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Topic: Cannot get Dolby Digital to work (Read 3819 times) previous topic - next topic
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Cannot get Dolby Digital to work

Okay, so my set up is a SoundBlaster Audigy 2 Platinum ZS ( kX Project Drivers ) using optical spdif to connect to a JVC RX-778V reciever.  In my drivers I have ac3 Pass-Through enabled and I have my reciever's Pro Logic decoder enabled.  Now if I play a DVD in WinDVD and select Enable S/PDIF Out under the audio options all I get is a loud pop (sometimes two or three) then silence and I have to turn my reciever off and back on to get any noise at all again.

Also, not sure if this is of any meaning, but my reciever has an LED lit up that is labeled Linear PCM. (The LED labeled Dolby Digital hasn't lit up a bit.)

If I need to provide more information just let me know and I will do my best, I've just started learning about this sort of stuff 

Thanks in advance for any help,
Dustin.

Cannot get Dolby Digital to work

Reply #1 –
I'm not very familiar with dolby digital, but this sounds like a driver problem.
Hifi components are very reliable, so you can be sure the receiver's input is normal PCM.
Are you sure your soundcard is able to deliver dolby digital via the SPDIF out ?
Perhaps you should first try to get the 'normal' SPDIF PCM working.
I know that I know nothing. But how can I then know that ?

Cannot get Dolby Digital to work

Reply #2 –
Normal PCM?  I'm not too familiar with this sort of thing.  I can get sound from all my speakers at times, but I get a swelling and fading of volume and such, not pleasant to listen to.  Either way, I would imagine that the SoundBlaster Audigy 2 Platinum ZS would have capabilities such as that, perhaps it doesn't.

If you could direct me somewhere just to read or something like that it would be great.

Thanks again,
Dustin

Cannot get Dolby Digital to work

Reply #3 –
Quote
In my drivers I have ac3 Pass-Through enabled and I have my reciever's Pro Logic decoder enabled.

Pro Logic is not Dolby Digital. Pro Logic is not even digital. It uses a matrix to store extra channels. You should set your receiver to receive Dolby Digital.
"Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored."
—Aldous Huxley

Cannot get Dolby Digital to work

Reply #4 –
According to the manual of my reciever, if I press a button labeled "Dolby Surround" it enables Dolby Pro Logic and Dolby Digital.  So I assumed the Pro Logic had something to do with Dolby Digital.  I can't find anything in my manual about just turning on Dolby Digital.  Considering that the Linear PCM LED was lit up and the Dolby Digital LED wasn't, I just assumed that Dolby Digital turns on when it recieves a Dolby Digital stream.  Which brings me back to my original problem.  Perhaps I should try hooking up a regular DVD player to my reciever and play a Dolby Digital DVD through it to see if the Dolby Digital LED lights up?  I'm not really sure, I really need to learn more about this stuff.

Thanks again,
Dustin

Cannot get Dolby Digital to work

Reply #5 –
Trs to select "Default WaveOut Device" as output device somewhere. Creative cards don´t play ac3 over DirectSound.

You can also try MediaPlayerClassic, select S/PDIF out for AC3 in options->Audio-Decoders and "Default WaveOut Device" in the Output tab (could be named different, I have only german version).

Cannot get Dolby Digital to work

Reply #6 –
I downloaded Windows Media Player Classic and tried what you said.  The same thing happened.  A loud pop and silence, then I had to turn my reciever off and back on to get any more sound 

Thanks for the suggestion though,
Dustin

Cannot get Dolby Digital to work

Reply #7 –
Quote
I downloaded Windows Media Player Classic and tried what you said. The same thing happened. A loud pop and silence, then I had to turn my reciever off and back on to get any more sound unsure.gif

Thanks for the suggestion though,
Dustin
Did you set it to WaveOut?
Try to play this file: http://www.mplayerhq.hu/MPlayer/samples/A-...khz-448kbit.ac3

Cannot get Dolby Digital to work

Reply #8 –
Yes I did, I tried to play an ac3 file.  The same thing happened. 

Cannot get Dolby Digital to work

Reply #9 –
Quote
According to the manual of my reciever, if I press a button labeled "Dolby Surround" it enables Dolby Pro Logic and Dolby Digital.  So I assumed the Pro Logic had something to do with Dolby Digital.
They may be related inside your receiver, but as two standalone formats, one is analog and one is digital.

Quote
Considering that the Linear PCM LED was lit up and the Dolby Digital LED wasn't, I just assumed that Dolby Digital turns on when it recieves a Dolby Digital stream.
Linear PCM is what comes off a regular stereo CD.  The reason it is called linear is because it is not packetized, as AC3 and SP-DIF are.  So...it sounds like your receiver thinks that it's receiving a stereo signal with Dolby ProLogic encoding.

Quote
Perhaps I should try hooking up a regular DVD player to my reciever and play a Dolby Digital DVD through it to see if the Dolby Digital LED lights up?
This is by far your best idea yet!
------- Rick -------
--------------------

Cannot get Dolby Digital to work

Reply #10 –
lol, thanks, you wouldn't happen to have a link or two (three..five, maybe?) where I could read and actually learn something about this?  Not really even sure what to search for 

Thanks for everyone's help!
Dustin

(getting my DVD player now )