They only use the hardware decoder to decode an AC3 stream from a file (or DVD). Creative's X-Fi (which has a hardware dolby digital decoder onboard) doesn't support decoding an SPDIF input and passing it to the directsound to be output.You will see under Sample Rate: "AC3 48Khz". You can verify this on your own by simply plugging a device that is outputting Dolby Digital directly into the SPDIF input and goto the Realtek HD Audio Manager -> Digital Input tab -> Digital Audio Input tab. This is the case even though the Realtek chipset is able to recognize that the signal it is receiving IS, in fact, an AC3 signal. Realtek has NEVER supported (and I doubt will ever support) passing an AC3 stream from SPDIF input to a directshow decoder (such as AC3Filter).Almost NO sound cards exist (except maybe the ones listed at the bottom of this post or possibly the legacy Creative cards that support the KX project drivers) that will decode an AC3 stream passed over SPDIF.The reasons AC3 streams are not passable to the SPDIF input on a computer are many fold: However, this does not occur frequently (at least on my Media Live Diva HTPC with an AMD Phenom Triple Core 2.4 and 4 GB DDR2 RAM). NOTE: This solution does NOT cause a noticeable audio delay! Although you may need to OCCASIONALLY restart MPC if the audio starts to lag. Source outputting a 2 channel PCM stream -> SPDIF input to your computer -> Media Player Classic (using "Open Device") -> Audio 5.1 speakers connected to your computer. NOTE: This solution will result in the audio being ~1 second behind the video Source outputting a 2 channel PCM stream -> SPDIF input on your computer -> Audio signal remixer -> Audio 5.1 speakers connected to your computer.Source outputting a 2 channel PCM stream -> SPDIF input on your computer -> L & R speakers connected to your computer.
#TERATERM SCRIPT EXAMPLE SOFTWARE#
Source outputting an AC3 stream -> SPDIF input on your computer -> AC3 Software Decoder -> 5.1 speakers connected to your computer.Source outputting an AC3 stream -> SPDIF input on your computer -> 5.1 speakers connected to your computer.Note: This is referring mostly to a computer running Vista. Well people, I am here to tell you that, after my exhaustive search for this holy grail, I have come to the conclusion that it is (at present) NOT COMPLETELY POSSIBLE! Because a computer SHOULD be able to handle it.Because we don't want to spend the extra money on a receiver.Because we don't want another piece of hardware sitting in our media rack (or ANOTHER remote).The reasons we want to take on this challenge are summed up here:
#TERATERM SCRIPT EXAMPLE HOW TO#
The pros and cons of having a computer take on this task is irrelevant as it does nothing to help advance the discussion of HOW to have a computer accomplish it. It is NOT intended as a back-and-forth on the merits of taking on the problem in the first place. NOTE - This thread is interested in discussing SOLUTIONS to the above problem. USE OUR HTPC AS A REPLACEMENT FOR A RECEIVER! I am putting together this thread to compile everything I have learned to date because I have wasted many many hours searching and searching and struggling and struggling to try to accomplish what many of us have been wanting to do for a LONG time, that is: