and I have the current Ubuntu 12.04 "recommended" NVIDIA driver installed (331 series, if I recall). CPU is Core i3 2100 and the GPU is GT 430 connected via HDMI to my multi-channel amp. All Ubuntu updates installed as of today.