Windows Media Center HDMI audio options

[Paul Anderegg]

So I had been running exclusive audio mode with 2 channel stereo in Windows Sound, and getting normal Dolby Digital AC3 bit-streamed to my TV and then ARCed out to my AVR. My cable company is now converting all the channels to 720p, with DD+ audio, so I thought I would revisit my output. I already set 720p as the MC resolution, and I have never liked the audio delays when advancing through TV shows using the bit-streaming DD. What real options are there for 5.1 audio out of my WMC PC via HDMI? My TV has many settings which affect what the AVR is showing me, so I am never really sure what is actually coming out of the PC HDMI...I can make my AVR say DD, or DD+ for WMC PC playback, by changing a setting on my TV!

So I am playing with Windows Sound set to 5.1, exclusive mode unchecked, 16 bit 48000 audio to match the limitations of Cox cable, and TV set to pass-through. This gets a DD+ 5.1 displayed on my AVR, even for AC3 playback, and I am pretty sure voice comes out of my center speaker, and music and such and no voice comes from the R and L speakers, so 5.1 seems functional. The Windows volume now works for playback, and the TV sounds a bit different, so not sure if I have improved or changed anything. How would you guys go about determining what your HDMI is actually outputting, when your connected devices are somewhat limited in what they will display? The new Cox h264 codec really causes long pausing in commercial skip if I bit-stream the old fashion way.

Paul

Sony X950H TV, Sony DH590 AVR