[mythtv-users] Exasperated: DD/DTS SPDIF works with everything *except* MythTV

[Kingsley Turner]

Allen Edwards wrote:
> On Sat, Dec 6, 2008 at 3:21 PM, Steve Hodge <stevehodge at gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>> On Sun, Dec 7, 2008 at 6:26 AM, Kingsley Turner <krt at krt.com.au> wrote:
>>     
>>> I have configured Myth to use
>>>    "alsa:default" for audio,
>>> and "ALSA:iec958:{AES0 0x02}" as the SPDIF output device.
>>> Obviously the two checkboxes for sending AC3 and DTS sound out via SPDIF
>>> are checked.
>>>
>>> Mplayer works fine with: -ao alsa:device=iec958 hwac3
>>> VLC works fine with: --spdif    (oh, *so* easy!)
>>>       
>> Have you tried just "alsa:iec958" in Myth?
>>     
> Rename or delete asound.conf and .asoundrc.
> Set the passthrough device to ALSA:iec958:{ AES0 0x02 }
> Audio output device to ALSA:spdif.
> If you are running Fedora, get rid of Pulse Audio (not
> trivial apparently).
> Turn on iec958 in alsamixer
>   
This is basically what I have already, except using ALSA:default instead 
of ALSA:spdif.
I tried "ALSA:spdif", and got the same result.

However I did notice that the digital sound (DD5.1 / playing DVD) seemed 
to be dropping in and out (according to the LED on the amp. anyway) and 
occasionally we'd get a split-second of sound before it dropped back to 
silence.  After changing back to ALSA:default I notice this is happening 
here also.  I'd guess it's not keeping up with the sound output or 
something, maybe some kind of buffering thing ??!  ("Agressive Sound 
card buffering" is turned OFF).

thanks,
-kt