Hi

In MCE2005, it was possible to output audio via analogue by default but bypass this and output via SPDIF (optical) for playback of DVDs only via the DVD setup function.

This was very useful feature but it seems to have been removed for Vista versions. Any chance of it being restored or why it has been removed?

Thanks

Steve

The feature you described was part of the way audio worked in Windows XP.  Essentially, audio would be 'broadcast" to all the audio endpoints at once.

This was changed in Vista with a new audio engine.  Basically, audio would only be sent to the specific endpoint that the system has set by default, or the user has set via the MMSYS.CPL.

This new audio behavior provides more flexibility in controlling the audio experience for each endpoint.  So, if you set SPDIF as the audio output choice, you get one set of audio enhancements.  While setting analog would get you another set of audio enhancements.

 

Any chance (or way) have enabling more than one endpoint?  This is my most disliked Vista "feature" since it totally kills my setup.

With XP I had digital audio (SPDIF) going to my local reciever and analog going into a whole-house distribution system.  With Vista I have to take the analog into the reciever - a less than desirable signal for my home theatre.  :(

-trevor

I understand your pain.  You are not the alone on this.

I've brought this up with our Windows Audio team for future planning and they are looking into this.

Thanks.  It seems as though all the bits are there to enable output mixing which would be great and  a welcome new feature.

I run a corporate IT department and even with out limited use of audio in Windows we've struggled with multiple outputs.

-trevor

This is a show stopper for me.   Only Microsoft can release an update to a software that does less than the version it replaced.  Is this a joke or what?

 

When will this be fixed?

 

How do I get my money back for the Vista Software? 

 

 

Hi,

Is there any update on getting dual audio back?

It's doing my head in having to keep disabling my digital output to get analouge audio to the rest of the house, and then having to reenable it to watch TV downstairs.

Bob

This is a royal PITA for me as well. To watch TV I have to set HDMI audio to be the default, but if I want to watch a blu-ray disk with HD LPCM audio via PDVD, I have to set analogue to be the default in Vista before I get any sound out of the RCA outputs.

Oddly enough, with HDMI audio set as the default, PDVD can over-ride this and send audio over SP/DIF without me making any changes in Vista. Guess it might be beacause they're both digital outputs.

Please sort this out MS!

Phil_Lo:

This new audio behavior provides more flexibility in controlling the audio experience for each endpoint.  So, if you set SPDIF as the audio output choice, you get one set of audio enhancements.  While setting analog would get you another set of audio enhancements.

I think for most users this really doesn't add "more flexibility in controlling the audio experience..."  In fact, it does the opposite when trying to set up a Media Center pc.

Exactly!!!  Yet another example of a so-called OS upgrade, ie Vista from XP, that cuts or doesnt improve on already severely lacking VMC features.

I truly believe if MS dont address this and many other major bugs in the new VMC update, they will, and quite rightly so, lose a large amount of users!

ryan.tollefson:

Phil_Lo:

This new audio behavior provides more flexibility in controlling the audio experience for each endpoint.  So, if you set SPDIF as the audio output choice, you get one set of audio enhancements.  While setting analog would get you another set of audio enhancements.

I think for most users this really doesn't add "more flexibility in controlling the audio experience..."  In fact, it does the opposite when trying to set up a Media Center pc.

Not only that, but I have yet to see _one single_ positive reaction to this reduction in overall functionality, from anyone.

Yet people still have the stones to state it's an "improvement".

Another really annoying result of this is that I never really get digital 5.1 if I want to watch analog TV or listen to analog music. I either have to control the volume via the receiver, or set everything to analog to be able to control the volume on all audio types.

For example - I have both an ATSC and an analog NTSC tuner in my box, with one getting OTA HD and the other getting standard cable. The OTA HD is obviously 5.1 (or at least digital) and the analog is not. If I set MCE to be 5.1 through TOSLINK (output from my Razer Barracuda AC-1 card) than the volume is fixed in MCE and I can only change it via the recevier. Additionally, the volume difference between the digital and analog channel is so high that if I switch from one to the other without turning down the volume I will wake up my neighbors.

To me this is just a pitiful oversight to not allow for proper digital output, regardless of input method. Harness the power of the hardware to pass everything digitally and then give the user the ability to control the volume from the MCE remote.

I really hope this changes in the next MCE rollup.

Steinway.

Hello I now have analog and digital (spdif) simultanius on windows7 RC1 64 bit
so if it can be off any help hers howe i did that.
right click the speaker down to the right off the screen, player units (or what ever it is named in english, it where you change analog or digital) click the tab recording right click stereo mix ( i have realtek) click on properties, click tab listen, click in box liten to, in dorp down chose your digital output, ok.right click stereo mix, selekt as standard unit. now go to first tab (the one were you pick standard unit for plying sound) and pick your analog as standard. your don, works for me now i have analog sound to my tv and digital to my surrondsystem simultanius. hop its of use for some one.

Here's what I need My TV (New Samsung) gets sound (stereo only) from HDMI and my MB has two digital audio outs one to HDMI and one to optical.

I need to have both enabled to use the tv when I don't need the receiver for surround (News,Etc) it's a pain n the rear to have to switch this.

I also have wireless headphones connected to the reciever that mutes the sound as I am hard of hearind and my wife doesn't need it as loud as I do.

Now either she can listen to th TV or I can use the headphones but not both.

There really has to be a fix for this.

 

Thanks 

So 3 years down the line we are still stuck with this cut-back sound system... MS are you able to comment on whether we are stuck with this somewhat crippled system for ever, or will be ever get what we actually want?

Thanks.

Rich