Non DTS Files Won't Play Audio

[Sparky383]

I don't know why, but VLC won't play the audio of non DTS files unless I click on something from an app to make a sound, and then it will play the audio. No other player is doing this. It appears it's happening while trying to play files (audio and video) that are not accessed via a folder, but through a program.

It seems like it must be a setting that's causing this, but I can't figure out what setting that could be.

[Lotesdelere]

it's happening while trying to play files (audio and video) that are not accessed via a folder, but through a program.

Through a program ? What do you mean ? Pipe ?

[Sparky383]

For example, if I play a file using Everything (a search program) the problem files will not play unless I click on something that makes a sound like clicking on a dock (via Winstep a dock program), which somehow releases whatever appears to be some sort of audio lock there is with the non DTS files.

[Sparky383]

I forgot to mention the other programs that have to be used to make VLC play the audio. If I play a file (video or audio) that VLC won't play the audio of, it will play the audio AFTER I play the file with another player.

This issue is driving me nuts. This started to happen after I changed some settings in VLC. I have uninstalled it and started from scratch, but the problem still exists.

Also, if I change the default to another player, none of the issues are present until I use VLC. When I use VLC to play DTS video files, there is a loud beeping coming from the speakers. The only way I've found other than restarting the PC is to change the default back to either VLC then back to the player I had for the default, or, just change it to another non-VLC player.

[Sparky383]

I just tried using WMP and Movies and TV and the loud beeping does it with those players too, but not with MPC-HC, 5K Player, and Format Player. Sometimes the beeping will stop by simply re-playing the video with MPC-HC or another player.

Maybe this thread should be transferred to the Windows section.

[Sparky383]

I found the culprit that was causing the beeping in VLC. I disabled HDMI/SPDIF audio passthrough in Audio Settings.

However, the beeping still exists in WMP and Movies and TV. However, the issue with non-DTS files not playing using VLC via Everything still exists. The non-DTS files will play via a folder using VLC.

Is this a VLC bug with Windows, or just a Windows problem, or problem specific to my PC?

[Lotesdelere]

Looks like something specific to your setup because I can play any audio or video file from my search tool, which is not Everything.

[Sparky383]

Sorry for the late reply. I've been extremely busy.

This whole thing is really strange since it doesn't do this with MPC-HC or 5k Player. In fact, if I use one of those players, then the file will play the audio using VLC afterwards. There are certain files that will play the audio using VLC without the problem.

Although this may be specific to my system, it still has something to do with VLC. There's something that isn't working.

I think the problem has to with VLC not being able to detect something and for some reason is having the same problem WMP and Movies and TV are. I'm using an optical connection with my PC. When I switched to a jack with the same set of speakers, it didn't display these issues. Also, contributing to the problem is using Realtek. VLC, WMP and Movies and TV seems to have a problem with it and that might be where the crux of the problem lies.

When I switched to DFX/FX Sound, the problem goes away. The problem is that it doesn't play the audio as well as Realtek does. I use the scene from Salt where Angelina is on a barge and gets revenge starting at 1:06:05. The key part that if not set correctly cannot, or barely be heard. It's the choir harmonizing. If set correctly, they can be heard without straining to hear them, and the following explosions are robust and the shooting crisp and clear.

Realtek is the only one so far that can do this. The audio settings I use for every file and seems to be the perfect setting that I never had to change depending on what I'm playing is the following. Maybe this will work for everyone else.

In Audio Effects under Equalizer, Enable and 2 Pass are ticked. Preamp is set at 12.0. I think that's the default setting. Everything else is set at 0 which I think is also the default setting. The Preset is blank which I think is also the default setting.

Under Compressor, Enable is ticked.
The first two sliders (RMS peak and Attack) are set all the way to the top.
The third, (Release) all the way to the bottom.
The fourth, (Threshold) all the way to the top.
The fifth, (Ratio) all the way to the bottom.
The sixth, (Knee radius) all the way to the top.
The seventh, (Makeup gain) 18.2dB. That last one may be more system specific, so it might be higher or lower. My speakers and 'Makeup gain' are set to where it plays that scene comfortably loud at 25%

Spatializer, Stereo Widener and Advanced are NOT enabled.

[Sparky383]

Heads up on the info for Salt. The time when the scene starts could be different due to the fact that the file I have is the Director’s Cut and the previous scene (where her husband meets his demise) is totally different. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way…I've found the solution to the problem.

I've posted the solution in the Windows section since it turned out to be partly a Windows problem. https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=156329

[Sparky383]

Well, I said I would report back if I found a file that won't play audio. MPC-HC, Format Player. WMP, Movies and TV all play the audio.

VLC and 5K Player are the only ones that can't play the audio. Will this help to find out why it fails to play the audio? The following is audio and video info via Mediainfo:

Format : AVI
Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
File size : 107 MiB
Duration : 23 h 36 min
Overall bit rate : 10.5 kb/s

Video
ID : 0
Format : MPEG-4 Visual
Format profile : Advanced Simple@L5
Format settings : BVOP2
Format settings, BVOP : 2
Format settings, QPel : No
Format settings, GMC : No warppoints
Format settings, Matrix : Default (H.263)
Codec ID : XVID
Codec ID/Hint : XviD
Duration : 4 min 9 s
Bit rate : 3 452 kb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 29.970 (30000/1001) FPS
Original frame rate : 29.970 (29970/1000) FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Compression mode : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.056
Stream size : 102 MiB (96%)
Writing library : XviD 1.2.1 (UTC 2008-12-04)

Audio
ID : 1
Format : AAC LC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID : FF-2
Duration : 23 h 36 min
Source duration : 4 min 9 s
Bit rate : 128 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel layout : L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode : Lossy
Stream size : 3.80 MiB (4%)
Alignment : Split across interleaves
Interleave, duration : 33 ms (1.00 video frame)

[Sparky383]

Here's an update about DFX/FX Sound. Almost a week ago, I installed a DFX/FX Sound update that popped up on my PC. I was shocked since it was no longer my default and Realtek was.

I also didn't expect that it would override Realtek and uninstall it. Now for the really surprising part.

When I tested the scene from Salt, it's able to play the audio part of the scene correctly just as well as Realtek! I also tested it on the first Lord of the Rings movie were the bad character gets his finger cut off with the ring in the beginning of the movie, 03:47, and there's a huge wave with an awesome sound to go along with it. That scene makes the floor vibrate and the walls shake! I also tested a similar sound (8 seconds) on the bridge scene when they were chased by the Balrog 2:24:36-44.

So, the conclusion, for now, I'll use DFX/FX Sound since it's able to play all the videos I use for testing just as well as Realtek does.

To see the Windows related part of this issue: https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.ph ... 34#p514334