Linux Audio Initialization fails on SOME video with mp3 audio...
#1
I have run across a strange issue recently. Some videos with mp3 audio streams will not play the audio and throw the "audio initialization failed" error message when attempting to watch the video. However, other videos with mp3 audio will play just fine. All videos with AC3 or DTS tracks also play fine.

My Setup:

XBMC post Eden Nightly build compiled on APR 7, 2012 (issue started occurring on Eden Final release - stable)
OS - Ubuntu Oneiric Ocelot minimal install
Hardware: Acer Revo 1600 - Onboard sound is disabled and Turtle beach USB sound card is being used for optical out

Audio settings are: DTS capable & AC3 capable receiver enabled.
Audio device: iec958(ALSA)
Passthrough device: iec958(ALSA)

As stated above, AC3 audio plays back fine as well as DTS and most MP3, but not all. Please see the last part of my XBMC log here:

http://pastebin.com/raw.php?i=vSs7HX6P

I played an episode of Dexter "Our Father" that is MKV with mp3 audio, and it plays fine with sound. Then I played an episode of Top Gear "Stig outruns a speed camera" that also has mp3 audio, but the audio fails to play.

I can play this same Top Gear episode on my ATV2 box that is running Eden as well, and the audio plays just fine without error. So I am trying to determine why audio is failing to play on this file on my Revo. Any help sorting this one out is extremely appreciated.

-hogfan
Image
Reply
#2
Nobody has any ideas? I posted proper XBMC log and config info.
Image
Reply
#3
^bump

Maybe one of the devs has an idea where I should start troubleshooting this one?

-hogfan
Image
Reply
#4
Can you post the output of
Code:
$ dpkg -l | grep libmad
HTPC 1 - Zotac ZBOX ID80U | 4GB RAM | 64GB SSD | Openelec | Confluence
HTPC 2 - Zotac ZBOX ID41U | 4GB RAM | 60GB SSD | Openelec | Confluence
Server - unRAID Server | 3 x 2TB WD Green HDD, 1TB WD Black HDD (Cache) | Sabnzbd | CouchPotato | Sickbeard
Reply
#5
Running that command returns nothing. Do I need to install this package? Since I had my clean mini install of Oneirc, everytime I update XBMC I just use:

Code:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade xbmc

I'm always afraid to update anything else because running "apt-get upgrade" has broken lirc several times in the past and it is a pain to re-compile the xbox dvd dongle driver and get it working again in lirc.

-hogfan
Image
Reply
#6
I had a quick look at your log and found this error

17:25:45 T:2819685232 ERROR: Unable to load libmad.so.0, reason: libmad.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

try
sudo aptitude install libmad0
which I got from this thread http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=111695
Hopefully that helps
Justin
Reply
#7
After installing libmad0 package, the audio initialization still fails and I have no sound in these videos. I don't understand why some mp3 content plays back fine but other MP3 content does not. I plan to go to XBMCbuntu as soon as I see the number of audio issues users are experiencing with it go down in this forum. When I do go to that, I want LIRC to be the only problem to sort out.

-hogfan
Image
Reply
#8
compare sample rates.
Reply
#9
Yes, I see that the Top Gear episode is a sample rate of 32000 rather than 41000. But from what I read 32000 should be the correct sampling rate for mp3 audio that is encoded at 96 kbps. I guess I am confused as to why it plays back fine on Apple TV2 with XBMC but not on my Revo with Oneiric.

-hogfan
Image
Reply
#10
I still can't get audio for these files to play back on my Revo with XBMCBuntu 11.0 Eden installed. Is this a hardware issue? Why would a sampling rate of 32000 for a 96 kbps mp3 not be supported on a Turtle Beach card? Maybe I am missing something here, but I just don't understand why the sample rate would be an issue for mp3 playback. XBMC can obviously play it back with the libraries it uses because it works flawlessly on XBMC on my AppleTV 2.

-hogfan
Image
Reply

Logout Mark Read Team Forum Stats Members Help
Audio Initialization fails on SOME video with mp3 audio...0