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Re: Fred's Setup Thread
fredk #210368 06/03/08 12:04 AM
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If you're just after playing 2-channel music over the net, the Airport Express seems like the path of least resistance.

Re: Fred's Setup Thread
fredk #210369 06/03/08 12:22 AM
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Well, if you have the existing setup for it (eg, all of your music in iTunes).


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Re: Fred's Setup Thread
anthony11 #210372 06/03/08 01:03 AM
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Well, I don't have the 3808, but have always been intrigued by using its GUI interface instead of a PC-based application.

Since I have a PC co-located with the TV and receiver, I've just been focusing on PC-based software (I have the PC video output going to both a small LCD monitor and to the TV). I am pretty frugal and not a big fan of Microcult, so there are probably many obvious options that I dismissed because I wanted to find something to work in my existing, stable, paid-for environment.

I didn't want to buy either Vista or MCE. I'm perfectly content with 4 machines on XP at the moment. I don't remember why I didn't like WMP, but it could just be a philosophical aversion.

I just ran Cat5 everywhere. The only thing that's wireless is the Wii (and the laptop, when somebody needs to use it).

I haven't really embraced a need for controlling home automation or streaming media other than music, so you have to evaluate your content needs pretty thoroughly. For instance, I LIKE using the D*TV DVR, so I don't need PC-based DVR/TV functionality. Likewise, I got just tired of effing around with trying to play DVD's via a PC and decided that a dedicated Oppo was the best, simplest solution.

Erik Solheim has a good HTPC software roundup.

iTunes doesn't do FLAC.

I thought that Slimserver/Softsqueeze was going to be "it", but it didn't handle playlists at all, and my dream of whole-house audio via PC's was quashed when synchronized playback systematically became non-synchronized. I haven't had time to try Squeezecentre yet, but that might be worth a shot.

I tried to use my D*TV HR20 to stream music, and I did get proof-of-concept. But it doesn't really do lists well, either, and the interface just wasn't efficient and elegant.

xLobby is pretty good, but it is designed to do a lot more than I really need. The GUI wasn't intuitive for me. Same thing with Media Portal.

Winamp is my current favorite. The interface makes sense, and it is pretty powerful. Not quite as "pretty" though.

Ray3 is convinced that the PS3 is the answer to all streaming needs. He might be right. I don't have one yet.

I've been enjoying the tagging, conversion and organizing features in MediaMonkey a lot lately.

One of the interesting things about this topic is that there seems to be pretty constant and vibrant development occurring. I just became aware of Elisa which might cost me a few hours.

I also made good use of the flac2mp3 utility. After ripping everything to FLAC, I still wanted to make compressed copies available to my family for iPods, and this worked pretty well (although it does not currently pass the cover art along).


bibere usque ad hilaritatem
Re: Fred's Setup Thread
grunt #210378 06/03/08 01:37 AM
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 Quote:
You can’t switch to “digital?”

I didn't explain very well. I can switch between all 3, but only get sound from the two mentioned. The digital out shows up as soon as I plug the optical cable in and is selectable. Will try the VGA out thing.

Realtek dosn't allow me to select PCM, only a digital connector. I don't know what else you would sent out over an optical connection.

Once Bluray becomes affordable, I will go digital via end to end HDMI (and a new receiver). As I wrote earlier, this was a cheap short term solution.

The only reason to suspect the receiver is that it was a non-warrantied purchase with a simple 48 hour return window.

I won't buy another piece of hardware without knowing in advance that it works for what I want. There are enough people out there that want to do what I am attempting that someone is going to get it right soon.

 Quote:
troubleshooting nightmare

Yes.

Taking the PC into a shop may be the easiest thing to do. I can probably convince someone at BB to hook it up to optical in on one of their display receivers for a test.

 Quote:
…very similar to your vaporators in most respects.

Thats scary. I shure hope the operating instructions are a little better than those of your average consumer electronics. "Pushing the this lever makes the engines go faster. Pushin this lever makes the flaps go up and down..." \:o


Fred

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Blujays1: Spending Fred's money one bottle at a time, no two... Oh crap!
Re: Fred's Setup Thread
tomtuttle #210397 06/03/08 03:49 AM
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Tom.. did you find any software that would allow you to set a target format and bitrate for portable devices???

I have lots of room on my hard drive, and like 256 VBR at least for listening on my PC. But on my or my kids mp3 players something like 128 VBR is fine, and let's you store twice as much.

I still haven't found decent mp3 software that will automatically down convert files when I copy them to my music phone, rather than having to burn two different bit rates, and try to keep WMP from finding the low quality ones \:\(


Gene
Re: Fred's Setup Thread
fredk #210403 06/03/08 04:33 AM
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 Originally Posted By: fredk

Realtek dosn't allow me to select PCM, only a digital connector. I don't know what else you would sent out over an optical connection.

You can also send compressed multi-channel formats like AC3 and DTS but only 2.0 PCM.

Sorry for the confusion about the PCM setting in Realtek I was thinking of something else however if you haven’t already double check your software settings:

Page 87 of your Motherboard manual and it should show the interface were you can configure the SPDIF out in the Realtek interface. You want to select “Output digital audio source.”

In VISTA check

Control Panel>Manage Audio Devices>(right click)>Properties submenu.
1. Under the “General” tab make sure it says “Digital Output Device (SPDIF)”
2. Under the “Advanced” tab make sure “Allow Applications to Take Exclusive Control of this Device” is selected.
3. Under “Supported Formats” select what your receiver supports.

 Originally Posted By: fredk

Thats scary. I shure hope the operating instructions are a little better than those of your average consumer electronics. "Pushing the this lever makes the engines go faster. Pushin this lever makes the flaps go up and down..."


Have you ever read an Air Force manual. I think they hire the people who aren’t good enough to write for Denon. Actually what’s scary is how aircraft are maintained, sort of like how they say you don’t want to know how sausage is made, you really don’t want to know how aircraft are maintained or flown. It amazes me there aren’t more mishaps.

Actually it is fairly simple to operate aircraft as you said push a button/lever and get a result. However there is usually a chain of events software, computer hardware, electrical, mechanical, hydraulic and sometimes fuel and pneumatic that all must work together to translate the input to the desired output.


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Re: Fred's Setup Thread
grunt #210408 06/03/08 04:52 AM
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Karlman, I wasn't really looking for that, exactly, but the following comes from the MediaMonkey site:

 Quote:
Auto-conversion allows you to automatically synchronize tracks no matter what format they're in, converting tracks on-the-fly to a format that is supported by your iPod or other portable device, while retaining all metadata.

In addition, Auto-conversion can also convert tracks to lower bitrates to make more effective use of the limited storage capacity on a portable device. This is especially useful for users who store music in lossless formats such as FLAC.



bibere usque ad hilaritatem
Re: Fred's Setup Thread
grunt #210544 06/04/08 01:46 AM
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Thanks again grunt. The Realtek interface has changed since the manual, so it was not very helpful. I did go back through the tabs and behold, there
 Quote:
is
an spdif out and it is selected.

I picked out a few cheap audio cables and connected the 6 channel audio out to the 6 channel direct in the receiver.

The receiver is taken out of the equation because it is striat passthrough. The Realtek software switches don't seem to work as expected.

So, the mobo outputs are assignable so I plugged them in one at a time to make sure they were assigned properly. This part of the interface is nice in that a window pops up each time a connetor is inserted. My choices for fronts strangely are 'front speaker'; no left and right channel. Same with the surrounds. The center or sub is center/sub. is it one, is it both?? I am one rca to headphone connector short so I plugged in the sub.

First up, some two channel music. I get good two channel from the mains. Next I engage the fill switch (stereo to surround conversion) and... nothing. I stop the music and restart to make sure its engaged (had to do this to switch connectors) and still nothing.

Next up I put in LOTR. AHA! I get sound from the surrounds. Thats a step forward. Nothing from the center OR sub though. There is another toggle labeled switch sub/center. I flip the switch and get... only lfe through the mains??? Actually I get music too. Very weird.

Several things occurr to me at this point:

1. What the heck were the designers thinking?? A 5.1 system has both a sub and a center and you assign them separate outputs. Its not an either or situation.

2. What the He!! were all those reviewers doing that they came to the conclusion that the audio section of this board was good. I didn't pay much attention to the details at the time, but you would think, given that this was positioned as an htpc board, that they would have checked out this functionality. Apparently not. 15 minutes would have told the story.

So, next up, some final diddling in Vista and, if needed, a trip to BB to test the spdif out.


Fred

-------
Blujays1: Spending Fred's money one bottle at a time, no two... Oh crap!
Re: Fred's Setup Thread
fredk #210561 06/04/08 03:55 AM
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Fred, I think the way the cables work is a stereo mini plug to two RCA plugs. That's how they handle two channels with one plug. So, yes, the sub and the center are in one plug.

Why aren't you just buying an audio card, again? ;\)


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Re: Fred's Setup Thread
fredk #210564 06/04/08 04:46 AM
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 Originally Posted By: fredk

So, next up, some final diddling in Vista and, if needed, a trip to BB to test the spdif out.

I would do the BB thing. Finding out if you are outputting a SPDIF signal will help more than anything.

 Originally Posted By: fredk

1. What the heck were the designers thinking?? A 5.1 system has both a sub and a center and you assign them separate outputs. Its not an either or situation.


I can’t tell from your description if you are using Y-connectors as (tomtuttle said) for all your mini-jack outputs on your sound card. Each jack carries 2 channels and should be hooked up to the both corresponding to inputs on your receiver with a Y-connector. I’m not sure how things would work if you only connected a jack (like center/sub) to only one input on the receiver. This article might help with the cabling if that’s what’s going on. I apologize if you got this done already but I just didn’t understand the part about switching connectors.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/mce/expert/connect_av.mspx

Here is some VISTA specific help unfortunately Microsoft help often isn’t ;\)

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-us/music.mspx

 Originally Posted By: fredk

2. What the He!! were all those reviewers doing that they came to the conclusion that the audio section of this board was good. I didn't pay much attention to the details at the time, but you would think, given that this was positioned as an htpc board, that they would have checked out this functionality. Apparently not. 15 minutes would have told the story.


Sadly what you are experiencing is not that uncommon. Many people have issues with onboard audio on DIY computers. And from what I’ve seen the documentation for the onboard audio is usually sparse at best.


 Originally Posted By: fredk

First up, some two channel music. I get good two channel from the mains. Next I engage the fill switch (stereo to surround conversion) and... nothing. I stop the music and restart to make sure its engaged (had to do this to switch connectors) and still nothing.


I would stick to the Realtek or Windows demo sounds to troubleshoot your connections. It’s just one less variable in the mix. Once that works then move on to other playback software/devices.

Cool that you got the surrounds working. Took me awhile the first time cause when I used Realtek the outputs labeled “rear or back” were actually carrying the surround L/R. I just started randomly switching connections and found this out. I also like the pop up that shows what you just plugged in and allows you to assign it. However, I now prefer Soundblaster as I’ve the last two HTPCs I built had it and worked like a charm. I’ve always had issues with Realtek.

Last edited by grunt; 06/04/08 05:03 AM.

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