[igeekus]

Okay... I'm pretty sure the problem is mplayer....

Oh a whim I decided to take one my m4v's and play it using dvdplayer (context menu on item (title button on xbox remote)=> play using => DVDPLayer). stereo comes up but if I switch the audio to the second track, it displays as 5.1... and the receiver registers it as 5.1 audio....

sounds great too...

Hope this helps?

[einhänder]

from my experience it is a mplayer issue.

a few hours ago i tried to playback some dvd backups done via handbrake (mp4/h264/ac3/avg. bitrate 2500 kbps).
either playing these backups with xbmc's (atlantis beta2) mplayer on my xbox and osx or with a standalone mplayer (latest version) on osx results in the same problem: no sound but only video. mplayer doesn't show both of my audiostreams, only one of them is recognized as a stereo-stream, although both of them are ac3 (two languages).

when i'm playing the mp4s on my xbox or via osx by choosing the dvdplayer, everything is just fine. i increased the local cache to 4096mb to avoid lags.

[davilla]

from my experience it is a mplayer issue.

a few hours ago i tried to playback some dvd backups done via handbrake (mp4/h264/ac3/avg. bitrate 2500 kbps).
either playing these backups with xbmc's (atlantis beta2) mplayer on my xbox and osx or with a standalone mplayer (latest version) on osx results in the same problem: no sound but only video. mplayer doesn't show both of my audiostreams, only one of them is recognized as a stereo-stream, although both of them are ac3 (two languages).

when i'm playing the mp4s on my xbox or via osx by choosing the dvdplayer, everything is just fine. i increased the local cache to 4096mb to avoid lags.

get http://atv-xbmc-launcher.googlecode.com/...bmc_remote

run it from your osx box, might have to chmod +x it..

./xbmc_remote <appletv ip> 9777

this directs keyboard entry from your OSX box to your appletv when the xbmc_remote sdl window is in front. Also need to enable remote events on the AppleTV in settings - network.

when playing a video, type "o", this shows the audio/video/cpu info.

looking at the audio will show which codec is being used.

[ravidium]

get http://atv-xbmc-launcher.googlecode.com/...bmc_remote

run it from your osx box, might have to chmod +x it..

./xbmc_remote <appletv ip> 9777

this directs keyboard entry from your OSX box to your appletv when the xbmc_remote sdl window is in front. Also need to enable remote events on the AppleTV in settings - network.

when playing a video, type "o", this shows the audio/video/cpu info.

looking at the audio will show which codec is being used.

when you say "run it" can you explain that for a newbie please..got the file..what do i open it with etc...terminal?

[davilla]

when you say "run it" can you explain that for a newbie please..got the file..what do i open it with etc...terminal?

xbmc_remote is a command-line program. You run it from the command-line. The osx terminal application gives you a command-line environment.

"sudo chmod +x xbmc_remote" is a set of command-line operations. "sudo" gives you privilege, "chmod +x" changes set the execution bit.

"man sudo"
"man chmod"

for more info.

"./xbmc_remote <appletv ip> 9777" is the command-line. Notice the "./" in front of xbmc_remote. That's important. Also <appletv ip> is the ip address of your apple tv.

So for mine it's "./xbmc_remote 192.168.2.88 9777"

"pwd" shows the working directory. "ls" lists the directory contents.


google "osx command-line" will have lots of links regarding command-line operations using osx.

[ravidium]

xbmc_remote is a command-line program. You run it from the command-line. The osx terminal application gives you a command-line environment.

"sudo chmod +x xbmc_remote" is a set of command-line operations. "sudo" gives you privilege, "chmod +x" changes set the execution bit.

"man sudo"
"man chmod"

for more info.

"./xbmc_remote <appletv ip> 9777" is the command-line. Notice the "./" in front of xbmc_remote. That's important. Also <appletv ip> is the ip address of your apple tv.

So for mine it's "./xbmc_remote 192.168.2.88 9777"

"pwd" shows the working directory. "ls" lists the directory contents.


google "osx command-line" will have lots of links regarding command-line operations using osx.

oh wow okay ill take a stab at it and let you know - thanks!

[tuckbodi]

Okay... I'm pretty sure the problem is mplayer....

Oh a whim I decided to take one my m4v's and play it using dvdplayer (context menu on item (title button on xbox remote)=> play using => DVDPLayer). stereo comes up but if I switch the audio to the second track, it displays as 5.1... and the receiver registers it as 5.1 audio....

sounds great too...

Hope this helps?

I thought the AppleTV video player was DVD Player and did not use mplayer?! Is this not the case? I could not find a setting anywhere to be able to switch them. Using xbmc_helper I verified I was using DVD Player. Another interesting observation was when I selected the 2nd track for AC3 xbmc_helper verified it was seeing AC3 but again, was not passing it through (was silent). When the first track was selected it showed it as stereo and I did have sound (albeit stereo sound through my receiver).

I believe the decoding of AC3 does infact work
The issue lies in the fact that the AAC audio is track 1 and AC3 is track 2. XBMC by default appears to be selecting track 1. Which is of course the AAC 2 channel file. We need XBMC to auto detect the AC3 file (track 2) if the Dolby Digital passthrough mode is enabled in the settings for xbmc. I have messed around with this alot and I see no way of getting XBMC by default to use track 2 without either manually selecting it while watching a movie or to reencode all my files and not have the AAC file be part of my m4v file. Or if you reencode the m4v file make sure the AC3 is track 1 and AAC is track 2. I have some movies for some reason have the AC3 as track 1 and I can tell on my reciever that its decoding the AC3 track. For all other movies if I manually select track 2 my reciever see's the AC3 track and decodes it just fine. Hope my findings will help in solving this huge problem.

I tried switching the tracks in Handbrake as you suggested and it didn't help. Still no sound/passthrough on the AC3 track (track 1). In fact, doing this also broke the AC3 when played through NitoTV (which is playing my other AC3 files just fine) so I can't recommend swapping the tracks.

[tuckbodi]

Trying not to let this subject die as XBMC is nearly unusable for me without AC-3. I ran across some info up on the AwkwardTV forums from one of the plugin devs and one of the guys who wrote Perian (for the Mac and AppleTV). Their comment about getting AC-3 working with the plugin, ATVFiles:

http://forum.awkwardtv.org/viewtopic.php...=50#p12986

"You need Perian (and A52Codec, which is bundled with it) installed for AC3 passthrough to work. The setting in ATVFiles (this is separate than the setting in the ATV software) needs to be enabled too. If that setting isn't enabled, A52Codec should be decoding it as stereo.

It's a hack though, as it puts the AC3 coding in the PCM output audio stream, and not all receivers support that."

But maybe more importantly here is some links to additional info from one of the Perian dev's on what is going on with AC-3 and Apple:

http://www.cod3r.com/2008/03/wheres-real...n-the-mac/

http://www.cod3r.com/2008/02/the-correct...quicktime/

http://www.cod3r.com/2008/04/imited-real...ssthrough/

http://www.cod3r.com/2008/06/ac3-passthr...ty-matrix/

Granted, this is all with QuickTime but I thought it might shed some light on the subject.

[gifty74]

Has this been figured out yet? I'm having the exact same problem. Movies encoded using the latest version of handbrake, on the AppleTv profile, only play the stereo track, and only show the stereo track in the audio properties of the movie when viewed on the AppleTv. No matter how I encode I don't get any sound in xbmc unless I turn on the "Downmix multichannel audio to stereo" option.

[davilla]

Trying not to let this subject die as XBMC is nearly unusable for me without AC-3. I ran across some info up on the AwkwardTV forums from one of the plugin devs and one of the guys who wrote Perian (for the Mac and AppleTV). Their comment about getting AC-3 working with the plugin, ATVFiles:

http://forum.awkwardtv.org/viewtopic.php...=50#p12986

"You need Perian (and A52Codec, which is bundled with it) installed for AC3 passthrough to work. The setting in ATVFiles (this is separate than the setting in the ATV software) needs to be enabled too. If that setting isn't enabled, A52Codec should be decoding it as stereo.

It's a hack though, as it puts the AC3 coding in the PCM output audio stream, and not all receivers support that."

But maybe more importantly here is some links to additional info from one of the Perian dev's on what is going on with AC-3 and Apple:

http://www.cod3r.com/2008/03/wheres-real...n-the-mac/

http://www.cod3r.com/2008/02/the-correct...quicktime/

http://www.cod3r.com/2008/04/imited-real...ssthrough/

http://www.cod3r.com/2008/06/ac3-passthr...ty-matrix/

Granted, this is all with QuickTime but I thought it might shed some light on the subject.

Nice but useless info, we are all ready doing these tricks and those that trick quicktime are useless as we are not using quicktime as a codec.

[tuckbodi]

Nice but useless info, we are all ready doing these tricks and those that trick quicktime are useless as we are not using quicktime as a codec.

Also useless since that post is over a year old.

Back then was just trying to shine light on other methods being used on the ATV. Guess I'll just keep my mouth shut next time and not try and report when things aren't working.

[davilla]

Also useless since that post is over a year old.

Back then was just trying to shine light on other methods being used on the ATV. Guess I'll just keep my mouth shut next time and not try and report when things aren't working.

ac3 and dts output work, we have a dev that runs his atv that way all the time. And for future info, we prefer to have a pastebin post of xbmc.log and mediainfo output of the media in question. Otherwise, it's a guessing game that I for one refuse to play as it's a waste of my time. This might seem brutal but just posting that you have a problem without giving any concrete info is useless and does not help find a solution.

[gifty74]

Not harsh at all. I was just trying to kick up the thread again to see if everyone was still having the problems as it was a year old and the same thing was happening to me. Now that I know someone is looking to help I'll post all I can. View the mediainfo txt export here...

Only showing 1 audio stream, although I'm using the atv profile in handbrake that shows it is encoding two streams, AAC and AC3. It's either not encoding the second, or xbmc is not seeing it. Raw ISO files of dvds play great, full Dolby Digital 5.1. Just the encoded ones I cannot get the atv to see the audio in xbmc. I'm trying to find instructions on grabbing the log files.

[gifty74]

Ok, pulled the log file off, but it was from a prior session so the movie in question is not in the log. I'll go re-load the movie I'm trying to get 5.1 out of. Although the mediainfo log shows it right there, only one audio stream and it's AAC. How do I get handbrake to pump out AC3?

[tuckbodi]

ac3 and dts output work, we have a dev that runs his atv that way all the time. And for future info, we prefer to have a pastebin post of xbmc.log and mediainfo output of the media in question. Otherwise, it's a guessing game that I for one refuse to play as it's a waste of my time. This might seem brutal but just posting that you have a problem without giving any concrete info is useless and does not help find a solution.

Wow, why're you attacking me? I think you need some sleep or maybe some shots of Xmas cheer. I didn't rejuvenate this posting, gifty74 did, and maybe he needs to post a pastebin? Like I said, that posting of mine was over a year old. And actually I did post a pastebin and even submitted a trac ticket back then.

I don't have anything newer as I've pretty much have mothballed my ATV for the time being and am using my Mac mini in it's place. Which BTW, now has AC3 working from the fixes and hard work you guys have done. Thank you.

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=38729

http://trac.xbmc.org/ticket/5188