Digital output (S/PDIF) for SoundBlaster Live! not working

lpwevers · 02-19-2010, 08:28 AM

Hi,

After many fruitless weeks of reading forums, newsgroups etc, I still fial to get digital output working my SoundBlaster Live Platinum. Ordinary PCM output is passed to the digital receiver witout a problem, but as soon as I try AC3 or DTS it's all silence.

I have unmuted the IEC958 channel in alsamixer and added gain to them. However all still fails.

Please find below the output of relevant commands:

uname -a

Code:

Linux Mediacenter 2.6.31-14-generic #48-Ubuntu SMP Fri Oct 16 14:04:26 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux

aplay -L

Code:

default:CARD=Live
    SB Live! Platinum [CT4760P], ADC Capture/Standard PCM Playback
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=Live,DEV=0
    SB Live! Platinum [CT4760P], ADC Capture/Standard PCM Playback
    Front speakers
rear:CARD=Live,DEV=0
    SB Live! Platinum [CT4760P], ADC Capture/Standard PCM Playback
    Rear speakers
center_lfe:CARD=Live,DEV=0
    SB Live! Platinum [CT4760P], ADC Capture/Standard PCM Playback
    Center and Subwoofer speakers
surround40:CARD=Live,DEV=0
    SB Live! Platinum [CT4760P], ADC Capture/Standard PCM Playback
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=Live,DEV=0
    SB Live! Platinum [CT4760P], ADC Capture/Standard PCM Playback
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=Live,DEV=0
    SB Live! Platinum [CT4760P], ADC Capture/Standard PCM Playback
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=Live,DEV=0
    SB Live! Platinum [CT4760P], ADC Capture/Standard PCM Playback
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
iec958:CARD=Live,DEV=0
    SB Live! Platinum [CT4760P], Multichannel Capture/PT Playback
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
default:CARD=rev50
    VIA 82C686A/B rev50, VIA 82C686A/B rev50
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=rev50,DEV=0
    VIA 82C686A/B rev50, VIA 82C686A/B rev50
    Front speakers
iec958:CARD=rev50,DEV=0
    VIA 82C686A/B rev50, VIA 82C686A/B rev50
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output

aplay -l

Code:

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: Live [SB Live! Platinum [CT4760P]], device 0: emu10k1 [ADC Capture/Standard PCM Playback]
  Subdevices: 32/32
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
  Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
  Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
  Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
  Subdevice #4: subdevice #4
  Subdevice #5: subdevice #5
  Subdevice #6: subdevice #6
  Subdevice #7: subdevice #7
  Subdevice #8: subdevice #8
  Subdevice #9: subdevice #9
  Subdevice #10: subdevice #10
  Subdevice #11: subdevice #11
  Subdevice #12: subdevice #12
  Subdevice #13: subdevice #13
  Subdevice #14: subdevice #14
  Subdevice #15: subdevice #15
  Subdevice #16: subdevice #16
  Subdevice #17: subdevice #17
  Subdevice #18: subdevice #18
  Subdevice #19: subdevice #19
  Subdevice #20: subdevice #20
  Subdevice #21: subdevice #21
  Subdevice #22: subdevice #22
  Subdevice #23: subdevice #23
  Subdevice #24: subdevice #24
  Subdevice #25: subdevice #25
  Subdevice #26: subdevice #26
  Subdevice #27: subdevice #27
  Subdevice #28: subdevice #28
  Subdevice #29: subdevice #29
  Subdevice #30: subdevice #30
  Subdevice #31: subdevice #31
card 0: Live [SB Live! Platinum [CT4760P]], device 2: emu10k1 efx [Multichannel Capture/PT Playback]
  Subdevices: 8/8
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
  Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
  Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
  Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
  Subdevice #4: subdevice #4
  Subdevice #5: subdevice #5
  Subdevice #6: subdevice #6
  Subdevice #7: subdevice #7
card 0: Live [SB Live! Platinum [CT4760P]], device 3: emu10k1 [Multichannel Playback]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: rev50 [VIA 82C686A/B rev50], device 0: VIA 82C686A/B rev50 [VIA 82C686A/B rev50]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

lspci

Code:

00:00.0 Host bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8363/8365 [KT133/KM133] (rev 03)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8363/8365 [KT133/KM133 AGP]
00:07.0 ISA bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super South] (rev 40)
00:07.1 IDE interface: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C586A/B/VT82C686/A/B/VT823x/A/C PIPC Bus Master IDE (rev 06)
00:07.2 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 1a)
00:07.3 USB Controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82xxxxx UHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev 1a)
00:07.4 Bridge: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 [Apollo Super ACPI] (rev 40)
00:07.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT82C686 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 50)
00:11.0 SCSI storage controller: Adaptec AHA-2940U2/U2W
00:12.0 Multimedia audio controller: Creative Labs SB Live! EMU10k1 (rev 05)
00:12.1 Input device controller: Creative Labs SB Live! Game Port (rev 05)
00:13.0 Ethernet controller: ADMtek NC100 Network Everywhere Fast Ethernet 10/100 (rev 11)
00:14.0 Multimedia video controller: Brooktree Corporation Bt848 Video Capture (rev 12)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV11 [GeForce2 MX/MX 400] (rev a1)

cat /proc/modules | grep emu10k1

Code:

snd_emu10k1_synth 6140 0 - Live 0xf1237000
snd_emu10k1 135136 1 snd_emu10k1_synth, Live 0xf1165000
snd_ac97_codec 101216 2 snd_via82xx,snd_emu10k1, Live 0xf111a000
snd_pcm 75296 4 snd_via82xx,snd_emu10k1,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss, Live 0xf10a7000
snd_page_alloc 9156 3 snd_via82xx,snd_emu10k1,snd_pcm, Live 0xf1085000
snd_emux_synth 32860 1 snd_emu10k1_synth, Live 0xf1071000
snd_hwdep 7200 2 snd_emu10k1,snd_emux_synth, Live 0xf1045000
snd_rawmidi 22208 4 snd_mpu401_uart,snd_emu10k1,snd_seq_virmidi,snd_seq_midi, Live 0xf1006000
snd_timer 22276 3 snd_emu10k1,snd_pcm,snd_seq, Live 0xf0fc0000
snd_seq_device 6920 8 snd_emu10k1_synth,snd_emu10k1,snd_emux_synth,snd_seq_dummy,snd_seq_oss,snd_seq_midi,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq, Live 0xf0fb1000
snd 59204 15 snd_via82xx,snd_mpu401_uart,snd_emu10k1,snd_ac97_codec,snd_pcm_oss,snd_mixer_oss,snd_pcm,snd_emux_synth,snd_seq_virmidi,snd_hwdep,snd_seq_oss,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq,snd_timer,snd_seq_device, Live 0xf0f9b000
snd_util_mem 4156 2 snd_emu10k1,snd_emux_synth, Live 0xf0dc4000
emu10k1_gp 2492 0 - Live 0xf09a0000
gameport 11368 3 snd_via82xx,emu10k1_gp, Live 0xf086a000

This is really frustrating and makes me almost reinstall the whole thing under Windows, where at least the card works properly. So please help, as I really want to have it running on Linux.

Louis.

smoker · 03-01-2010, 06:19 AM

You might find some clues here :
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/Configuring_Digital_Sound

lpwevers · 03-01-2010, 12:21 PM

Thanks,

It let me to some new search, indicating that (far as I can see now) the Linux driver for the SB Live! does not support this.

Code:

speaker-test -twav -c6 -Diec958:Live

speaker-test 1.0.20

Playback device is iec958:Live
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 6 channels
WAV file(s)
Channels count (6) not available for playbacks: Invalid argument
Setting of hwparams failed: Invalid argument

Code:

speaker-test -twav -c2 -Diec958:Live

speaker-test 1.0.20

Playback device is iec958:Live
Stream parameters are 48000Hz, S16_LE, 2 channels
WAV file(s)
Rate set to 48000Hz (requested 48000Hz)
Buffer size range from 512 to 16384
Period size range from 256 to 8192
Using max buffer size 16384
Periods = 4
was set period_size = 4096
was set buffer_size = 16384
 0 - Front Left
 1 - Front Right

Guess I'll have to do without surround sound on Linux then. Pretty annoying.

If anyone can recommend a card where 5.1 sound actually works on Linux that would be greatly appreciated.

cladisch · 03-03-2010, 07:46 AM

SPDIF supports only two channels of PCM data. Algorithms like AC-3 and DTS are used to compress surround sound data down to the bandwidth that is the same as a stereo stream.

To play surround sound through a digital output, you need data that is already encoded (like the sound track of a DVD), or you have to tell the computer to encode the data.

Does "mplayer -ac hwac3,hwdts, dvd://1" work?

I don't know of any Linux distribution that ships with an AC-3 encoder; you'll have to install the A52 plugin yourself.

lpwevers · 03-03-2010, 10:46 AM

Hi,

Thanks for the tips. I'll give the A52 plugin a go and post the results later. Mplayer does not do the trick. Here's the output of the mplayer command:

Code:

root@Mediacenter:~# mplayer -ac hwac3,hwdts, dvd://1
MPlayer SVN-r29237-4.4.1 (C) 2000-2009 MPlayer Team
mplayer: could not connect to socket
mplayer: No such file or directory
Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote control.

Playing dvd://1.
libdvdread: Encrypted DVD support unavailable.
*** Zero check failed in libdvdread4/ifo_read.c:2057
    for vts_attributes->vtstt_subp_attr[i] = 0x40006e650001
*** Zero check failed in libdvdread4/ifo_read.c:2057
    for vts_attributes->vtstt_subp_attr[i] = 0x400073650001
*** Zero check failed in libdvdread4/ifo_read.c:2057
    for vts_attributes->vtstt_subp_attr[i] = 0x400073650001
*** Zero check failed in libdvdread4/ifo_read.c:2057
    for vts_attributes->vtstt_subp_attr[i] = 0x40006e650000
There are 16 titles on this DVD.
There are 1 angles in this DVD title.
audio stream: 0 format: ac3 (5.1) language: en aid: 128.
audio stream: 1 format: ac3 (stereo) language: es aid: 129.
audio stream: 2 format: ac3 (stereo) language: en aid: 130.
number of audio channels on disk: 3.
subtitle ( sid ): 0 language: unknown
subtitle ( sid ): 1 language: unknown
number of subtitles on disk: 2
MPEG-PS file format detected.
VIDEO:  MPEG2  720x480  (aspect 3)  29.970 fps  9801.6 kbps (1225.2 kbyte/s)
open: No such file or directory
[MGA] Couldn't open: /dev/mga_vid
open: No such file or directory
[MGA] Couldn't open: /dev/mga_vid
[VO_TDFXFB] Can't open /dev/fb0: No such file or directory.
[VO_3DFX] Unable to open /dev/3dfx.
Xlib:  extension "XFree86-VidModeExtension" missing on display "localhost:10.0".
Xlib:  extension "XVideo" missing on display "localhost:10.0".
[VO_XV] Sorry, Xv not supported by this X11 version/driver
[VO_XV] ******** Try with  -vo x11  or  -vo sdl  *********
[vdpau] Could not open dynamic library libvdpau.so.1
==========================================================================
Opening video decoder: [mpegpes] MPEG 1/2 Video passthrough
VDec: vo config request - 720 x 480 (preferred colorspace: Mpeg PES)
Could not find matching colorspace - retrying with -vf scale...
Opening video filter: [scale]
The selected video_out device is incompatible with this codec.
Try appending the scale filter to your filter list,
e.g. -vf spp,scale instead of -vf spp.
VDecoder init failed :(
Opening video decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg's libavcodec codec family
Unsupported PixelFormat -1
Selected video codec: [ffmpeg2] vfm: ffmpeg (FFmpeg MPEG-2)
==========================================================================
==========================================================================
Forced audio codec: hwac3
Opening audio decoder: [hwac3] AC3/DTS pass-through S/PDIF
No accelerated IMDCT transform found
hwac3: switched to AC3, 192000 bps, 48000 Hz
AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, ac3, 192.0 kbit/12.50% (ratio: 24000->192000)
Selected audio codec: [hwac3] afm: hwac3 (AC3 through S/PDIF)
==========================================================================
[pulse] working around probably broken pause functionality,
        see http://www.pulseaudio.org/ticket/440
AO: [pulse] Init failed: Connection refused
Failed to initialize audio driver 'pulse'
AO: [alsa] 48000Hz 2ch ac3 (1 bytes per sample)
Starting playback...
VDec: vo config request - 720 x 480 (preferred colorspace: Planar YV12)
VDec: using Planar YV12 as output csp (no 0)
Movie-Aspect is 1.78:1 - prescaling to correct movie aspect.
VO: [x11] 720x480 => 854x480 Planar YV12
Shared memory not supported
Reverting to normal Xlib
[swscaler @ 0x6db240]using unscaled yuv420p -> rgb32 special converter
[mpeg2video @ 0x26fdae0]ac-tex damaged at 17 6
[mpeg2video @ 0x26fdae0]Warning MVs not available
[mpeg2video @ 0x26fdae0]concealing 1080 DC, 1080 AC, 1080 MV errors
A:   2.1 V:   0.4 A-V:  1.684 ct:  0.017   7/  6 ??% ??% ??,?% 4 0

lpwevers · 03-03-2010, 02:30 PM

Well, I installed ffmpeg, pulsaudio, libavcodec-extra-52 and tried again.

If I use pulse audio, mplayer just crashes. The output of that is here:
mplayer -ac hwac3,hwdts, dvd://1

Code:

==========================================================================
Forced audio codec: hwac3
Opening audio decoder: [hwac3] AC3/DTS pass-through S/PDIF
No accelerated IMDCT transform found
hwac3: switched to AC3, 192000 bps, 48000 Hz
AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, ac3, 192.0 kbit/12.50% (ratio: 24000->192000)
Selected audio codec: [hwac3] afm: hwac3 (AC3 through S/PDIF)
==========================================================================
[pulse] working around probably broken pause functionality,
        see http://www.pulseaudio.org/ticket/440
AO: [pulse] 48000Hz 2ch s16le (2 bytes per sample)
[format] Sample format big-endian AC3 not yet supported
[libaf] Reinitialization did not work, audio filter 'format' returned error code -2
Couldn't find matching filter/ao format!
Starting playback...

If I go via alsa, I now get somee noise out of the speakers. and that's about it:
mplayer -ao alsa:device=hw=Live.0 -ac hwac3,hwdts, dvd://1

Code:

==========================================================================
Forced audio codec: hwac3
Opening audio decoder: [hwac3] AC3/DTS pass-through S/PDIF
No accelerated IMDCT transform found
hwac3: switched to AC3, 192000 bps, 48000 Hz
AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, ac3, 192.0 kbit/12.50% (ratio: 24000->192000)
Selected audio codec: [hwac3] afm: hwac3 (AC3 through S/PDIF)
==========================================================================
[AO_ALSA] alsa-lib: conf.c:3843:(parse_args) Unknown parameter AES0
[AO_ALSA] alsa-lib: conf.c:3969:(snd_config_expand) Parse arguments error: No such file or directory
[AO_ALSA] alsa-lib: pcm.c:2211:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM hw:Live,0,AES0=6
AO: [alsa] 48000Hz 2ch ac3 (1 bytes per sample)

This is getting quite annoying for something that should be so simple.

cladisch · 03-04-2010, 12:44 AM

AFAIK PulseAudio does not support AC-3 passthrough.
When using ALSA, you must use the SPDIF output instead of the default analog output, i.e., replace "hw" with "spdif" in the device name.

lpwevers · 03-05-2010, 04:26 PM

Ok,tried replacing "hw" with "spdif" and "ice958". At least it get's rid of the "alsa-lib: con.c" errors. But there's still no sound. The receiver indicates that it get's no signal at all.

Goras · 05-29-2011, 09:29 PM

lpwevers: I'm having the same problem you have. I'm running Ubuntu natty with a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Value (SB0400).

If I try to use spdif passthrough I get a horrible clicking sound.

Did you find a solution?

Thanks

lpwevers · 05-30-2011, 03:45 AM

Hi Goras,

Sorry, no, I've just given up on that. I've come to believe that this is not possible with this card. So for now I use the analog output over SPDIF and consider buying a new card. (Just need to find one that will work under Linux).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goras

lpwevers: I'm having the same problem you have. I'm running Ubuntu natty with a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Value (SB0400).

If I try to use spdif passthrough I get a horrible clicking sound.

Did you find a solution?

Thanks