[mythtv-users] Fwd: HDMI ac3 passthough audio

[Joel Means]

I don't think this went to the list.  Sorry if it is a repeat.


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Joel Means <means.joel at gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 10:33 AM
Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] HDMI ac3 passthough audio
To: allen.edwards at paloaltophoto.com


On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 9:51 AM, Allen Edwards
<allen.p.edwards at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 7:36 AM, Joel Means <means.joel at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 8:11 AM, Joel Means <means.joel at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Just one last update from me.  I updated to ALSA 1.0.19 with no luck.
>>> I will also point out that I have tried all of this with and without
>>> Pulseaudio installed.  I have a feeling that Abit just screwed up
>>> their implementation of this chipset, since it seems to work fine for
>>> other people on Asus motherboards.  The sad thing is that I bought
>>> this motherboard specifically for the HDMI port and took a long while
>>> to decide between Abit and Asus.  In the end, I let ~$20 decide for
>>> me.  Oh, well.  Live and Learn.
>>> Joel
>>>
>>
>> One other note and questions on this.  I did note that with the
>> installation of ALSA 1.0.19, I have an additional entry in the output
>> of 'aplay -L' which wasn't there before.  Now, the last three entries
>> are:
>>
>> iec958:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0
>>    HDA NVidia, ALC888 Digital
>>    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
>> hdmi:CARD=NVidia,DEV=0
>>    HDA NVidia, NVIDIA HDMI
>>    HDMI Audio Output
>> null
>>    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
>>
>> Before, I didn't have the hdmi entry.  I could, however, use "hdmi" as
>> an output device for speaker-test or mplayer and get sound over hdmi.
>> It just wasn't listed here.  I am wondering if someone who has the
>> same ALC888 controller (preferably with the GeForce 7050 chipset) and
>> has AC3 passthrough over HDMI working can post their output of 'aplay
>> -L'.  The reason I ask is that mine lists iec958 as being a Digital
>> Audio Output, but hdmi is only listed as being Audio Output.  I don't
>> know if that is relevant or not, but I would be interested in seeing
>> what another mobo has to say about it.
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Joel
>>
>
> You probably did this but can you post the output of aplay -l and make
> sure you have enabled the HDMI output in alsamixer.  I think you
> should see 3 digital outputs in alsamixer.  Finally, did you run the
> script discussed in the link
>

'aplay -l' gives me:

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 0: ALC888 Analog [ALC888 Analog]
 Subdevices: 1/1
 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 1: ALC888 Digital [ALC888 Digital]
 Subdevices: 1/1
 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: NVIDIA HDMI [NVIDIA HDMI]
 Subdevices: 1/1
 Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

as expected.  alsamixer shows 'iec958' 'iec958 Default' and 'iec958
1'.  I have tried every permutation of muted and unmuted for those.  I
know that 'iec958 1' is the HDMI port, because I can mute and unmute
it when I have regular audio playing from the HDMI port.
Joel