A few questions about bitstreaming different content to my reciever

[Annisman*]

Hey guys,

I have a very nice HTPC that I've set up using Assasin's HTPC guide. I am currently bitstreaming HD audio to my reciever over HDMI through my GTX 650ti.

Using Assasin's guide, it has worked flawlessly for my movies. Every title I have plays TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio perfectly. I play my movies through Windows Media Center, using MediaBrowser as per Assasin's guide.

Here is one of my questions: When using the Netflix Media Center plug-in my reciever shows that PCM is in use, and I can hear that only two speakers are in use, the same things for gaming on Steam, when loading up a game I get only 2 speakers in use.

My windows speaker configuration is setup as 2.0 as the guide I used states that bitstreaming would just override to 5.1 or 7.1, and indeed all my movies work flawlessly, but not gaming or the Netflix plugin.

I then tried telling windows to use 5.1 speakers, gaming then worked flawlessly ( I didn't try netflix), but Media Center starting acting stupid, such as giving me errors when trying to watch television over my tuner card.

Is there a way to get proper sound in BOTH my Media Center movies/Live TV AND games/media center plug-ins ?

Thank you for your help !

Setup: Panasonic Viera 55" 3D TV
Yamaha RX V373BL 5.1
Polk Audio 75T's (front)
Polk Audio CS2 (center)
Polk Audio Monitor 60 Series 2 (surround)

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Disable Navigation sounds in Media Center and the errors will go away.

 

[Annisman*]

Thank you for the reply, can you explain a bit further ? So you are telling me to set my Windows playback speakers to 5.1 and disable 'navigation sounds' in media center ?

Also, on a side note, under playback devices what should I set the bitrate as ? I think I have it at 24 bit, 44100

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Yes. If you set the speaker config in Windows to 5.1 in Windows you'll need to disable Navigation sounds in Media Center or else you get that "Video Display Error" message. It is a quirk of Media Center that has been a problem for years.

As far as bitrate settings, ime, it really doesn't make any significant difference. I just leave it at the default settings.

 

[Annisman*]

Cool chicken, I'll give it a shot, is there any downside to this method ?

And do you or anybody else have some insight into this quandary: When I play Netflix on my PS3 it shows Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus being used (it shows it on my receiver display screen) But when I use Netflix from the HTPC using internet explorer for example, it just shows that it is using PCM. Am I missing audio quality by using my HTPC for Netflix ? How can one tell what quality of audio is being outputted.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

There is no downside other than not having navigation sounds which, imo, is no great loss.

As far as Netflix goes, the audio quality depends on which device you are using for playback. The PS3 can do 5.1. You can get 5.1 on an HTPC only when using Windows 8.x and only when using the included Netflix Metro app. With the WMC Netflix add-on or Explorer you won't get 5.1 sound in Win 7 or Win 8.

 

[Annisman*]

Wow, that's bizarre I had no idea Netflix was so gimped on the PC, what does it do, just stereo ?

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

It just does stereo on the PC, except for the Metro app. Netflix sound is gimped on most devices. 5.1 is the exception, not the rule. With Netflix even HD is somewhat gimped depending on which device you use. Some devices offer more HD content than others.

 

[Annisman*]

Ok man, it totally worked ! Thanks for your help.

 

[gus6464]

Only some things support SuperHD and 5.1. I know PS3 and Roku does but the rest I'm not sure.