zeba:

Hello,
I have a Realtek onboard soundcard, and have the sound from my pci-tv-card connected to the line-in on my soundcard.
I only get sound from the analog 3.5mm jack. Not from the S/PDIF that I have connected to my amp. What should I do?
Everything else that I playback on the computer plays via the S/PDIF..:/

thanks!

What operating system are you using?

Oh sorry =)
Vista Ultimate

In Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit --
I had my Gigabyte GA-K8NF-9 motherboard with onboard ALC850 audio playing over BOTH SPDIF output to my receiver in the livingroom and through the Front Left/Right Analog output to my stereo computer speakers in my office. 

It worked fine until a few days ago then it started having all sorts of strange problems.  I noticed the other night that the music I was playing wasn't coming from the living room, and then when I tried making some configuration changes in "Playback Devices" the audio coming from my left analog speaker in the office stopped working.  After that, I switched users to my wife's account and in her account the left speaker worked, but the right analog speaker sounded horrible.  It was crackling and quiet.  In the Realtek sound manager, changing the Back Panel audio to UAJ Automatic, and remapping the Front Speakers to the Rear Speaker Out jack fixed the problem... but I didn't want to have to do this.  I thought there might be a hardware problem.  Then I remembered that the other day Vista Update had downloaded a new version of the Realtek ALC850 driver and asked me to install it.... I didn't figure it would actually take away functionality!!!  So I accepted it. 

The simple solution to the entire problem was to revert back to the RealTek 6213 driver.  Everything went back to normal operation including simultaneous audio over SPDIF and Analog ports. 

Thankfully I'd kept the older version of the Vista Realtek ALC850 driver or I'd be out of luck.

Hope this helps anyone else that has had a similar problem.  To find the older version of the driver just google "6213_Vista_APO.zip"

Jim

Like everyone else, with the upgrade to Vista I was forced to choose between a single playback device for audio output.  I have a AC '97 Realtek onboard 8 channel audio.  I had a choice - either buy another full blown reciever for the 2nd TV I had media center connected to (to decode digital audio) or get a Creative Labs DDTS-100.  I could get a driver working that would output both from the SPDIF port and the front channel analog, but alas, it was all in stereo.  I wanted my DTS, Dolby Digital and Windows Media Pro WMA files to be decoded to my main TV (with the Pioneer receiver) and a 2nd concurrent ouput to a bedroom TV that only has analog audio input (most TV's do, if not all).

Last week the DDTS-100 ended on ebay at a staggering $860. 

Link:  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260154035092&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=016



So, I did my research and bought a used YAMAHA DP-U50 CAVIT  Personal recorder.

Link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=150153637304&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=005

It's got coaxial and Toslink Inputs, and Stereo output.  I split the coaxil spdif out from my computer with a 2.99 splitter, and one went to the main reciever and the other into the Yamaha. The "line out" from the Yamaha went to the TV audio input.  This device downmixes the digital signal into 2 channel stereo!!!!!  At last, everything works perfectly!  My receiver said DTS and Dolby Digital for playback of movies that were encoded this way!  And my 2nd TV had perfect crystal clear stereo audio simultaneously as well!

Yamaha has an upgraded model of this unit; don't get it because I think the audio output works differently since you can actually plug speakers into it.  THE DP-U50 is the best solution so far!

(No, I'm not selling one either - just an enthusaist like you guys!  My DP-U50 will be buried with me now...)

Shawn

i have a solution for some of you guys, at least those still running xp (don't know about vista)

 

turtle beach riviera card    simultaneously outputs digital and analog, the only card i have found that does so.

Uh, you're missing the point.  Just about any card will do this in XP actually, I don't know which ones you tried that didn't do it, but none probably not the Turtle Beach one either, work that way in Vista.

I have MCE XP and I my card does not output analog and digital simultaneously.

Shield, what kind of a splitter did you use? And did you split the SPDIF cable or the coaxial? Can you post some pics? How about the volume control, can i control it via my PC, or only by the big button on the Yamaha?

jhoff81:

Uh, you're missing the point.  Just about any card will do this in XP actually, I don't know which ones you tried that didn't do it, but none probably not the Turtle Beach one either, work that way in Vista.

Well, this is the MCE2005 forum, afterall!

I have been frustrated like the rest of you trying to find a decent solution.  I have an HTPC running Vista MCE hooked up to a 7.1 ch Receiver and also have a my whole house audio amp hooked up to it as well.  Ever since Vista I can't get sound out of both.  Seems silly to not be able to do this without additional hardware.

I haven't been able to find any of the external decoders listed in this thread and it's been a bear finding anything comparable that is still sold, but I found a headphone amp from JVC (http://av.jvc.com/product.jsp?pathId=2&modelId=MODL027291&page=1) that will decode DTS and DD downmixing to Stereo.  I've ordered one for $80 and will be using the digital output of the HTPC and then routing the downmixed stereo to my TV and House Audio amp.

Hope this helps.

---

PIK

Asus A8R32-MVP Deluxe
AMD Athlon 64 x2 3800+
3GB Kingston DDR-400
ATI x1600 Pro 512MB
AVerTV Purity 3D MCE 500
DVico Fusion 3D HDTV

great find since the creative ddts100 disappeared. takes batteries though :/

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http://www.spore.com/view/profile/Vengence_IRL

PIK:

I haven't been able to find any of the external decoders listed in this thread and it's been a bear finding anything comparable that is still sold, but I found a headphone amp from JVC (http://av.jvc.com/product.jsp?pathId=2&modelId=MODL027291&page=1) that will decode DTS and DD downmixing to Stereo.  I've ordered one for $80 and will be using the digital output of the HTPC and then routing the downmixed stereo to my TV and House Audio amp.

That is a great find, thanks for sharing it - two issues, though ... 1) battery powered (sux, but can be gotten around), but more importantly 2) the box doesn't appear to have a digital pass-thru; how will you send the digital output to both this box and your receiver?

Output to both by using an optical Y adapter like this: http://www.trianglecables.com/pof-810.html (just an example, I have no idea if this is a good site to order from - I've never used them before).

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Just my $0.02.

Okay, I thought I would report back.  Received the JVC unit, but a mini Toslink adapter was not included.  This is dumb on JVC's part as I would think most people would order this thing for decoding digital audio.  Standard Toslink cables will not fit, you need the adapter.

Received my mini Toslink adapter from L-com and low and behold, everything is working fine.  I'm going from my HTPC's Toslink output to the JVC decoder, from there I go to my TV and Whole house audio.  I take the other coaxial digital output from my HTPC and put that into my receiver.  Voila'

Yes, battery operation sux, but since there is nothing else I simply bought an AD/DC 3V adapter and wired it to the JVC decoder.

For those interested in a digital audio splitter, you will get simultaneous operation from your Toslink and Coaxial digital motherboard outputs.  For those without both, you can purchase optical splitters.

This overall bandaid seems retarded as I would think you should be able to do it in software.  Thanks MS.

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PIK

Asus A8R32-MVP Deluxe
AMD Athlon 64 x2 3800+
3GB Kingston DDR-400
ATI x1600 Pro 512MB
AVerTV Purity 3D MCE 500
DVico Fusion 3D HDTV

Adam,

What is the brand and model # and possibly price of the digital to analog converter?