No Dolby Digital with Windows 8 Metro app?

[VirtualNobody]

I have both the traditional desktop version as well as the Windows 8 Metro app installed on my Windows 8.1 laptops.

I am connecting my 8.1 Laptop to a Pioneer VSX-524 receiver via HDMI.

If I play a video in the traditional VLC client, I get the Dolby Digital light on my receiver and all is good.

If I play the same video with the VLC Metro app, I get PCM on the reciever. (I believe I am getting surround sound, just not DD SS). I have configured my Windows 8 sound control panel to 5.1 SS and ran all the tests, and everything seems fine.

If I play a 5.1 movie in the Metro Netflix app, I get the DD indicator.

Is this standard behaviour for Metro apps, to not get a Dolby indicator? I have 2 laptops behaving the same way.

I also don't see a way in the Metro app to select which audio channel to use, like you can in the traditional app. Is this possible?

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Yes, there is no SPDIF possible on Metro... Soo one must send decoded data.

[VirtualNobody]

Thank you very much...I have been researching this issue for over a week, and could not find an answer. I see many people asking similiar questions, with no answers. I was even asking on the Plex forum, but the Plex people there had no idea either.

So I'm assuming the situation is then, that I'm getting 5.1 surround, it's just being decoded on the computer and sent as PCM to the receiver?

How is Netflix doing it? As they are sending DD to my receiver.

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

At the API level, S/PDIF output is theoretically possible from Windows store application using WASAPI. However VLC does not implement that. I do not know whether that would actually work with Windows store applications; it is conceivable that Exclusive audio access would be blocked.

The comparison with NetFlix might not be very relevant, as NetFlix probably uses DRM features for audio playback.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Thank you very much...I have been researching this issue for over a week, and could not find an answer. I see many people asking similiar questions, with no answers. I was even asking on the Plex forum, but the Plex people there had no idea either.

So I'm assuming the situation is then, that I'm getting 5.1 surround, it's just being decoded on the computer and sent as PCM to the receiver?

How is Netflix doing it? As they are sending DD to my receiver.

They are using MediaFoundation, like Rémi said.

While looking, there is an API that we *MIGHT* be able to use to have that, but it's very complex.

And this complexity is why people have not implemented it.

[VirtualNobody]

Thank you very much for clearing this up. But I am still confused as to whether or not we are getting 5.1 surround sound? It sounds like it, but not 100% sure.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Yes, maybe