VLC 3.0.0/0.1 5.1 Speaker Fill (DirectX setting) won't work anymore

[thepate94227]

Hello,

i have a 5.1 sound system and a Asus Xonar DX soundcard. The important settings there are 6 channels and 5.1 speakers. I discovered that with VLC 3.0.1 or 3.0.0 the speaker fill function doesn't work anymore. I had before(and now again) VLC 2.2.8 and if i let all the settings in default, but change in audio settings directX from "Windows default" to "5.1", VLC player fill my 5 speakers with the stereo sound, if i play an audio file. That means, with VLC 2.2.8 and the change in directX i could play an audio file and all 5 speakers had sound. And i could watch a movie and had 5.1 audio. But with VLC 3.0.x i only have stereo(front and subwoofer), if i play an audio file. If i watch a movie, i then have 5.1. It doesn't change anything if i change the directX setting. I also noticed, that if i watch a movie with 7.1 audio with VLC 3.0.x there is no problem, but with VLC 2.2.8 it stuttered. If i choose 5.1 audio track, then everything is fine. Therefore i assume that in VLC 3.0.x the directX setting doesn't work, it still choose windows default. Can somebody help here or have the same problem? Sorry for my bad english by the way...

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

Did you actually select DirectSound as audio output? configuring an output that is not used has no effects.

[thepate94227]

Thank you for your answer. Where do i select output? I just see that if i choose 5.1 in directX Audio setting, all 5 speakers have a sound. So i have an effect...

[thepate94227]

Can nobody help me? For some new features i want to use the newest VLC version. But it's annoying that with 2.2.8 i can play a stereo audio file and all my 5 speakers outputs audio and when i watch a 5.1 movie, the 5 speakers are normal surround, so that for example only the center outputs vocal voice of people and not all 5 speakers. I can't believe that it's only possible with the old 2.2.8 version.

[thepate94227]

Did you actually select DirectSound as audio output? configuring an output that is not used has no effects.

Can you at least please help me? You said that "configuring an output that is not used has no effects". Well, when i install VLC 2.2.8 64bit and go to preferences, than check "all" by show settings, than audio, then output modules, than DirectX, than change "speaker configuration" from "windows default" to "5.1", this has an effect. When i do this, i can play an stereo audio file and all my 5 speakers and my subwoofer outputs sound. When i play an 5.1 movie, then my 5 speakers play the surround sound. So for example only the center plays audio, when two people in the film are talking in front of the camera. So this is perfect for me. When i change "speaker configuration" from "5.1" back to "windows default", then only left and right and my subwoofer outputs audio, when i play an stereo audio file. So this option has an effect. But unfortunately it doesn't have an effect in the new VLC 3.x.x versions.

I think this is also explained on this site:

https://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/how-to-set-default-audio-output-to-5-1-surround-sound-in-vlc-player/

How can i achieve the same effect with the new version 3.x.x?

My log with VLC 3.0.8 (64bit) is here:
https://pastebin.com/VcRrbsUJ

My log with VLC 2.2.8 (64bit), where speaker fill is working, is here:
https://pastebin.com/7h3dB3i7

I think the problem is that with VLC 3.0.x for "audio converter module" the filter "trivial" is choosen, not "trivial_channel_mixer".

[thepate94227]

Ok, nobody seems to know a solution or wants to help, so until now everyone who has the same problem unfortunately have to go back to version 2.2.8.

[thepate94227]

I will have to stay with version 2.2.8 for that long. If it changes with a new update, I would be happy if someone here would let me know.

[thepate94227]

Update: Besides 3 Aux (audio jack) cables for my 5.1 system i tried it with both an optical cable and a digital coaxial cable in combination with an Asus Essence STX II and PCM/Dolby Digital Live for SPDIF, but still with VLC 3.0.8 there is no speaker fill. With VLC 2.2.8 there is speaker fill.
And yes, i tried to change settings in DirectX settings etc.

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

I think the problem is that with VLC 3.0.x for "audio converter module" the filter "trivial" is choosen, not "trivial_channel_mixer".

It's the same module, with the name changed.

Note that based on your logs, Windows is not filling speakers on either VLC 2.2 or 3.0. In both cases, VLC is doing the up-mixing.

In VLC 2.2, the trivial mixer would natively copy the left channel to rear left and middle ones, and the right channel to rear right and low frequency ones. In VLC 3.0, it's been rectified to just silence the extra channels.

[JeremyP]

Any progress on this? Just bought a Logitech Z506 5.1 system, and I cannot get VLC to use the speakers at all. Instead it uses the monitor speakers. If I am playing YouTube, that uses the speakers fine, but despite setting the new speakers as default in VLC and windows, and 5.1 as the default in VLC, the speakers are not even accessed.

Anyone? Or do I have to find a music player that works.

[JeremyP]

Well. Uninstalled the lates version, installed 2.8 and a) my speakers are accessed by all audio outputs. And all 5 when I play 5.1. So I shall stick with 2.2.8 until further notice.

[thepate94227]

I think the problem is that with VLC 3.0.x for "audio converter module" the filter "trivial" is choosen, not "trivial_channel_mixer".

It's the same module, with the name changed.

Note that based on your logs, Windows is not filling speakers on either VLC 2.2 or 3.0. In both cases, VLC is doing the up-mixing.

In VLC 2.2, the trivial mixer would natively copy the left channel to rear left and middle ones, and the right channel to rear right and low frequency ones. In VLC 3.0, it's been rectified to just silence the extra channels.

Thank you for your answer! I'm glad you made the time for this matter.
If I understand you correctly, is it intended that in VLC 3.x the other channels like rear right, real left and center are silent, but in Version 2.x the other channels do have sound?
If so, it would be great if i can change this settings. And, if you have time, can you explain me why you changed this in Version 3.x?

Maybe i tell you my use case and you can tell me if this is possible or not:
For me with a 5.1 sound system, this following would be great:
If i play a music file, than all my channels play music. Not only the front right and front leaft but the other 3 ones as well.
If i play a video file with stereo sound, than of course not all the channels should have sound, but only the front channels. Or maybe the center too.
If i play a video file with 5.1 or 7.1 sound, than of course i would want my channels to play this surround sound as expected.

Is this possible or not?

[thepate94227]

Of course i can change this setting manually in Essence STX II Audio Center. I can change the channels from 6 to 2 or otherwise.
But it would be great, if this happens automatically.

[thepate94227]

Well. Uninstalled the lates version, installed 2.8 and a) my speakers are accessed by all audio outputs. And all 5 when I play 5.1. So I shall stick with 2.2.8 until further notice.

But can you test one thing for me?
Can you play a video file with stereo sound? And then tell me, if only front have sound or all the channels? Because i think for a video file with stereo sound, speaker fill is not so suitable.

[Rémi Denis-Courmont]

If I understand you correctly, is it intended that in VLC 3.x the other channels like rear right, real left and center are silent, but in Version 2.x the other channels do have sound?
If so, it would be great if i can change this settings. And, if you have time, can you explain me why you changed this in Version 3.x?

I thought my previous post made it pretty clear that the v2.x behaviour was an accidental bug and made no sense, and v3.0 fixed that. You don't have to be a genius to figure that using left for middle and right for LFE was a stupid mistake.

If you want to use Windows speaker fill, you have to tell VLC to output stereo, and let Windows do the filling. That's no different in v2 and v3, really.

[thepate94227]

If I understand you correctly, is it intended that in VLC 3.x the other channels like rear right, real left and center are silent, but in Version 2.x the other channels do have sound?
If so, it would be great if i can change this settings. And, if you have time, can you explain me why you changed this in Version 3.x?

I thought my previous post made it pretty clear that the v2.x behaviour was an accidental bug and made no sense, and v3.0 fixed that. You don't have to be a genius to figure that using left for middle and right for LFE was a stupid mistake.

If you want to use Windows speaker fill, you have to tell VLC to output stereo, and let Windows do the filling. That's no different in v2 and v3, really.

Ok sorry. It was not clear for me. For me it was a speaker fill from VLC, therfore i didn't see this as a bug. The sound was very good, too.
That means you have to use Windows Speaker fill unfortunately...
For the ones with an Asus soundcard: you can use "2 Channels" in the main setting in Asus Audio Center to have a Speaker fill. But you have to switch it to "6 Channels" (for 5.1), if you want to watch a movie with 5.1 surround sound.