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Getting analog 5.1 surround sound output to work
http://forums.linhes.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15422		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Girkers [ Wed May 30, 2007 6:52 am ]
Post subject:  Getting analog 5.1 surround sound output to work
I have an Audigy card and have never had Surround sound 5.1 out of the system using the 3 stereo jacks, I don't have a digital receiver. This has plagued me ever since I started installing KnoppMyth back in the days of 2005.

With the current release of KnoppMyth (R5F1) I can now confirm that I can get Surround Sound 5.1 out of my sound card via analog outputs. To do this I have had to set my output device to ALSA:plug:surround51 and set my mixer to default I leave the control to Master and low and behold you have surround sound 5.1 out of your speakers.

With this I get errors in the mythfrontend.log about not being able to find device Master 1, but these don't seem to have any repercussions. I am still able to control the volume through my remote and all sound channels are effected.

As a side note, to test your speaker setup run:
Code:
speaker-test -Dsurround51 -c6
this will play a sound through each of your 6 speakers telling you which one it should be coming out of. I found that although I had plugged them in correctly they were reversed, so that is now fixed.

Now I can't wait to sit down and watch the State of Origin (SOO) again with full surround sound :D woot!!!!
Author:  sala_mander [ Sun Jun 17, 2007 6:12 am ]
Post subject: 
I have a similar problem right now - with soundblaster Live 5.1 digital entertainment card. I can set surround sound but in movies (LOTR:Two Towers is the test case) using 5.1 surround I seem to get the rear channels through both the front and rear speakers...

I've set Xine to 5.1 surround in its config file so I'm pretty sure the problem lies with alsa. Any ideas as to what I could try?
Author:  Girkers [ Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:38 am ]
Post subject: 
Could I suggest that whilst playing the movie that you ssh into your box and play with alsamixer and adjust the volumes and this may give you some indication of where the problem lies.
Author:  sala_mander [ Mon Jun 18, 2007 5:11 am ]
Post subject: 
now why didnt I think of that...? Just when I thought I was moving out of noob status...thanks Girkers.

Interestingly, since posting yesterday I've figured out that my channels are indeed being reversed somewhere - since it appears that stereo signals are only playing out of the rear speakers.

Rather than simply swap the cables around (hypocritical purist, me), I guess I'll be heading on over to the alsa site to read up on routing signals...
Author:  sala_mander [ Tue Jun 19, 2007 3:23 am ]
Post subject: 
Appears that xine or alsa is sending the rear channel through both PCM and Surround devices. Thats what i found when using alsamixer during playback with xine.

Is there a bug with xine that causes that? I can't find anything on the forums about it...
Author:  sala_mander [ Wed Jun 20, 2007 4:19 am ]
Post subject: 
This is driving me nuts.

I've tried all kinds of configurations in .xine/config with no success. It bothers me that the alsa 'speaker-test -Dsurround51 -c6' plays perfectly - ie all the signals through the correct speakers, but as soon as I play a dvd in xine using 5.1 sound, only the rear signals play through the speakers. Can I assume from the alsa speaker test that the problem is not with alsa?

If so, what else can I do with xine to effect a solution? Is there a xine forum existing somewhere that I can post this question...?

I'm using the analog outputs to a simple 5.1 surround speaker system, with a soundblaster live! 5.1 pci card. It's practically the simplest configuration exisiting.

I have this sneaking suspicion that it's something so simple that I've overlooked it...
Author:  manicmike [ Wed Jun 20, 2007 7:38 am ]
Post subject: 
sala_mander wrote:
I've tried all kinds of configurations in .xine/config with no success.


Hi,

I suggest you share your .xine/Config. We don't know what you have tried and can't help you if we don't know what you're configuration is.

Have you right-clicked in xine, gone into settings and set speaker arrangement to 5.1?

Await yours

Mike
Author:  sala_mander [ Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:15 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks manicmike,

In desperation I re-installed, updated alsa and as many applicable libraries as possible.

It seems to work fine now... :roll:

I would have trouble-shot further for the benefit of science and communal knowledge, but impatience got the better of me...
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