I receive the following error in 7MC when i try to play any audio source that has 5.1 surround sound.
Video Error Files needed to display video are not installed or not working correctly. Please restart Media Center and/or restart the computer.
System:
I am running the audio via HDMI output to my Denon AVR-4310CI receiver. The other audio outputs are disabled. All drivers are current WHQL releases from manufacturers. There are no codec packs or additional software installed. If i set the audio output to 2 speaker in the Windows Audio settings everything works fine, with stereo output. The error appears when after setting the speaker configuration to 5.1 in the Windows Audio control panel.
I can place a DVD in the system and play it via Windows Media Player and everything works as expected. If i try to play the same DVD via 7MC I get the above video error. I have also tried adding in an ATI Radeon 5750 video card with current 9.11 drivers and I get the same result. My system passes the cable tuner validation so i am reasonably assured that HDCP is working correctly. I have reloaded Windows 7 twice now with each time showing the same error. I do not see any errors or warnings in the system or application logs.
I am at a loss on what to try next. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I have tried playing a DVD in both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of WMP and had some trouble with the 64-bit version. It would show static and then a black screen for about 1 minute and would not accept any key inputs and then the movie would play normally from the point it had played to.
Also this thread seems to have a group of people with the same issue. http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itpromedia/thread/34003120-fa36-4737-9752-30c7def447da
I had this EXACT problem and found the solution on a HDHomerun forum.
The issue turned out to be a conflict between the Sound settings in Windows 7 and the sound settings in Windows Media Center. If you go into Control Panel, Sound, and configure your HDMI sound either for 2 channel (or 7- channel), but leave Windows Media Center configured at 5-channel, your videos will play just fine. If you configure for 7 channel, you even have the option to test your speakers and then de-activate the 2 non-existence speakers.
Also, if you use Windows update and get the latest drivers for everything (but don't make the changes that I described above), the "error message" will go away, but you'll have audio problems after you fast forward. The above solution will cure that problem as well.
It seems pretty obvious to me that there's a conflict between how the Windows 7 HDMI drivers (in my case, the Nvidia drivers) handle 5.1 and how Media Center handles 5.1 sound. Windows update will download a new version of the Nvidia HDMI Audio Drivers as an optional update which solves the video error you're describing, but it introduces an audio bug that causes audio loss (or sometime repeating audio) after a fast forward.
Just so that I'm clear, the problem seems to be a conflict when you have Windows 7 and WMC both configured to 5.1 audio using HDMI. If you change Windows 7 so that it is configured to 2 channel (or 7-channel) audio, no problems.
Correct. Although I am using an ATI Radeon HD 5750 video card for both video and audio over HDMI using the 9.11 drivers. My motherboard is a Nvidia 9400 though. I have not tried the 7.1 config, but 2.0 works.
adv99The issue turned out to be a conflict between the Sound settings in Windows 7 and the sound settings in Windows Media Center. If you go into Control Panel, Sound, and configure your HDMI sound either for 2 channel (or 7- channel), but leave Windows Media Center configured at 5-channel, your videos will play just fine. If you configure for 7 channel, you even have the option to test your speakers and then de-activate the 2 non-existence speakers.
Reviving an old thread, but this finally solved a long standing problem for me that I chalked up to bad codecs, but after seeing it on a brand new machine without any codecs installed yet, this info really saved my bacon.
I too was having this problem with a "clean install" and I tried setting Windows 7 to 7.1 or 5.1 and then WMC to 7.1 or 5.1 - neither worked for me; however I recall that I had messed with the sound settings and had changed Advanced -> Default Format to "24-bit, 192000 Hz" since I was thinking this was supported. When I changed this back to the default (16 bit, 48000 Hz), I "Think" this solves my problem while leaving Windows 7 and WMC set at 7.1
Windows 7 Home Premium with Radeon Mobility Radeon HD 4300 Series graphics with ATI HDMI Output to Onkyo NR708 Receiver..
http://c.mymovies.name/DrGerm
CORRECTION/Update to my post just above:
I 'Thought' I had Windows 7 set to 7.1. Actually, I had set the sound on the "Advanced" -> "Default Format" tab to 'default' which changed to 16 bit, 48000 Hz but also set Windows 7 to 2.0 Stero
When I changed Windows 7 specifically to 7.1 again, had same problem which was resolved when changing back to 2.0
I then played some stuff (DVD and Recorded TV) in WMC in Dolby Digital Surround Sound and was playing 5.1 surround sound appropriately (I don't have anything in 7.1 to test) despite that I find it odd that the "OS" is only set to 2.0 Stereo..
I don't know nearly enough to be able to explain what is going on, but hope this info helps others.
So, for me, the magic setup that works is:
Windows 7 set at 2.0
WMC set at 7.1
AS OF 8/31/2011, this is still an issue with Windows 7. The following fix worked on my hauppauge dual tuner setup.
adv99