A7N8X: Need Help "NO SOUND" when Playing DVD from ext. DVD player thru S-Video In and SPDIF Coax Audio IN

[Herkulese]

I have fixed the problem of garbled sound in DVD playback from my internal DVD drive by upgrading the nVidia Audio Codec Interface driver to the Realtek Audio Codec driver.

Now I am trying to play a DVD from my external DVD player (the one I use with my TV), and I get no sound at all. I am playing the DVD into Video View, a program that came with the SONY DRU-500A DVD burner, as follows:

1) Video is hooked up from the S-Video Out on the DVD player to the S-Video in on the Dongle that plugs into the Video In on the Abit Suluro MX-460 Video Card, and that is working fine.

2) Audio is hooked up from the Digital Coax out from the DVD player to the Digital Coax in on the riser that is plugged into the SPDIF header on the Mother Board, using a proven Digital Coax cable, and I get no sound at all. I have checked all sound sections of the softwsare, as well as windows sound panel, and nothing is muted and all levels are dead center.

I am a newbee in this area, and am wondering if there is something that I am missing here?

Please be aware that I need for the SPDIF IN to work, as the owner will be using it to input DAT tapes for Audio Editing.

All help appreciated,
Herkulese

 

[mechBgon]

I'm out of my league on this stuff, but have you rummaged among the Sounds And Multimedia applet in Control Panel? (or that's where it would be for Win2000 anyway) Maybe the audio input is watching the Mic port instead of the S/PDIF connector and just needs to be selected from the dropdown box.

Or maybe chizow or another A7N8X-Deluxe user will have better insights.

 

[Herkulese]

"have you rummaged among the Sounds And Multimedia applet in Control Panel? (or that's where it would be for Win2000 anyway) Maybe the audio input is watching the Mic port instead of the S/PDIF connector and just needs to be selected from the dropdown box."

Hay Mech,
Thanks for the quick replay,

Yes, I have looked through Sounds and Multimedia in Control Panel, and in the AUDIO tab, the only choice for Sound Playback or for Sound Recording is Realtek AC97 Audio. Is this the area that you are talking about?

In Sound Effects Manager in Control Panel, in the SPDIF In tab, there are the following fields:
Status = Unlock
Signiature = ------------ (Blank Line)
Data Validation = ------------- (Blank Lind)

Then there is a button [Auto Lock] that is highlighted but does nothing when I click it.

Thanks again,
herkulese

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: mechBgon


Or maybe chizow or another A7N8X-Deluxe user will have better insights.

I don't even use the onboard sound hehe, but I'll give it a shot.

I looked through the manual, and I'm not totally sure the SP/DIF header on the I/O panel is bi-directional. As mech said, unless there is an option to switch it from input/output, I don't think its an option. I looked through the manual, and it doesn't mention anything about input from a digital source. Do you have a link or spec that says otherwise? It might help if I saw something that stated it could accept input. Also, I checked the jumpers to see if there was a setting for I/O (even though it would be a PITA to have to switch it via jumpers), and didn't see anything with the option. There is reference however to a Add-in plate with SP/DIF input/output connections. The quote from the manual seems to indicate the provided I/O plate SP/DIF connector only provides digital output:

"This optional S/PDIF audio module alows digital instead of analog sound input and output."- Page 84

Also, the mobo header for this module clearly indicates it is capable of input output functionality (see page 30 of the manual and note pins for SPDIF_IN and SPDIF_OUT)

Chiz

 

[mechBgon]

Sweet! I think I know where to get one of those dealies too! tada! Or I think Googlegear has the same thing, although their "representative" photo looks different.

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Sweet! I think I know where to get one of those dealies too! tada! Or I think Googlegear has the same thing, although their "representative" photo looks different.

Hehe yep, thats the one in the manual Very detailed backplate...man.... inputs and outputs for both s/pdif and optical toslink.

Chiz

 

[Herkulese]

I am using the ASUS add on riser, I stated in my original post

"2) Audio is hooked up from the Digital Coax out from the DVD player to the Digital Coax In on the riser that is plugged into the SPDIF header on the Mother Board, using a proven Digital Coax cable, and I get no sound at all. I have checked all sound sections of the softwsare, as well as windows sound panel, and nothing is muted and all levels are dead center.".

I ordered it from NewEgg when I ordered the MoBo and plugged it in right from the start. I still get no Audio when imputing a DVD from my external player.

 

[mechBgon]

Ok, and nothing's plugged into the board-level S/PDIF either, right? They say you can't use both at once for output, at least.

 

[chizow]

Ooops heheh, didn't catch the add-in daughter board part. If you've made sure the connections are correct, and as mech said made sure nothing is connected to the coax out on the standard backplate, then its gotta be a software control panel issue. Does the output function correctly? What version of the UDP are you using? There are new 2.03's from nVidia and new 1.16's from Asus, but they are the same thing from what I've seen and read.

Do you have an option to choose your sampling rate? If its set to 96khz, you may need to set it to 48khz. The "unlock" term on my receiver means that its basically getting no signal b/c the sampling rate is too high.

Chiz

 

[Herkulese]

I have nothing plugged into the onbord SPDIF out connector.
I am using the 1.16 ver UDP from ASUS.

The sample rate, as far as I can tell is 48k

Is there any other place that I need to set the sample rate?

 

[chizow]

Do the output headers work at all? Also try the 2.03's from nVidia, they were released only a few days ago and may bring support to the audio riser board. You may want to e-mail Asus about this or check AMDMB.com, as the daughter board is probably a fairly unique issue most people won't encounter. I don't use the onboard unfortunately, so I don't know any of the control panel features OTOH (I only used it for a day before going back to my A2).

Chiz

 

[Herkulese]

I did post over at AMDMB.com and a guy over there has indicated that a jumper may need to be installed to enable the COAX digital in and out, as this riser has both COAX ant OPTICAL in and out ports.

There are 2 pins standing alone on the riser that may be for that purpose, but it is next to imposible to get any infor on this riser. I guess that I have nothing to risk by trying it.

Any comments on these pins?

 

[Herkulese]

OK, I think I have an answer. I believe that my external DVD player only puts out PCM sound, which is not compatable with SPDIF, anyway, I hope that this is the case.

I did try putting a jumper on the two pins on the SPDIF riser, but it looks like the traces go to the Digital COAX out only, and I am using the SPDIF In. There was no change, still no SPDIF sound from the DVD player.

I then routed the sound from the regular line out on the DVD to the line in on the MoBo back plate, and it worked fine.

I was able to borrow the owner's DAT recorder, which, he sayes, puts out an SPDIF signal, and wil test it tonight.

I will update with the results.

Any comments on different sound formats supported by Digital COAX inputs and outputs?

 

[Herkulese]

It still did not work.
_______________

Does anyone know:

1) Do the Sound Blaster Live cards automatically encode the (SPDIF) digital sound signal, from an external source, back to analog, and do they have the ability to play it right through the system without an encoding program?

2) Is there a difference between the digital output from an External DVD player and an external DAT recorder?

3) Are Digital, Bit stream, SPDIF synonymous terms?

 

[Palek]

Herkulese, I don't know if this will be of any help, but...
I am using the input on the SPDIF header of my motherboard right now as a digital CD input. My Plextor burner has an SPDIF out, so I just hooked that up directly to the SPDIF in on the motherboard using the simple two-wire cable that came with the burner. It works fine. I had to adjust the volume for it under the Main tab in the nForce Control panel. In the "Input" section I chose SPDIF for "Digitised Input", and that got it working.

 

[Herkulese]

Palek,
Thanks for the comment,

"I had to adjust the volume for it under the Main tab in the nForce Control panel."

I think that this my be part of the problem. I no longer have the nForce Control Panel. I had sound distortion problems with playback from my internal DVD drive, and had to update the nVidia audio codec interface with the Realtek audio codec driver. Now I have a RealTek control panel, and I believe it to be inferior to the nForce panel. I will, however, try to simulate, in the Realtek control panel, what you did in the in the nForce conrtrol panel.

 

[Herkulese]

<FONT face="verdana, arial, helvetica" size=2>OK, I was haveing trouble with the sound driver, from the asus 1.16 unified driver, giving distorted sound with internal DVD drive playback.

This was fixed by updating the nVidia Audio Codek Interface driver to the Realtek Audio Codec driver.

Now, with the Realtek interface driver installed, it seems that the SPDIF tab in the Realtek control panel is dead, as if it is not mapping correctly to the nVidia processor chip, and I can get no action at all from using the SPDIF Digital COAX in, on the add on riser, that is plugged into the MoBo Header. I have tried it with a DAT tape recorder and with my esternal carousel DVD player.

As an experimentl, I tried updateing back to the ASUS interface driver, just to see it the SPDIF function would work, but the nVidia control panel does not seem to have been installed.

I am about ready to abandon the SoundStorm and go with a Phillips Acoustic edge, but it would really be a shame to have to do that.

I really need help with this.

Thanks,
Herkulese</FONT>

 

[Palek]

Herkulese, are you aware that the latest nForce driver release from nVidia now includes support for the A7N8X Deluxe as well? You no longer have to stick with drivers from ASUS' website. You should try out the latest from nVidia.

 

[Herkulese]

"Herkulese, are you aware that the latest nForce driver release from nVidia now includes support for the A7N8X Deluxe as well?"

Palek,

Would that be the 2.03 unified driver? If so, I have downloadde it but did not no if I should use it or not.

Thanks a lot for the confirmation know that it, now, works with the A7N8X Delux. I will give it at try and post back on how it works.

Thanks again,
Herkulese

 

[Palek]

Herkulese, a quick update.

I just realized that I had the CD-audio extraction option enabled in Winamp, so I really wasn't hearing sound coming through the SPDIF connector. I then unchecked audio extraction, and what followed was not exactly pretty. When playing back via SPDIF I got a lot of cracking and popping. I heard the sound, but I also got the noise with it. Let's just say that I was not overly impressed... :|

I haven't reinstalled the old drivers yet to find out if the cracking was caused by the new ones, but I'll have a go at it soon.

<EDIT>Oh, and yes, I am using the 2.03 drivers, but I guess you might want to stay away from them now. Although you could get lucky and have no problems with it...

 

[Herkulese]

Thanks Palek,

There must not be many people actualy using SPDIF in the way that I am attempting, as I have gotten little info from 3 differeint forum sites.

I have to try these drivers, before I abandon the Sound Storm all together and go with the Philips Acoustic Edge.

 

[Herkulese]

OK, I have done a complete fresh Windows 2000 install, and have now installed the nVidia 2.03 unified driver.

This new driver set seems to be working just fine with Win2K. The sound drivers installed without a hitch, and the distortion that I experienced with movie playback from my internal DVD drive, using the ASUS 1.16 driver set, has been fixed. This means that the nVidia Audio Codec Interface no longer has to be updated to the RealTek driver, and I can use the nVidia Audio Conrtol Panel.

I still get no sound from my external DVD drive when using the Digital Coax out into the SPDIF In on the Add On SPDIF In/Out riser bracket.

I am trying to play the Movie through the ABIT Video View utility that came with the ABIT SILURO GeForce 4 MX 460 video card.

I am given to understand, however, that the sound should simply play through the system, just like with analog line in, which does work, by the way.

I am now using the nVidia Audio Control Panel, and have set the following:

NVIDIA CONTROL PANEL
1) Record = SPDIF
2) Digitized Input = SPDIF
3) Microphone = Muted
4) All other = Unmuted
6) Analog Speakers = Analog Output
7) Sorround Settings = Dolby Soround

TOSHIBA CAROUSEL DVD PLAYER
1) Audio Output = Tried Dolby Digital-PCM / Stream PCM / PCM
2) Sample Frequency = Tried (48 khz, 96khz)

Still no output from the external digitao source.

There is one area of the nVidia Control Panel that disturbs me in the following area:
1) Applications Tab
2) Multimedia Control Panel
3) Audio Tab
4) Sound Recording Group
5) Volume This message is displayed There is a problem with your sound hardware. You may install mixer devices from the Add Remove Programs Wizard in the Control Panel.

Can anyone shed any light on this at all?
What am I missing here?