[mythtv-users] SPDIF Audio = no sound, Myth FE lockup in speaker test

[Mark Perkins]

> On 5 Nov 2015, at 12:29 pm, Kingsley Turner <krt at krt.com.au> wrote:
> 
> Greetings Earthlings,
> 
> A few weeks ago I basically replaced the inside of my HTPC. Reinstalled form Mythbuntu 12.04.2, Mythtv 0.27 + updates
> 
> The new motherboard did not have an SPDIF output port, (just a header) so I had to rely on HDMI output until the SPDIF rear panel bracket arrived.
> 
> Aside: Gigabyte lists this part as "optional", but their support said they don't sell them anymore.  HDMI audio worked poorly (in stereo). If the monitor went into power-save mode I had to reboot or logout for it to start working again.  Perhaps this is because I had to hardcode the EDID into X11/xorg.conf since the monitor would not be detected by the video card (Nvidia 610, with nvidia drivers) after it went into power-save.  Ho-hum.
> 
> So, the bracket is installed, the header connected.  I have the red light coming out of the Toslink(sp?) port, so I assume it's OK.  If I had the 5V or Ground miss-connected, this would not be the case, and the only remaining wire is the signal.
> 
> The amplifier has basically been sitting idle, so I just plugged the link back in to the new port.  I did check the volume, and amplifier settings.
> 
> I un-muted SPDIF in alsamixer.  Interestingly (confusingly) there's 3x SPDIF entries: "S/PDIF", "S/PDIF Default", "S/PDIF 16".  The first one defaults to being muted. FWIW: I also disabled "Auto-Mute Mode", whatever that is.
> 
> I went into Mythfrontend [Setup]->[Audio], then [ReScan].
> The Audio Output Device defaulted to:  ALSA:iec958:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
> Which looks good.  This is what it was set to with my old motherboard.
> Dolby Digital and DTS are checked.
> Speaker Config = 5.1
> Upconvert Stereo to 5.1 sound is checked
> Upmix Quality = Best
> 
> Which seems to match aplay -L and -l :
> # aplay -L
> [...]
> iec958:CARD=PCH,DEV=0
>    HDA Intel PCH, ALC887-VD Digital
>    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
> [... plus a truckload of others]
> 
> # aplay -l
> card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC887-VD Analog [ALC887-VD Analog]
>  Subdevices: 1/1
>  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
> card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: ALC887-VD Digital [ALC887-VD Digital]
>  Subdevices: 1/1
>  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
> [... plus the NVidia HDMI]
> 
> If I then go into [Test]
> 
> The mythfrontend.log gets the messages:
>   Nov  5 12:37:27 mediabox mythfrontend.real: mythfrontend[1536]: I CoreContext audio/audiooutputbase.cpp:792 (Reconfigure) AOBase: Opening audio device 'iec958:CARD=PCH,DEV=0' ch 2(6) sr 48000 sf signed 16 bit reenc 0
> and
>   Nov  5 12:37:47 mediabox mythfrontend.real: mythfrontend[1536]: E AudioOutputBase audio/audiooutputalsa.cpp:623 (WriteAudio) ALSA: WriteAudio: Write failed, state: 3, err: Input/output error
> 
> If I select [Center] nothing happens.  If I select it again, mythfrontend locks up.
> (there's no additional mythfrontend.log)
> 
> I can kill the process, and it restarts OK.
> 
> Playing any sort of video results in no audio.
> 
> The only thing I can think of is that "aplay -l" says the digital output device is device 1, not 0.
> But trying to use iec958:CARD=PCH,DEV=1 just fails.
> 
> 
> Any ideas?
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________

Just guessing, but given its a new install have you checked permissions of audio device versus user running MythFE?