Geting VLC to play DVD with surround?

[roger jonsson]

Hi,

I am trying to make my MacMini(with yosemite) and VLC to play surround from DVD and DVB-T2 transmissions (with DD or DTS surround) to output surround to my Yamaha RX-V 775 amplifier.

When i try a DVD or DVB-T2 transmission, I get nothing in the back channels (with any of the audio tracks) and I can't seem to get VLC to send the sound data unaltered so the amplifier can do the decoding. I tried both audio trough HDMI and optical, "coded" and not coded. The result is always the same and stereo, only. The amplifier gets 5 channel audio from the Macmini and clicking the speakers in the Audio/midi setup (also while playing a DVD) the noise appears in the correct speaker and this indicates that the amplifier is receiving 5 channels of PCM (I guess).

I have no clue what is need, but I got so far that I can play the "AAC-LC Channel ID" file (AAC-LC) from https://www2.iis.fraunhofer.de/AAC/multichannel.html and the recorded voice outputs audio into the right channels!

How is this supposed to work? Can VLC do the decoding for the DVD or should the amplifier do the decoding? What needs to be turned on and turned off etc etc? I am grasping for anything in the dark here...

I should mention that in the Mac DVD player I can not choose output, so that one does not work either. I don't know if this has something to do with the projector (JVC DLA-X35) or LCD TV/monitor (only stereo). -That it might ignore the amplifier mulitchannel audio capabilities. -If so, is there a way to force decoding or transmission of the coded audio (DD etc), maybe through the optical connection?

[dfuhrmann]

This should work fine. If you select the "Encoded output" audio device, it should send the data unaltered to the receiver.

If it does not work, please try VLC 2.2rc2, and upload a VLC log so we can take a look. Best is if you start VLC with the Terminal.app (Using: /Applications/VLC.app/Content/MacOS/VLC -vv), and then past all the output to a pastebin service.

[roger jonsson]

I didn't know where to find VLC 2.2rc2, but I got the latest 2.2 nighly instead.
I learned how to get my amplifier to display the decoding used and it is clear that it receives it from VLC as it displays either Dolby or DTS in multichannel. What is more interesting is that if I enable the center channel the vocals disappears as it should, because I haven't got a center speaker connected.
But, whatever I do the rear speakers keeps silent as if there was nothing in the surround channels. It behaves the same with VLC 2.1.5 and the 3. nightlies. I did the tests with audio through optical connection.

Here is the terminal output:
http://www.lineaudio.se/div/VLC2.2%20surround%20test

I can only get the Frauenhofer "AAC-LC Channel ID" file to play in surround via HDMI PCM (so no go via optical), but I guess that is natural. Very confusing when you can't see whats going on, less so when the amplifier display says something.

[roger jonsson]

SOLVED!
Sorry for taking up your time. It is working now. It seems that the only dvd I used today had no audio at all in the back channels
The one DVD I got to work now did not to give any surround yesterday (I tried many of them...), but I have changed so many settings now, I am not sure what really got it working.

[dfuhrmann]

Yes, your sample DVD only had a stereo AC3 track. So of course only the left and right channels are working here.