[mythtv-users] Alsa SPDIF NForce4

[Michael T. Dean]

On 08/13/2006 10:26 PM, William wrote:
>> Need a little help getting ALSA to output everything to 
>> SPDIF, currently I get nothing.
> Setting up spdif can be a bit frustrating. I currently am able to play all
> mythtv audio out spdif as well as mplayer output but not xine for some
> reason.
>
> This is what works for me with mythtv. I have a nforce2 based motherboard.
>
> Get the asoundrc from wilsonet.

Are you talking about the "*very* basic .asoundrc file" or the long one 
based on the wiki DigitalSoundHowTo?  If you're talking about the long 
one, get the one from the DigitalSoundHowTo, instead.  It's far more 
up-to-date and has much better usage information in the comments.

>  Yes I know you think its not working. Put a
> copy in /home/mythtv and /home/mythtv/.mythtv. Also put one in /root for
> your root user.
>   

You don't need to put it in /home/mythtv/.mythtv .  And, if you want it 
to be available to all users, just put a single copy in /etc/asound.conf 
(not called .asoundrc, but called asound.conf), as described in the wiki.

> In mythtv audio page manually key in "ALSA:spdif" for the audio device

When you use spdif, you're not using the .asoundrc/asound.conf file 
(either the basic one or the long one), so you don't even need to put 
one in place.

>  and
> disable the internal mixer. Also uncheck any of the passthru options. At
> this point myth internal audio should play. I am not in front of the right
> computer to give you the mplayer option to use. Something ahout "-ao hwac3,"
> makes it play ac3 streams via spdif. Have not figured out how to play pcm
> streams yet.

One of these days, I'll update the .asoundrc to work with both PCM and 
AC-3/DTS passthrough.

Mike