Stereo - no surround sound

Hi gang,
Setup of my 2nd Gen ATV has gone very smoothly. Only one problem. All movies play as stereo, even when there is a 5.1 surround track. When I go into the Audio settings, if I turn Dolby Digital from Auto to On and then play a movie, my receiver say "Stereo Downmix". My ATV and receiver are connected by an HDMI cable.
Any ideas?
Cheers!

Interesting that this thread isn't getting more posts... I find it hard to believe that only a few of us aren't getting 5.1 audio playback!
For those of you my earlier tip didn't work for: You might also try the following tip to enable 5.1 passthrough on your Mac via iTunes... I had actually done that first but it didn't change anything on ATV until I played an iTunes-purchased video and then suddenly all of my Handbrake videos also started playing 5.1, so I think one or the other must have jarred something awake on the ATV. (I should note that I am using only HDMI so I can't vouch for the optical audio out.)
http://www.macworld.com/article/150554/2010/04/itunes_surround.html
In any event, it seems that Apple may have some work to do in the next ATV update to correct this situation, but the above worked for me and it's continued to work even after unplugging the ATV and booting it back up, so it's worth a try...
JRB

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Here's an article about synching (moving your music) with a new computer: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527

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Hi,
I'm new to surround sound editing, so for the past few weeks I've been searching through internet how to create suround sound for my movie. I have a whole movie already done in Premiere Pro 5 (every scene in it's own squence). In these sequences I have stereo audio clips that create a complete stereo sound, but since this movie is going to go on film festivals I have to create surround sound.
Through my reasearch I came across many explanations of how to create it, but the more I read the more it confused me so I decidet to ask for help on this forum.
1. Is it posible to create surroundsound directly out of stereo audio (I know that the sequences that you are working in has to be set to surround sound) that I have in first, second and third chanel, that have surround sound controls above them in Audio mixer?
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3. Did I completly miss the whole concept of creating surround sound and that I would have to do it diferently?
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To output to DD 5.1 SS, you will need an Encoder, like the Minnetonka Audio SurCode DD5.1 SS plug-in.
You can also use Audition (do not know about SB) to create 6-channel files (usually WMA w/ either 5, or 6 discrete channels, depending on how you handle the LFE). Still, to use such a set of files with Audio-Visual material, you will need an Encoder. Minnetonka Audio has others, like the SurCode DD 5.1 SS stand-alone and the DTS stand-alone.
If you have disassembled the original audio streams into mono sources, you can create faux 5.1 SS, and with a little work, it can be quite convincing. The 5.1 controls in a 5.1 Master Project, can be very useful for "creating" your sound stage. You can also use those to feed certain frequencies from other sources to the LFE, and to the Center channel. With good stereo in the Front speakers, you should already have a decent phantom Center, and can punch that up even more.
I would recommend starting with the Help File for "Surrond Sound," to get the basics down, plus the mechanics in PrPro. HERE is a little sample. You might also want to see the links in this PrPro-Wiki Search for more material.
The Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers' Recommendations for Surround Sound Production is useful paper.
I recommend three books:
Surround Sound, Second Edition: Up and Running, Tomlinson Holman (cannot find my copy for ISBN)
Instant Surround Sound, Jeffery Fisher, CMP Books ISBN 1-57820-246-9
Basics of Video Sound, Des Lyver, Focal Press ISBN 0-240-51561-7
That would be a good start.
Happy reading, and up-mixing,
Hunt

Can't get Surround Sound from a stereo sound file

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Anyone have any clues as to why this is not working?
If I pick a audio clip that is surround, the panning works and sounds fine. But looking at the demo movie on Apples website, it should be no problem to put a stereo file into any of the surround speakers.
I got a new HD coming and I am going to install everything fresh.. OS and all and see if that fixes things.

I'm not sure if this helps because I new to this having only picked up Soundtrack Pro for the first time a couple of weeks ago, but I was having the same problem until I moved the widner on the Surround sound HUD to full (fully to the right). Suddenly my stereo went into all 5 channels! (I'm trying to make 5.1 from stereo at the moment) Now I could move the puck and the sound would go to that speaker. But yeah... it's something i don't see in the manual and had to figure out for myself. Only took two weeks...

Surround Sound to Stereo

I just bought a cheaper sound bar for my apple tv. Movies and tv shows having stereo playback work great but anything that has surround sound playback does not. My question is how can i change all my movies in itunes to playback stereo and not surround sound?

Welcome to the Apple Community.
Have you tried adjusting the "Audio Out" and the "Dolby Digital" settings in settings > audio and video? It may be worth trying several combinations of these settings, although typically it is the "Dolby Digital" setting that causes most problems for users.

Is it even possible to edit surround sound on a Mac Pro?!?!?!

Hello,
I've just been reading this thread:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2924869?
Which among many things discusses the fact that Mac Pros, even through an optical cable, are not capable of exporting live 5.1 audio - they can only playback already encoded 5.1 dolby audio from DVD's for example. Apparently the optical out is a purely stereo affair otherwise. I've finally received my Logitech 5450 speakers (took weeks and weeks) and hooked them up. They can indeed playback 5.1 from a DVD, which is splendid. However, one of the things I was most looking forward to was working on surround mixes in Soundtrack Pro. However, firstly STP doesn't want to convert stereo files into surround (like the video online showed), but only means that the surround panner pans between the two front speakers. (I know there's another thread about that, but the proposed solution of adjusting the collapse slider does nothing).
Secondly, and perhaps more confusingly, if I load an actual 5.1 file from the STP content, it still doesn't play in proper surround - the centre speaker kind of works and I think something's rumbling through the subwoofer, but both of the left speakers and right speakers are 'compressed' into the front one alone - nothing comes out of the rear speakers (they are perfectly connected I assure you!). In other words, f I move the puck in the surround panner so it's solely on the front right, and then over to the rear right, it's exactly the same (coming out the front).
I'm sure there must be a solution. Why would Apple advertise the ease with which one can now mix surround if the Mac Pro (I'm not exactly talking about a mac mini here) cannot export live 5.1?
Something which I'm sure is related, but which I can't solve, is that if I go into Audio MIDI setup in Utilities, and try and 'Configure Speakers', only two channels are recognised, and it won't let me select any of the multichannel options (such as 5.1, which is greyed out.)
Anyone know what I'm going on about? I'm totally lost - not really an audio person in general, but hoping to enrich my short films with some surround magic.
Any help greatly appreciated!
Steve
Mac Pro Mac OS X (10.4.8)
Mac Pro Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Typically 5.1 is mixed, and monitored on a 5.1 monitoring system, which means you need an audio interface and setup capable of outputting six channels of audio.
So of course the Mac Pro is capable, but not without additional multi-channel playback and monitoring hardware.
Encoded surround sound, which you hear on playback from things like a DVD, is entirely different story and the encoding is done at the end of the mixing/mastering process. Sometimes you will encode a mix in a variety of formats, Dolby Pro Logic, DTS etc.

Guide : Getting 5.1 surround sound. Audigy 2

Hi all
I thought I would write up a really quick but effecti've and simple guide for owners of the Audigy2 ZS and seeing how its Xmas time, I can assume a few lucky boys and girls may have this awesome card under the tree.
Most of whats covered should work with all creative products.
(Sorry, but I WILL NOT cover any info regarding encoding media or the like that will conflict with copyright laws)
This guide is for setting up your Creative Audigy 2 ZS for surround sound 5. reproduction and information in regards to required Filters/Codecs. I have not included any advanced set up options or the like as the ZS with the set ups I have incluced here will cover it out of the box.
One of the most common issues people may have with 5. not fuctioning correctly while playing a DVD movie ( Mpeg ) or any multi channel media that is 5. encoded, has to do with Codecs/Filters.
Most media players will not decode all AC3filters/Mpeg, thus require extra filters/codecs/plugins to be installed.
Ok , the first thing to do is ensure your sound card and speakers are set up correctly.
Most common speaker sets have 3 plugs that go in the back of your card .
EG, Logitech X-530. Pink = Front Centre.Black = Rear left and right. Green = Front left and right.
Ensure they are in the correct place and are tightly fitted.Ensure your sound card is secure and tightly in place.Make sure your speaker cables are tidy and not a big tangled mess.
Ensure in device audio controls that SPDIF passthrough is NOT ticked as this is for optical output ( the ZS pro with rack fuction )
Update to the latest drivers an media source ap
ps.
A few little things to set up first in Creative Mixer Control Panel to ensure cleaner sound:
Lower Master and Wav volume in Creative mixer to about 90% as to avoid any over dri've disstortion.Lower Master Bass Volume to about 90% to avoid over powering the bass.Ensure that your speaker settings Windows control panel and Creative speaker settings match your speaker set up..
Also run the THX Speaker Callibration test in basic mode.
YOU SHOULD DISSABLE CMSS IN EAX CP IN ORDER TO GET 5. TO FUCTION AS IT SHOULD.
CMSS is to be use only for a MONO or STEREO source/signal. It is for sending the stereo/mono signal ( left and right) to all speakers. This is not 5., mearly it is the same signal sent to all speakers to give you a more rich and vivid sound reproduction of an other wise flat source.
Turn off any EAX FX.
Things you want to do to ensure stable use:
SHUT DOWN CTHELPER:
A background task that is a plug-in manager for Creative drivers. A 3rd party manufacturer can use the CTHELPER plug-in interface to produce drivers, add-on features, and fixes that will integrate with a tighter fit with Creative?s sound drivers and utilities. Gi'ven its purpose CTHELPER would normally be classified as a "leave alone" background task. It also allows Creative speaker setup to be synchronized with Windows Control Panel speaker setting. Without it running that check box in Creative speaker setting is not functional (settings are not in sync). Unfortunately there are often problems with CTHELPER, most notably that it can use 00% of CPU time so it's best left disabled unless you REALLY need it .
Type in run "msconfig" and shut down all Creative Start up entries. Infact its proberly best to shut everything down.
NOTE: Any essentinal Software for the proper fuction of devices ,Eg: Razer mouse utils should be left on.
Simple Bios settings to help improve audio and stablity:
Dissable Pallette Snoop.ANY AND ALL shadows for devices, EG VGA BIOS and system bios should be dissabled. If you have the setting for PCI latency in your bios ( AGP boards only ) set it to 64, if its already at 64 try 32 .
Shut down ( remove, reconmended ) any 3rd party tweak apps that run in the background.
EG, Cache Man and any monitoring software.
Ok, now for Filters/Codecs and Plugins.
A major required Filter is AC3. (ac3filter__0a_rc5)
AC3Filter - it is DirectShow filter for AC3 decoding to play AVI with AC3 audio tracks and MPEG2 (DVD). Required for WMP.
NOTE: If you have DVD software that should play encoded 5. then make sure you have any updates/patches for the player installed and go through the tools/options for the player and ensure its setup correctly to decode AC3filters in the applictions tools menu.
If you use Cyberlink Power DVD you may need to pay an extra fee to get the required AC3filter/MPEG2 decoders to fuction as all 5. sound settings may be greyed out on some dated versions.
InterVideo WIN DVD ( this software suit comes with most "Asus" if not all makes of Mainboards. This suit comes complete with the required codecs/filters so get full surrport for 5. - 6. - 7. out of the box. Note: you must set it up first under audio options as it defualts to 2..
If you use WMP0 you should download and install the AC3filter or get the latest XP codec/filters packs. With out these filters you may not get 5. sound and/or poor reproduction.
Supported file types:
The following table lists the file types (formats) supported by Windows Media Player .(For files type played by Power DVD or WIN DVD please refer to the makers website or read me file for a detailed list).
File type (format) File name extension .
Music CD Playback (CD audio) .cda Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF) .aif, .aifc, and .aiff Windows Media audio and video files .asf, .asx, .wax, .wm, .wma, .wmd, .wmp, .wmv, .wmx, .wpl, and .wvx Windows audio and video files .avi and .wav Windows Media Player skins .wmz Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) .mpeg, .mpg, .mv, .mp2, .mpa, .mpe, .mp2v*, and .mpv2 Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) .mid, .midi, and .rmi AU (UNIX) .au and .snd MP3 .mp3 and .m3u DVD video .vob Macromedia Flash .swf Microsoft Recorded TV Show .dvr-ms*
NOTE: WMP defualts to 2.. To enable 5. run WMP0. Click on tools then point to options. Navigate to DVD then open up the advanced window. In here is everything you need to set things up.
NOTE: If you mess things up simply return to defult settings and start over.
Some common errors you may encounter with WMP.
Error messages are identified by numerical IDs, such as C00D0BC2 and 800704CF. You can determine the ID of a specific error message by clicking the More Information or Web Help button on the error message when you encounter it. The resulting page will indicate the error ID.
: Error's C00D6A and C00D9A while playing DVD's or MPEG-2 content.
This is directly related to either your current video card drivers or the MPEG-2/DVD decoder you have installed (EG: PowerDVD, Win DVD etc ). Reinstalling and/or uninstalling the MPEG-2/DVD decoder (PowerDVD, Win DVD ) and/or video drivers should fix the problem for you.
You should now be able to re-install you decoder ( Power DVD etc ) and continue its use.
Erro : C00DAC:
Cannot play the file Windows Media Player cannot play the protected file because there is a problem with your sound device, such as a sound card or sound controller. You might encounter this error message for one of the following reasons.
Your sound device requires an updated driver. ( update driver )
The selected sound device does not support Secure Audio Path (SAP).
If you have multiple sound devices installed on your computer, try using a different one.
To use a different sound device, on the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Devices tab. Double-click Speakers, audio device to use, click a different device.
Error : "divide error in module IVIAUDIO.AX at".
Only exists in systems that have various Sound Blaster Li've sound cards and WinDVD installed.
This is infact a compatibility problem between these products. The problem is realized when MP3 oriented applications call upon certain sound card services making it look as though the error was raised from within the application in question.
FIX:Uninstall WIN DVD. Reinstall WMP and AC3 filter and then reinstall DVD WIN.
A simple but rare issue.
ModName.Win DVD "msvcrt.dll" and/or Win DVD MFC application error.
FIX:
Uninstall any java filters. Macromedia and Macromedia Acti'veX.
( to remove Acti'veX go to C:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files and delete the Acti'veX )
What are codecs Codecs/Filters.
Codec stands for Coder/Decoder. Basically it is a piece of software or a driver that adds a support for certain video/audio format for your operating system. With codec, your system recognizes the format the codec is built for and allows you to play the audio/video file (=decode) or in some cases, to change another audio/video file into that format (=(en)code).
For example, when you install Windows to your home computer, Windows installs automatically most commonly used codecs into the system, so you don't have to download them separately from their vendors. However there are some codecs that are widely used, but not installed by Windows. Most notably DivX , MPEG-2.
Get all the Codecs/Filters/Plugins you could ever need from:
http://www.free-codecs.com/AC3_Filter_download.htm (ac3filter__0a_rc5)
http://www.free-codecs.com/
NOTE: ( XviD-.0.3-2022004 for Divx ) Stand alone codec for playing Divx instead of the Divx full install.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...0/default.aspx
Ok, you now should be all set.
However Codecs/Filters/Plugins are like any other kind of software installed and things can go wrong. If things are not working as they should try the following.
Download and install "Gspot"
http://gspot.headbands.com/download.htmlBuild 0307 - 23 KB Run the programme and simply point to system and select "List Codecs and other Filters"
Its a no brainer really to know whats what here and how to use it to find out the source of the issue, if you have one. If its red, its bad so you then need to trace the Filter/Codec to its source and remove it.
Here is just one very simple excample you may encounter and how it was fixed.
If you have ffdshow file is missing error pop up while running a player application, first go to C:\WINDOWS\system32 and search for ffdshow.en. Its proberly not here though. If it is just leave it be.
NOTE: ffdshow is used for AVI/Xvid enc/dec source.
To fix this "ffdshow Video Codec file is missing " error Simply uninstall your Xvid codec or your entire DivX programme, or any other Filter/Codec you have installed for playback of DivX files and AVI Video Files.
(Some times it seems a few Codecs/Filters dont get along so you must be aware of what you install).
Cheak "Gspot" again and Filter should be removed from the list.
Now you can reinstall the Xvid filter "XviD-.0.3-2022004" or your desired DivX programme.
Now go back toC:\WINDOWS\system32 and search for ffdshow.en. It should be there if it was not before. If the issue is back try a different version of required Filter.
So, thats just excample of a simple fix that got everything working again. Its not to hard to find out what the problem Codec/Filter is and then its just a case of uninstalling it. You can re-install the Codec/Filter but you should double cheak with "Gspot" and ensure the issue has not repeated itself .
If it has you can try and find out if the issue is related to another type filter causing a conflict or use an alternate Filter/Codec that will perform the same task .
Search for an updated version of required the Codec/Filter also.
Ok, thats pretty much the basics in getting correct and stable 5. sound working the way it should with your new Creative Audigy 2 ZS sound card.
I hope this has been of help.
Regards,xmn.
Message Edited by xmn on 2-24-2005 08:02 PM
Message Edited by xmn on 2-24-2005 08:04 PM
Message Edited by xmn on 2-24-2005 08:05 PM
Message Edited by xmn on 2-24-2005 08:05 PM
Message Edited by xmn on 2-24-2005 08:09 PM
Message Edited by xmn on 2-24-2005 09:29 PM
Message Edited by xmn on 2-26-2005 03:07 PM

BUMP, just incase its been missed by a new board member

Connecting my MacBook Pro to my DVD Surround Sound Speakers?

I'm a student filmmaker in the UK and pretty much do all my video editing from my bedroom using Final Cut Studio. I am using a MacBook Pro3,1 (bought in 2007) and have recently decided that I want to start working in 5.1 surround sound.
As I have no surround sound speakers with my MacBook Pro, I was wondering if it would be possible to connect it up to my DVD surround sound system? This would ultimately save me having to buy a compatible set and having two lots of surround sound speakers around my room...
My DVD player is a Panasonic SC-PT150. The 6 surround sound speakers each connect to it through the standard +/- "clip-in" wire set up (which, obviously isn't compatible with my MacBook Pro). There are also two AUX sockets (one for Left and one for Right) on the back of the DVD player. So far, I have tried connecting my MacBook Pro to these sockets using a Mini plug to RCA cable, however, all I get is an incredibly loud humming noise.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I might, either overcome this problem or, get the setup to work another way? Thanks in advance for your help.

Thanks both of you for your help.
It doesn't mention either of those connections in the manual, however, yes you are right, it takes digital input. I'll have to call and check if the toslink cable is compatible.
I tried connecting the mini-stereo-to-RCA cable to my Nokia phone (which is actually where the cable came from) and that plays through the DVD speakers just fine, when i select AUX mode. Although, as you said, it only plays stereo.
Say the mini-toslink cable is compatible, would I need to get a 5.1 surround sound card for my MBP?
Thanks again.

How do I convert analogue 5.1 surround sound into a digital signal? (Pioneer SE-DIR800C headphon

I understand that my SB Audigy 2 card will only output 5. sound from games through its 3 analogue connectors. How do I convert this analogue signal into a digital one? What hardware do I need to purchase?
I have read the thread on "Digital Connections, SPDIF and Dolby Digital Info", and also I've thoroughly read the "Creative Speaker Connectivity Guide".
The reason I ask is that I have just bought a pair of Pioneer SE-DIR800C Surround Sound headphones. This are supposedly fantastic for recreating surround sound on headphones because there is a clever little decoder box. They accept a DTS / Dolby Digital signal via the digital co-axial and optical inputs, and there is a single analogue input which only accepts stereo sound.
My XBox and PS2 will output true digital 5. sound via an optical cable and I am confident this will work perfectly with these headphones. I'm really looking forward to playing Halo in surround sound! But for gaming on my PC, I'll be limited to just an analogue stereo signal. Well, unless I can find some device that will convert my SoundBlaster's analogue 5. outputs into a digital signal, which I can then plug into the little decoder box for these headphones.
So, back to my question:
What hardware do I need to buy to convert an analogue 5. signal (via 6 x RCA or 3 x 3.5mm stereo ) into a true digital signal (via optical or co-axial SP/DIF)? Is it some type of headphone amplifier I need? If possible, please recommend makes & models of equipment.

Thanks stefan
OK, basically I have found 3 options for getting digital 5. out of a PC:
a) Creative DTS-60 (approx $90). This converts the SB's analogue into digital, but it's not available in the UK and it also introduces a noticeable 50ms sound delay. Also, who wants an extra box hanging out of their PC?
b) Buy a new sound card which has Dolby Digital Li've output. For example, ) BlueGears HDA X Mystique 7., or 2) Turtle Beach Montego DDL, or 3) Terratec Aureon 7. PCI (NOT the Space, FireWire or Uni'verse cards). I couldn't find the first two available in the UK so I have just ordered the Terratec card from Komplett.
c) Buy a new motherboard that has built-in Dolby Digital Li've output, for example the ABIT Fatalty AA8XE. Unfortunately my PC is only just over year old and I'm not quite ready to replace it.
I hope this info is useful for people. Maybe Creative will start making a card with DDL output too.Message Edited by NinjaHeretic on 2-22-2005 08:46 AM

How do I set up optical surround sound on my mac mini?

Hi all,
I have a funny situation where my mac no longer recognises my receiver as a surround sound device through the digital optical connection. It used to, it worked for about a year and a half, then suddenly stopped sending 5.1. 2.0 still worked (mp3s, avis), but trying to send 5.1 (mkvs) ended up with no sound whatsoever, on any app (VLC, Plex).
My equipment: 2009 Mac Mini running OS 10.6, Denon AVR-3082 amplifier, connected via optical link.
I tried a complete reinstall (as it had been a while), and I remember last time I set up 5.1 on my mac mini, it was some very involved process involving Perian and changing settings in the DVD player. I saw the default interface now supported setting up speaker configuration directly through the Audio/Midi setup utility, however this doesn't seem to work for me. When I select multi-channel audio output, all the options except "Stereo" are greyed out. I am using "Digital out" as the output device (only choice), and have tried 44.1 and 48kHz. My amplifier does not support HDMI audio input, which would be the simplest solution, so I am stuck using this optical solution.
On this clean install (not even any OS updates), 2.0 playback works (mp3 through VLC), and now 5.1 playback is mixed down to stereo by default. I have seen a number of guides online saying to use Perian, edit config files and so on, but they are all several years old so I presume somerthing has changed since.
Does anyone know how to get 5.1 output from my mac mini to my receiver, in the way it used to work for years until last week? Thanks in advance.

You can download mail for exchange to a pc or laptop then use nokia pc suite to install it.
The bug still exists were your email will be show up as being sent from Mail For Exchange and not you name
Anyone know a way around that?

No More Surround Sound on Blu-ray player after Upgrade in MediaSmart

When I used the Blu-ray player in my home theatre I selected the "HDMI pass through" mode to get surround sound. I came across some new movies that would not play and after the update from HP the player would simply freeze up as soon as there was audio present. I had to go into the task manager to shut it down.
MediaSmart works fine on the laptop, but it only freezes up when I use the "HDMI pass through" setting.
I have tried "HDMI pcm" mode and that doesn't work either. The Denon receiver shows there are five channels working but I only get stereo sound out of the front left and right speakers. This would indicate that the Blu-ray player is not outputting in 5.1 surrond sound and that the laptop and the Denon receiver is working fine.
Hp supports' solution was to reinstall the old driver or try a system restore. I know a system restore isn't going to do anything. The problem is in the new software. The new software did not work on my HDX18 when it was in Vista, it didn't work when I upgraded to Windows 7 and it doesn't on my new dv8.
I tried contacting CyberLink to let them know that the upgrade is giving problems, but I think they are ignoring me.
Personally I think that either HP or Cyberlink just forgot to add the drivers for 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound.
If someone were to find a solution to this one I would be surprised. I am quite certain I covered every possibility, but you never know.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
This question was solved.
View Solution.

OK, I found a solution. SORT OF. I use the laptop to watch region "B" Blu-ray movies that I buy out of England. Rather than set Media Smart to region "B" I purchased software from SlySoft.com. When the software is running it removes the region code and all that annoying copy protection. Fox is the worst, followed by Walt Disney. (Pixar Animation and Buena Vista) One specific movie that would not play on the old Media Smart software was "Ice Age 3 Dawn Of The Dinosaurs. When I tried, a red window came up prompting me to go to Cyberlink for an update. Of course after that the movie would play, but I had no surround sound in my home theatre.
So now I use the old Media Smart software and run SlySoft...no more red window...I have surround sound in my theatre through HDMI pass through.
The problem with this solution is that Slysoft costs around 114.00$ U.S. for a life time membership and free updates forever. HMMM.

Can't get surround sound to work while default format is 96000Khz

Hello,
I finally figured out that for some reason I can play 5.1 surround sound if I choose the 24bit/48000Kh as the default format from the realtek manager, or for that matter from the Sound control panel. But if i choose the 24bit/96000Kh from the realtek sound manager I only get stereo sound when played either from WMP or WMC.
Does anyone know if this is a limitation of the sound card I have?
According to the spec's I should have the for the s3480a are:
Sound/Audio
High Definition 6-channel audio
ALC 888S chipset
Also, and maybe for another post, i bought HDMI cable because I have a TV Tuner card in this unit but I can't seem to get it to work...
HP ENVY 17-j005tx Notebook, HP ENVY Recline 27-k001a, HP ProLiant MicroServer Gen8 G2020T, HP MediaSmart EX495 Server, HP MediaVault 2020, HP ENVY 120 AiO Printer

I've seen similar OEM "configurations" with RealTek codecs and the sound hardware on the motherboard. I "think" channel limitations at higher Khs are either a real hardware/codec limitations or the folks that design the PC are safeguarding against problems that show up when multi-channel is enabled at higher Khs (power draw, popping noises, whatever).
This is total speculation on part.
I have seen cases where updating the sound codec using the latest drivers available from realtek.tw allows you to select from more hz and channel options. But keep in mind more problems might pop up if you select a hz range beyond 48Mhz.
... an HP employee expressing his own opinion.
Please post rather than send me a Message. It's good for the community and I might not be able to get back quickly. - Thank you.

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.

Stereo - no surround sound

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