View Full Version : Trouble with 5.1 audio and XBMC
I'm having trouble with XBMC (and Boxee) playing media that has 5.1 dolby digital soundtracks. When I try and play such a video file (or a dvd) I get no sound at all whilst my receiver ackowledges its getting a 5.1 stream. So its like its getting a blank 5.1 audio stream.
In XBMC if I disable DTS in the audio setup I get audio but its stereo (rather than the 5.1). Why this is I don't quite understand as my receiver is a DTS one and the media files/dvds tried do not include DTS audio tracks.
Now its not a hardware or OS config issue as VLC and Plex both are able to play and give me 5.1 audio.
I'm all rather confused.
Is the optical output option in the audio settings area enabled?
I get this too on XBMC Version 8.1; all the indicators on my amp tell me I'm getting 5.1 Dolby Digital but there's no sound at all. I've currently told XBMC that my amp is Analogue rather than Digital, so that I can watch my films with sound (albeit without the proper surround experience)!
If you've set up XBMC and your Amp properly, then you're probably experiencing the same fault that I am. I found that Plex works properly in this respect, but I just can't get to grips with the Skin (I've been using XBMC with the default PMIII skin on an XBox for years) and am holding out for the bug being fixed in the 9.04 release of XBMC anticipated in April. I think we're both suffering from this (http://xbmc.org/trac/ticket/5321) bug.
Give Plex (http://www.plexapp.com/releases/Plex-v0.7.6.dmg) a try if you want to prove to yourself that your Mac and Amp are indeed set up properly.
If you've set up XBMC and your Amp properly, then you're probably experiencing the same fault that I am.
Err... No. I have mine set up apparently properly and I get 5.1 from Dolby Surround tracks, DTS from DTS tracks, etc. No problem. I am running XBMC 8.10 bf1 and launcher 0.9 (but have also used 2.3) on AppleTV 2.3 with SPDIF to my Pioneer receiver.
Is the optical output option in the audio settings area enabled?
Well digital audio is selected, that's the only option. And it passes dolby digital 2.0 through just fine digitally, its just 5.1 where it shits itself.
And Plex working, makes it seem odder as I didn't think they would have done work on that part of the code.
I get this too on XBMC Version 8.1; all the indicators on my amp tell me I'm getting 5.1 Dolby Digital but there's no sound at all. I've currently told XBMC that my amp is Analogue rather than Digital, so that I can watch my films with sound (albeit without the proper surround experience)!
If you've set up XBMC and your Amp properly, then you're probably experiencing the same fault that I am. I found that Plex works properly in this respect, but I just can't get to grips with the Skin (I've been using XBMC with the default PMIII skin on an XBox for years) and am holding out for the bug being fixed in the 9.04 release of XBMC anticipated in April. I think we're both suffering from this (http://xbmc.org/trac/ticket/5321) bug.
Yeah. As I said in my original post I have tried plex and it does work (even going so far as to allow me to play 5.1 AAC soundtracks over optical). Though I'm finding Plex way too unstable on my Macbook.
So for now I just have DTS deselected which then allows XBMC to pass the 5.1 audio out as 2.0 for my amp.
Though I'm finding Plex way too unstable on my Macbook
Hehe, so much for optimizing for osx and cherry picking fixes from xbmc svn.
Hehe, so much for optimizing for osx and cherry picking fixes from xbmc svn.
It is odd. Both XBMC and Boxee seem much stabler in my case.