Choose your hardware carefully, and it is possible!!
No software solution yet to my knowledge!!
Mother board with SPDIF out and SPDIF header (both usually work together)
Connect SPDIF header to a soundcard with HDMI audio pass-through.
Check my hardware signature for working combination.
listen to Tv through TV speakers.
Listen to movies through AV amplifier via SPDIF output.
Not ideal, but it can be done.
Peter
I've Google Searched on this for hours on end also, hoping in vain to find someone with a secret method of enabling the SPDIF and analog output.
My application is that I have a receiver with a "Zone 2" output. However, the "Zone 2" cannot pass a digital input - it can only amplify an analog input. So, if I'm having a party, and I want music on in my entertainment center/bar area with the same music playing on the patio, I'm out of luck with Windows Media Center. I've found a "hack" that can enable stereo output, but I need 5.1 out on SPDIF for movies.
I'm using DVI and SPDIF, as I've found it to be more reliable in connecting with my Onkyo receiver. The HDMI connection gets confused in switching input sources on the Onkyo due to the EDID information not being acquired by my Onkyo receiver correctly.
I'm curious if anyone has any suggestions on hacks or work-arounds, and am interested in monitoring your post for replies. I hope someone intelligent (or Microsoft) eventually figures this out.
Moose,
One of the commenters I found in my search suggested a third party mixer app. I sort of discounted it but I did a search of Windows mixer apps. I didn't find many but this link (which is old) describes a mixer which can simulatneously support mutiple outputs. So an add on mixer which simultaneously supports multiple output devices may exist.
http://www.filedudes.com/IndieVolume-download-22832.html
Also, you mentioned Microsoft. Sometimes here on TGB it seems like you just get lip service from some MVP's or MS employees (it's hard to tell the difference sometimes) on some of these issues. I know that the Media Center appeals mostly to enthusiasts which is probably a tiny, tiny part of the customer base, although it may be a good indicator of the product appeal or missing features. I tried posting a different issue on the microsoft Media Center tech support forum. There appeared to be a lot of people there that configure install systems for a living. The odd thing was, that some posters suggested that posting on TGB would be more effective because there are MS employees on TGB! So which is the primary forum for product feature requests?
I understand that they would be quickly overwhelmed if every Johnnie come lately put in their 2 cents but some of the complaints posted here are potentially serious issues. As I have optimized or attempted to optimize MC to my needs I have come to realize that part of the problem is that the underlying operating system was of course, not designed with something like media center in mind so it hamstrings MC to some extent and this is not easily overcome. But if they want wide acceptance for the general public MS must at least consider the limitations. I may be drawn and quartered for the suggestion, but perhaps a stand alone MC app (with the underlying OS configured for MC) would be better for general acceptance. I never used the XP MC, but I gather that was the case with it.
Have you tried VAC (virtual audio cable) software?
It might help.
This makes virtual audio connections between applications and/or sound cards.
One application can output to multiple soundcards.
Its a little fiddly to set up, but biggest problem I found was in repeater mode you have to make the audio connection each time you re-start the PC.
Plenty of help available on web.
There is a trial version available to see if it works for you, and is not very expensive.
http://software.muzychenko.net/eng/vac.html
regards
peter
With my last (Vista) build, I used the SP-DIF header from my MB to my GeForce 9400GT graphics card, That allowed me to use HDMI to one TV (bedroom) and DVI to HDMI (cable) plus optical to my front room TV and AVR.
Mooseboots
Yes I did something similar.
I could configure Media center to output digital over HDMI, and also output via optical SPDIF to my AV amp at the same time. I used repeater mode in VAC. Media center will only output to one device or the other.
If VAC can see the digital over HDMI and your analogue outputs as seperate devices it should work.
Use the sounds option in control panel and see if you can get both outputs to work simultaneously.
Play a CD or something through one sound device (HDMI), and get windows sounds over the other sound device (analogue) by making analogue device default device in windows. If you can then VAC will work.
Only problem was I had to keep re-connecting the VAC repeater each time the PC re-booted. No good for dedicated HTPC.
Also if I recall correctly, I could not configure it to give 5.1 audio when repeater running, though I didnt persevere and continue with this route, as I went the hardware route
Try the demo version and see if it will do what you want.
VAC will not be able to drive two outputs on one chip...that's going to be a restriction of the chip itself. VAC is actually designed to take audio output from multiple sources and push it through one source...so if you have two sound cards (or chips), you tell Windows (or your software) to use the VAC sound card as the output device (it shows up like an actual sound card), then you open two repeaters (a part of VAC that repeats the incoming audio to a real sound card) to send the 1 input signal to 2 outputs. You send the first repeater's output to one sound card, and you send the 2nd repeater's output to the other sound card. However, this requires having two physical devices in the computer or a chip/card that supports multiple outputs at the same time. I'm not sure if there's a Realtek chip on the market that can drive it's digital and analog outputs at the exact same time. I think this is going to be your major limitation. So VAC isn't going to do you any good unless you have a second sound card.
However, you should be able to do this: Connect your analog out and your digital out to the receiver. When you want to output digital audio on the receiver, select the digital input on the receiver and the digital output on the computer (use the Realtek HD audio manager to change your default output device). When you want analog, just select the analog input on the receiver and analog output on the computer....or you can find a program that allows you to select the output device (such as Windows Media Player) and tell it to always use analog output, and use that program any time you want analog audio...that way you only have to change inputs on the receiver. That's what I do...I use the optical connection and input on my receiver most of the time, but when I play WMA encoded files, I just play them in WMP and change the input on my receiver to the multichannel analog input.
Edit: If you have HDMI, you do have a 2nd sound output device, so VAC will be able to output HDMI and analog at the same time, or HDMI and SPDIF at the same time, but not analog and SPDIF at the same time.
Didn't find what you were looking for here? Head over to http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums for even more helpful information.
g0rsq Mooseboots Yes I did something similar. I could configure Media center to output digital over HDMI, and also output via optical SPDIF to my AV amp at the same time.
I could configure Media center to output digital over HDMI, and also output via optical SPDIF to my AV amp at the same time.
That's because HDMI audio is a function of the video card/chip. SPDIF is a function of the audio card/chip....two separate audio devices in the system.
HDMI audio with my 9400GT is fed from the SP-DIF header on the motherboard!
There are two possible scenarios concerning the way the SPDIF header works:
1. When you run the audio repeater, you can select your SPDIF header output as a discrete device. That means Windows views it as a discrete device, in which case the audio output of the SPDIF header and the SPDIF connector on the motherboard are different. This proves my point, and VAC will work in this case.
2. When you run the audio repeater, you can NOT select your SPDIF header output as a discrete device. Instead, you must select your digital output (the one that runs the SPDIF connector on the back of the motherboard) as the output device. In this case, the only way to get audio to the SPDIF header at the same time is by using a utility provided by the audio chip manufacturer and telling it to output to two devices at once. In this case VAC is not even necessary, as the utility will do simultaneous output without the use of VAC.
Additionally, Windows can only output audio to one physical output at a time. That's why VAC exists in the first place. Even with two audio outputs on the same chip, windows cannot send the exact same audio signal to both outputs at once (although it can send one audio stream to one output and a different audio stream to the other output at the same time).
Clearly, if you need VAC to get simultaneous output, number 1 must be true. There must be some point where audio is told to go right or left. Therefore, you have two discrete audio output devices in Windows. My point is proven.
Richard
OK all noted, but here are my observations which I think confirm your points:-
My motherboard has audio over HDMI, Optical SPDIF on rear, SPDIF header and 5.1 analogue audio outputs (I chose carefully!)
Both optical SPDIF and SPDIF header are active at same time by default (same sound source), so I connect the optical SPDIF to my AV amp, and the SPDIF header through my Graphics card pass through.
I get digital audio to AV amp, and digital audio to TV at same time, so i can select what sound source i want without going into media center or windows and having to select it in software. (not exactly what the original poster asked)
Windows can use two sound devices at the same time, with different audio sources! If I recall correctly I can set media center to use one sound device (HDMI), and windows to use the default sound device (Speakers), what you then get is media center playing through HDMI and windows sounds on the speakers at the same time! This showed me that both sound devices COULD be activated at the same time (with different sources).
If sound devices in control panel showed multiple output sound devices, and you could operate as above, then VAC should be able to connect to them simultaneously to the same audio stream! VAC repeater takes one audio stream, splits it into two (like a "Y" connector) and feeds it to two sound devices (or as many sound devices as you like!).
When I used VAC repeater i was able to get Media center to play the same source out of the SPDIF and onboard HDMI at the same time. However I could only get 2.0 from both devices!
Without VAC this was impossible.
If windows only sees all the onboard audio outputs as a single device, then I guess another solution for the original poster is to install an additional sound card, and then use VAC to output to this simultaniously.
As VAC is free trial, it is worth experimenting to see what can be achieved.