SPDIF Not outputing or showing up

[Jamis1979]

I have an Asus p5n-e SLI motherboard that has a SPDIF output onboard. I have been trying to watch some 720p files off my computer such as the latest battlestar galactica but no voices are coming through the centre channel. I have a RCA cable run from my computer to my reciever. The onboard sound software is the "realtek HD audio manager" and when I click on the mixer tab the SPDIF shows no option to control the volume of that as if there was nothing plugged into it, but there is. I have tried unplugging and plugging the RCA jack back in, but it doesn't pick it up. If I watch something that is not in HD in windows media player, the voices come through. This could be something to do with some codecs I need to get the 5.1 digital out, or maybe some new type of software being used in the movie file itself. The KM player I am using is playing the picture, and the background sound, but not the voices. I have tested my stereo speakers with the reciever to make sure all speakers are hooked up correctly. The problem seems to be on the computer end of things.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

[Q]

There is also a setting within the settings of the Realtek audio to have 6CH speakers. Have you done that?

[Jamis1979]

Yes I have. Doesn't seem to matter what I try...the computer does not seem to pick up that I have anything plugged into that SPDIF jack on the back...yet sound is coming from the two front left/right speakers with all the background noices like spaceships flying and controls on the ship. There is a test in the Realtek software that has a person click a play button and then the speakers flash and noises are supposed to come out at the same time. I click that and no noice but the front two speakers come on. BUT...as said, if I do the test using my reciever remote the receiver will play back sound through each speaker including the sub.

[Jamis1979]

Please guys, I need some help here. Not enough replies thus far. I'm still stumped here.

[jvincent]

SPDIF port on the MB is an output only. There is no feedback to the control panel that you have anything connected there.

Usually for SPDIF output you want the control panels configured for some kind of passthru mode with volume control on the PC disabled.

If you post a picture of your control panel that might help.

[Q]

Jamis1979,

There is usually configuration required within the software which is playing the material as well.

For instance with Powere DVD you have to right click, go to configuaration, audio, and choose SPDIF output. The default is 2 CH.

Not sure why it would work with the Realtek interface. If you get no help I will take a look at mine to see if there are any other settings.

[JimmyFace]

What exactly are you trying to do here? Are you trying to simply use SPDIF passthrough to pass a Dolby Digital AC3 5.1 stream to your receiver?

I believe the RealTek Speaker test only works when you use the analog RCA outputs to connect directly to the receiver's passthrough.

[Jamis1979]

Thanks for the comments so far guys. Here is some more information to help the cause.

My motherboard is a Asus P5N-e SLI. Here is a link for that.
http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?mo...3&l2=11&l3=473

And here is my Panasonic Reciever.
http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-e.../model.SA-HE75

I have a cable I bought from monoprice that has two RCA ends on it. Here it is.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

The computer end is hooked up to the SPDIF output on the motherboard. The receiver end is hooked up to the coaxial Digital In on the reciever.

The show I downloaded was off of EZTV and was under 05 April 2008
Battlestar Galactica S04E01 720p HDTV X264-DIMENSION

I used the KM player to watch this. The video shows up nicely and there are background sounds but no main voices. I assume it is soundsurround and something is wrong. This is the limit of my knowledge unfortunately. It could be in an AC3 sound file format, but I don't know and I don't know how to check if it is.

Lastly, here is a screenshot of my sound panels as requested. The SPDIF has no scroll bar. Sorry if this picture shows up big on your computer
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q...on/Problem.jpg


I have some Creative computer speakers. It is a set with a sub and two small desk speakers. They plug into the green output minijack on my motherboard. When I play the show using them, it sounds as it's suppose to with voices. I don't want to watch shows on my computer chair is the thing, I'd rather watch them in the living room with my wife using our TV and Stereo in there.

[jvincent]

What does the "Audio I/O" tab of the control panel look like?

[Yaamon]

Some where you have not enable or the spdif is not enabled.


I also use a Asus board and use the coaxial digital out and this is what I get.



On my home server same thing, I dont see on your menu the options to change the settings for spdif. Check for any new sound utility/drivers from Asus web site.

Good luck.

[Jamis1979]

Problem fixed. I checked a setting in my bios and changed it to HD audio rather than the AC97 it was set to prior. Somehow this made the difference. I don't know why it worked, it just did so I guess this is case closed for now.

[joemtrl]

HY, i am new in this domain. I just start to read on internet information about conection pc= home cinema. OK. I have an slot spdif on my motherboard. I want to conect him with my home theatre. On the dvd i have in: coaxial, optical, and aux 2 stereo. So what type of cable do i need? I've been searching an connector spdif but i didnt find it. i need just a coaxial cable plug in my sound cand on line in, or it must conected the internal spdif slot?
So jamis who did u solve the problem? which type of cables ?
thanks

[57]

Perhaps the following explanation of the various types of cables will help.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=76085

[robertrej]

I required the above to connect my biostar motherboard to my yamaha
receiver.Is a RCA video spdif assembly the same ? I know it must be
75 ohm rated. There are lots of online stores in the USA but can not
find any in Canada.

[mlord]

The reality is that just about any kind of wire will work over short distances, and any common kind of coaxial cable will work over at least a couple of metres distance.

I just hacked away half of a standard dual-RCA stereo audio cable (from an old cassette tape player) for SPDIF here. Works fine.

Since the sound is in digital form, there are zero quality issues when doing it this way.