The VideoLAN Forums

Hello VLC community… I have been in IT for 20 years but I am just NEW to VLC so if this is a stupid question. I am sorry!

I have a fully patched Windows XP Media Center system that I have installed VLC on and when I select for VLC to use the S/PDIF output I get an echo as if the sound is repeating over and over again. The audio moves along but about a one second echo continues.

I have tried the latest night build “vlc-0.9.0-git-20080403-0909-win32” and it is unchanged.

Now let me give you all of the details. The computer is connecting to my amp via the S/PDIF cable only, so all audio has to come through that cable in my setup or I get no sound. The 5.1 audio is working on files I play within media center such as DVDs or Videos I record via firewire from my HD Cable box (via fire STB).

When I play files in VLC if I select S/PDIF output my sound system jumps into 5.1 and I get the echo. If I select 5.1 my sound system no longer jumps into 5.1 and I am just getting the left and right front audio but no echo. If I select stereo everything sounds fine but obviously it is not 5.1.

The sound card is a Realtek and the drivers are 5.10.0.5377 (01/03/07). Old drivers but they work fine for everything else so I don’t think it should be a sound card problem. But if someone “knows” an updated driver will fix it I will give it a shot.

Any help would be appreciated.

All the best,

Joe

You tried Waveout output module?

I had not tried but now I have. I have tried all output modes and no diffrence is noticed.

A friend also told me about the GOM player for windows. I have tried that and it plays the MKV files in 5.1 via s/pdif without any issue.

I would still however like to solve this VLC issue.

You might also try driverupdate, but if Waveout doesn't help after that, then you have to wait for better VLC.

Hello,

an echo - couldn't be done with VLC - I can't imagine that the output module can do this - it just plays the SPDIF pakets one after the other - if there is some echo effect - it may be also an issue on decoding? (demuxing?) that this happens - and this puts the same "samples" again into the audio queue for playback.
(The Waveout module f.e. on windows is quite stupid it just plays the blocks which it gets - and discards them after playback - and usually don't repeat them -)

Can you enable waveout module using a VLC 0.9 nightly build? set log to bug? and paste the vlc-log.txt here? for some seconds? just want to check something.


Atmo

Sorry for resurrecting this thread, but I've got exactly the same problem but when trying to use VLC (0.9.4) to play a DVD. The only thing is that I'm connecting video and audio using a HDMI cable (my ATI card has support for audio over HDMI). Selecting anything else but the "A/52 over S/PDIF " Audio Device results in the amp selecting stereo (although it detects PCM encoded signal over a digital connection). The moment I select S/PDIF the amp switches over to Dolby Digital (or Dolby PLII theater) and starts echoing.

It is as if the signal is bad because sometimes the digital signal indicator will start flickering and sound will drop out.

Just thought it useful to post that this is not an isolated case (although a solution would be great of course hehe).

Cheers,
-Tako


Edit: There is an old post indicating the same problem but without any replies here

Ok, forget it, I had tried the above WaveOut suggestion with an older version of VLC which still caused the echo, but with the latest VLC and WaveOut it works like a charm.

Does it?
No troubles after a minute or so?

Didn't try it for too long, but at least several minutes. There didn't seem to be any problem (so far).