Thread: HDMI? - Guru needed.

Most HDMI video cards i've seen basically use a passthrough from your standard soundcard and then feed it out through the HDMI port rather than having their own audio hardware onboard.

I found with my HTPC it was AC3Filter that was cutting the output levels, especially for anything with Dolby encoding so it might be worth checking the control panel applet for it if you have it installed to see if yours is the same.

Originally Posted by ariddell

Most HDMI video cards i've seen basically use a passthrough from your standard soundcard and then feed it out through the HDMI port rather than having their own audio hardware onboard.

I found with my HTPC it was AC3Filter that was cutting the output levels, especially for anything with Dolby encoding so it might be worth checking the control panel applet for it if you have it installed to see if yours is the same.

Thanks Mate. Could you give me some more info re the AC3 filter and what it does?

Cheers.

It's one of the audio codecs that is installed as part of most codec packs in order to decode audio stored in divx/xvid video files.

On my system it had some very strange volume mixer & limiting settings by default so having a play with these allowed me to get the output back up to normal levels. Even though i do a straight optical output from my HTPC to my amp it had dropped the volume levels right down.

If you have it installed it'll most likely have a config utility either in the contol panel in windows or possibly on the start menu (on my system it's in the control panel).

Have you also had a play with the standard windows sound mixer levels to see if you can crank up the volume levels this way too? Sometimes even if the master volume slider is set all the way up the one for wave audio can still be low and overriding it.

Originally Posted by ariddell

Have you also had a play with the standard windows sound mixer levels to see if you can crank up the volume levels this way too? Sometimes even if the master volume slider is set all the way up the one for wave audio can still be low and overriding it.

Certainly have, with minimal results. Have done some research on AC3 in the last little while and now have a better idea of what you're talking about.

I am LOATHED to touch the HTPC as it's a temperamental beast but I've really got no choice.

Thanks for your help.

hi Mate

also worth noting that most hdmi out video cards are flakey at best at outputting the hdmi audio. ATI dont seem to be able to get it working and i think nvidia is a bit dodgy too. i just have mine linked via optical into the HT amp and then have a logitech harmony to switch and control everything (just 1 remote then!). if i want to listen via the tv only i have a crappy old 3.5mm to rca lead into the tv that works ok.. but you will need to crank the volume up on the PC. i havent used this for months..

what HTPC software are you using?

Thanks

Steve

ariddell, thanks for the AC3 tip, which once I found it, it fixed the audio level although the quality is still crap, but that's tomorrow's mission.

5teve, XP MCE (tried an upgrade to Vista which ended in disaster), which when working it's great but the tuner is "sensitive". I spent months getting it matched well to the CRT WS and now think I have to start again with the new LCD

Picture is fantastic, sound is less than average (the new TV's fault I think). The weekend's mission is to rewire the audio so that it goes from HTPC to amp to TV to try and get some oomph!

Cheers.

im sure i have mentioned it before but i use mediaportal, currently have 5 tuners running (and useable at the same time) far more stable than MCE from what i can gather.

as for the setup i have, i have dvi direct to Tv via a DVi to HDMI cable (dont have the luxury of hdmi switching on the amp) then i have an optical out to the amp. i dont really worry about the sound to the tv as it really is never used.

the remotes got a bit of a problem so i invested a whole $74 on a logitech harmony 525 and its worth its weight in gold.. i now use 1 remote and thats it! makes life easy..

if you need any more info let me know and i can try and point you in the right direction!

by the way... what tv card you got?

Thanks

Steve

DViCO FusionHDTV DVB-T Dual