I just installed an HT Omega Striker sound card and have it attached optical out to my home theater system.

Windows volume no longer affects the volume level of my sound system.  If I turn it all the way up or down, the level is the same.  Have I forfeited my ability to control volume with the MCE remote, or am I missing something simple?

I've looked elsewhere for an answer to this, but have had no luck.

Thanks in advance!

Dan

What option did you choose for Speaker Setup in VMC?  I believe if you choose 7.1 you cannot control the volume any more, as the audio is being passed directly to the receiver.  This happened to me when I hooked up my new receiver and was tinkering in the audio settings everywhere.  Right now I can control the volume through Windows, and I *think* I'm set up as 5.1 right now.  Maybe tonight I can look to see more exactly what I did.

I actually kinda preferred not having Windows control the media volume, to be honest.  It let me turn down the volume of the beeps and chirps and chimes VMC makes without having to turn it back up again to watch media.  The only problem I had with this configuration was that there was ZERO volume leveling and every channel/movie was completely different level-wise.

Hi,

if you're watching DVDs or anything that outputs a digital signal (TV recordings that don't output DD are analog), then the signal being output is digital, therefore it doesn't contain volume information, hence, following Vengeance's advise of reprogramming the remote to control the amplifiers volume would be the best option (and is what I've done, and works well).

Tony

Here are the instructions if you need them

Using the Remote Control Learning Functionality

The TV, VOL +, and VOL – buttons on the remote control for Media Center PC can

“learn” IR commands from other remote controls. This feature lets you use the TV

button to turn on your TV and the VOL + and VOL - buttons to adjust the volume on your

TV or another device, such as an audio receiver.

Notes

• By default, the VOL + and VOL - buttons on the remote control for Media Center PC

control the system volume on your computer, and the TV button has no command

assigned to it until it “learns” one.

• Do not perform this procedure in bright natural or artificial light.

To program buttons on the remote control by using the learning feature

1 Place the remote control for Media Center PC head to head (2 to 3 inches apart)

with the remote control from which it is learning.

2 On the remote control for Media Center PC, press and hold the DVD MENU and OK

buttons at the same time until the remote control lights turn off

(2 seconds).

The remote is now in learning setup mode.

3 On the remote control for Media Center PC, press and release the TV,

VOL +, or VOL – button, depending on which command you want it to learn.

The remote control for Media Center PC lights blink once to confirm the selection.

4 On the remote control that is teaching the command, press and hold the button that

you want the corresponding button on the remote control for Media Center PC to

learn.

The remote control for Media Center PC lights blink twice to confirm the selection.

If the remote did not learn the command, the lights blink quickly four times. To try

again, repeat steps 1 through 4.

5 Repeat steps 1 through 4 for the other buttons that can learn commands.

To restore the default remote control settings

1 Press and hold the DVD MENU button and LEFT navigation button at the same time

until the remote control for Media Center PC lights turn off.

2 Press the OK button.

The remote control for Media Center PC lights blink twice to confirm that the buttons

have been reset. The TV button will have no command assigned to it and the VOL +

and VOL – buttons will adjust the Media Center PC system volume.

If the default settings were not restored, the lights blink quickly four times. To try

again, repeat steps 1 and 2.

Thanks for the responses - they are very helpful.

I'm in contact with the manufacturer (HT Omega) and they are helping me through it.

As soon as I get a solution, I'll post it here.

Dan

If you do get an answer please post it as I am having a simular issue.See this thread. If I get an answer that works I will post it as well for your benefit.

I prefer as I believe you do, to not have the receiver controlling the volume for digital audio. I would very much like to have the computer controll the volume.

I'm patching SPDIF into my video card, and then a DVI-HDMI into my TV, and I can control the volume in MC.

Tony_Park:

Hi,

if you're watching DVDs or anything that outputs a digital signal (TV recordings that don't output DD are analog), then the signal being output is digital, therefore it doesn't contain volume information, hence, following Vengeance's advise of reprogramming the remote to control the amplifiers volume would be the best option (and is what I've done, and works well).

Tony