Mega 180 and surround sound

I've spent the last week goofing around with surround sound, SPDIF in & out, and lots of other audio type stuff. I haven't seen much discussion in the forum about high quality audio. So I thought I'd describe my experiences.
I've been using my mega for about a month with 2 channel stereo. I have pretty much all the video stuff and MCE 2005 working reasonably well so I decided it was time to tackle 5.1. The onboard sound support works just great for producing 5.1 stereo. Hooking this up to a set of 5.1 computer speakers is straight forward and works just fine. If that is all you want it's very easy.
However I wanted more control of the audio sources in my living room and decided to go the external digital receiver route. So enter SPDIF which I have had no experience with. SPDIF is the same as TOSLINK. When you go to the store looking for connectors I could find no mention of SPDIF. But lots of TOSLINK's - they work just fine. The mega 180 has both input and output SPDIF connectors. The input worked just fine with a DVD player I have. Howver I never could get it to produce anything but ticking noises with my HDTV tuners SPDIF connector. This same HDTV tuner SPDIF connector worked just fine when I went out and bought a reasonably priced ($250) JVC digital receiver. So I guess I didn't have the proper decoders configured in the Mega??
SPDIF is used to support digital dolby and several variants...like dts. It is not just a digital connector. The Mega 180 is very capable in this department however. It supports DVD passthru to SPDIF. It also supports realtime digital dolby encoding of all audio.
You can specify that you want 5.1 digitial dolby out the digital connector. All sound is converted to digital dolby real time and sent over this connector. I was not expecting this. You can also use the 6 analog channel option (speaker out, line in, mic) to attach to a receiver. This is analog output however so you just want the receiver to pass the signals straight thru to the 5.1 speaker configuration. There is a 3rd way to attach the Mega to the digital receiver. You can send 2 channel analog output via speaker out. The digital receiver will then convert this to surround sound using various environmental settings.
At this point I have my surround sound system set up. I tend to like the digital dolby passthru for listening to DVDs. For MP3's I like the 5.1 stereo using the 6 analog outputs. For other videos....like avi files I like the digital dolby realtime conversion out the SPDIF connection.
It is kind of rare to give kudos to MSI on the Mega series. They have done lots of things wrong. However they have done a surprisingly good job of supporting quality audio options.
At least after a week of goofing around I'm happy!

thank nvidia, not MSI! their on-board audio solutions have always been rated quite highly, especially the hardware SoundStorm APU. i used to swear by creative many moons ago, but when onboard audio is as highly spec'd as nvidia's why bother?

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Mega 180 and PC Alert 4

Hello chaps,
Some time ago I posted a thread regarding my relatively new Mega 180 and it's annoying habit of shutting down then only restarting after a few hours unplugged from the mains. There were some helpful responses but unfortunately the problem was never resolved - it just meant I had to shutdown the PC more often.
However, recently the problem is getting worse. I have installed PC Alert 4, but I have no idea what the readings mean. There are four screens which appear to be showing voltages or something, all are in green except for the second one which is frequently red.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!
Any suggestions gratefully received.
Mega 180, 2.8 Ghz, 512 RAM, XP Pro

to determine if the PSU is the problem, remove the cover from your Mega and disconnect all the power connectors to the mega PSU. get a regular ATX PSU (with enough juice of course), sit it next to the mega, and connect the ATX PSU connectors to the Mega (drives, mobo etc). connect the power plug to the ATX PSU and boot up.
note that the LCD display won't function, and you won't get any sound either, but this is only while the mega PSU is not being used.
use your mega as normal, and see if the problem reoccurs. if you get the same problems, then you know its not the PSU. if it all behaves well, then you have to consider a replacement PSU
as i see it you have two choices: you can either scour ebay for a cheap faulty unit being sold for spares (but make sure the PSU is okay before buying!). or you could contact your nearest MSI office and see if they will sell you one
How to contact MSI.
if you're feeling adventurous, you could always check out some other posts here, where users have done away with the mega PSU altogether, and had a regular ATX type sat outside the case as an "external" PSU...

Mega 180 and 9700 Pro: What kind of cooler can i fit on it?

Hi, i'm almosteady to order my MSI Mega 180. When i get it i want to put my 9700 pro into it, it's now working in a water cooled system, and i'm not really impressed with the Hercules cooler it came with. So what i'm asking is: what cooler can i fit on the 9700 pro and it will still fit in the Mega 180?
Some interesting options include:
Arctic VGA Silencer
Zalman ZM80C-HP VGA Heatpipe Cooler
ZM80A-HP
I'm thinking that the zalman's are to big for the case (but i'm not sure), i don't even know if the arctic is going to fit...
I don't want to overclock my system or videocard, so no excessive cooling is required.

Hi,
I'm not familiar with the dimensions of the 9700 Pro, but I think it is going to be a VERY tight fit. Be aware that you have limited space and you're probably going to (partly) block the exhaust from the CPU cooler. Last but not least, the power cables originate from the PSU on the same side as the AGP slot is located.
Perhaps you can read some of the reviews of the Mega 180 on the Net (search Google for "mega 180" and "review") and have a closer look at the pictures that are made from the internals.
Greetz,
JaDi.

Mega 180 and MS MCE 2005

Does anyone know if the mega 180 is compatible with Microsoft Media Centre Edition 2005 as I have loaded the operating system on to the computer but when I open media centre I get an error message stating the video card and/ or drivers are not compatible with MCE 2005, but when you ok this message media centre continues to work ok. This is very annoying if I have to ok this error each time I open the application or is there some drivers out there that could fix this?

Quote from: Tav on 02-March-05, 18:52:34
Thanks very much guys, I have now got MCE working ok. Unfortunately I have recently purchased the MSI TV tuner and found out a couple of ago that it wouldn't work with MCE, can you recommend a TV tuner that would work with the Mega 180 and MCE?
Yep, I use the Hauppauge PVR-500. It's a dual tuner card that runs about 160-190 on the net. It's got a built in splitter on the card that allows you to have one coax cable running into the card and still record two separate shows.
The only caveat I have is that if you are outputting from a Cable Box to the tuner card, the PVR-500 will not be able to use both tuners. I have my TV set up so that the coax is split coming out of the wall. One cable goes to the PVR-500, which allows me to record up to two shows. The other cable goes to my cable box, which then runs to a separate input on the TV. Complicated, and I'm not sure I've even got it optimized correctly.
Matt

Mega 180 and onboard graphics problems!

Problem is this:
Primary graphics output of my Mega 180 is only displaying in Green, the secondary output is blurred and too bright, no amount of altering settings and installing drivers changes this situation.
Any suggestions.
Piers
Athlon 3000+
Windows XP Pro
Matched pair 512Mb 2700
Diamond Max 160Gb
Onboard Sound/Graphics/LAN

To isolate the problem you should try a different VGA cable and a different monitor.
If those don't help then the problem is with the computer.
Try unplugging it from the wall wait 10 seconds and plug it back in... This is kind of a cure all for many mega 180 ills.
The onboard graphics uses system memory. How much is allocated to it in BIOS. 128 MB is recommended for most home theater types of applications.
Have you tried resetting the BIOS settings to all defaults ?
If you've done all these things and nothing helps it sounds like the board may be bad.

How do I connect Apple TV and surround sound to my projector?

My current set up is that I have a projector connected to my Blu-Ray player. My surround sound speakers connect to my Blu-Ray player. They all came in the box together and the speaker wires all go into the Blu-Ray. Everything works perfectly.
However now I have bought an Apple TV and although I can play it through the projector, the sound is only through the projector and not the surround sound. I tried plugging the Apple TV in the HDMI in the projector and then connecting the Apple TV to the Blu-Ray via optical cable, but that didn't work.
In the back of the projector there is 1 HDMI port and an audio port but no optical port
In the back of the Blu-Ray, you have the speakers, the HDMI, the audio in and the optical port.
How can I connect everything so that I can use my Apple TV with surround sound?

The manual doesn't say anything an optical port on the BD ?

Optical audio and surround sound speakers for my Mac Pro

In the back of my Mac Pro there's an in and out for Optical Audio. What is this and are there any surround sound speaker systems out there that will plug into it? Most surround sound speakers seem to require a PC-style triple-input, with three jacks (Green to front, Orange to centre and Black to rear channels). Very few surround sound systems have the additional option for a single headphone socket-style jack, and I'm not sure if they will work terribly well with this single connection.
Can anyone recommend some speaker choices, particularly in the UK, that will give me good surround sound from the optical audio or single headphone jacks? Many thanks.

You might want to look at a device called the Griffin FireWave: [http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/firewave]
It connects to your MacPro via firewire, and has the green/orange/black jacks out to a standard 5.1 speaker system.
It comes with a software application that lets you customize the sound, and also synthesize surround from mono, stereo, etc., sources.
It would definitely open up your choices for speaker systems. I'm using one with a Klipsch 5.1 Promedia set of speakers. Works and sounds great.

Using sky go from Mac air to TV and surround sound speakers

I have skygo, and want to watch it on my tv through HDMI cable, can I use logitech surround sound pc speakers too somehow?

As your TV has HDMI inputs which will support sound as well as video, use a MiniDisplay port to HDMI cable (Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Cable by Cablesson works great) or a MiniDisplay port to HDMI adaptor and HDMI to HDMI if not. Just make sure the adaptor supports audio as well as video. Just select HDMI in the Preferences Sound
And yes, you could use your surround sound speakers via the 3.5 mm headphone jack, just make sure you select this option in Preferences Sound if you're not using the HDMI for sound

Mega 180 and Media Center III----looks perfect----is it??

I DON'T want to shell out $1000 for cheap HP/Compaq or whatever which includes Media Center Edition
But I DO like the look and features of Microsoft's Media Center Edition.
In the Manual for the MEGA 180-----Media Center III looks perfect for what I want.
Am thinking of a Mega 180 using onboard video, the MSI TV/Tuner Card, onboard SoundStorm---and a cheap Barton. I already have 2 x 512 of NVidia recommended PC2700 RAM for use with the onboard and almost all other parts----but by the time I'm done----I'd be shelling out around $400
The manual makes everything look good "on paper"----but I see from this forum their are "issues".
Did/does MSI support the 651 model well?? Bios updates----utility and driver updates??
This thing looks like a tremendous alternative to a Microsoft Media Center Edition overpriced machine. And I'm willing to do driver updates and Bios updates----heck, I love a challenge----I just don't like a product that lies about what it can really do.
Worth it----or should I pass.....
Thanks-----John

Quote
Originally posted by johnrr6
Did you try the settings button in MC III that says "Enable Fullscreen"
That may not be it----it may just be a TV setting----but it's the only thing I can think if.
Good Luck,
John
I believe that function is only for viewing the videos from the preview window to fullscreen. I don't think it enables/disables "stretch mode" but i'll try that tonight.
if it works i'll post it here. if not ... well .... same thing i guess

ITunes and surround sound internet streams

Hi all,
I'm looking to broadcast internet streams in surround sound and I want to select an audio codec which iTunes will play.
Does anyone know which surround audio codecs are supported for internet streaming?
Best regards,
Daren.

Thanks for your reply Dave.
I had suspected that this was the case. I've been exprimenting with iTunes and haven't even been able to receive a stereo AAC stream. AAC and AAC+ only seem to be supported for files and not internet streams.
If anyone disagrees, please feel free to correct me.
Does anyone know if there are plans to support AAC and AAC+ in internet streams? ..and in particular for surround sound broadcasts?
Best regards,
Daren.

Blu ray and surround sound

I just purchased a Sony Bravia kdl-52v4100 and a ps3 to watch blu ray. Now I want to buy a surround sound but watch blu ray at the same time with out buying a blu ray dvd player. Is there any way I can connect my PS3 with the surround sound to play together.

Assuming you don't already have a surround system, and plan to use the PS3 for DVD and Blu-Ray playback:
1) Buy surround system with an optical audio input. Most have this. Since you have a PS3 you don't need one of the ones that has a built-in DVD player. I'm partial to the Yamaha HTIB (Home Theater in a Box) systems.
2) Buy optical audio (TOSLINK) cable
3) Connect TOSLINK cable from PS3 to surround receiver
4) Leave existing video connection between PS3 and TV in place
No need for a separate DVD player, the PS3 handles this.
You will have to change some options of the PS3 to enable the optical audio output. I can't help you here as I don't own a PS3.
*disclaimer* I am not now, nor have I ever been, an employee of Best Buy, Geek Squad, nor of any of their affiliate, parent, or subsidiary companies.

Mac Pro and Surround Sound

I cannot get 5.1 channel sound out of my Mac Pro (or my PM G5 for that matter).
So what are my options for bringing out the surround content of Windows games to my Logitech Z-5500 5.1 system?
I investigated the M-Audio Revolution 5.1. It's not compatible with the PCI-Express slots or with MacOSX 10.4.8.
Is the Mac Pro too new for any such products to be available for it yet?

Feeding my Logitech Z-5500 5.1 system from the optical out, only gives me DPL2, (I think) from DVD movies. For games on the Mac, I needed to take a feed to the Logitechs from the headphone out as the optical feed didn't yield any audio from games. What does the optical out give us then? Nothing more than sound for DVDs and some MacOSX alert sounds.
Now I'm guesssing this but my intuition tells me that the optical path is a direct feed from the DVD player. Well, perhaps not really direct but certainly a different path to that of the integrated audio hardware.
Now we have one most serious problem here. Nearly all games ported to the Mac are encoded 2-channel only. Aspyr admitted this to me. I do not watch DVD movies on my Mac so the Logitechs are serving no purpose apart from providing stereo audio.
Aspyr says that since Apple only provides for 2-channel audio in hardware and software, game publishers never bother with surround information in their games. Aspyr says, if it did it could cause instability and crashes because the Mac is a 2-channel computer. Games with surround sound will be more common if Apple builds the feature into its computers.
Unless Apple changes it's policy we are stuck with 2-channel. And similarly, Windows on Intel Macs is hobbled because the same hardware is used by Windows.
Can a Firewire or USB decoder extract surround sound from Windows games? It certainly can on a PC. But what about an Intel Mac? I'm about to learn the answer when the Audigy2 NX arrives.

AirPlay and surround sound

Hi, set up my apple tv . I have managed to get everything working ok but when I use the AirPlay option I cannot get my surround sound to work, it only comes thought the speakers on my tv. My current scary lead goes from my sky tv box to the DVD player that has the surround sound. However, when I set my scary from tv to DVD p,Ayer there is still bNo surround sound- do I need ton change a setting?
Thanks

I have no idea what your current setup is, despite your brief description. Go back a few steps to 'troubleshooting 101'. If your using the HDMI only, your ATV will output audio to whatever device the HDMI is connected to (uh, your TV?)
If you want audio sent to any other device, you must use the digital optical connector. It is always active, so no changes in your ATV are necessary - just hook the optical cable to your surround receiver, configure your receiver to work with the optical input you have the ATV connected to, and it will work.

Tv and surround sound

im trying to figure out which surround sound i need -- i want to use it for dvd and my cable -- so i can use surround soound for both ..

The Yamaha HTIB systems are cheaper than $500 and quite excellent - I own two (one in the "office", one in the living room).
*disclaimer* I am not now, nor have I ever been, an employee of Best Buy, Geek Squad, nor of any of their affiliate, parent, or subsidiary companies.

Airport Express and Surround Sound Issue

I recently have lost the ability to play music via Airport Express through my surround sound. It was working one day, I synced my IPhone and the option to play music through my surround sound is gone. Same with the "Remote" application for IPhone.
Note: I am able to chose "Computer" and / or "Apple Tv" but not my surround sound. Any ideas how to correct this and why this was changed?

Hello irk26. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
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Mega 180 and surround sound

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