HTPC stuttering DTS sound using Onkyo SR674E

Five_Star

Five_Star

Five_Star

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Hi,

Got a problem playing back very high quality DTS soundtracks from movies. The DTS sound is 6channel 48000Hz audio at 1536kbit/s and contained inside a .mvk

I've been using both media player classic and VLC with all the necessary filters installed. The audio is output via optical direct to my amp as the display shows DTS or Dolby Digital as required.

The problem is the audio stutters like crazy, the picture is fine. using a Core 2 duo 2.66 2GB ram the CPU doesn't break a sweat while playing the file.

I've seen some reports of people using VLC on OSX with this problem but no windows users, it can't just be me can it?

Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated
 
I can only vaguely recall having a similar problem. But now I tend to use my PS3/Xbox for playing multimedia instead of the PC....

Are you using that AC3 Filter? I seem to remember that although it's a powerful piece of software, there were so many options available it was very easy to click the wrong checkmark and cause problems. Also, my Creative sound driver would also cause problems/conflicts of its own.

The actual PC processing power is less important in this case as the audio is just streamed out, and the amp does all the decoding.

I think for me it was the fact that DTS could only be processed if it was a certain standard bitrate/format (on my amp, that is).

In the end I had to play a file (live) and then try all the different relevant options (even if they seemed irrelevant!). I'm sure the filter would be able to downsample/convert so you hear smooth audio playback, but that might defeat the purpose of playing that high quality file in the first place...

Sorry I can't be of more help...
 
DolbyDigitalTHX said:
The actual PC processing power is less important in this case as the audio is just streamed out, and the amp does all the decoding.

I think for me it was the fact that DTS could only be processed if it was a certain standard bitrate/format (on my amp, that is).
Click to expand...

I think your right, its down to the signal the amp is getting. I've got some DTS audio tracks that do play when others wont, so frustrating. I think a rebuild is on the cards.
 
Yes you shouldnt need it but in my experiance you do. I dont know if its related to certain hardware or what but I have had the exact same issue on a number of systems and AC3Filter was the only thing that fixed it.
 
Ubern00b I've got AC-3 filter installed but some DTS movies work, some don't (i.e. the ausio stutters) Can you confirm you've had this problem??

The HTPC does not process the soundtrack at all, it goes direct to the amp via SPDIF using optical.

Problem is some DTS soundtracks, most notibly DTS sound from 1080p .mkv files stutters terribly. From other reading on the web some people belive that VLC is at fault when playing the .mkv

Is anybody else able to play high quality 1080p x264 encoded .mkv files that have the full bitrate DTS audio without problem? If so please can you let me know what files you were playing so I can do a test on them.
 
Five_Star said:
Got a problem playing back very high quality DTS soundtracks from movies. The DTS sound is 6channel 48000Hz audio at 1536kbit/s and contained inside a .mvk
Click to expand...

Okay - this may sound like a dumb question, but...

I'm assuming you're playing rips/clips from HD movies. If so, are you sure that those audio tracks which won't play aren't in fact DTS-HD streams, which - correct me if I'm wrong - your amp can't handle anyway...?

Just a thought.
 
Five_Star said:
Ubern00b I've got AC-3 filter installed but some DTS movies work, some don't (i.e. the ausio stutters) Can you confirm you've had this problem??

The HTPC does not process the soundtrack at all, it goes direct to the amp via SPDIF using optical.

Problem is some DTS soundtracks, most notibly DTS sound from 1080p .mkv files stutters terribly. From other reading on the web some people belive that VLC is at fault when playing the .mkv

Is anybody else able to play high quality 1080p x264 encoded .mkv files that have the full bitrate DTS audio without problem? If so please can you let me know what files you were playing so I can do a test on them.
Click to expand...


Im not a user of VLC but from what I know it uses its own codecs so AC3Filter is probably not being used. Use MPC + AC3Filter to play back the files and see if you still have the problem.

I can confirm I had exactly the same problem before and AC3Filter solved it for me. Play around with the AC3Filter settings in the 3rd or so Tab that has the option for "DTS - Auto/Padded/Something else". I set it to auto and havent had a problem since. This only occurs for me on high bitrate DTS (1536kbits) lower bitrate encodes work fine with MPC's interal DTS decoder.
 
DolbyDigitalTHX I was thinking exactly that too, but I've been assured by people on AV forums that DTS 48000Hz @ 1536kbit/s is the highest non HD level it can go.

I think its going to come down to a rebuild as no body else has even heard of this problem let alone experienced it.

So, what are the correct codecs and drivers needed to play HD .mkv files with SPDIF passthrough to my amp?

Just FFDshow and AC-3 filter?? or is more needed?
 
Five_Star said:
I think its going to come down to a rebuild as no body else has even heard of this problem let alone experienced it.

Just FFDshow and AC-3 filter?? or is more needed?
Click to expand...

Ive experianced it :D MediaPlayerClassic as player, FFDSHOW or CoreAVC for video decoder, AC3Filter for audio decoder. Solved all my problems.
 
ubern00b said:
Ive experianced it :D MediaPlayerClassic as player, FFDSHOW or CoreAVC for video decoder, AC3Filter for audio decoder. Solved all my problems.
Click to expand...
Excellent, was getting worried it was just me going insane. Going to rebuild now with these settings, I'll owe you a pint if this works :)
 
ubern00b you are a genius for that, rebuilt XP SP2, Media player classic, FFDshow and AC-3 filter is all I've installed and ALL my .mkv files with DTS sound are playing beautifully through my amp :D

Seems to be a magic setting in AC-3 filter setting DTS to "Auto" it just makes it work.
 
Glad to be of help. I almost returned my Logitech Z-5450's because of this issue. I thought they just couldnt handle full bitrate DTS and Logitech themselves said it must be a faulty speaker set. Cant remember where I found the answer but Im glad I did, at least we have a solution now :)
 
Five_Star said:
ubern00b you are a genius for that....Seems to be a magic setting in AC-3 filter setting DTS to "Auto" it just makes it work.
Click to expand...

Hang on a sec - didn't I say to play with AC3 Filter from the start? We had to go through nearly 20 posts for this?

...and what credit do I get? nada, zilch, nil points...




PS is it obvious I'm just trying to clock up my post count? ;)
 
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