Hello everyone.
I have big problem...
I am posting post I wrote from an other forum. If anyone could be help I would really appreciate.
Thks.
Alex
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello everyone,
I am going crazy, I really hope your guys will be able to help me.
Believe me before asking your help and creating a new topic in this great forum I have looked quite a long time to find a solution to my problem with no real luck.
Let me explain everything...
First of all, the hardware & software I own:
- Sony S1 laptop with dvd player
- M-Audio Sonica Usb sound card (plugged onto the laptop)
- DD & DTS Amp (Thomson) connected to the Sonica via SPDIF
- and of course a 5.1 loudspeaker kit.
- WinDVD 4 & 6
- PowerDVD 5
- VLC
- Foobar2000 & foo_dts.dll + asio plugin installed
- ZoomPlayer with tons of codecs/filters (Ac3Filter 1.05, Cinesmaster, Ogg etc...)
- DTSParser
Now what I am trying to do:
Listen to DTS-Audio files in DTS mode of course and not stereo.
I want to listen to them directly from the hard drive, even If I have to make an image with nero and load it with daemon tool. But I don't want to have to burn a real cd-r.
Here is what I acheived to do:
I can read with ZoomPlayer, WinDVD and PowerDvd any dvd with a DTS track or a DD track no pb. The amp is getting the right signal, the DTS sign is diplayed and the world is wonderfull.
I can also read AC3 track from divx files using AC3filter on ZoomPlayer with good AC3 signal to the amp.
With should actually be proving that my sound card + spdif + amp is working fine decoding numeric audio signal (DTS & AC3).
I can read any DTS-Wav files and DTS true files with either Foobar2000 and/or VLC but only in stereo mode... I cannot get those two player to activate the spdif output. For foobar I tried what have read: using kernel streaming, installing ASIO plugin but everytime it says: could not create device blablablaalbb crap.
So I tried the burning system... I downloaded for test purpose different DTS-wav files (from that swedish radio and album for p2p like The eagles).
I first burned files to real cds, and I had exactly the same result as creating an NRG image of the disk, therefore I stopped wasting CDs and used NRG image with nero.
By burning the DTS-wav I got 3 differents behavior reading the cd with WinDVD, but in all case the dectected signal on the amp was DTS (I am getting closer...):
- The most common: only a weird pulsating sound jumping to one speaker to another and the LFE signal blinking on the amp.
- For one file (downloaded from the swedish radio): the same weird pulsating sound + a very ugly version of the original signal I could distinguish people speaking and stuff.
- And only for one file (The demo called the run, still from that swedish radio): A perfectly working DTS signal, no distortion everything was perfect ! It just makes me want more than anything be able to listen to DTS-Audio...
I start wandering what the difference could be between those files ... I checked everyone of them and it seems that they are all: 5 channels (I guess no LFE) at 44.1KHZ and with 1411bitrates. So I really don't understand why some (actually only 1) are working and some aren't.
I pushed my investigtion further... I read some stuff about some soundcards resempling the 44.1Khz signal to 48Khz which destroy the sound. But could it be that since 1 files is perfectly working and another one seem close to it ?
Does anyone knows if the M-Audio Sonica is resempling (like SoundBlaster) ? I guess it shouldn't be the case since it seems that the other M-Audio don't. And M-Audio should be quality no ?
Then I read that PowerDVD could read directly DTS encoded files (*.dts) so I got myself a version of it and I used DTSParser and/or Wav2Dts to convert my dts waves to true DTS. I did it with the files I just tested. I played them in powerdvd. At first I was literaly jumping on the room, I was so happy to see the DTS sign displaying on the amp. But I got even sader few second later when I started to hear the sound. The pitch has raised, the rythme was quicker and the voices sound more girly. Then I remember reading some stuff about DTSParser altering the DTS quality and pitch. But the weird thing is that is seems to me but I am not quite sure that when I converted the signal of the one that was already working the pitch hadn't change... Very bizarre because the file property was the same as the other one.
I am really starting to loose faith... Would I ever be able to read those file ? The best lead I am following rigth now is to find a way to activate the spdif output with foobar2000 (I am not even trying with VLC because I am using for quite a long time now I never could achieve that...). The encouraging things with foobar is that it can read both files type: wav-dts and true dts. I can hear the difference even in stereo mode with foobar with the same source the dts-wav is good (pitch, voice etc.) and the other one I created with DTSParser from the source has a higher pitch and all. So I am hoping that if I can get that spdif out on foobar I will be able to read directly the dts-wav file (juste need to add a .dts extension) and pass the signal to the amp for a DTS decoding this time.
I know it was quite long to read... But if your reading this your are almost at the end .
Please help me !! I am beging... Joking appart I would really appreciated any advise, tips, or whatsoever.
Alex tired of typing on the keyboard.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi, Episkeul:
Some things to check and try:
1. Make absolutely sure that you have the latest drivers for your M-Audio sound card ... Even if you already have them, download them again and reinstall them. (When installing other apps like WinDVD/PowerDVD, etc., certain driver files and/or codecs may be replaced by versions that your sound card doesn't agree with)
2. When playing a dts.wav file in VLC: If the file does not contain all 6 channels it is possible that VLC does not choose the correct output mode automatically, therefore you must change the playback mode AFTER playback begins. To do this, click [Audio]+[Audio Device]+[5.1] for local playback (or [3/2]) (or A/52 over S/PDIF for streaming S/PDIF to another device) ... Also, check these settings (after playback begins): [Settings]+[Preferences]+[Audio] ... place a check in the [Advanced options] box at the bottom-right ... [Audio Output Module] = Default ... [Use the S/PDIF audio output when available] = Checked ... (scroll down) [Audio filters] = Blank ... [Channel Mixer] = DTS Coherent Acoustics audio decoder ... Finally, under the [Stream Output] preferences, make sure [Enable audio stream output] IS checked.
Another thing to try is changing the VLC volume to FULL ON (all the way up) ... Don't forget to keep your receiver's audio volume turned down pretty far while you try all of this to avoid the loud white-noise from damaging your equipment.
Post back your results, and good luck to you!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello thank for the advice... But still no luck !
I tryed everything you said but I could get VLC to activate the spdif out.
Even with a regular DVD I can't get it to work with VLC (the spdif) whereas it works perfectly fine with PowerDVD, WinDVD or even with ZoomPlayer properly configured. The only option I could find was the "A/52 over S/PDIF for streaming S/PDIF to another device", I don't see where you get that from ?
Anyway thanks for trying to help.
Anyone elese as any advice ? I ready to try almost everything... even if I have to dance on one leg to make this thing work !!
Seriously, anyone knows if my M-Audio Sonica (usb sound card) is resempling from 44.1Khz to 48Khz (like sound blaster) ?
This week end I downloaded an other demo dts-wav file, I burned it right aways with nero and It worked... The DTS signed appeared on my amp but the weird thing is that the pitch was accelerated, juste like when I was reading modified dts file (with DTSParser) with power dvd... I tried to read the file with foobar and vlc, and when in stereo mode i got a correct pitch and the voice was therefore not girly anymore...
I just don't get it. Why some files are working without doing anything special, why some are working with a wrong pitch ? And why some file don't work at all ? Could this be the resempling problem ? I am afraid so, but if it is the case why on some file and not on some other ?
Any help would be greatly appreciated...
Alex
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am still stuck at the same point... I am getting desesperate but I am still trying everything that I can think of.
The closest I got for reading dts audio is by converting my dts-wavs to full/true dts and read them with powerdvd (the only player so far who can read dts and pass it through the spdif to the amp, because I still can get vlc nor foobar to activate that &*^$]@"# digital output !). But the problem is that the files seems to be no read well, I have a speed/pitch problem.
Let's talk numbers:
I have a sample files (encoded at 44.1 Khz) which normaly last 5 minutes and 53 seconds (that is what's telling me VLC and foobar), I transformed it to a full DTS using BeSplit 0.9b6 and indeed it stills last 5 minutes and 53 sec (trusting VLC and foobar). Ok now the weird thing is when I play that file (the full dts one) into power dvd whis the spdif output activated it last 5 minutes and 24 sec !!! And if you solve the equation 353 / 324 * 44.1 = 48 Khz !!!!! d**n it the file is read in 48 Khz .... How is that possible ? Ok let's forget that for a moment, now I deactivate the spdif output inside power dvd and set it to regular stereo, and has you can guess the file length has changed !! But not has I expected, in fact the length is not 5 min 53, but a weird number 5 min 40 sec... ! I can't see the mathematical logic of that... So I start thinking that it just maybe powerdvd nutsting around. Just a non sense hypothesis from me, since power dvd usually reads DTS encode at 48Khz from dvd sound track maybe it asumes that all dts should be read at the 48Khz ? I just don't know so I tried burning that file with nero I read it using Windvd in audio mode with spdif activated, but has I expected I got those usual weird static sound, but even the sound was messy the file length was the expected one: 5 minutes and 53 sec as it should always be !!!
Everything is terribly confusing for me... Power dvd reads the files but with a wrong pitch/speed which changes the files length and Win Dvd which seems to have no problem reading the rigth length of the file can't get a good sound out of it. And at last the two player who also read the correct file length can't activated the spdif output on my M-audio Sonica.
Hellllllllllp me please...
Alex
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Congratulations !!! I warned you it was a really long read Anyways thank so for at leat caring enough to read through the end. But if you have a solution I would be greatefull for ever !
Alex
I have big problem...
I am posting post I wrote from an other forum. If anyone could be help I would really appreciate.
Thks.
Alex
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello everyone,
I am going crazy, I really hope your guys will be able to help me.
Believe me before asking your help and creating a new topic in this great forum I have looked quite a long time to find a solution to my problem with no real luck.
Let me explain everything...
First of all, the hardware & software I own:
- Sony S1 laptop with dvd player
- M-Audio Sonica Usb sound card (plugged onto the laptop)
- DD & DTS Amp (Thomson) connected to the Sonica via SPDIF
- and of course a 5.1 loudspeaker kit.
- WinDVD 4 & 6
- PowerDVD 5
- VLC
- Foobar2000 & foo_dts.dll + asio plugin installed
- ZoomPlayer with tons of codecs/filters (Ac3Filter 1.05, Cinesmaster, Ogg etc...)
- DTSParser
Now what I am trying to do:
Listen to DTS-Audio files in DTS mode of course and not stereo.
I want to listen to them directly from the hard drive, even If I have to make an image with nero and load it with daemon tool. But I don't want to have to burn a real cd-r.
Here is what I acheived to do:
I can read with ZoomPlayer, WinDVD and PowerDvd any dvd with a DTS track or a DD track no pb. The amp is getting the right signal, the DTS sign is diplayed and the world is wonderfull.
I can also read AC3 track from divx files using AC3filter on ZoomPlayer with good AC3 signal to the amp.
With should actually be proving that my sound card + spdif + amp is working fine decoding numeric audio signal (DTS & AC3).
I can read any DTS-Wav files and DTS true files with either Foobar2000 and/or VLC but only in stereo mode... I cannot get those two player to activate the spdif output. For foobar I tried what have read: using kernel streaming, installing ASIO plugin but everytime it says: could not create device blablablaalbb crap.
So I tried the burning system... I downloaded for test purpose different DTS-wav files (from that swedish radio and album for p2p like The eagles).
I first burned files to real cds, and I had exactly the same result as creating an NRG image of the disk, therefore I stopped wasting CDs and used NRG image with nero.
By burning the DTS-wav I got 3 differents behavior reading the cd with WinDVD, but in all case the dectected signal on the amp was DTS (I am getting closer...):
- The most common: only a weird pulsating sound jumping to one speaker to another and the LFE signal blinking on the amp.
- For one file (downloaded from the swedish radio): the same weird pulsating sound + a very ugly version of the original signal I could distinguish people speaking and stuff.
- And only for one file (The demo called the run, still from that swedish radio): A perfectly working DTS signal, no distortion everything was perfect ! It just makes me want more than anything be able to listen to DTS-Audio...
I start wandering what the difference could be between those files ... I checked everyone of them and it seems that they are all: 5 channels (I guess no LFE) at 44.1KHZ and with 1411bitrates. So I really don't understand why some (actually only 1) are working and some aren't.
I pushed my investigtion further... I read some stuff about some soundcards resempling the 44.1Khz signal to 48Khz which destroy the sound. But could it be that since 1 files is perfectly working and another one seem close to it ?
Does anyone knows if the M-Audio Sonica is resempling (like SoundBlaster) ? I guess it shouldn't be the case since it seems that the other M-Audio don't. And M-Audio should be quality no ?
Then I read that PowerDVD could read directly DTS encoded files (*.dts) so I got myself a version of it and I used DTSParser and/or Wav2Dts to convert my dts waves to true DTS. I did it with the files I just tested. I played them in powerdvd. At first I was literaly jumping on the room, I was so happy to see the DTS sign displaying on the amp. But I got even sader few second later when I started to hear the sound. The pitch has raised, the rythme was quicker and the voices sound more girly. Then I remember reading some stuff about DTSParser altering the DTS quality and pitch. But the weird thing is that is seems to me but I am not quite sure that when I converted the signal of the one that was already working the pitch hadn't change... Very bizarre because the file property was the same as the other one.
I am really starting to loose faith... Would I ever be able to read those file ? The best lead I am following rigth now is to find a way to activate the spdif output with foobar2000 (I am not even trying with VLC because I am using for quite a long time now I never could achieve that...). The encouraging things with foobar is that it can read both files type: wav-dts and true dts. I can hear the difference even in stereo mode with foobar with the same source the dts-wav is good (pitch, voice etc.) and the other one I created with DTSParser from the source has a higher pitch and all. So I am hoping that if I can get that spdif out on foobar I will be able to read directly the dts-wav file (juste need to add a .dts extension) and pass the signal to the amp for a DTS decoding this time.
I know it was quite long to read... But if your reading this your are almost at the end .
Please help me !! I am beging... Joking appart I would really appreciated any advise, tips, or whatsoever.
Alex tired of typing on the keyboard.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi, Episkeul:
Some things to check and try:
1. Make absolutely sure that you have the latest drivers for your M-Audio sound card ... Even if you already have them, download them again and reinstall them. (When installing other apps like WinDVD/PowerDVD, etc., certain driver files and/or codecs may be replaced by versions that your sound card doesn't agree with)
2. When playing a dts.wav file in VLC: If the file does not contain all 6 channels it is possible that VLC does not choose the correct output mode automatically, therefore you must change the playback mode AFTER playback begins. To do this, click [Audio]+[Audio Device]+[5.1] for local playback (or [3/2]) (or A/52 over S/PDIF for streaming S/PDIF to another device) ... Also, check these settings (after playback begins): [Settings]+[Preferences]+[Audio] ... place a check in the [Advanced options] box at the bottom-right ... [Audio Output Module] = Default ... [Use the S/PDIF audio output when available] = Checked ... (scroll down) [Audio filters] = Blank ... [Channel Mixer] = DTS Coherent Acoustics audio decoder ... Finally, under the [Stream Output] preferences, make sure [Enable audio stream output] IS checked.
Another thing to try is changing the VLC volume to FULL ON (all the way up) ... Don't forget to keep your receiver's audio volume turned down pretty far while you try all of this to avoid the loud white-noise from damaging your equipment.
Post back your results, and good luck to you!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello thank for the advice... But still no luck !
I tryed everything you said but I could get VLC to activate the spdif out.
Even with a regular DVD I can't get it to work with VLC (the spdif) whereas it works perfectly fine with PowerDVD, WinDVD or even with ZoomPlayer properly configured. The only option I could find was the "A/52 over S/PDIF for streaming S/PDIF to another device", I don't see where you get that from ?
Anyway thanks for trying to help.
Anyone elese as any advice ? I ready to try almost everything... even if I have to dance on one leg to make this thing work !!
Seriously, anyone knows if my M-Audio Sonica (usb sound card) is resempling from 44.1Khz to 48Khz (like sound blaster) ?
This week end I downloaded an other demo dts-wav file, I burned it right aways with nero and It worked... The DTS signed appeared on my amp but the weird thing is that the pitch was accelerated, juste like when I was reading modified dts file (with DTSParser) with power dvd... I tried to read the file with foobar and vlc, and when in stereo mode i got a correct pitch and the voice was therefore not girly anymore...
I just don't get it. Why some files are working without doing anything special, why some are working with a wrong pitch ? And why some file don't work at all ? Could this be the resempling problem ? I am afraid so, but if it is the case why on some file and not on some other ?
Any help would be greatly appreciated...
Alex
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am still stuck at the same point... I am getting desesperate but I am still trying everything that I can think of.
The closest I got for reading dts audio is by converting my dts-wavs to full/true dts and read them with powerdvd (the only player so far who can read dts and pass it through the spdif to the amp, because I still can get vlc nor foobar to activate that &*^$]@"# digital output !). But the problem is that the files seems to be no read well, I have a speed/pitch problem.
Let's talk numbers:
I have a sample files (encoded at 44.1 Khz) which normaly last 5 minutes and 53 seconds (that is what's telling me VLC and foobar), I transformed it to a full DTS using BeSplit 0.9b6 and indeed it stills last 5 minutes and 53 sec (trusting VLC and foobar). Ok now the weird thing is when I play that file (the full dts one) into power dvd whis the spdif output activated it last 5 minutes and 24 sec !!! And if you solve the equation 353 / 324 * 44.1 = 48 Khz !!!!! d**n it the file is read in 48 Khz .... How is that possible ? Ok let's forget that for a moment, now I deactivate the spdif output inside power dvd and set it to regular stereo, and has you can guess the file length has changed !! But not has I expected, in fact the length is not 5 min 53, but a weird number 5 min 40 sec... ! I can't see the mathematical logic of that... So I start thinking that it just maybe powerdvd nutsting around. Just a non sense hypothesis from me, since power dvd usually reads DTS encode at 48Khz from dvd sound track maybe it asumes that all dts should be read at the 48Khz ? I just don't know so I tried burning that file with nero I read it using Windvd in audio mode with spdif activated, but has I expected I got those usual weird static sound, but even the sound was messy the file length was the expected one: 5 minutes and 53 sec as it should always be !!!
Everything is terribly confusing for me... Power dvd reads the files but with a wrong pitch/speed which changes the files length and Win Dvd which seems to have no problem reading the rigth length of the file can't get a good sound out of it. And at last the two player who also read the correct file length can't activated the spdif output on my M-audio Sonica.
Hellllllllllp me please...
Alex
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Congratulations !!! I warned you it was a really long read Anyways thank so for at leat caring enough to read through the end. But if you have a solution I would be greatefull for ever !
Alex