From owner-freebsd-multimedia@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Oct 17 10:42:09 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-multimedia@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id CB808955 for ; Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:42:09 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from rfg@tristatelogic.com) Received: from outgoing.tristatelogic.com (segfault.tristatelogic.com [69.62.255.118]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A32F78FC16 for ; Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:42:09 +0000 (UTC) Received: from segfault-nmh-helo.tristatelogic.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by segfault.tristatelogic.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8BED25081A for ; Wed, 17 Oct 2012 03:42:08 -0700 (PDT) To: freebsd-multimedia@freebsd.org Subject: XBMC and 5.1 pass-through audio (?) Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2012 03:42:08 -0700 Message-ID: <18339.1350470528@tristatelogic.com> From: "Ronald F. Guilmette" X-BeenThere: freebsd-multimedia@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list List-Id: Multimedia discussions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:42:10 -0000 I've just installed the current official xbmc-11.0_6 port on my laptop (which uses an Intel GS45/4500MHD/ICH9M-SFF chipset) under FreeBSD 9.1-RC2. In general, and ignoring the fact that it is slow as pig unless run as root (a problem for which I have already filed a formal PR) xbmc runs adequately well and produces good output out of the laptop's HDMI port. An HDMI cable runs from the laptop down to my Sony STR-DH520 AV receiver which is, in turn, wired via HDMI to my flatscreen, and to 4 speakers (front-left, front-right, back-left, back-right). Video is OK. The problem is audio. Earlier, I was able to take the surround-sound test file available here: http://www.tfm.ro/win32-projects/test-avi-ac3/ and using (with minor adaptations to my partciular setup) the instructions provided here: http://aksyom.blogspot.com/2010/08/surround-sound-with-freebsd-8x-and.html together with those on this page: http://www.mplayerhq.hu/DOCS/HTML/en/advaudio-surround.html and then I was able to get nice Dolby Digital 5.1 encoded audio out of my laptop's HDMI port and down to my DD capable AV receiver. This all works. Now, with that small bit of success under my belt, I am moving on and would like to get xbmc running under 9.1-RC2 with the same pass-through of encoded 5.1 audio, out of the laptop's HDMI port and down to my AV receiver. Can anyone here provide me with any guidance on how to accomplish this trick? So far, I am easily able to get xbmc to send two-channel LPCM audio down the HDMI pipe to the receiver, but unlike in the case of mplayer, I have no idea how to properly configure xbmc to send 5.1 channel Dolby Digital down to the receiver (and so far, the things I have tried haven't worked). Any help would be appreciated. Regards, rfg