View Full Version : HD audio possibilities on XBMC Linux
alanwww1
2008-12-11, 09:46
As now HD audio tracks (24bit, 96 or 192khz) is already a reality today with Blueray discs' DTS HD or Dolyby Digital HD and DVD Audio discsthey appear in multichannel encodec flacs or other formats. I was seeking for a solution to get the extra quality in sound. On Windows platform it is already not a big deal eighter with an LPCM Multichannel enabled HDMI connection (On Radeon 4xxx, or Nvidia 8x00 and 9x00 integrated chipsets) or using high quality analog multichannel sound with Auzentech's or Crative's soundcards.
Does anyone know a solution (eighter multichannel LPCM over HDMI or analog soultion) for this on Linux platform ?
As i know (from my experience) sound over HDMI is limited to 16bit, 48khz 2 channel lpcm or AC3, DTS encoded material on Linux, even with the latest Alsa build 1.018a.
What i don't know if there is any solution to use the soundcards' in multichanel analog mode, but with 24 bit, 96 or 192khz samling rate under linux. Is there any type of soundcard which has this function supported in alsa ?
What are your experiences ?
TIA
Alan
I use an optical cable from my pc to my amplifier... I don't know what happens with DTS HD (as my amplifier does not support it), but i guess it stays the same because with optical you do not re-encode decode your audio signal you just pass the signal as-is on to your amplifier and he gets the job done for the sound...
Correct me if i am wrong. But that`s my experience with digital sound over optical.
eddietop
2008-12-11, 10:14
I don't think you can send DTS HD down an optical link currently as there is not enough bandwidth, it must be sent over hdmi.
alanwww1
2008-12-11, 10:22
DTS-HD bitstream is not even supported on Windows yet (In january it comes to the Auzentech cards, but only with specific players). Only decoded multichannel lpcm stream is supported at 24bits, 192khz. Which i perfectly working with reencoded multichannel flac files.
This is what i would like to achieve on Linux.
Yeah is there any kind of update in this area?
Any updates to this?
I understand that multi-channel flac works on the Windows build, but not sure about Linux. I'm about to go down the ION route (when Zotac get their act together). My receiver does not have a HDMI input. What I would like to achieve is remuxing my blu-rays to mkv/flac, and have the multichannel flac sent via 6 channel analog from the ION to my receiver.
Is this currently possible with Linux?
alanwww1
2009-06-16, 09:46
Any updates to this?
I understand that multi-channel flac works on the Windows build, but not sure about Linux. I'm about to go down the ION route (when Zotac get their act together). My receiver does not have a HDMI input. What I would like to achieve is remuxing my blu-rays to mkv/flac, and have the multichannel flac sent via 6 channel analog from the ION to my receiver.
Is this currently possible with Linux?
Check out my new thread:
http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=52473&highlight=lpcm
Check out my new thread:
http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=52473&highlight=lpcm
Yeah, I've been monitoring that thread and several others. However, you're talking about LPCM over HDMI. My receiver doesn't have HDMI. What it does have is 6 channel analog input. So I'm trying to work out whether XBMC Linux can send out 6 channel audio over analog from flac.
alanwww1
2009-06-16, 11:33
Yes it can as it is practicly the same to xbmc. It does not see if the outut goes through an analog or a digital cable.
You have to untick the downmix to 2 channels option in audio setup menu.
MacUsers
2009-06-16, 18:52
I don't think you can send DTS HD down an optical link currently as there is not enough bandwidth, it must be sent over hdmi.and also the same for Dolby TrueHD - the same bandwidth issue. If it's sent over optical, it'll simply down-mix to 5.1 surround sound. The only way is using HDMI or analog. Cheers!!!