Just noticed that I'm not able to get 5.1 audio from my optical cable running Kodi 14.2 on my Boxee. Before you ask, I don't have the ability to run HDMI into my receiver so optical audio is my only choice for 5.1 through my receiver. But in any event, am I supposed to do something for 5.1 to work on SPDIF?
See my signature. In short 5.1 via Optical is only possible when sent as AC3 or DTS. Turn on the "Transcode to AC3" setting, but leave your PCM config on 2.0.
(2015-07-28, 11:22)fritsch Wrote: [ -> ]See my signature. In short 5.1 via Optical is only possible when sent as AC3 or DTS. Turn on the "Transcode to AC3" setting, but leave your PCM config on 2.0.
Thank you so much for explaining. I knew there was some difference between the HD audio sent by optical and HDMI but didn't know the exact difference. I knew that the people telling me optical isn't "as good as" HDMI or that it wasn't HD was not accurate.
I'll have to read more into how optical does HD audio (AC3, DTS, etc) so that I can fully understand it. I'm not getting another receiver with HDMI inputs anytime soon so I'll just have to learn to fully optimise the optical audio that I have. Plus, standard 5.1 audio is the only thing I ever use. I don't need the DTS-HD or 7.1 or whatever else they're doing with sound these days. 95% of what I watch is 2.0 anyway and when I do 5.1 in films or games it's straight 5.1 at the most in DTS.
Quote:I'll have to read more into how optical does HD audio (AC3, DTS, etc)
Please don't mix it....DTS or AC3 (Dolby Digital) isn't HD audio. DTS-HD (DTS-HDMA) and Dolby TrueHD are HD audio formats, for example. DolbyDigital or DTS are the core tracks of those HD audio formats, which will be played if either the receiver isn't capapble of playing those formats or the output you use isn't capable of. An optical out, such as Toslink or S/PDIF, can't do HD audio formats. For HD audio formats you have to use HDMI.
5.1 via optical is possible, but you have to set your settings not to use those HD audio formats. Like fritschs sig says....DTS or AC3 are encoded via 2 channels. HDMI is able to do more, which is needed for HD audio formats.
It's ok, if you say, that you don't need HD-audio. But let's see if you change your statement after you tested it once
.