Sage Audio

[Mike]

I got my usb over ethernet extension, I figured for the hd box that is currently local to the box I would use my current component video distribution setup. The one thing I realized was I am using optical to the reciever from the PC.

I had originally done that to get full surround sound, which was working back when I had version 5 of sage, but I don't think it is working currently (I'm on the latest version). I suppose that it hasn't been working for awhile I could use regular stereo (l/r) but I was curious how anyone else had solved this issue.

My intent is to get my server to the basement (below the living room tv where the reciever is) so I can get the boxes out of the way and integrate the dvd jukeboxes as tuners. I thought I had it covered until I realized how the audio was connected.

 

[IVB]

Sorry, i'm confused - you can't get your s/pdif from the PC to the receiver working? Or you don't know how to decode & distribute the digital audio?

If s/pdif working: Go to the Sage.DetailedSetup menu. I can't remember which submenu, perhaps the Audio/Video or General one, and see which Audio device you're setup to use. You probably have something other than s/pdif selected.

If distribution: Does your mobo have a digital coax out, or just digital optical? If it's coax, you could just a 4th RG6 and get a means to decode/distribute that.

 

[Mike]

Sorry, I guess I put too much information in there.

Regardless you hit both points although my primary question was regarding distribution. I think I originally tried a digital coax cable and had similar problems with full surround sound so it seems I need to resolve that issue then move back to running it via digital coaxial.

Thanks

 

[CollinR]

You might need to change your audio decoder.

 

[Mike]

I'm going to have to go back and play with it. I had it set as the nvidia one (platinum). There was not an explicit setting that referenced s/pdif. I need to look at how it is being generated (the on board audio) as that is consistent with the problems I have had. Now that I think of it, I think it was working when I was on a temporary pc so that could be part of the issue.

I'm using an asus motherboard for a 478 socket P4 cpu. I'll have to play more as that seems to be my real issue (and why I wasn't thinking about digital coaxial).

 

[IVB]

Just looked it up, it's in the "Video/Audio" submenu.
Check both the "Audio Decoder Filter", try all of them. Those aren't the devices, they're the rendering mechanisms, but if you have an nVidia chip driving the s/dpif on the mobo that should be right.

Also, check the "Audio Renderer". In the renderer list, you'll see every sound device you have. Don't leave it at "Default", pick the "s/pdif" option. If you've really got a s/pdif out on the mobo, it will be on that list.

Finally, if that doesn't work, check the sound card/mobo settings; that device may be turned off.

 

[Mike]

Thanks I will check that later.

I don't think it is turned off as I am using s/pdif to connect to the reciever (which is working just not with full surround sound). I did fire up my HK DVD player which uses optical as well and that worked, so I know the reciever will work if sent the proper feed.

It may be that it is tied to onboard sound (and I have a s/pdif header for optical) or something along those lines. I'll dig further. I was changing the defaults last night and was not able to get it to work but I did not have time to dig deeper.

 

[Mike]

Ok, I went back and figured this out. I had forgotten that I had started on this awhile back and had loaded some utilities as well.

A few things to remember based on what I saw:

1. The nVidia decoder icon in the tray to see decoder properties only displays when a movie is being played.
2. There may be multiple places where s/pdif is referenced. I had settings for my sound card and for the decoder.
3. I had overlooked that I installed ac filter (I think that was the name of it) awhile back to try and help troubleshoot. This seemed to have the effect of not being able to bring up the nvidia decoder properties. I had to go to windows media player and then pull it up from in there (and I got the detailed ac filter screens).
4. There are two places where the surround sound settings in sage will apply: Sound and DVD. I was playing around with some during this exercise and it looked like sound settings was used at the beginning of the dvd and then it cut over to dvd (so if one was off it would then have no sound). I believe the key was to specify Direct Sound : device vs Device.

Edit: The issue was the decoder was not set to the right settings. S/PDIF was not enabled and it had to be 24-bit vs 16 it seemed. It seems my sage settings were ok before I started playing with them during testing today. All works now though.

So bottom line, my sage setup has full surround sound via optical cable. Next step is to covert to digital coax in preparation for the move to the basement.

Thanks for the help.

Now if only the HD Homerun could act as a network encoder for SD channels as well

 

[IVB]

Are you sure the HDHR can't do SD? When I did the scan channels thing, all my local SD OTA channels came up. Or do you mean SD-DirecTV/cable?

 

[Mike]

I have FIOS, but I meant the basic channels for Fios/Cable/etc. That would make it real easy to offload programming to network encoders versus the ones in the pc and get unecrypted HD to boot. While it will do OTA HD, regular content wont work (from what I understand, which is not much here, it is tied to what it does to be able to treat unecrypted QAM essentially as OTA HD, but I could be off).

Now if Hauppauge made a TV card that had two s-video inputs and no coax, that would be great.

The audio issue is pretty much done now, now I just need to figure out how I want to run the video out from the computer in the basement, to the TV and I am ready to play with tying in the jukeboxes.

 

[CollinR]

PVR500 from PCalchemy will have 2 S-Videos, it'lll have coax too but you need not use it.

I think all modern Hauppauge cards have expansion headers that allow for this but the PVR500 can actually use 2 S Video inputs at once. IIRC the PVR500 actually has 3 headers so you can have 4 S Videos but can only use any 2 at once.

I do always use the coax, you usually get the first 80 channels through it.

 

[Mike]

Nice. I need to look into that more. It originally seemed to me that a switch was needed to go from one to the other. Using a header might get me an extra output in a slot where I can't put a card if I remember correctly.

I'll have to try that with the coax inputs as well. That would be great. Thanks again for the feedback.