Speaker Configuration

[nickk]

The Windows 10/11 app and the XBox app has a new Settings menu option "Speaker Configuration". This replaces the "Use AC3 passthrough when possible" option. Our apps on other platforms will get this option soon.

"Stereo Speakers" - for the TV built-in speakers or any configuration where you have 1-2 speakers. High quality mix to stereo.

"5.1 Surround Sound" - when using a home theater system or sound bar with 3 or more speakers. Stereo TV content is mixed to 5.1.

"Digital Passthrough" - AC3 passthrough to your AVR (and AC4 passthrough if supported). No local volume control, output will be 5.1 or stereo matching the source.

[Pcporemba]

Is there a AVR that decodes AC4?

[nickk]

Is there a AVR that decodes AC4?

Not sure, but Sony TVs, Fire TV Edition televisions, and some Android TV products do "AC4 passthrough" where they convert to AC3 for the AVR.

[billmich]

I was having issue with this earlier this week

when set the app to 5.1 and using the optical out of my PC, I was getting error message that I wasn't configured for surround sound, and that it was going to be stereo output.

That makes sense, because when I utilized the HDMI output and 5.1 setting the result was UNCOMPRESSED 5.1 "PCM" audio, .... looking back at the optical port, (which is how i want to connect my PC to my avr), optical cannot do uncompressed multi-channel, you need a lossy codec like dolby or dts for that to happen..

my question is, with digital passthrough, - what does "No local volume control" mean?

[signcarver]

When you pass through audio, it is just the bits thus no volume control on the device passing the audio it is up to the receiving device of those bits (such as the AVR or sound bar) to control the volume as it is that device that is processing the audio.

[Williams]

I am having problems getting audio and video with ATSC3 AC-4 channels when using the Windows app. I just get a blank screen on the channels with AC-4. I can tune into an ATSC3 mux that's using AAC audio.

My driver is the intel driver for my CPU which is an i5 dual core (Iris graphics). This driver (WSAPI) supports 1080p and Blu-ray passthrough formats (DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD), and I have the PC connected by HDMI to a Yamaha RX-A1080 AVR which is 4k Dolby Atmos capable.

Not sure why i get a blank screen. **** and VLC will play ATS3 video but no audio on the AC-4 channels of course. My 10y old MacBook and newer iPhone and iPad play those channels just fine with audio.

I think it has something to do with the hardware driver. It would be great if someone could confirm and offer a solution.

[foxbat121]

Make sure your PC has internet connection or if you use 3rd party firewall. don't block the cloud transcoding of AC-4 built into the app. Most PCs can't handle AC-4 directly. Hence it needs to send AC-4 audio to SD's cloud transcoding server convert it back to 2-ch stereor audio for playback. If HDHR app on your PC can't reach the cloud transcoding server, you will get black screen instead.

[legierk]

The Windows 10/11 app and the XBox app has a new Settings menu option "Speaker Configuration". This replaces the "Use AC3 passthrough when possible" option. Our apps on other platforms will get this option soon.

"Stereo Speakers" - for the TV built-in speakers or any configuration where you have 1-2 speakers. High quality mix to stereo.

"5.1 Surround Sound" - when using a home theater system or sound bar with 3 or more speakers. Stereo TV content is mixed to 5.1.

"Digital Passthrough" - AC3 passthrough to your AVR (and AC4 passthrough if supported). No local volume control, output will be 5.1 or stereo matching the source.

Where do I find this Settings menu? I have the Windows 11 app and can't find this menu anywhere. (Using HDHR4-2US with latest firmware/software).

[signcarver]

It's the regular settings "gear" icon top right corner in the menu pages... easiest way to get to the "menus" is probably to press the esc key but there is also a button to get to those menus in the regular ui... I think current ui calls it dvr rather than menu (you still have to go to settings gear after that)

[legierk]

I found it. Hover over the 3 lines in the top LEFT corner (the web instructions say something about a hamburger in the top right corner.....)

[cubdukat]

I seem to be having a problem with AC-3 Passthrough on WIn11. It's telling me that AC-3 Digital Passthrough is not available. At first I had thought that it was because the latest 24H2 upgrade doesn't have the AC-3 codec or removes it, but I am unsure where to check to see if I have it installed, and if so, how do I enable it?

My system seems to have a lot of issues with outputting 5.1 over HDMI in general. I have a Hisense TV that passes through 5.1 to my AVR from every other HDMI source connected to it but the PC. The HDMI signal from the PC is being output from an RTX 3060 graphics card that's fully capable of outputting 5.1, but for some reason, it refuses to allow me to set it up to do so. But that would be another problem for another time; right now I'm wondering what I should be looking for to check that I do have the AC-3 codec installed and enabled for HDHomerun to use.

[foxbat121]

You need to check it using the legacy Control Panel->Hardware and Sound->Sound->Manage audio devices-> Select your current audio device which should be your TV's name. Click on Properties button to bring out the Properties dialog. Click on Supported Formats tab. On the bottom of that tab, it will have a section listing all the supported 'Encoded formats'. It should list Dolby Digital. If not, you probably need to update your nVidia graphics driver.

[cubdukat]

It does. It lists PCM, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS. Unfortunately, the problem persists. I’ve more or less given up on finding a solution. The system’s a couple months away from a major overhaul, and hopefully a full-scale clean install might help.

Unfortunately that means installing Win10 Pro first and then upgrading to Win11 Pro on top of that to make sure DDP is installed.

[foxbat121]

It does. It lists PCM, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS.

On my PC, it lists Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Digital, separately. AC-3 is Dolby Digital, not Dolby Digital Plus (EAC-3). I wonder if that's why you can't get AC-3 passthrough.

[cubdukat]

But if your system can't passthrough E-AC3, DDP has a core AC-3 stream that should go through, same as with TrueHD.

I've decided that I'm not going to worry about it anymore. I'm going to do a mobo upgrade, and that will force me to reinstall Windows 10 Pro, which should give me back AC-3 capabilities if it's been removed, then after that upgrade to Win11 Pro.