Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Other Diversions › Computers and HTPC › 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

post #1 of 18
5/26/07 at 7:44am
Thread Starter 
OK this is a long shot but hopefully some surround sound expert can help.

I have a Sound Blaster Live 5.1 sound card.
I have Creative Labs 5.1 speakers

Now my problem is, when I play DVD's via my DVD ROM and set the DVD movie to 5.1 Surround sound, I can hear from every speaker, even my rear ones. BUT the problem is, I can hear EVERYTHING from my rear speakers as well.
When I play movies on a home theatre system, I only hear the vocals from the front (which is the way its supposed to be) and not hear them from the rear, but with my PC I hear everything from all my speakers.

Anyone know what's wrong?


Thanks in advance to anyone that can help!
Reply
post #2 of 18
5/29/07 at 9:28am
Thread Starter 

5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

I posted in the PC section but got no responses so this is a long shot but hopefully some surround sound expert can help.

I have a Sound Blaster Live 5.1 sound card.
I have Creative Labs 5.1 speakers

Now my problem is, when I play DVD's via my DVD ROM and set the DVD movie to 5.1 Surround sound, I can hear from every speaker, even my rear ones. BUT the problem is, I can hear EVERYTHING from my rear speakers as well.
When I play movies on a home theatre system, I only hear the vocals from the front (which is the way its supposed to be) and not hear them from the rear, but with my PC I hear everything from all my speakers.

Anyone know what's wrong?


Thanks in advance to anyone that can help!
Reply
post #3 of 18
5/29/07 at 9:46am

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

What software dvd player are you using? It must support Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. Did you go through the speaker calibration process, in the Creative Labs software? I have the Audigy 2 ZS Platinum sound card, and Logitech 5.1 speakers. Mine didn't do right, until I calibrated the speakers.
Also, double check all the settings, because it sounds like a wrong setting somewhere. Make sure you have the newest driver for your card.

I hope something here helps, because I've run out of ideas.
Good luck!
Reply
post #4 of 18
5/29/07 at 1:13pm

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

Make sure you're using a DVD program that supports surround sound. Last time I checked, none of the free ones do, and most of the ones you get when you buy an internal DVD drive don't either. I know the deluxe versions of PowerDVD and WinDVD have had 5.1 support for several versions now.
Reply
post #5 of 18
5/29/07 at 4:29pm

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

Moe,

Has the sound system of your PC been set up for 5.1 sound?

If you're not sure, look at it here: go to the Control Panel (assuming you have WinXP) and choose "Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices". Then choose "Change the speaker settings". Click on "Advanced" (right below). Now you need to select one of the 5.1 settings from the drop-down menu in the Speakers tab, if it isn't already selected.

If it was, there's another problem. If it wasn't: see if this helps.


Cees
Reply
post #6 of 18
5/30/07 at 7:16pm

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

Just a random suggestion since no one has replied yet: Often, Soundblaster comes with a bunch of effects, including echo effects that are designed to make it sound like the front speakers are echoing off the rear walls. Open up the Soundblaster interface and make sure you aren't set to one of these effects. Go for plain vanilla, no effects. Just a possibility.
Reply
post #7 of 18
5/31/07 at 12:06pm

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

You also need some software in your PC to decode the audio to 5.1 discrete channels. Sometimes the speaker set has a Dolby Digital and sometimes DTS decoder in an external box, in that case you connect the speakers to your PC with a digital cable and get real 5.1.

Without a set of speakers with an integrated DD/DTS decoder you'll have to do it in software in the PC.

I'm not sure what you use to play DVD's, but using AC3Filter from http://ac3filter.net and a player like BSplayer or Mediaplayer Classic, you should be able to set that up to decode 5.1 sound properly. See the site for info on how. It's not super-easy but there is a manual to read.
Reply
post #8 of 18
6/3/07 at 9:48am
Thread Starter 

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Moxley
What software dvd player are you using? It must support Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. Did you go through the speaker calibration process, in the Creative Labs software? I have the Audigy 2 ZS Platinum sound card, and Logitech 5.1 speakers. Mine didn't do right, until I calibrated the speakers.
Also, double check all the settings, because it sounds like a wrong setting somewhere. Make sure you have the newest driver for your card.
I hope something here helps, because I've run out of ideas.
Good luck!

I'm using Windows Media Player Classic v.6.4.9. Ive also used WMP the regular version that comes with XP. Yes, I went through calibration process as well, making sure it's set to 5.1. I can hear through all the speakres when I'm playing music, etc, problem is when i play 5.1 DVD movies, i hear everything through every speaker as well. My sound card was updated recently as I thought that was the problem...so after that i got stumped

Quote:
Originally Posted by adam613
Make sure you're using a DVD program that supports surround sound. Last time I checked, none of the free ones do, and most of the ones you get when you buy an internal DVD drive don't either. I know the deluxe versions of PowerDVD and WinDVD have had 5.1 support for several versions now.

Hmmm I'll try that cuz as I said above, Im using WMP Classic and I didn't know the DVD software had to support 5.1 surround. But to be clear, when I play DVD's using WMP Classic, I hear from ALL my speakers but obviously i should be hearing the vocals from my 2 front speakers, not my front and my rears.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cees Alons
Moe,
Has the sound system of your PC been set up for 5.1 sound?
If you're not sure, look at it here: go to the Control Panel (assuming you have WinXP) and choose "Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices". Then choose "Change the speaker settings". Click on "Advanced" (right below). Now you need to select one of the 5.1 settings from the drop-down menu in the Speakers tab, if it isn't already selected.
If it was, there's another problem. If it wasn't: see if this helps.
Cees

Yep I played around with that b4. It was always set to 5.1 surround.

Basically, my Creative Labs Audio callibration is set to 5.1 as well as the speaker settings under control panel.
So maybe the issue is the DVD software Im using to play these movies?

Thanks for all the help guys, I'm gonna download the recommended software from above and see if that helps.
Reply
post #9 of 18
6/3/07 at 10:04am
Thread Starter 

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

Quote:
Originally Posted by Will_B
Just a random suggestion since no one has replied yet: Often, Soundblaster comes with a bunch of effects, including echo effects that are designed to make it sound like the front speakers are echoing off the rear walls. Open up the Soundblaster interface and make sure you aren't set to one of these effects. Go for plain vanilla, no effects. Just a possibility.

Yep, I checked that after I read your post, there was no effects, it was set to normal.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimmo Jaskari
You also need some software in your PC to decode the audio to 5.1 discrete channels. Sometimes the speaker set has a Dolby Digital and sometimes DTS decoder in an external box, in that case you connect the speakers to your PC with a digital cable and get real 5.1.
Without a set of speakers with an integrated DD/DTS decoder you'll have to do it in software in the PC.
I'm not sure what you use to play DVD's, but using AC3Filter from X and a player like BSplayer or Mediaplayer Classic, you should be able to set that up to decode 5.1 sound properly. See the site for info on how. It's not super-easy but there is a manual to read.

Yeah I don't have the external box thing. I'm using Windows media Player Classic to play all my DVD's. I have the AC3Filter v.1.09a, but maybe it's not configured properly, Im not too sure. I'll look for that manual on the AC3Filter website and see how to possibly decode it right.

Thanks for the help guys!
Reply
post #10 of 18
6/3/07 at 2:40pm

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

Maybe updating the drivers will help?
Reply
post #11 of 18
6/5/07 at 9:40pm
Thread Starter 

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

AMAZING!
I played around with my AC3 Filter software and it worked. I basically set the "output" in AC3 to 3/2+SW 5.1 channel. Thanks for the help guys!
Reply
post #12 of 18
6/5/07 at 9:44pm
Thread Starter 

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimmo Jaskari
You also need some software in your PC to decode the audio to 5.1 discrete channels. Sometimes the speaker set has a Dolby Digital and sometimes DTS decoder in an external box, in that case you connect the speakers to your PC with a digital cable and get real 5.1.

Without a set of speakers with an integrated DD/DTS decoder you'll have to do it in software in the PC.

I'm not sure what you use to play DVD's, but using AC3Filter from x and a player like BSplayer or Mediaplayer Classic, you should be able to set that up to decode 5.1 sound properly. See the site for info on how. It's not super-easy but there is a manual to read.

AMAZING!
I played around with my AC3 Filter software and looked up the problem in the manual and it worked. I basically set the "output" in AC3 to 3/2+SW 5.1 channel. It was set to "AS IS (no change)"
The funny thing is, I set the DTS on and played a DTS DVD movie and was able to play it in DTS (which doesn't make sense since I don't have an external DTS decoder. I heard the Yamaha piano intro and everything).

Thanks Kimmo Jaskari
Reply
post #13 of 18
6/6/07 at 2:19am

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

Enjoy your setup!

Quote:
I played around with my AC3 Filter software and it worked.
And in fact you found the solution yourself!


Cees
Reply
post #14 of 18
6/6/07 at 2:34pm

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

Makes perfect sense, as ac3filter is in itself the decoder, so instead of taking the digital audio stream, sending it out via a digital connection to an external decoder (often located in a receiver), you're now picking up the DTS audio, decoding it in the computer with ac3filter and then sending the sound out via the analog connections to your 5.1 speakers. Same end result, surround sound. Glad you got it sorted out. You might want to consider upgrading to the latest ac3filter, it is free after all.
Reply
post #15 of 18
6/6/07 at 6:47pm
Thread Starter 

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cees Alons
Enjoy your setup!


And in fact you found the solution yourself!


Cees

lol i can't take all the credit. someone over at the computer subforum helped me out
Reply
post #16 of 18
6/6/07 at 6:51pm
Thread Starter 

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimmo Jaskari
Makes perfect sense, as ac3filter is in itself the decoder, so instead of taking the digital audio stream, sending it out via a digital connection to an external decoder (often located in a receiver), you're now picking up the DTS audio, decoding it in the computer with ac3filter and then sending the sound out via the analog connections to your 5.1 speakers. Same end result, surround sound. Glad you got it sorted out. You might want to consider upgrading to the latest ac3filter, it is free after all.

Interesting, I wasn't aware of the AC3's purpose. I am using an older version of it but I dont think i can upgrade since I heard i have have to uninstall the older AC3 first. But I cant do that cuz I installed the "Theorica dvix Codec pack" which included the old AC3 filter and can't just uninstall AC3 alone.
Reply
post #17 of 18
6/7/07 at 11:53am

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

Those Codec packs are usually full of crud. Personally I just pick what I need in order to view what I usually want to view. For 99,9% of the stuff I want to watch, I can make do with maybe 3-4 separate extra codecs installed.

In fact, ffdshow alone in some version can playback almost anything.
Reply
post #18 of 18
7/23/08 at 3:03pm

Re: 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***

Threads combined. Please do not start multiple threads on the same topic.

M.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Computers and HTPC
Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Other Diversions › Computers and HTPC › 5.1 Surround NOT truely 5.1 ***Please Help***