HTPC 5.1 Audio Issues

pirivan

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
346
Hello all, thank you in advance for any ideas; it is much appreciated. I am having some issues getting my Intel NUC5i5RYK to output 5.1 audio via HDMI through a J-tech HDMI switch via optical to a set of Logitech 5.1 Z-5500 speakers.

I will link the components below for details along with a picture of what the audio settings look like in Windows 8.1. Here is how everything is physically connected and configured.

1. The NUC5i5RYK is connected via HDMI (mini HDMI to HDMI adapter) to an 'input' port on the J-Tech HDMI switch
2. The 'output' HDMI port on the J-Tech HDMI switch is connected to my Vizio A601i-A3 TV via HDMI
3. The 'output' optical port on the J-Tech HDMI switch is connected to the Z-5500
4. The J-Tech HDMI switch is set to 'SPDIF' and '5.1' audio (this allows you to hear sound at all). The options on the HDMI switch for ARC and Pass through are NOT enabled
5. When I play the surround sound test from here it plays the 'rear right' audio identifier out of the front right speaker and the rear left audio identifier out of the front left speaker. The center, sub and front right and rear right identify correctly. While this test is playing on the Z-5500 control pod display it shows 'PCM 2/0" as the 'stream' format it is seeing from the HDMI switch

Link to Audio properties in Windows 8.1:
cz9OqCS.jpg


I am concerned that in the Windows properties it only sees the max number of channels as 2, not 5.1 I can only 'configure' or test the speakers in Windows as 2.0 devices, 5.1 isn't a selectable option. I upgraded the Intel device drivers but there was no change there. I feel like Windows is simply only showing what it is getting from the HDMI switch.

List of Components:
Intel NUC5I5RYK

J-Tech Digital 5 Port HDMI/MHL Switch & Audio Extractor SPDIF/3.5mm Jack Stereo Outputs with Ultra HD 4K ARC EDID Setting(5x1 Ultra HD)


Logitech Z5500 Speakers

Vizio A601i-A3


Please let me know if you need additional details or if I should post this in a different subforum; thanks!
 
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If you play a movie does it output 5.1 with the correct channel placement?
 
It's harder to tell of course without the audio cues as to exactly which channel is being used, however when I play a movie in VLC it shows PCM 2/0 on the control pod. You do hear noise coming out of the rear speakers but it sounds like they are simply replicating EXACTLY what is coming out of the front left/right speakers; they aren't playing anything distinctly intended for those channels.
 
Make sure you enable pass-through in your application, that way it'll ignore whatever windows thinks it can support and stream DD/DTS directly and not decode it locally and output PCM
 
Make sure you enable pass-through in your application, that way it'll ignore whatever windows thinks it can support and stream DD/DTS directly and not decode it locally and output PCM

Very good thought Dephcon, thanks for the suggestion. I tried enabling pass-through on the HDMI switch but the impact there was the same as when it was set to '5.1' (you have to choose 5.1 or pass-through on the HDMI switch, not both), the rear/left right simply output out of the front left/right speakers.

However, I tweaked VLC with the audio setting 'Use S/PDIF when available'. After doing that, both the 5.1 audio AND the pass through option on the switch seem to work and 5.1 audio operates correctly (I see 3/2 on the Z-5500 pod). Thanks Dephcon, looks like I am all set!

FYI, to anyone else who reads this thread I also of course had to tweak Windows Media Center and Media Portal (the other applications I use to playback audio) to force them to output 5.1 and to support DTS/dolby digital. Basically you just flip on 5.1/S/PDIF/dolby DTS support wherever you see it in the default settings for your media playback application
 
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