Interesting work-around... but that would imply you would have to create that graph for every file?

Was kind of hoping for some way to automatically load this graph (of course it would be different for each file type though).

If there is no way of automatically using this maybe there is some kind of 'wrapper' filter that can do it for us. Or that someone can build?

HI! I have had the same problem with realtek ac97 motherboard with vista drivers, that analog works, but spdif do not work in same time.

I have fixed this with this simple method:

Instal older windows XP dirver: WDM_A391

Now my 32bit Vista Ultimate does play my analog and spdif in same time without problems. This drivers works really good in vista altho it is not made for it but for XP.

Hope you rest can fix this problem also!

The drawback for this is that you cannot edit mic and other sound levels, only main volume and wave. But mic can be boosted. Messenger can hanlde mic leveling altho, so you will get messenger act proberly with youre mic.

Hi Jerio,

I can get Vista to output on both spdif and analoge at the same time. Just not AC3/DTS surround streams.

That is we cannot get propper multi channel out on the spdif while at the same time output stereo on the analoge.

Stereo to both spdif and analoge seems to work depending on what driver you install.

This thread is the first Google result for whatever it was I searched for, and I am dismayed to find there is no true answer.

I suppose I will have to explore the possibility of using HDMI from my video card to my Samsung LCD TV (which has optical output), which will then pass-thru to my receiver.

 

jebo_4jc:

This thread is the first Google result for whatever it was I searched for, and I am dismayed to find there is no true answer.

I suppose I will have to explore the possibility of using HDMI from my video card to my Samsung LCD TV (which has optical output), which will then pass-thru to my receiver.

 

Be careful going this route.  I read the manual on my 2-yr old Panasonic Plasma (TH-42PX60U) and in the fine print in the middle of the manual it says that audio inputs (even via HDMI) will be output as 2-channel stereo through the digital optical output.  I even e-mailed their tech support and got the same answer.  Only HDTV passes 5.1 sound out the digital optical output.  Maybe newer TVs do it differently though.

By the way, I've totally given up on this.  I moved my HTPC to the office, put an xbox 360 in the living room, ran some cat-5e, and now I get simultaneous digital and analog outputs from the 360 - HDMI to the TV and digital optical to the receiver.  I can confirm it's Dolby Digital too.

And by HDTV, I assume you mean only HDTV that the TV itself is receiving via Antenna or QAM etc. 

jebo_4jc:

And by HDTV, I assume you mean only HDTV that the TV itself is receiving via Antenna or QAM etc. 

Yes, exactly.  Just check your owner's manual or e-mail their tech support.  I'd hate for you to spend money on something and then not have it work.

I took the Sony MDRDS1000 route and it works great!  It's just a little plastic minireceiver that inputs DTS, Dolby Digital, PCM and outputs stereo analog.  In my case I ran digital coax out from my A8N-SLI Deluxe motherboard for 25', then split it using a typical RCA Y-cable.  Fed one end of the Y to my Onkyo 705 receiver for 7.1 goodness when I'm watching.  Fed the other end to  a coax to optical converter ($11 at Monoprice)  into the Sony and then a stereo cable into my Sharp TV for my wife who doesn't want to deal with a receiver to control volume.

Coax works well for long runs since optical signals through a splitter are pretty iffy.

Another advantage of this route is that you can fine tune the volume level from the Sony box so you can match Media PC volumes to your TV broadcast levels so you don't have to fiddle with the volume button on the remote so much when switching.

A bummer that it takes $100 in Rube Goldberg parts to fix yet another Microsoft software design flaw.

Also a bit surprised that this doesn't work like it did on MCE 2005. I recently replaced my old Shuttle SN95G5 (AC97 codec) with a newer SP35P2 with an ALC888 realtek chip.

Before I could output to both spdif and analog at the same time, though not getting DTS/DD output, which was perfectly understandable since pure SPDIF require a stream to SPDIF only. I had a small registry script that automatically enabled this when entering Media Center app, allowing for DD/DTS output. It altered a hardware profile setting, and I've tried to do the same in windows vista.

Located the specific areas of the registry that changed when changing between PC speakers and HD Audio, and exported the two registry keys. Now, when importing the appropriate key, I was able to change the default device in the Realtek HD Audio configuration program, located in the tray menu. Indeed, it was changed when opening the configuration, but the sound output remained the same :(

I too, would like a solultion designed with high WAF in mind.
The goal for me would be:
- Simultaneus analog and SPDIF output for regular music (no DD/DTS needed)
- A script to change the HD audio to use pure SPDIF, and thus enable DD/DTS (but disable analog PC speakers)

Hmm..might be a long way to go...

UPDATE: (5 mins later)
I discovered that the two reg-keys I exported, actually worked. So when importing one or the other I can automatically choose between analog PC speakers or SPDIF out to my Logitech Z-5500.
So that's one of my two goals, now i just need the simultaneous output of analog audio. I know people have been linking to older drivers where it worked, but I'd rather make it work with the HD Audio 1.91 drivers or later.

panch:

Located the specific areas of the registry that changed when changing between PC speakers and HD Audio, and exported the two registry keys. Now, when importing the appropriate key, I was able to change the default device in the Realtek HD Audio configuration program, located in the tray menu. Indeed, it was changed when opening the configuration, but the sound output remained the same :(

I too, would like a solultion designed with high WAF in mind.
The goal for me would be:
- Simultaneus analog and SPDIF output for regular music (no DD/DTS needed)
- A script to change the HD audio to use pure SPDIF, and thus enable DD/DTS (but disable analog PC speakers)

Hmm..might be a long way to go...

UPDATE: (5 mins later)
I discovered that the two reg-keys I exported, actually worked. So when importing one or the other I can automatically choose between analog PC speakers or SPDIF out to my Logitech Z-5500.
So that's one of my two goals, now i just need the simultaneous output of analog audio. I know people have been linking to older drivers where it worked, but I'd rather make it work with the HD Audio 1.91 drivers or later.

When you change the default audio device, the changes will not take place unless you restart VMC.

You can, however, enable or disable DD/DTS support for a given audio device, and the changes take place immediately (as long as you don't try it while media is actively playing back).  No clue if this can be changed with a registry script.

At the moment, I use AutoHotKey to 1.Close VMC, 2. Switch Audio Device, 3. Open VMC.  I have the asterix and number-sign keys assigned to the different profiles.  When it works, it works great, unfortunately, the script fumbles itself 10% of the time by opening the Control Panel Sound window and not performing the script actions correctly.  Can probably be fixed by adjusting the sleep times between commands, beause I think the script is just moving too fast for Vista to keep up...

BTW..  I get stereo sound over HDMI (first sound device in Control Panel).  DD/DTS is over SPDIF (4th sound device in Control Panel).  If your devices are in different order, you'll need to tweak the script.

*::
IfWinExist, sound
 WinClose
IfWinExist, Windows Media Center
 WinClose
Sleep, 1500
Run rundll32.exe shell32.dll`,Control_RunDLL mmsys.cpl`,`, 3
Sleep, 250
IfWinExist, sound
    WinActivate ; use the window found above
WinWaitActive, Sound,
Send {Down}
Sleep, 200
Send !s
Sleep, 200
Send {Enter}
Sleep, 200
Send #!{Enter}
return

#::
IfWinExist, sound
 WinClose
IfWinExist, Windows Media Center
 WinClose
Sleep, 1500
Run rundll32.exe shell32.dll`,Control_RunDLL mmsys.cpl`,`, 3
Sleep, 250
IfWinExist, sound
    WinActivate ; use the window found above
WinWaitActive, Sound,
Send {Down}
Sleep, 200
Send {Down}
Sleep, 200
Send {Down}
Sleep, 200
Send {Down}
Sleep, 200
Send !s
Sleep, 200
Send {Enter}
Sleep, 200
Send #!{Enter}

return

I now have simultaneous audio going to my TV and receiver, but it can only be done on a specific hardware configuration:

I have optical SPDIF from my motherboard to my receiver.  This sends DD/DTS etc

I bought a Zotac 8800GT video card that supports audio over HDMI via a SPDIF header.  Basically, there is a SPDIF output header on the motherboard that is then connected to a SPDIF input header on the video card.  The video card then combines the DVI video and SPDIF audio in an HDMI adaptor.  This is in contrast to the way the Radeon 2k and 3k series handle audio over HDMI....they have a separate audio controller on the cards.

The end result is simultaneous digital audio to my TV and receiver with DD/DTS support. 

The list of video cards on which this would work is probably pretty small.  I know Zotac has two 8800GTs that support SPDIF over HDMI (I believe the model numbers contain "3P" like this one does), and if I'm not mistaken, the 9800GTX reference design also calls for the SPDIF input, thought I'm not sure if it's always implemented by all the AIBs.  The key thing to look for is a small SPDIF cable in the bundle and a small white 2-pin connector on the video card.  I don't think the new 8800GTS G92 cards support this feature for whatever reason. 

 

Edit: now I just need to figure out why HDMI looks so much worse than VGA did.  I think the pixels aren't mapped 1:1 for some reason. 

Hope you forgive me if it's OT, but what I would like to do (in Vista) is to have simultaneous 5.1 analog out through my onboard Realtek HD chip AND a stereo signal of the same audio going through USB Bluetooth dongle to a Bluetooth receiver hooked up to 2 seakers (in another room). I'd mainly use Winamp and Media Player Classic. There is no chance for this to work until M$ implements multiple audio output for Vista, correct?

Found a solution to my problem! It's with the help of a tiny program called Virtual Audio Cable that can be used like a virtual Y cable for transferring wave streams. When installed it creates a virtual Line 1 (can do up to 64 of them) that appears in Windblows as a sound device. What I can do is set this as the default Playback device, than run another little program included in the package called Audio Repeater to point to the output(s).

In my case, I have to run two instances of Audio Repeater, both of which having an input from that Line 1, but in one of them I set the output to Realtek HD Audio, in the other I set it to Bluetooh AV Audio and Voila! You can also have delays by setting the buffer sizes to different values to make it sync perfectly.  I had to add 200ms extra buffer to the Realtek HD and now it is synchronized perfectly. I have so far only tested with stereo speakers as I don't yet have my 5.1 system up and running (I just moved), but I saw you can set the number of channels in the Audio Repeater, so I would think it will work for 5.1 and 7.1 just as well. I don't know how good it will work with digital in/out as I haven't tested that either.

Some problems I came across:
- the driver is not digitally singed, so Vista 64 won't like it unless you boot it with driver signature validation disabled (which can be a pain to do... everytime you restart you have to press F8).
- whenever you restart, you will have to set up the Audio Repeaters again, which I can see getting annoying after a while

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Audio/Other-AUDIO-Tools/Virtual-Audio-Cable.shtml

Well, I thought I share my findings maybe this could also help some of you guys out too.

UPDATE: I haven't been able to get the multi-channel stream to work through the Audio Repeater yet. I am not sure if that's the limitation of the trial version or what. I sent a message to the author to see if it's me or the program.

With interest I am reading this thread. I am planning to build my first media center using the Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H as motherboard, supporting HDMI and SPDIF Optical out.

The HDMI output connection I want to use for video to my Pioneer plasma panel. The SPDIF optical out should be used for sending digital audio to my AV receiver (not having a HDMI input). Considering all the problems by having digital and analog audio the same time, I am wondering whether sending the video signal over HDMI and the audio over SPDIF at the same time will work with this board. I cannot really find it in the manual of the motherboard.

Dave

The Netherlands