X-Fi Titanium Out Of Sync

lettuce · 23 Nov 2009 at 20:32

Hmm, ok i dont have a decoder tab what so ever, any idea why this is?

If in the creative control panel i click the 'speaker' tab, and select '5.1 speakers' from the drop down window. If i then use the speaker test program, im only getting sound from the 2 front speakers, and the test sound for the rear speakers also comes from the 2 front speakers. However if i have DTS or DD enabled in the 'encoder' tab and run the speaker test i get sound from all speakers. Shouldnt i be getting sound from all speakers when running the speaker test, regardless if i have DTS or DD enabled in the encoder tab?, i can understand why i dont have the 'decoder' tab?

james.miller · 23 Nov 2009 at 20:35

lettuce said:
Hmm, ok i dont have a decoder tab what so ever, any idea why this is?

If in the creative control panel i click the 'speaker' tab, and select '5.1 speakers' from the drop down window. If i then use the speaker test program, im only getting sound from the 2 front speakers, and the test sound for the rear speakers also comes from the 2 front speakers. However if i have DTS or DD enabled in the 'encoder' tab and run the speaker setup i get sound from all speakers. Shouldnt i be getting sound from all speakers when running the speaker test, even though i dont have DTS or DD enabled in the encoder tab, i can understand why i dont have the 'decoder' tab?

no, your card and software are working correctly.

without an encoder of some kind (DDLive or DTSConnect) the best you can do with the digital output is 2 channel PCM UNLESS you are bitstreaming DD or DTS from a dvd, for example. this means that for any multi channel source that doesnt have a DD/DTS soundtrack, it'll get mixed down to 2 channel and shunted through the digital output.

DDLive and DTS connect take that multi channel audio and encode it first before it gets the the digital output. The result is full surround sond over digital, albeit with the lag introduced with doing so.

There is nothing wrong with the way your card is working.

Marsman · 23 Nov 2009 at 20:39

Hmm that is wierd. If the card comes with DTS and DD as Creative state, then it is capable of decoding these formats.

When you say sound from the front 2 speakers, do you mean speakers connected to the amp, or the analogue ones?

lettuce · 23 Nov 2009 at 20:39

Marsman said:
Hmm that is wierd. If the card comes with DTS and DD as Creative state, then it is capable of decoding these formats.

When you say sound from the front 2 speakers, do you mean speakers connected to the amp, or the analogue ones?

Yeah the speakers attached to my amp. so the only things u installed when you installed your card was the actual driver, nothing else, and you have a DTS and DD options?

As you can see no decoder tab, just encoder...

Marsman · 23 Nov 2009 at 20:46

Right, I think I understand. Creative seems to indicate to take advantage of DD or DTS, you need to use Power DVD, so therefore no decoder tab. Why they have done this I do not know. With the Xtreme Music, no indication of having to use Power DVD to access DTS or DD.

james.miller · 23 Nov 2009 at 20:49

Marsman said:
Right, I think I understand. Creative seems to indicate to take advantage of DD or DTS, you need to use Power DVD, so therefore no decoder tab. Why they have done this I do not know.

because it doesnt have a built in decoder.

lettuce · 23 Nov 2009 at 21:06

so i cant get a 5.1 for stuff like games then?

Marsman · 23 Nov 2009 at 21:10

lettuce said:
Hmm, ok i dont have a decoder tab what so ever, any idea why this is?

If in the creative control panel i click the 'speaker' tab, and select '5.1 speakers' from the drop down window. If i then use the speaker test program, im only getting sound from the 2 front speakers, and the test sound for the rear speakers also comes from the 2 front speakers. However if i have DTS or DD enabled in the 'encoder' tab and run the speaker test i get sound from all speakers. Shouldnt i be getting sound from all speakers when running the speaker test, regardless if i have DTS or DD enabled in the encoder tab?, i can understand why i dont have the 'decoder' tab?

The 5.1 in the speaker test only applies to the analogue speakers, as without the DTS/DDL pack it's only sending out 2 channel via digital. With the DTS/DDL pack it's encoding each channel and sending it out via the digital to the corresponding channel. Which is good, shows it's working properly.

Marsman · 23 Nov 2009 at 21:12

lettuce said:
so i cant get a 5.1 for stuff like games then?

Yes you can. But if the game is 2 channel say, the DTSC/DDL pack will up mix that to 5.1 and output vis the digital. If the game has 5.1 sound, it will convert that and do the same.

As for analogue, thats what CMSS and EAX are for.

james.miller · 23 Nov 2009 at 21:14

lettuce said:
so i cant get a 5.1 for stuff like games then?

decoding is not the same as encoding, you are confusing the two. I've already said your card is functioning correctly and ive told you how DDLive and DTSConnect work. please re-read my posts

Marsman · 23 Nov 2009 at 21:28

Marsman said:
Right, I think I understand. Creative seems to indicate to take advantage of DD or DTS, you need to use Power DVD, so therefore no decoder tab. Why they have done this I do not know.

james.miller said:

because it doesnt have a built in decoder.

Click to expand...

Very true. I did word that wrong somewhat. I was trying question why remove the cards decoder ability.

Talk about doing things the wrong way round. The Xtreme Gamer/Music had DTS/DD decoding onboard, but no digital connections unless one buys their damn I/O. Then they go release the Audio and Titanium with digital out ports, but removes the cards ability to decode DTS/DD.

james.miller · 23 Nov 2009 at 21:34

the gamer didnt have decoding either, ultimately it was felt it wasnt needed and rightly so - just about everything out there that plays dvd will decode the audio.

lettuce · 23 Nov 2009 at 21:36

So im going to have to put up with this audio lag then? I have noticed that if i dont have DTS or DD enabled in the 'encoder' tab, the only way i can get sound through the digital optical cable is by enabling 'Play Stereo Mix Using Digital Output;, but then im unable to select the decoding mode on my amp itself, its stuck at 2 channel, i cant set the amp to 5.1, its some how locked at 2 channel, im guess this is due to me using a digital optical cable?.

So it would seem i either have 5.1 but audio lag, or no lag and stuck with just using 2 speakers on my amp, well that sucks

james.miller · 23 Nov 2009 at 21:38

lettuce said:
So im going to have to put up with this audio lag then? I have noticed that if i dont have DTS or DD enabled in the 'encoder' tab, the only way i can get sound through the digital optical cable is by enabling 'Play Stereo Mix Using Digital Output;, but then im unable to select the decoding mode on my amp itslef, its stuck at 2 channel, i can set the amp to 5.1, its some how locked at 2 channel, im guess this is due to me using a digital optical cable. So it would seem i either have 5.1 but audio lag, or no lag an stuck with just using 2 speakers on my amp, well that sucks

which is what i said in post #9 lol. you never answered my questions though - why do you need both analogue and digital at the same time and would you have even noticed if you werent trying to use them at the same time?

Marsman · 23 Nov 2009 at 21:43

Ah ok, I assumed the old Gamer and Music were the same card bar the XRAM.

Marsman · 23 Nov 2009 at 21:47

lettuce said:
So im going to have to put up with this audio lag then? I have noticed that if i dont have DTS or DD enabled in the 'encoder' tab, the only way i can get sound through the digital optical cable is by enabling 'Play Stereo Mix Using Digital Output;, but then im unable to select the decoding mode on my amp itself, its stuck at 2 channel, i cant set the amp to 5.1, its some how locked at 2 channel, im guess this is due to me using a digital optical cable?.

So it would seem i either have 5.1 but audio lag, or no lag and stuck with just using 2 speakers on my amp, well that sucks

Doesn't your receiver convert the incoming 2 channel to 5.1?

If I use any audio bar DVD, it's sent out as 2 channel, my receivers Dolby Pro logic then converts that to 5.1.

lettuce · 23 Nov 2009 at 23:02

james.miller said:
why do you need both analogue and digital at the same time and would you have even noticed if you werent trying to use them at the same time?

As i have a dell soundbar with my monitor, which i use for general use, and then i use the digital for when i gaming.

Marsman said:
Doesn't your receiver convert the incoming 2 channel to 5.1?

If I use any audio bar DVD, it's sent out as 2 channel, my receivers Dolby Pro logic then converts that to 5.1.

Well i know when i used to have the X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty and the I/O module, i had it connected to my amp via coxial cable and i was able to change the channel output to 5.1, but now im using a digital optical cable it seems to be locked at 2 channel and the button on the amps controller i usually press to cycle through the speaker channels, 5.1, 6.1 etc doesnt seem to change the channels and is locked at 2 channel all the time, so i guess it might be that stopping from selecting a 5.1 output?

Marsman · 23 Nov 2009 at 23:24

That's is quite baffling. Pro Logic or the DTS equivalent is usually quite common with 5.1 systems, whether it be AV receiver or all in one box types. So you are not getting sound through all speakers, only left right?

lettuce · 23 Nov 2009 at 23:32

Yeah, thats right i cant understand why it wont let me change the channel to a 5.1mix, just locked at 2 channel, its not even 2.1. Only if i am using the dts encoder option am i able cycle throught the audio channels on my amp

Marsman · 23 Nov 2009 at 23:40

What model is your Sony receiver?