Dolby Digital TV channels won't play audio

Discussion of getting WMC to work on Windows 10 (unsupported)
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Browneagle

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Dolby Digital TV channels won't play audio

#1

Post by Browneagle » Sun May 28, 2023 12:53 am

I installed WMC 8.9.1 Installation MSI on a fresh WIndows 10 install. Everything went smoothly, however if I play a HD channel with Dolby Digital Plus the audio gets stuck on a 1 sec loop then crashes the player.
Dobly Digital is bitstreaming fine in VLC so it's not a audio driver problem.
I tried audio on Stereo or Dolby 5.1 but nothing fixes it. It only happens when bistreaming. I also tried V13 as mentioned in another thread but it does it too when bitstreaming.
The same HW works fine with Windows 7 and WMC, so reverted until I can fix

Any clues how to fix in Widnows 10

technodevotee

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#2

Post by technodevotee » Mon May 29, 2023 3:41 pm

Have you tried disabling Navigation Sounds?

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#3

Post by Browneagle » Mon May 29, 2023 9:22 pm

So I got so frustrated that I started again from scratch. Windows 10 fresh install, then the Hauppauge drivers, then Nvidia graphics and Nvidia HDMI audio. Then Media Center set up choosing Stereo rather than 5.1, the first time. This time Dolby Digital bitstreams perfecting.

It seems like if you ever set 5.1 in the MediaCenter audio it breaks it for ever?? I definitely tried changing it from 5.1 to Stereo in the previous install but it wouldn't fix it.
So glad its fixed

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#4

Post by technodevotee » Tue May 30, 2023 6:57 am

Do you know which version of V13 you installed?

Did you have to manually apply all the workarounds or were they automatically applied at install time?

I made a new version that applies the workarounds as part of the install and use it all the time.

I have to disable Navigation Sounds but can set both Windows and WMC to 5,1 without any problem.

I was under the impression that Gary had incorporated some of my installer configuration into 8.9.1 but I have not tried it myself.

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#5

Post by Browneagle » Tue May 30, 2023 7:28 am

Thanks for helping technodevotee [I work in IT so am reasonably technical in HW, but not SW]
The version of V13 I used was the one in these forums that someone uploaded to dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/s/0bm7f7hcnpow9 ... 4.zip?dl=0

BUT it wasn't V13 that I got working. It was 8.9.1 the second time. The order was:
Installed Win 10 with 8.9.1 - Dolby Digital+ = wont play
Uninstalled. Then installed V13 with only the SQL workaround. Set up Stereo sound in the WMC setup and Dolby Digital outputted in Stereo PCM. It was clear and no issues, but still poor quality stereo on a high end home theatre is painful. When I changed it to 5.1 in the audio setup, it then bitstreamed but again the audio stuck and looped.
Then I tried all the different options in KLite codec and nothing would fix it.

Got very angry, and tried to return the image to Win7, but Acronis True Image failed on the restore. Then I was really screwed, as my wife uses he media centre a lot.

Then installed fresh Win10, then 8.9.1 (not V13) but this time, I NEVER set it to D5.1 in the WMC setup. I left it as stereo. Played the first OTA TV channel in DD+ and was blow away when it bit streamed perfectly.

I have it imaged, so am tempted on a rainy day to switch it to 5.1 Audio in the WMC and see if it breaks again, and doesnt come right when you change back to stereo.

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#6

Post by technodevotee » Tue May 30, 2023 8:03 am

Yeah, that is the old version where you have to manually apply the workarounds after installation.

That is possibly why it didn't work for you.

I'm not sure what workarounds are applied with Gary's installers but I have never been able to set both WMC and Windows to 5.1 in any version of installer other than V12 and V13.

However, once Windows is set to stereo, WMC plays 5.1 perfectly in all versions I have tried.

As I understand it, WMC can't take full control of the audio device if it is already set to 5.1. Neither can It output both 5.1 and other sound formats at the same time, which is why you have to turn off Navigation Sounds.

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#7

Post by garyan2 » Tue May 30, 2023 6:29 pm

The files I leveraged from v13 for 8.9.1 were:
CPFilters.dll
ehshell.dll (differences related to RDP)
EncDec.dll
mcplayer.dll
Microsoft.MediaCenter.UI.dll (differences related to RDP)
MSVidCtl.dll

All other files are the same except those that had manifest changes for all the needed workarounds.

I've had this problem in the past as well, even on Win7 trying to get 5.1/DD/DD+ to my receiver. It's been too long ago so can't remember the details, but what @technodevotee describes sound right.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

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#8

Post by technodevotee » Tue May 30, 2023 6:58 pm

Thanks for the info Gary.

I really must try 8.9.1 one day :->

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#9

Post by Browneagle » Wed May 31, 2023 4:34 am

A big thank you both for the support. I think the take away is set the audio to stereo in WMC setup ONCE and never mess with it. I'm not sure why changing it to 5.1, then back to Stereo broke it and couldn't be fixed, BUT very happy with a fresh install that I have a perfect working WMC on W10. I've been a heavy WMC user since when it was first released and my family think its first class and would never change it. When my Win7 OS died and I had to go Win10 I was really worried, but the hard work by both of you is appreciated.

Gary I just sent you a $50 donation on your website under my username+paypal. technodevotee - happy to do the same for you if you have it set up?

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#10

Post by sdowney717 » Mon Jun 19, 2023 9:14 pm

I have not had a Dolby 5.1 issue yet on win10 or win 11 same PC.
WMC sound setup when I tell it to play the 5.1 speaker setup works from the HDMI cable that eventually connects to a HDTV display or a LED projector I just bought. First it goes thru a 4 port HDMI switch that extracts the sound to an RCA plug.

I then plug that cable into a Sony sound receiver. which decodes and sends the amplified output to all the 5.1 individual speakers.
It works decently even decoding a PCM stereo if the HDMI cable has no Dolby 5.1

The output of the 4 port HDMI input is just a single HDMI port that I connect to an HDMI switch to give video to either the TV or the projector. The projector is a 2023 model Jifar H6 and it really does have a very good picture.

My video and sound setup in Windows uses an Nvidia GT730 pcie card. So maybe Nvidia video cards work better with sound than other makes of cards?

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