Few question regarding Music PC

[kapvin]

Spiro - there is no point in checking the DD/DTS checkboxes in the Xonar centre software.

That option is there to forcibly encode everything that is played into DD/DTS. Obviously that is not what you want. You want for the encoding on the disc or the material you are playing to come out.

would make sense if he uses reclock for movies; use the pc software to decode to PCM, use reclock to sync video stream and pcm audio to the video refresh rate and then use the xonar hardware to encode back to DD/DTS.

 

[marsilians]

Well,I checked it true DD/Dts.
1st I played DD & same on AVR,when I stopped I got stereo on AVR, DTS when I played DTS.So it was true.

Sorry I am not understanding what you are saying above. What did you stop? Could you clarify please?

 

[thevortex]

would make sense if he uses reclock for movies; use the pc software to decode to PCM, use reclock to sync video stream and pcm audio to the video refresh rate and then use the xonar hardware to encode back to DD/DTS.

Now why would he do that?

If he has a DD/DTS encoded material, he would just stick it in the drive or rip it and have it played straight away.

The software encoding is not the best in any case. It is in fact best avoided if you want quality sound.

 

[kapvin]

reclock is not for the audio.. it is to sync the video frame rate (typically 24000/1001 fps) to the video refresh rate of your video output device so that you don't have jerky, jittery video.

when you sync the video, you also need to resync (resample) the audio for which you need to get the audio in PCM mode. (you cannot resync bitstream audio).. in such a case, you would need to convert to pcam and then back to bitstream dd-dta - esp if your reciever does not have multichannel in or you want to use the receier's bass management.

so do you need reclock? well if you do not see anything missing in your video.. probably not. but if you are finicky... and the kind who spends as much money on cables as on the system.. you've probably using reclock in any htpc setup anyway?

hope that clarifies

 

[spirovious]

Sorry I am not understanding what you are saying above. What did you stop? Could you clarify please?

OK,
I played a mov with DD(5.1) & did set up as said earlier.
In XP CP, disabled speakers. This was req as XP can recognise only 2ch in spdf & not 5.1.So earlier when I tried PCM (in spdf out ,xonar),I cld get only stereo sound from DD/Dts in AVR(connection spdf out to AVR)as in picture(similar to D2X).



Well that day I connected AVR to D2X using same spdf/coax connection.Turned on AVR which showed stereo on display as I used that setting last time.

Then I played DD mov with the said setting with tick in PCM box(spdf xonar)& 1st time I got true surr with AVR showing DD on display.

I stopped playing that mov & AVR again showed stereo on display.

Now I played clips with Dts & AVR immediately shoed Dts on display.

Earlier without disabling spk in XP CP,I cld get stereo on AVR display & now original & not Prologic or Neo.

@Thevortex-see I dont think its vlc as I am missing something.As said earlier,by disabling speakers from XP CP,I cld get true spdf out with PCM setting.As discussed with you earlier,I cld only get stereo when played from vlc with its spdf setting.I tried KM too that time,didnt get,but after new setting only I cld get that.

Now only prob is D2X cant decode DD/Dts signals.This is different than getting pure spdf out from PC.I did two way-

1.Internally- I played in vlc> vlc spdf out> tried 5.1 ana out in Xonar CP
Ideally D2X now shld decode & output 5.1surr from anaout.But this is not happening.If I select vlc 5.1 opt(vlc decodes),I get true 5.1 ana out.

2.Externally- I connected DVDp with spdf in D2X> set spdf on in record section(D2X CP)>set loopback. Now if I play a stereo CD,I get a sound from ana out of D2X. If I play DD/Dts >no sound. when I click button next to spdf in(record menu)I get validity check window which is ticked by default.If I untick with DD/Dts filed played,I get continuous hiss just like no ch of RF TV or FM.That meens something wrong with settings OR freq.

So by 2 methods I feel D2X cant decode DD/DTS itself, but only can encode.

Just imagine,I want to use SC as DAC for ext source.It can be with stereo ,but not DD/Dts.
So pls.tell your method step by step without panic.

 

[mahiruha]

Hi spiro,
that is an interesting observation. I would suggest you to do a test. Try and get a audio file which is a DTS rip if You don't have one I can suggest you one. Then try and play that file using foobar. The thing you do in foobar is first try and play the card decoded DTS file see if you can get any output. In my understanding if the card is already decoding it then we don't need the decoder in foobar. then turn off the decoder in xonar and decode using foobar and see what is happening. In VLC I am not too sure if you can turn on adn turn off the decoding.
Thanks.

 

[thevortex]

Spirovious - first thing, I am not sure what drivers you are using for your D2X card. It should not read HDAV Deluxe.

Can you go back to the latest released D2X drivers or the Essence ones? Please make sure you uninstall the present ones before installing afresh. Then we can come back to this.

I can only confirm that there are no special settings needed in any video or audio player to get DD/DTS decoding going. If the material is encoded, then D2X can decode. I have verified with discs as well as rips.

Mahiruha - for foobar to play those AC3 rips it has got to have the right plugin.

 

[spirovious]

@mahiruha- I have Dts eagles.I m using foobar 1.0 & it has inbuilt Dts decoder.I can play it with sound.But why not with mov?Turning on & of Dts decoders?How? there no option.

@Thevortex-I have installes original drivers on CD.Image is just a copy & not my CP just to show the PCM box.
Pls tell me what do you use to play DD/Dts mov?

I need to confirm DD/Dts decoding.When I tried loopback & I get only spdf dig out when played from DVDp& input to D2X.

update- I installed foobar 8.3.0 & its not playing Dts file without decoder.

 

[mahiruha]

Hi spiro,

Have a look at the image. In your case if you can see the DTS decoder it is selected and you can disable it by movig it to the right hand side using the right arrow. DTS decoding is not a standard feature in foobar you need to download the plugin and put it in the component folder. If you are able to play the dts file without this plugin then it is not pure dts only file.
Thanks.

 

[spirovious]

OK, I thought in D2X cp.
I tried 2 Dts comp & not compatable with 8.3.0,will upgrade to 1.0 & let you now in few min.

 

[spirovious]

Well I tried playing Dts in foobar 9.6.3 without putting Dts plugin in comp,it failed.
Once I keep it in,it played.I used foo_dts.dll & its not visible in DSP(pref foobar)even after putting in comp & while playing Dts files.

If I use foo_input_dts.dll, I can see in DSP as Dts decoder.Without using on left,I can play file,but 1st comp (foo_dts.dll )must be there.

Are they 2 different? foo_dts.dll & foo_input_dts.dll?

 

[thevortex]

Spiro - that happened to me once as well. Just uninstall the drivers, restart and try again. You should get the panel running. Then you can do the rest of the checking.

You should not need to use the DTS/Dolby checkbox or the Digital loopback. That has nothing to do with the card's ability to decode such encoding. It should happen straight off the bat and your AV Receiver should show the format being decoded.

 

[spirovious]

Will try just now.

 

[mahiruha]

Well I tried playing Dts in foobar 9.6.3 without putting Dts plugin in comp,it failed.
Once I keep it in,it played.I used foo_dts.dll & its not visible in DSP(pref foobar)even after putting in comp & while playing Dts files.

If I use foo_input_dts.dll, I can see in DSP as Dts decoder.Without using on left,I can play file,but 1st comp (foo_dts.dll )must be there.

Are they 2 different? foo_dts.dll & foo_input_dts.dll?

Hi Spiro,
sorry I don't know much about the dll files. I can't do the test either since my card doesn't have dts decoding. I was just suggesting a simpler way to find out what is going on in your card. In my case I can play the dts files with the plugin using foobar 1.0 without the plugnin I simply can't play. What I understand in very simple terms is the player in my case is sending the digital signal to the card and card outputting analogue signal to the amplifier. if the card is dts capable it should decode the signal.Aslo I don't understand the fact when you make analogue connection with receiver to provide it with analogue signal how the reciver knows what that signal is. From my understanding a receiver can't know what is the decoded signal if fed already decoded analogue signal. Since I have never done that experiemnt I really don't know what the receiver's LCD will read.
Thanks.

 

[spirovious]

See my testing is simple-

as you know vlc has few option in audio> audio device> (5.1,2frt2 rear, stereo ,mono, spdf)

1.What does 5.1 meens?What I find is its already decoded signals in vlc & send as 5.1PCM to D2X which does DAC job.

2.In spdf opt, a Raw stream is send to D2X which shld do decoding & thats not happening.

In 5.1 all ok,I get ana out,but with spdf only digital output is possible & not ana.

I tried same with GOM player,still same.

Am I getting somethig wrong?

 

[spirovious]

A lowest price of xonar D2X-
Asus Xonar D2X 7.1 PCI-Express Sound Card (90-YAA055-1UAN00Z) [90-YAA055-1UAN00Z] Sound Cards

currently OOS.

 

[mahiruha]

Hi spiro,
I did a simple experiment on my other PC. It has onboard realtek high definition audio sound card. When I go to control panel sound then select properties of Realtek digital output there I get option to enable onboard dts decoding in the tab supported formats. When I enable the DTS audio there I could play the dts file without the dts decoder enabled in foobar 1.0. It clearly shows that onboard decoding of the sound card is working and foobar is able output the decoded music in the speaker. The same thing I tried in the music pc which has the asus xonar card. since the card cannot decode DTS it didn't work. So it is quite evident that windows audio setting has a say in it. I am selecting primary sound driver in foobar in both the cases.
Thanks.

 

[spirovious]

I read D2X manual on CD which is detailed which clearly says digital in is recognised only when input as PCM, no AC3.

Thatswhy no sound when I input raw from vlc OR from DVDp.
That clears -D2X dont have DD/Dts decoders.
It can encode 2ch in DD/Dts though.

 

[marsilians]

Hi Spiro

I think you are jumping to conclusions here - D2X has an ability to output 5.1 channel via spdif via the DD or DTS encoding mechanisms.

You may want to check your setting while playing a 5.1 channel movie. I suggest you go back to the drawing board and start the investigation again with default settings in foobar or vlc and report back. Its not as complex as you think, the solution is pretty near

I read D2X manual on CD which is detailed which clearly says digital in is recognised only when input as PCM, no AC3.

Thatswhy no sound when I input raw from vlc OR from DVDp.
That clears -D2X dont have DD/Dts decoders.
It can encode 2ch in DD/Dts though.

 

[spirovious]

Hi Spiro

I think you are jumping to conclusions here - D2X has an ability to output 5.1 channel via spdif via the DD or DTS encoding mechanisms.

You may want to check your setting while playing a 5.1 channel movie. I suggest you go back to the drawing board and start the investigation again with default settings in foobar or vlc and report back. Its not as complex as you think, the solution is pretty near

Thanks for guide,
I concluded just after reading D2X manual.it states cleary,only PCMNo AC3) will be processed when digital input selected from external source as DVDp.Similarly if file played from HDD,without Dts decoder,it cannot be played.

So this can confirm my statement I suppose.