Announcement

**MultimediaMan** · 28 December 2000, 00:17

You don't even need a soundcard in your computer if you have a HW DVD Decoder module. Now, some makes of receivers are choosy about how you get the signal to them: make sure you fiddle with all of the possible settings before you give up hope. Most Dolby Digital receivers default to the Optical input: Some Pioneer Receivers use an AC-3 RF input - this is NOT for a DVD player, this is for a Laserdisc player to use without having to buy an offboard demodulator... Make sure you use the S/PDIF input Sometimes termed "Coaxial" input on the receiver. S/PDIF Inputs are usually color coded Orange, and AC-3 RF Inputs coded Black.

Failing that, make sure you use a good quality Digital Cable: you can also get away with using a good Video Cable.

Tell me what you find out.

BTW: I have successfully run my Matrox HW Decoder on a Pioneer Receiver.

[This message has been edited by MultimediaMan (edited 28 December 2000).]

**Greebe** · 28 December 2000, 00:41

Anyone have a picture of a real knarly buggered up boot I can post?

**Bixler** · 28 December 2000, 06:42

Glad you don't think the post was too awfully gnarly Greebe.

Multimedia Man:

First time I noticed that you're from me home state...GO HAWGS!

Now on to what I've done so far. MM, I've double/triple checked, and the Pioneer reciever I bought (on sale--discontinued) clearly states that the Digital Dolby is built in, and goes through several options regarding optical or coax digital in, etc. etc. I'm pretty well satisfied that I've got the connections correct. BTW the digital input is labled "PCM/Dolby Digital" on the back of the reciever. I've gone through several cables with no luck, but even went to the trouble of fabbing a custom cable out of quad sheilded RG6 with Gold plated RCA plugs on either end to make sure impedance wasn't the problem. Still no joy. The Amp manual further states that it will 'automatically' trigger Dolby 5.1 when it sees the signal...otherwise it defaults to 'ProLogic' type processing (Which is working fine.)

One thing I haven't tried is connecting up directly to the 'digital out' on my Creative DXR2 DVD drive. Would this work? I'm flummoxed at this point.

Is there any way to verify that My BOB is sending the stream? BTW, I had to edit my sig after the first post...corrected one below...and here's a link to the reciever that I bought.
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/home/vsx-d557.htm

------------------
Greebe's juiced up Athlon @750 on an MSI Irongate Based M/B Marvel G200 TV with HW/DVD Daughtercard,
CDBurner, Creative DVD, two big WD Hdds, Outboard 56K modem
Parallel Port Scanner, Creative S/B AWE 64 (ISA), and a new Logitech WebCam (My first USB device)

[This message has been edited by Bixler (edited 28 December 2000).]

**MultimediaMan** · 28 December 2000, 07:14

OK, the Receiver looks solid...try using the shared Co-axial/optical input.

No, the S/PDIF output on the back of your DVD drive has nothing to do with DVD playback.

Now, believe it or not, not all DVDs have Dolby digital encoded audio. What were you trying to play?

This has been a hard year for the old Razorbacks...and the Basketball Hawg snatched defeat from the jaws of Victory Saturday night...So it goes.

**Bixler** · 28 December 2000, 07:21

MM: I can get Little Rock Chan. 7 down here on cable, and really enjoy HawgBall. Love the way they play.

In order to save time about excactly what I've been through, would you mind checking this post over on the TS forums?
http://forum.matrox.com/mgaforum/For...ML/001485.html

And thanks for the headsup on the soundcard thingy...I was (and am) suspicious, but kinda at a loss at this point.

**MultimediaMan** · 28 December 2000, 07:48

Your soundcard never figures into it.

Make sure you go through the setup menus on the DVD player to setup 5.1, as well.

Most newer movies default to %.1, but not all of the older movies or "Chick Flicks" use
5.1.

**Bixler** · 28 December 2000, 08:04

Ummmm...

Make sure you go through the setup menus on the DVD player to setup 5.1, as well.

What setup menus?? Are you referring to the A/V Reciever? Are there setup menus on a DVDRom Drive that I've never seen??

**MultimediaMan** · 28 December 2000, 08:18

No, I'm talking about the DVD menu on the disc...there is usually a setup menu that appears before the movie begins...

Open your ICQ.

**fds** · 28 December 2000, 08:21

What setup menus?? Are you referring to the A/V Reciever? Are there setup menus on a DVDRom Drive that I've never seen??

No, MM surely meant the menus on the DVD disc itself. You know, the root menu, chapter selection, where you can select special features, subtitles, whatever else the disc's creators dreamed up. Most importantly there should be a soundtrack selection screen. Make sure you are using the Dolby Digital 5.1 track and not Dolby 2.0 Surround, because in the latter case your decoder will only get a Pro Logic signal.

Also as MM says not all DVD's have a DD5.1 soundtrack, although recently released titles rarely come without it, even DTS is gaining popularity. Check the back of the box, it should list exactly what kind of soundtrack is on the disc.

And to reiterate, your inability to hear DD5.1 using a hardware decoder has nothing to do with your sound card or DVD-ROM drive. The hardware decoder does have an S/PDIF (AC3) output on it, doesn't it?

**Bixler** · 28 December 2000, 08:48

Dohh!!

OBOY if it is something that stupid...I'm gonna have to be busted down to a minimurcer or murcette.

Headed home to check.

**MultimediaMan** · 28 December 2000, 09:01

You heard him, Greebe...prepare a suitable title...

"Oh Demoted one..."

**Bixler** · 28 December 2000, 10:01

If it is this...I'll stand at attention as my stripes are stripped.

Reminds me of the OLD TV series with Chuck Conner..."Branded" Any oldtimers remember that?

Seriously, I checked all of the displayed menu options in the Video Window right after startup, and still couldn't find any particular audio settings other than "Language" or "Commentary". So I guess I can keep my stripes for a while longer.

I have this sinking feeling that it's gonna be something really really dumb though.

If anyone out there knows just exactly what "CCAD errors" are, the buggy little OEM Navigator that I'm testing with does give me two Windows "scary warnings" as I'm initializing...then seems to run just fine. Mebbe this is the problem???

I'm still gonna look stupid when I find these Audio settings on the Disc though.

**fds** · 28 December 2000, 10:27

Yes, commentary tracks are a fine example of what is usually left non-DD5.1, encoded only as Dolby Surround (Pro Logic).

Have you checked what the movie's box says about the sound track's encoding?
Needless to say try more than one movie.

Now there should be a way to switch audio tracks in the player (navigator) application without invoking the built-in menus.
CinePlayer 2000 for example has a little loudspeaker icon for soundtrack selection and lists the available tracks as

English (United States) [2]
English (United States) [5.1]
English (United States) [Director's Comments]
etc.

Such a list tells you that probably the 2-channel Pro Logic track is the default here and you would want to choose the 5.1 track instead.

Although if you cannot see a choice of soundtracks in the DVD menus, that probably means there is only one soundtrack. And it could be Pro Logic only and not DD5.1.

[This message has been edited by fds (edited 28 December 2000).]

**Bixler** · 28 December 2000, 10:59

Hey FDS: Thanks for lurking nearby.

The titles I'm testing with are labled for Dolby Digital 5.1. "The Thomas Crown Affair" (with Renee Russo--Yum!) and "Little Nikita"

To keep the variables down and just for testing purposes I've been using the buggy little OEM navigator...I'll reinstall my Cine2000 and try that.

Announcement

After all these years...an undocumented (heh) glitch with my hardware decoder.

After all these years...an undocumented (heh) glitch with my hardware decoder.

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