Issues Playing True HD Audio

[Jade10145]

Hi All,

So I have been doing some digging and have yet found a solution to my issue. I am attempting to play an MKV with TrueHD Audio in Windows Media Center but it just won't play.

I currently have Shark 007 codec pack installed with the following settings,

Audio Tab

Audio Bitstreaming
checked off- TrueHD/DTS-HD-MA

Set Up LAV Audio
Bitstreaming
Formats
-All formats are checked off.

MKV Tab
checked off - Use LAV's splitter

When I go to play the video with these settings, the video begins to play then I get hit with the "Cannot Play Video" "Windows Media Center cannot open the file"

I then went and changed the MKV tab to use LAV's splitter. When I do this and try to play the video it just goes to black screen.

I then went back to the Audio tab- Setup LAV Audio button- unchecked Dolby True HD and DTS-HD. When I did this the file played BUT it only outputted 2.1.

Some info on my set up,

Nvidia GT430 Video card (from what I have read the GT-430 is capable of bitstreaming HD audio) HDMI outputting to the AVR
AVR is capable of HD audio.

File Info

Video Container= MKV
Video Format= AVC- h264
Audio Codec= True HD Audio


Codec= H264

So to me at least it feels like its some issue with outputting DTS-HD and Dolby True HD. I just can't figure out what the heck it could be!

[bobbob]

just sorted this out at the weekend with DTS. it took a while! couple of questions

does it play back with True HD in WMP?

in the Shark settings on the audio tab, have you set the setting both launching the config app as an administrator and not as an administrator? you need to do both

[Jade10145]

Hi Bobbob,

Ok your giving me some hope

I ran the x64 compnent as a non administrator (without right clicking and choosing run as administrator) and checked the audio tab. You were correct that the tab didn't match what was set when I ran it as an administrator. So I went ahead and changed it so the settings matched what was set up as an admin.

Still not playing in WMC As for WMP, the file starts to open up but then I am hit with "There is a problem playing this file" or something simular. So no True HD.

A little more info on my set up.

I have both the Win 7 and x64 components installed. From what I've read I only need to change settings in the x64 component since WMC uses a 64 player. If I want to use just straight WMP then I would be changing settings in the Win 7 component, as this is for 32 bit.

From WMC, I am using Media Browser to play the files. Although technically it's still WMC that is playing the file. Media Browser is just the interface.

[bobbob]

yeah, i'm far from an expert! in the interests of solving this as quick as possible i would recommend you ask Shark himself. he's really quick at responding to posts on his forum.

does it play back in VLC? thats always my starting point to make sure the file is playable

[Jade10145]

That makes me and you both "far from an expert" Learning together yay! lol

Tried going through VLC and yes it does play but only in 2.0 last I checked (before I made the non admin changes)

Tried registering in the Shark forums but I'm being told I'm going through a proxy, strange. I need to contact the mod about it.

[bobbob]

see, that to me suggests a problem with the file. VLC should (As far as i understand) play anything and its independent of codecs installed. possibly a silly question but what makes you think the mkv contains a TrueHD sound track? have you confirmed this with something like mediainfo?

[Jade10145]

Well when I ripped it I chose to keep the HD audio. I used DVD Fab.

I checked the file info in both VLC and through Sharks onboard file analyzer (cant remember the exact name). Both displayed the audio codec as True HD.

I am wondering if this is an issue with the audio codecs that my Video Card/ processor support? I went to control panel- Sound- and under the supported formats it only lists Dolby Digital. The strange part is that I can play regular DTS files just fine. I am thinking maybe I can update the supported formats but I really don't know how to do that.

Edit: I am outputting from my video card (Asus GT430) through HDMI to my reciever. So my thought is that the video card would need to support the HD codecs.

[bobbob]

sounds like your video card doesn't support TrueHD? I have the same issue and am havign a bit of a poke around to see if i can get anything to work.

My AVR supports Dolby Digital Plus, DTS and PCM. I have Shark007 set up to pass through all audio to the AVR. i just tried ripping a blu-ray with TrueHD and playing it back with the TrueHD settings enabled in Shark007 and the file won't play. So i guess I am seeing the same as you. I use the onboard graphics card and i know it only supports up Dolby Digital.

The only thing that doesn't support your thought is that my sound / graphics card doesn't support DTS either but its able to pass it through to the AVR. i would have thought the same would have stood for TrueHD?

[Jade10145]

I did some searching and the video card "should" support True HD and the other HD formats. the question is what is actually outputting the audio?

As for your situation, since your AVR doesn't support True HD you should be able to pass through the True HD but your AVR won't actually play True HD. I believe it would just play the core audio Dolby Digital.

From what I have read all the HD audio formats basically work like this,

Core Audio= Lossy format. Dolby Digital.
HD Audio= Losless format. Dolby TrueHD. Basically its all the audio information that is missing from the core audio.

Beleive me I'm no expert so take all my words with a grain of salt

Any "experts" care to chime in?

[bobbob]

well my PC won't even play a file that contains TrueHD whether its got a secondary compatible audio track or not. personally i'd expect if i tried to play one that just contained TrueHD audio that i would get video but no sound or video and downgraded sound as you suggest. but they don't play full stop.

i'd try back on Shark007's forum

[STC]

You can see what sound formats your hardware supports by looking at the HDMI sound output properties

Sound Playback devices / Properties / Supported Formats

[edit] I'm sorry, I see you have explored that area in your posts above.
This is what you should see to be fully supported by hardware:

Code: Select all

DTS Audio
Dolby Digital Plus
DTS-HD
Dolby TRUEHD
Dolby Digital

[Jade10145]

Ha! Finally figured it out! To summarize the issue was that the video card was only seeing the supported formats for the television. It should of been looking at the support formats for the AVR.

The TV (Sony KDL- EX46500) only supports Dolby Digital. I found this out a long time ago when I would recieve a "format not supported" message when playing any DTS content on my PS3 or my HTPC connected through HDMI directly to my television.

The AVR on the other hand supports pretty much everything.

So the problem was that the AVR was set to passthrough the sound through HDMI to the TV. For some reason the video card on the HTPC was only seeing the formats that the TV supported. So I ended up turning off HDMI passthrough on the AVR and wala, TrueHD sound in all its supposed glory lol.

Stonethecrows, now that I turned off the passthrough on the AVR I can see all the supported formats as you mentioned below. Thanks for the info.

Bobbob, onto your issue. I would follow stonethecrows advice and check the formats your card support. Although it looks like you have already done that. Still it should be passing through at least the core audio.

Question, I assume you are going from the HTPC to your amp via HDMI? Then out to your TV correct? I am wondering if its possible that you have the same problem as me. I was also confused as to why I was able to passthrough DTS even though the video card didn't list it under supported formats.

Edit: Have to throw a smiley face in here. I was phyced when I finnaly got this working lol

[STC]

Hardware both ends of the HDMI cable(s) must support the chosen format. If the list looks like the one above it means both output HDMI device and input HDMI device are able to work with the displayed formats. It's a report of capability after a HDMI handshake has taken place between the start and endpoint device, if that makes any sense.

[Jade10145]

stonethecrows, actually that does make a lot of sense. I had heard about the handshake between devices but just had never seen it applied in real life. Thank you for the explanation.

So I guess the video card was actually handshaking with the TV as opposed to the AVR.

[STC]

^ Yes it sounds like it.

[bobbob]

no, i just take spdif optical from the motherboard to the AVR. The AVR doesn't support TrueHD though and its only when i try to bitstream TrueHD to the AVR that WMP tells me it can't play the file. otherwise it seems to playback 5.1 but not sure whether its using the separate 5.1 sound track. anyway i think its working as expected. certainly as i expect!

[STC]

^ Your optical spdif connection cannot feed HD sound. 5.1 is the max you will get. The optical standard does not support the higher bandwidths required.

[bobbob]

well there we go. AVR doesn't support beyond DTS so it'd be pointless to try and send anything higher. it also seems that when i rip a bluray with the TrueHD sound track i am made to alsoinclude a 5.1 soundtrack or the rip fails