5.1 surround on windows 7 via USB audio

[benswis]

Hi there,

I'm trying to configure VLC to output 5.1 surround on my WIN7 system
I have a USB to SPDIF device that supports 5.1 surround and a few 5.1 test files in various formats that I've found online
I've managed to make it work with media player classic using AC3 Filter, but I prefer VLC and from what I understand the two don't work together

Ideas anyone?

Thanks
Ben

[VLC_help]

You output analog or digital audio? if digital, have you selected proper audio device from VLC?

[benswis]

My output is digital USB to SPDIF
The device is set as the output audio device in windows, I hear music, just not surround.
What do you mean by selecting the proper audio device in VLC?

[VLC_help]

What do you mean by selecting the proper audio device in VLC?

You have to select both proper audio device and set SPDIF on. If you have set right device as Windows defaults, then

[benswis]

I can't see the option in your picture
I'm using vlc version 1.0.3 (latest version?) and I don't have the A/52 over S/PDIF option:



Setting it to 5.1 doesn't help.
Also the audio device is grayed out unless I'm currently playing a file

[VLC_help]

What does Tools -> Messages... (set verbosity to 2) say when you start file playback? (open messages before you open the file)

[benswis]

Hi,
Below is what I get in Messages
From what I see VLC decodes the file, sees that the speaker is configured as stereo and outputs stereo
but S\PDIF is stereo, the protocol supports only two channels, it's the encoding that allows us to output 5.1 through S\PDIF
so if VLC decodes it, I won't be able to hear 5.1. I need some sort of S\PDIF Passthrough checkbox like I found in AC3Filter
or is there another way?

main debug: adding item `www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3' ( www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3 )
qt4 debug: Adding a new MRL to recent ones: www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3
main debug: rebuilding array of current - root Playlist
main debug: rebuild done - 1 items, index -1
main debug: processing request item www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3 node null skip 0
main debug: resyncing on www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3
main debug: www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3 is at 0
main debug: starting new item
main debug: creating new input thread
main debug: Creating an input for 'www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3'
main debug: thread (input) created at priority 1 (../.././src/input/input.c:230)
main debug: thread started
main debug: using timeshift granularity of 50 MBytes
main debug: using timeshift path 'C:\Users\wis116\AppData\Local\Temp'
main debug: `www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3' gives access `' demux `' path `www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3'
main debug: creating demux: access='' demux='' path='www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3'
main debug: looking for access_demux module: 3 candidates
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 20.000 ms - Total 20.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 20.000 ms)
main debug: creating access '' path='www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3'
main debug: looking for access module: 5 candidates
vcd debug: trying .cue file: www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.cue
vcd debug: could not find .cue file
access_file debug: opening file `www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3'
access_file warning: Opening remote file, increasing cache: 1000
main debug: using access module "access_file"
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 19.000 ms - Total 19.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 19.000 ms)
main debug: Using AStream*Stream
main debug: pre buffering
main debug: received first data after 20 ms
main debug: pre-buffering done 1024 bytes in 0s - 49 kbytes/s
main debug: looking for stream_filter module: 2 candidates
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.000 ms - Total 0.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.000 ms)
main debug: looking for stream_filter module: 1 candidate
main debug: using stream_filter module "stream_filter_record"
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.000 ms - Total 0.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.000 ms)
main debug: creating demux: access='' demux='' path='www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3'
main debug: looking for demux module: 50 candidates
es debug: detected format a52
main debug: looking for packetizer module: 21 candidates
qt4 debug: IM: Setting an input
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
main debug: using packetizer module "a52"
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 28.000 ms - Total 28.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 28.000 ms)
main debug: using demux module "es"
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 35.000 ms - Total 35.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 35.000 ms)
main debug: looking for a subtitle file in
main debug: looking for meta reader module: 1 candidate
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 4.000 ms - Total 4.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 4.000 ms)
main debug: `www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3' successfully opened
es debug: did not sync on first block
a52 info: A/52 channels:6 samplerate:48000 bitrate:448000
main debug: selecting program id=0
main debug: looking for decoder module: 35 candidates
main debug: using decoder module "a52"
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 12.000 ms - Total 12.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 12.000 ms)
main debug: thread (decoder) created at priority 2 (../.././src/input/decoder.c:315)
main debug: thread started
main debug: Buffering 0%
main debug: Buffering 3%
main debug: Buffering 6%
a52 info: A/52 channels:6 samplerate:48000 bitrate:448000
main debug: Buffering 9%
main debug: Buffering 12%
main debug: Buffering 16%
main debug: Buffering 19%
main debug: Buffering 22%
main debug: Buffering 25%
main debug: Buffering 28%
main debug: Buffering 32%
main debug: Buffering 35%
main debug: Buffering 38%
main debug: Buffering 41%
main debug: creating aout
main debug: Buffering 44%
main debug: Buffering 48%
main debug: Buffering 51%
main debug: Buffering 54%
main debug: Buffering 57%
main debug: Buffering 60%
main debug: Buffering 64%
main debug: Buffering 67%
main debug: Buffering 70%
main debug: Buffering 73%
main debug: Buffering 76%
main debug: Buffering 80%
main debug: Buffering 83%
main debug: Buffering 86%
main debug: looking for audio output module: 3 candidates
main debug: Buffering 89%
main debug: Buffering 92%
main debug: Buffering 96%
main debug: Buffering 99%
main debug: Stream buffering done (1024 ms in 0 ms)
aout_directx debug: OpenAudio
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
aout_directx debug: found device: Primary Sound Driver
aout_directx debug: found device: Speakers (USB PnP Sound Device )
aout_directx debug: found device: Digital Audio (S/PDIF) (High Definition Audio Device)
aout_directx debug: device supports 5.1 channels
aout_directx debug: device supports 4 channels
aout_directx debug: device supports 2 channels
aout_directx debug: device supports 1 channel
aout_directx debug: Windows says your SpeakerConfig is stereo
aout_directx debug: creating DirectSoundThread
main debug: thread (DirectSound Notification Thread) created at priority 15 (../../.././modules/audio_output/directx.c:427)
main debug: using audio output module "aout_directx"
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 43.000 ms - Total 43.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 43.000 ms)
main debug: thread started
aout_directx debug: DirectSoundThread ready
main debug: output 's16l' 48000 Hz Stereo frame=1 samples/4 bytes
main debug: mixer 'fl32' 48000 Hz Stereo frame=1 samples/8 bytes
main debug: filter(s) 'fl32'->'s16l' 48000 Hz->48000 Hz Stereo->Stereo
main debug: looking for audio filter module: 24 candidates
main debug: using audio filter module "converter_float"
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 16.000 ms - Total 16.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 16.000 ms)
main debug: found a filter for the whole conversion
main debug: looking for audio mixer module: 3 candidates
main debug: using audio mixer module "float32_mixer"
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.000 ms - Total 0.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.000 ms)
main debug: input 'a52 ' 48000 Hz 3F2R/LFE frame=1536 samples/1792 bytes
main debug: looking for audio filter module: 1 candidate
scaletempo warning: bad input or output format
scaletempo warning: input and output formats are not similar
main warning: no audio filter module matching "scaletempo" could be loaded
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.000 ms - Total 0.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.000 ms)
main debug: looking for audio filter module: 1 candidate
scaletempo debug: format: 48000 rate, 6 nch, 4 bps, fl32
scaletempo debug: params: 30 stride, 0.200 overlap, 14 search
scaletempo debug: 1.000 scale, 1440.000 stride_in, 1440 stride_out, 1152 standing, 288 overlap, 672 search, 2400 queue, fl32 mode
main debug: using audio filter module "scaletempo"
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.000 ms - Total 0.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.000 ms)
main debug: filter(s) 'a52 '->'fl32' 48000 Hz->48000 Hz 3F2R/LFE->3F2R/LFE
main debug: looking for audio filter module: 24 candidates
main debug: using audio filter module "a52tofloat32"
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.000 ms - Total 0.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.000 ms)
main debug: found a filter for the whole conversion
main debug: filter(s) 'fl32'->'fl32' 48000 Hz->48000 Hz 3F2R/LFE->Stereo
main debug: looking for audio filter module: 24 candidates
main debug: using audio filter module "simple_channel_mixer"
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.000 ms - Total 0.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.000 ms)
main debug: found a filter for the whole conversion
main debug: filter(s) 'fl32'->'fl32' 52800 Hz->48000 Hz Stereo->Stereo
main debug: looking for audio filter module: 24 candidates
main debug: using audio filter module "bandlimited_resampler"
main debug: TIMER module_need() : 0.000 ms - Total 0.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 0.000 ms)
main debug: found a filter for the whole conversion
main debug: End of audio preroll
main debug: Decoder buffering done in 63 ms
main warning: PTS is out of range (-7000), dropping buffer
main warning: PTS is out of range (-39000), dropping buffer
main warning: output date isn't PTS date, requesting resampling (55291)
main warning: buffer is 55291 late, triggering upsampling
main debug: EOF reached
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: waiting decoder fifos to empty
main debug: finished input
main debug: thread times: real 0m8.800781s, kernel 0m0.015625s, user 0m0.031250s
main debug: removing module "a52"
main debug: killing decoder fourcc `a52 ', 0 PES in FIFO
main debug: removing module "a52tofloat32"
main debug: removing module "scaletempo"
main debug: removing module "simple_channel_mixer"
main debug: removing module "bandlimited_resampler"
aout_directx debug: closing audio device
aout_directx debug: DirectSoundThread exiting
main debug: thread ended
main debug: thread times: real 0m8.910156s, kernel 0m0.000000s, user 0m0.062500s
main debug: removing module "aout_directx"
main debug: removing module "converter_float"
main debug: removing module "float32_mixer"
main debug: releasing aout
main debug: removing module "a52"
main debug: removing module "es"
main debug: removing module "stream_filter_record"
main debug: removing module "access_file"
main debug: Program doesn't contain anymore ES
main debug: thread ended
main debug: dead input
main debug: thread times: real 0m9.105468s, kernel 0m0.046875s, user 0m0.000000s
main debug: changing item without a request (current 0/1)
main debug: nothing to play
qt4 debug: IM: Deleting the input
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
qt4 debug: Updating the geometry
main debug: TIMER input launching for 'www_lynnemusic_com_surround_test.ac3' : 121.000 ms - Total 121.000 ms / 1 intvls (Avg 121.000 ms)

[VLC_help]

I think VLC is selecting wrong device. You could try waveout and select the device from the list.

[benswis]

i chose output module "win32 waveout extention output" and "speakers (usb pnp sound device ($ffff,$ffff) as the audio device for the waveout extention
still no surround

[njerald]

i chose output module "win32 waveout extention output" and "speakers (usb pnp sound device ($ffff,$ffff) as the audio device for the waveout extention still no surround

seems like you're using generic drivers, which maybe don't know about surround sound on your device. probably you should try downloading the driver from the manufacturer.

[bfrank81]

Hello,

I have a simalr setup and am having a problem with audio playback. When I set my messages to leve l2 and hit play as described above to get 5.1 I get this in the log.

main debug: audio output is too slow (-149000), trashing 32000us
main debug: audio output is too slow (-245000), trashing 32000us

This message is repeated again and again.

How do I fix that?!?!?

I am using the Creative drivers and they were updated as of tonight. thanks!

[VLC_help]

bfrank81: Try waveout audio output module.

[bfrank81]

bfrank81: Try waveout audio output module.

Pardon my ignorance... What does that mean???

[VLC_help]

bfrank81: Try waveout audio output module.

Pardon my ignorance... What does that mean???

http://wiki.videolan.org/WindowsFAQ-1.0 ... _anomalies