7.1 sound through HDMI

[nextguy]

Can someone explain to me how to setup iMEDIAN so that it plays 7.1 sound through my HDMI? In the audio settings I only found SPDIF or analog. And for analog I only see up to 5.1. I configured my audio decoder to use the Realtek HDMI but I don't think this affects the Audio Output settings. For example, I have an 8 channel DTS test track in an MKV wrapper. In Zoom Player it plays fine with sound coming from each speaker. But in iMEDIAN it comes out only through my front speakers.

TIA

[slash.kim]

Dear nextguy,

If you have 2 or more sound cards on your system, please check the audio renderer setting first. (Settings > Audio/Video > Audio > Detail > Renderer)
If you are using ATI VGA card, there maybe one more audio driver shown and you need to select this audio renderer.

And if your are using external receiver(decoder) device, please check the reply at the following thread. http://htpcinside.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89

Thanks a lot,
slash.kim

[nextguy]

Your second link does not apply as my sound comes through HDMI, not SPDIF. And I do not see anywhere that I can choose 7.1 sound or even HDMI passthru.

[nextguy]

Or is it possible to bypass the iMEDIAN audio settings completely? I currently have ffdshow and PowerDVD Audio Decoder properly configured for my setup. I know that I can enable one of these audio filters in iMEDIAN. Will this filter selection take precedence over the iMEDIAN audio settings?

[nextguy]

Has nobody else run into this???

I can't believe that I am the only one doing 7.1 through HDMI.

[nextguy]

Forget it. I switched to Vista Media Center. It is a superior product that does what I need and most importantly, it is well supported.

[majstang]

Hello Soundgraph!

I think you should take this issue a little bit more serious, because it wont take long before a lot of people wants to use the new audioformats through HDMI, which has been impossible not so many months ago. Asus has now released thier soundcard Xonar (a HDMI card abled to bitstream every soundformat out there) and Auzentech will release (2009-07-30) thier Hometheater 7.1 HD (also a HDMI card which support all soundformats). If you dont have a possibility in iMEDIAN to choose this card (audiorenderer) i suggest you look into it as soon as possible. These cards gives us the possibility to play the best Blu-ray soundformats through HDMI and a lot of us HTPC users have waited a long time for this (to get the ultimate hometheater solution). Would be great if iMEDIAN HD could handle this in an early stage. This would mean early adopters have a reason to continue using your hometheater solution.

Regards
majstang

[slash.kim]

Dear nextguy and majstang,

I'm sorry for coming here too lately.

As majstang said, we need to check audio setting with new soundcards which support new audio format.

However, even if it is HDMI, the audio decoder setting is similar with that of S/PDIF, if you'd like to use pass-though setting. For this kind of pass-through setting, the audio decoder does not decode but send the digital audio data to the soundcard directly. So I ask to try the S/PDIF setting.
And if you'd like to use decoded 7.1 ch audio setting, there's no way to make this speaker setting in iMEDIAN HD and we need to add this feature.

Anyway, we need to check this new soundcard and 7.1 ch audio setting. We'll add it to our To Do List.

Anyway, if Windows Media Center can use the ffdshow or PowerDVD audio decoder without problem, please check the following FAQ page. It shows how to set the decoder in iMEDIAN HD. And especially "4. Using System Default Setting." section.
http://htpcinside.com/forums/faq.php?faq=sg_sw_imedianhd#faq_sg_faq_sw_imedianh d_codec

Thanks and best regards,
slash.kim

[majstang]

Hi slash.kim!

This is a hypotetical discussion for me, cuz I dont have the Xonar card yet which is abled to output 7.1 through HDMI. As I understand it reading some Xonar forums there is a limitation using the S/PDIF as audiorenderer in Windows and that is S/PDIF only outputs 2-channel PCM or bitstreamed DD/DTS. With this limitation you could never get 7.1 output through HDMI using the S/PDIF in Windows Media Center either. PowerDVD is not compatible with Xonar yet. It's TMT3 that is the BD-player abled to output the new formats and the choosen one by Asus. Auzentech will use the PowerDVD to it's coming HDMI card though.

Only possibility to get 7.1 audio through HDMI in Windows Media Center is to set Xonar "speaker" as windows audiorenderer. Set "analog mini plug 7.1 speaker" in Windows Media Center and TMT3 on "HDMI passthrough" and you have bitstreamed LPCM 7.1. As you see both windows and windows media center isnt quite there yet and not Asus either in that sence making good drivers. To get it to work you have to use some unconventional solutions. I don't use iMedian myself so i can't make any comments on the compatibility there, but i must go on "nextguy" word...it doesn't work. If Soundgraph could make iMEDIAN compatible as soon as possible would be great.

Regards
Majstang

[slash.kim]

Dear majstang,

You mean there's no standard renderer supporting 7.1 ch pass-through and we need to something tricky solution for it. We need to check this issue with real hardware.

Thanks a lot,
slash.kim

[majstang]

Yes, that is what you have to do. Working together with Asus and Auzentech finding a good solution would be great.

Good luck guys!

Regards Majstang