# 5.1 in Movies but Not Games via HDMI



## dozy4850 (Jan 28, 2022)

Hi I have a 2080 Ti on an Asrock Z490 Taichi Motherboard and its hooked up to my LG C6 TV at 4K. The TV uses ARC to my Vizio M51A soundbar so I get audio.

I have noticed I get solid 5.1 in movies and even some surround effects in my music. BUT...

When it comes to games like Halo MCC, Infinite and others, I get "fake" surround sound.

What I mean is that the dialogue and sound effects only come from the front but not from the rear. The only thing the rear speakers output is background music which I suspect is just the virtualization effect of the subwoofer workign it's magic.

The actual sound is not directional. If an enemy is coming from the rear or shooting at me, those sounds are coming from the L C R speakers in the soundbar but nothing from the rear except if there's ambient music.

This is opposite to the movies I play which have actual directional sound.

My Windows sound settings for my display via HDMI only shows 2 channels. but shows DTS and Dolby Digital as encoded formats. How can I get actual 5.1 sound via my HDMI connection. And yes my HDMI cable is working properly. Able to display 4K60 and clearly 5.1 sound via movies at 4K

I used to have a discreet but cumbersome sound system that manually took 3.5mm inputs for L,C, R, LR, RR ports and I got 5.1 that way but I'd think in 2022 I'd be able to get 5.1 via HDMI on my graphics card

Or do I need to try using my Motherboard's SPDIF connector? I doubt if the games don't put out 5.1 via HDMI, the SPDIF won't be able to either. The soundcard on the Z490 is ALC1220

Screenshot of my HDMI connection:


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## Jetster (Jan 28, 2022)

If the games really have 5.1, it's compressed in a format the sound bar does not decode. Your old sound card probably had the ability. This would be my thought


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## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 28, 2022)

The only solution is to use *S/PDIF*, you will need to follow this guide to enable *Dolby Digital Live* and/or *DTS Interactive*:

In a nutshell, the process to follow is as follows:
1. Uninstall your existing Realtek drivers with Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) and reboot.
2. Download and extract zip file containing original Realtek HD audio drivers (I used version *R2.82*/*6.0.1.8210*).
3. Use Pihto's patch to patch the DLL files.  The target filenames are listed on the patcher window. They begin with "*rltkAPO64.dll*, *rltkAPO.dll*" and may be in "win32" and "win64" subfolders of the Realtek package. You will have to manually select each file to patch and run the patcher multiple times to patch all matching files.
4. Now run the Realtek setup program. You may be asked to install unsigned drivers. Choose yes.
5. Do not immediately reboot. Instead, open regedit and ensure the "*DisableProtectedAudioDG*" registry fix is still present. If not, add it again.


> REGEDIT4
> [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Audio]
> "DisableProtectedAudioDG"=dword:00000001


6. Reboot, and *DDL*/*DTSI* should be available.
7. Working properly on *Windows 11* with Realtek version *R2.82 *or* R2.80*


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## FreedomEclipse (Jan 28, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> The only solution is to use *S/PDIF*, you will need to follow this guide to enable *Dolby Digital Live* and/or *DTS Interactive*:
> 
> In a nutshell, the process to follow is as follows:
> 1. Uninstall your existing Realtek drivers with Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) and reboot.
> ...




I personally wouldnt. Youre losing quite a lot of audio fidelity by going from HDMi to S/PDIF due to the amount of bandwidth S/PDIF can carry compared to HDMi. 

Uncompressed PCM vs Compressed - Uncompressed wins.


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## Jetster (Jan 28, 2022)

If you really want to hear people coming up on your 6 then put the sound card in and use it with 5.1 headphones. Then switch sound devices for gaming and back to HDMI for movies.


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## bug (Jan 28, 2022)

FreedomEclipse said:


> I personally wouldnt. Youre losing quite a lot of audio fidelity by going from HDMi to S/PDIF due to the amount of bandwidth S/PDIF can carry compared to HDMi.
> 
> Uncompressed PCM vs Compressed - Uncompressed wins.


Because we're all lavishing in 5.1, 192kHz uncompressed sound sources, right? SPDIF is fine. Which is more than I can say about the other part of that tip.



dozy4850 said:


> Hi I have a 2080 Ti on an Asrock Z490 Taichi Motherboard and its hooked up to my LG C6 TV at 4K. The TV uses ARC to my Vizio M51A soundbar so I get audio.
> 
> I have noticed I get solid 5.1 in movies and even some surround effects in my music. BUT...
> 
> ...


Well, that picture clearly says: "Max Number of Channels: 2". And I believe that, my old Samsung TV had the same thing: no matter you fed it through HDMI, it would not output more than 2 channels.

If I had to guess, I'd say you're always getting stereo, but that sound bar may be doing a better job faking surround in movies than it does for games. Hard to say for sure, though. What I'd try is hooking up the sound bar directly to the PC. If that works fine, it confirms the culprit is the TV.


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## AsRock (Jan 28, 2022)

bug said:


> Because we're all lavishing in 5.1, 192kHz uncompressed sound sources, right? SPDIF is fine. Which is more than I can say about the other part of that tip.
> 
> 
> Well, that picture clearly says: "Max Number of Channels: 2". And I believe that, my old Samsung TV had the same thing: no matter you fed it through HDMI, it would not output more than 2 channels.
> ...



Thinking the same too.


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## bug (Jan 28, 2022)

AsRock said:


> Thinking the same too.
> 
> View attachment 234245
> 
> View attachment 234246


Would you look at that? Running RX-V679 over here. Bass seems weak, tho.


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## AsRock (Jan 28, 2022)

bug said:


> Would you look at that? Running RX-V679 over here. Bass seems weak, tho.



It depends on how windows is feeling, what it actually says, it's actually a 677 but annoyingly keeps changing to a 820, which was over a year ago and it's not even remembered the 475  or the 5830 HAHA.

Anyways yeah will be running that for now no need for the 5830 until i am able to get a v card that replace my 390X.

Well all so sounds like he's getting quad stereo, maybe check in the TV options.

Sound bar does not support Arc\eArc





						VIZIO M-Series 5.1 Home Theater Sound Bar with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X | M51a-H6
					






					www.vizio.com
				






> Connectivity​
> 
> 
> HDMI  Yes
> ...



But it all so says it does too HAHAHAHA.



> *Unlock the Highest Quality*
> 
> Using HDMI eARC, send the highest quality audio between your sound bar and the TV with a single cable and be able to control your sound bar with your TV remote.


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## dozy4850 (Jan 28, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> The only solution is to use *S/PDIF*, you will need to follow this guide to enable *Dolby Digital Live* and/or *DTS Interactive*:
> 
> In a nutshell, the process to follow is as follows:
> 1. Uninstall your existing Realtek drivers with Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) and reboot.
> ...


Are you familiar with this thing: http://puresoftapps.blogspot.com/2018/04/realtek-apo-driver.html
I've heard some people say that all they need to do was install this and nothing else and they got 5.1

With the fix you tell me, wouldn't I need to run through this process again after every patch? And is it actually compartible with all Realtek cbips?



bug said:


> Because we're all lavishing in 5.1, 192kHz uncompressed sound sources, right? SPDIF is fine. Which is more than I can say about the other part of that tip.
> 
> 
> Well, that picture clearly says: "Max Number of Channels: 2". And I believe that, my old Samsung TV had the same thing: no matter you fed it through HDMI, it would not output more than 2 channels.
> ...



Yeah I don't think so. 
So I fed my PC's HDMI connection straight to my soundbar and then from soundbar to tv and enabled eARC. I was able to get the max output message to switch to 6 channels.  And even Windows spacial now gave me 5.1 surround option. However it said my sound was still stereo despite saying I can get a max of 6 channel. It also had an expanded format support now. 

However, the sound effects stayed the same. Movies had 5.1 sound. Tested with Fury Road and Savinf Private Ryan. The soundbar is good but it cannot mimic true directional sound . There's a stark difference when a movie with directional sound is playing and when it's emulating it in video games. 

It appears my issues is that I need to either unlock DDL or DTS Connect on my Z490 Taichi motherboard or buy a Creative Sound Blaster Z SE that comes with DDL and DTS Connect.



AsRock said:


> It depends on how windows is feeling, what it actually says, it's actually a 677 but annoyingly keeps changing to a 820, which was over a year ago and it's not even remembered the 475  or the 5830 HAHA.
> 
> Anyways yeah will be running that for now no need for the 5830 until i am able to get a v card that replace my 390X.
> 
> ...


It definitely supports eARC.


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## AsRock (Jan 28, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> Are you familiar with this thing: http://puresoftapps.blogspot.com/2018/04/realtek-apo-driver.html
> I've heard some people say that all they need to do was install this and nothing else and they got 5.1
> 
> With the fix you tell me, wouldn't I need to run through this process again after every patch? And is it actually compartible with all Realtek cbips?
> ...



Hey just going by there site and if i was interested in one my self i would not get it as the specs says it don't, just saying.


So windows says 6 channels now ?, when you click the sound icon near the clock do you get the 5.1 channel option ?, if so configure it see if that helps as the 5.1 options are normally there when available.

EDIT: All so right clicking the icon should all so show speaker options too


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## Clibanarius (Jan 28, 2022)

I was having this issue with a game that utilizes XAudio2 libs, Nioh 2. Turns out, if you're using DTS Interactive or Dolby Digital Live encoding methods to send compressed audio out, Windows has that identified and mapped as '2 speakers' within the audio interface at some point and that it's not re-expanding the channel count up to what it needs to be. It's just a patched set of .dll replacements/a patcher you can use on your own. https://blog.klauspost.com/xaudio2-dolby-digital-live-patcher/ Lemme know if that helps ya out any in your case!


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## Ferather (Jan 28, 2022)

You can have a transcoder (DTS, Dolby), on the system and still get 2 channel always, as you mentioned.
This happens if the device, the driver or APO does not correctly adjust registry data.

In some cases a device might have an in-built policy you cannot edit (lack of tools), or restrictions.

----

If I remember correctly, If I set HDMI to 5.1 via the system tray, it sets 6 channels, but not fully.


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## dozy4850 (Jan 28, 2022)

Ferather said:


> You can have a transcoder (DTS, Dolby), on the system and still get 2 channel always, as you mentioned.
> This happens if the device, the driver or APO does not correctly adjust registry data.
> 
> In some cases a device might have an in-built policy you cannot edit (lack of tools), or restrictions.
> ...


What do you mean by fully?


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## Ferather (Jan 28, 2022)

It sets the device to do 6 channels, but does not update attached speakers in the reg.

{1da5d803-d492-4edd-8c23-e0c0ffee7f0e},6
{1da5d803-d492-4edd-8c23-e0c0ffee7f0e},3

I can tell because an APO and app I use, react to the above keys.


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## bug (Jan 28, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> Yeah I don't think so.
> So I fed my PC's HDMI connection straight to my soundbar and then from soundbar to tv and enabled eARC. I was able to get the max output message to switch to 6 channels.  And even Windows spacial now gave me 5.1 surround option. However it said my sound was still stereo despite saying I can get a max of 6 channel. It also had an expanded format support now.
> 
> However, the sound effects stayed the same. Movies had 5.1 sound. Tested with Fury Road and Savinf Private Ryan. The soundbar is good but it cannot mimic true directional sound . There's a stark difference when a movie with directional sound is playing and when it's emulating it in video games.
> ...


I don't whether you're aware, but DDL and DTS Connect are for shoving 5.1 onto SPDIF.

However, if your problem comes from games, I'm not sure why you brought the TV and ARC into that testing setup. Are you playing games on the TV? I would minimize the number of factors in the equation and play on a plain monitor while sending the sound directly to the sound bar. If that works, you know it's the TV. If it doesn't probably the game doesn't output sound in the right format.


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## dozy4850 (Jan 28, 2022)

bug said:


> I don't whether you're aware, but DDL and DTS Connect are for shoving 5.1 onto SPDIF.
> 
> However, if your problem comes from games, I'm not sure why you brought the TV and ARC into that testing setup. Are you playing games on the TV? I would minimize the number of factors in the equation and play on a plain monitor while sending the sound directly to the sound bar. If that works, you know it's the TV. If it doesn't probably the game doesn't output sound in the right format.


So I do play games on my TV. The only thing I play on my monitor are RTS games. 

Yes I am aware of shoving 5.1 through SPIDF. Thats the only option I have now apart from fiddling with drivers that I would then have to keep fiddling with after every windows update.

I have connected my computer to SPDIF to the soundbar and it's the same result. You'd think a Z490 board with Windows 10 would natively do this with no issue. I just now need to try eARC but manually set my speakers to 6 and see if it helps at all. This is beyond ridiculous


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## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 28, 2022)

I currently have the Sony Home Theater BDV-N9200W/N9200WL and I use SPDIF to get DDL and DTS Connect, because I don't buy soundbars until today, because currently soundbars don't convince me and their sound spectrum doesn't fill my whole room it's like if you hear the sound coming from the sound bar but it doesn't fill the room and I can't hear that supposed Dolby Atmos, DTS X in my ears. Instead with a Sony Home Theater BDV-N9200W/N9200WL the sound is REAL and very loud and can be heard everywhere and clearly.
I have used HDMI directly to my Home Theater and it allows me 6 channels, 24 bit, ACC, Dolby Digital and DTS but it does not let me select DDL or DTS Connect so on youtube the stereo sound is not encoded to Multichannel 5.1, I use the SPDIF connection and I patch the official Realtek Audio drivers on my Gigabyte board to unlock DDL, DTS Connect, Dolby Pro Logic II and all my games are now heard in 5.1 Multichannel and if it sounds like it should, it's not just making stereo audio sound in the 5 speakers it also has to encode them so that each effect, dialogue and ambient sound are located in the 5 speakers according to the sound that is being encoded and Dolby Pro Logic II takes care of that


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## Ferather (Jan 28, 2022)

I dropped my HDMI, I went from SPDIF + TOSLink to HDMI + TOSLink, and well audio quality can vary by a small amount depending on the driver, HDMI was more issue prone.
For audio only, its definitely worse than SPDIF, its slower in bitrate, less responsive, uses conductive circuit, and your GPU has to make a wasted video feed.

In terms of PCM, well that's more down to the OEM who makes the device, both SPDIF and HDMI, SPDIF is still the daddy for digital.


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## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 28, 2022)

Ferather said:


> I dropped my HDMI, I went from SPDIF + TOSLink to HDMI + TOSLink, and well audio quality can vary by a small amount depending on the driver, HDMI was more issue prone.
> For audio only, its definitely worse than SPDIF, its slower in bitrate, less responsive, uses conductive circuit, and your GPU has to make a wasted video feed.
> 
> In terms of PCM, well that's more down to the OEM who makes the device, both SPDIF and HDMI, SPDIF is still the daddy for digital.


you are right for some reason the Dolby Digital and DTS via HDMI had a little latency to change sound in real time, and I always had to choose PCM that's why I prefer SPDIF that has no latency.
That is if I have the SPDIF optical audio cable connected directly from my PC => Home Theater, since my Samsung TV Q7FN55 does not support DTS


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## dozy4850 (Jan 28, 2022)

Ferather said:


> It sets the device to do 6 channels, but does not update attached speakers in the reg.
> 
> {1da5d803-d492-4edd-8c23-e0c0ffee7f0e},6
> {1da5d803-d492-4edd-8c23-e0c0ffee7f0e},3
> ...


I connected my HDMI from GPU to the soundbar and selected eARC on the soundbar. I can get the 5 speaker option but I don't get the audio tone from any speaker that's not L/R. Windows is so retarded. The sound in games now seem a bit more 5.1 but I can't help but think something is missing. Its not as pronounced. It seems slightly, very slightly better than when it was optical out or when I plugged it straight to my TV.

I'll see what it sounds like when the Creative Sound Blaster Z SE I bought comes in tomorrow with DDL and DTS Connect.

Btw it still shows this under the properties. The slight 5.1 improvement i hear in games might be coming from Windows Spacial effect that defaulted to 5.1 when I connected HDMI to my soundbar:


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## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 28, 2022)

I think it's not necessary to spend so much money on sound cards when just connecting it to the S/PDIF connector is more than enough. Also, I think you can't get Dolby Digital Live and DTS Interactive on HDMI or I wouldn't know how to tell you because my TV does not support eARC or Dolby Atmos.

About that *Creative Sound Blaster Z SE* sound card before buying it first read the analysis, reviews and comments of the product that other users have already bought and tested.

You will still have to use the S/PDIF interface on that sound card you want to buy to get Dolby Digital Live and DTS.


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## Ferather (Jan 28, 2022)

@dozy4850, it indeed looks like its a stereo setup with multichannel in software, that's why you get left right only, best guess.
In advanced and then formats, how many channels show, does it say 6 channels 24 bit 48k, or 2 channels?

Edit just noticed the image in post 1, hardware you have only 2 channels. In fact its old SPDIF over HDMI hehe.


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## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> I think it's not necessary to spend so much money on sound cards when just connecting it to the S/PDIF connector is more than enough. Also, I think you can't get Dolby Digital Live and DTS Interactive on HDMI or I wouldn't know how to tell you because my TV does not support eARC or Dolby Atmos.
> 
> About that *Creative Sound Blaster Z SE* sound card before buying it first read the analysis, reviews and comments of the product that other users have already bought and tested.
> 
> You will still have to use the S/PDIF interface on that sound card you want to buy to get Dolby Digital Live and DTS.


Thats the problem though, my Motherboard doesn't have explicit DDL and DTS Connect license.  So I need something that does. Or fiddle around with hacked drivers

I read the reviews, seems it can be wonky but so is every discreet soundcard. I don't like this route but at least it stops me from buying a reciever



Ferather said:


> @dozy4850, it indeed looks like its a stereo setup with multichannel in software, that's why you get left right only, best guess.
> In advanced and then formats, how many channels show, does it say 6 channels 24 bit 48k, or 2 channels?
> 
> Edit just noticed the image in post 1, hardware you have only 2 channels. In fact its old SPDIF over HDMI hehe.


here:


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## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

When reviewing your model Asrock Z490 Taichiit has the following specifications:
Audio
- 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (*Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec*)
- Premium Blu-ray Audio support
- Supports Surge Protection
- WIMA Audio Capacitors (For Front Outputs)
- ESS SABRE9218 DAC for Front Panel Audio (130dB SNR)
- Pure Power-In
- Direct Drive Technology
- PCB Isolate Shielding
- Impedance Sensing on Rear Out port
- Individual PCB Layers for R/L Audio Channel
- Gold Audio Jacks
- 15μ Gold Audio Connector
- Nahimic Audio

I noticed that your *Asrock z490 Taichi* motherboard has the same *Realtek ALC1220* as my *Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Gaming 5* motherboard.
So yes, it should be able to unlock DDL and DTS Connect, but it will only work when connected to the *SPDIF* interface. I recommend that you download an official Realtek Audio version R2.80 or R2.79 from another page and that its weight is approximately 300mb so that you can unlock *DDL* and *DTS Connect*.


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## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> When reviewing your model Asrock Z490 Taichiit has the following specifications:
> Audio
> - 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (*Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec*)
> - Premium Blu-ray Audio support
> ...


So all I need to do is download this Realtek Audio R2.80 and I will get DDL and DTS Connect?!!! Do you have a link? @Gustavo Sicha



Gustavo Sicha said:


> When reviewing your model Asrock Z490 Taichiit has the following specifications:
> Audio
> - 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (*Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec*)
> - Premium Blu-ray Audio support
> ...


Wait this thing: https://www.techspot.com/drivers/driver/file/information/18007/

Has DDL and DTS Connect?!!


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## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> So all I need to do is download this Realtek Audio R2.80 and I will get DDL and DTS Connect?!!! Do you have a link? @Gustavo Sicha
> 
> 
> Wait this thing: https://www.techspot.com/drivers/driver/file/information/18007/
> ...


actually all Realtek Audio R2.70, R2.72, R2.80 and R2.82 come with DDL and DTS Connect but by default these encoders are hidden or blocked. what you have to do is unlock them by means of a patch that I will place again in the guide below


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## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> actually all Realtek Audio R2.70, R2.72, R2.80 and R2.82 come with DDL and DTS Connect but by default these encoders are hidden or blocked. what you have to do is unlock them by means of a patch that I will place again in the guide below


Oh wow. Thank you so much! So it can download the latest R2.82 and use the patch instructions you will post and I can get DDL and DTS via SPDIF? That would be a god send! This way I wouldn't have to deal with an old Creative Sound card that will undoubtably would have some wonky drivers as Creative products are often prone to


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## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

for some reason the encoder DTS Neo: PC  (Movie, Music) disappears in versions *R2.82* and *above *
This is a screenshot of *Realtek Audio* version *R2.79* and earlier versions


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## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> for some reason the encoder DTS Neo: PC  (Movie, Music) disappears in versions *R2.82* and *above *
> This is a screenshot of *Realtek Audio* version *R2.79* and earlier versions


@Gustavo Sicha  Your guide dissappeared. What happened? I'm just finishing work and was able to try it


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## Mussels (Jan 29, 2022)

Not sure why we keep getting threads on this, it's such a well known problem

SPDIF, and therefore ARC that uses it - are stereo.
The ONLY way to get extra channels is using dolby digital or DTS encoding.

Therefore, unless you have a DD/DTS source (such as pre-encoded movies or a sound card with real time encoding) - you get stereo.


You need to ditch arc. Why even use it, when the soundbar has HDMI in?
Unreliable driver mods as a workaround seems an insane option, it's like getting a 4K 120Hz OLED and doing everything you can to drop it to 720p


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## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Mussels said:


> Not sure why we keep getting threads on this, it's such a well known problem
> 
> SPDIF, and therefore ARC that uses it - are stereo.
> The ONLY way to get extra channels is using dolby digital or DTS encoding.
> ...


The Soundbar has HDMI in. However I cannot get DDL and DTS from my RTX 2080 Ti since Nvidia doesn't do that. I wasn't aware this was a well known problem.

Actually eARC is supposed to be able to carry uncompressed 7.1 and 5.1 signals so you're wrong on that account

Thirdly no its not. You didn't even understand my issue. I want to try SPDIF now since its the only thing that can process DDL and DTS.

eARC is supposed to be the fix if this is to be believed:




The modded drivers are only for the SPIDF outputs unless I am wrong. The analog outputs don't use it so the driver wouldn't cause any quality issue no different from if the driver came with DDL and DTS Connect unlocked


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## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> @Gustavo Sicha  Your guide dissappeared. What happened? I'm just finishing work and was able to try it


I have no idea why the guide becomes invisible?


Guide to enable *Dolby Digital Live* and/or *DTS Interactive*:

In a nutshell, the process to follow is as follows:
1. Uninstall your existing Realtek drivers with Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) and reboot. You will have to disable the use of signed drivers Guide (How To Disable Driver Signature Enforcement, How to disable mandatory use of signed drivers)
2. Download and extract zip file containing original Realtek HD audio drivers R2.80  (In my case I use the version *R2.82*/*6.0.1.8210*).
3. Use Pihto's patch to patch the DLL files (the *password* is ''*realtek*'').  The target filenames are listed on the patcher window. They begin with "*rltkAPO64.dll*, *rltkAPO.dll*" and may be in "win32" and "win64" subfolders of the Realtek package. You will have to manually select each file to patch and run the patcher multiple times to patch all matching files.
4. Now run the Realtek setup program. You may be asked to install unsigned drivers. Choose yes.
5. Do not immediately reboot. Instead, open regedit and ensure the "*DisableProtectedAudioDG*" registry fix is still present. If not, add it again.


> REGEDIT4
> [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Audio]
> "DisableProtectedAudioDG"=dword:00000001


6. Reboot, and *Dolby Digital Live*/*DTS Interactive* should be available.
7. Working properly on *Windows 11* with Realtek version *R2.82 *or* R2.80*

This guide only works for the *S/PDIF* interface and will unlock *Dolby Digital Live* and *DTS Connect*


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## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> I have no idea why the guide becomes invisible?
> 
> 
> Guide to enable *Dolby Digital Live* and/or *DTS Interactive*:
> ...


Got it. Now when you disable driver enforcement, it renables it after you restart the computer. Is this an issue or do you only need it disabled for the one time you need to install the modifed driver?

Also the second guide you sent about disabling it is in spanish sadly so I don't understand the pictures. I can google translate the text but not the pictures:
https://answers.microsoft.com/es-es...o-el-uso/778da35d-deab-4a99-84fb-02a274bf5fc5


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## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

How to Enable or Disable Driver Signature Enforcement in Windows 10 | Tutorials (tenforums.com)



dozy4850 said:


> Got it. Now when you disable driver enforcement, it renables it after you restart the computer. Is this an issue or do you only need it disabled for the one time you need to install the modifed driver?
> 
> Also the second guide you sent about disabling it is in spanish sadly so I don't understand the pictures. I can google translate the text but not the pictures:
> https://answers.microsoft.com/es-es/windows/forum/all/windows-10-cómo-deshabilito-el-uso/778da35d-deab-4a99-84fb-02a274bf5fc5


I recommend that you use versions less than or equal to *R2.80*, such as *R2.79* or *R2.72*, since if you use, for example, R2.82, higher versions after having installed unsigned drivers and then restarted the PC, possibly You still won't be able to unlock the DDL and DTS Connect this is a *problem that only happens with versions R2.82 onwards* and the only solution is to reinstall the modified driver from Device Manager


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## Mussels (Jan 29, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> The Soundbar has HDMI in. However I cannot get DDL and DTS from my RTX 2080 Ti since Nvidia doesn't do that. I wasn't aware this was a well known problem.
> 
> Actually eARC is supposed to be able to carry uncompressed 7.1 and 5.1 signals so you're wrong on that account
> 
> ...


eARC is HDMI only, it doesnt use SPDIF at all.

I absolutely understand your issue. Its in the first post and clear as day.



> I have noticed I get solid 5.1 in movies and even some surround effects in my music. BUT...
> 
> When it comes to games like Halo MCC, Infinite and others, I get "fake" surround sound.


Because you're getting stereo sound, and the receiver is upmixing it.

People want things a way the technology simply isnt designed for, and cant be done. HDMI and SPDIF are royal pains in the ass.
The only way HDMI audio is meant to work, is source -> receiver -> TV, with ARC meant to pass out the basic audio that digital TV or internal smart TV apps use to external sound systems, not meant to be used for high bandwidth audio from sources like PC's and BD players


You can fight and struggle with complicated workarounds and solutions, or just change the setup to be used how it was designed to be used. I ran HDMI audio for a long, long time and there was some longass threads discussing how the hell to make the audio limitations of HDMI work correctly, and the answer is that its simply a pain in the ass on PC.
You need to run HDMI standard video (1080p60/4k60) to a receiver, to the TV - or be stuck at stereo, most of the time. 

You can run it as a second fake monitor, you can use HDMI splitters, you can use modded drivers, you can buy unsupported old sound cards and hope they work... or just shuffle the order of some cables around.

Simply read the threads about the modded drivers and see how many people want this to work, only to find out the limitations cripple them in other ways (cant update the OS, stuck in unsigned driver mode breaking games anti-cheat, etc)


----------



## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> I have no idea why the guide becomes invisible?
> 
> 
> Guide to enable *Dolby Digital Live* and/or *DTS Interactive*:
> ...


Thank you so much for the help so far! It's asking me for a password to extract that Pihto's patch. What is it? @Gustavo Sicha


----------



## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> Thank you so much for the help so far! It's asking me for a password to extract that Pihto's patch. What is it? @Gustavo Sicha


lol, forget to mention the password ''realtek''


----------



## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Mussels said:


> eARC is HDMI only, it doesnt use SPDIF at all.
> 
> I absolutely understand your issue. Its in the first post and clear as day.
> 
> ...


Hmm but I see people here commenting that they are getting 5.1 with DDL and DTS Connect? Are they not getting true 5.1? 

As for anti cheat... I didnt know hack drivers can trigger them. I guess I will have to see once and if I can get the Realtek 2.8 to work

As for old sound card, Well isn't the point of DDL and DTS to take that uncompresse sound and encode it to 5.1 in Dolby or DTS? 

As for Reciever option, were I to go that route, I suppose I'd have to connect HDMI from GPU to Reciever and the AVR will do dolby conversion so it is 5.1?



Gustavo Sicha said:


> lol, forget to mention the password ''realtek''


Wait DDU is only for graphics drivers. How can you uninstall realtek drivers with it @Gustavo Sicha


----------



## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> Hmm but I see people here commenting that they are getting 5.1 with DDL and DTS Connect? Are they not getting true 5.1?
> 
> As for anti cheat... I didnt know hack drivers can trigger them. I guess I will have to see once and if I can get the Realtek 2.8 to work
> 
> ...


*Dolby Digital Live *Converts any audio signal on a PC or game console into a *Dolby Digital 5.1 channel 16bit, 48 kHz, 640 kbit/s* format.
*DTS Interactive* takes multichannel audio and converts it to a *DTS 5.1 channel 24bit, 48 kHz, 1.5 Mbit/s* stream

But to convert any *2.1 stereo* audio to *5.1 channel* surround sound, one of 2 real-time technologies are used: *Dolby Pro Logic II* or *DTS Neo PC*.



dozy4850 said:


> Hmm but I see people here commenting that they are getting 5.1 with DDL and DTS Connect? Are they not getting true 5.1?
> 
> As for anti cheat... I didnt know hack drivers can trigger them. I guess I will have to see once and if I can get the Realtek 2.8 to work
> 
> ...


instead of selecting the *GPU* simply select *AUDIO* and then select *REALTEK(WIP)*


----------



## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> *Dolby Digital Live *Converts any audio signal on a PC or game console into a *Dolby Digital 5.1 channel 16bit, 48 kHz, 640 kbit/s* format.
> *DTS Interactive* takes multichannel audio and converts it to a *DTS 5.1 channel 24bit, 48 kHz, 1.5 Mbit/s* stream
> 
> But to convert any *2.1 stereo* audio to *5.1 channel* surround sound, one of 2 real-time technologies are used: *Dolby Pro Logic II* or *DTS Neo PC*.
> ...


Cool thanks

So I only need to patch these two files:

"*rltkAPO64.dll*, *rltkAPO.dll *


----------



## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> Cool thanks
> 
> So I only need to patch these two files:
> 
> "*rltkAPO64.dll*, *rltkAPO.dll *


Yes


----------



## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> Yes


Sadly this is what I get from my regedit:





There is no "DisableProtectedAudioDG"=dword:00000001

@Gustavo Sicha


----------



## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> Hmm but I see people here commenting that they are getting 5.1 with DDL and DTS Connect? Are they not getting true 5.1?
> 
> As for anti cheat... I didnt know hack drivers can trigger them. I guess I will have to see once and if I can get the Realtek 2.8 to work
> 
> ...



a bit of detailed information:

*Dolby Digital Live* (DDL) is a real-time encoding technology for interactive media such as video games. It converts any audio signals on a PC or game console into a *5.1 channel* *16bit, 48 kHz, 640 kbit/s* Dolby Digital format and transports it via a single S/PDIF cable.

*Dolby Pro Logic II*: DPL II processes any high-quality stereo signal source into five separate full frequency channels (right front, center, left front, right rear and left rear), while also decoding 5 channels from stereo signals encoded in traditional four-channel Dolby Surround. DPL II implements greatly enhanced steering compared to DPL, and as a result, offers an exceptionally stable sound field that simulates 5 channel surround sound.
*DTS Connect* is a blanket name for a two-part system used on the computer platform only, in order to convert PC audio into the DTS format, transported via a single S/PDIF cable.[31] The two components of the system are DTS Interactive and DTS Neo PC. It is found on various CMedia soundcards and onboard audio with Realtek ALC883DTS/ALC889A/ALC888DD-GR/ALC892-DTS-CG and SoundMAX AD1988 chips, as well as several cards based on the X-Fi chipset, such as the SoundBlaster Titanium series and Auzentech's X-Fi Forte, X-Fi Prelude, X-Fi Home Theater HD and X-Fi Bravura cards.

*DTS Interactive*: This is a real-time DTS stream encoder. On the PC, it takes multichannel audio and converts it into a 1.5 Mbit/s DTS stream for output. Because it uses the original DTS codec to transmit audio, fidelity is limited to *5.1 channel* at *48 kHz*, *24bit 1.5 Mbit/s *.
*DTS Neo PC:* This is a technology based on the *DTS Neo:6* matrix surround technology, which transforms any stereo content (MP3, WMA, CD Audio, or games) into a simulated 7.1-channel surround sound experience. The *7.1-channel surround* sound is output as a DTS stream for output via a S/PDIF cable port.


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## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> a bit of detailed information:
> 
> *Dolby Digital Live* (DDL) is a real-time encoding technology for interactive media such as video games. It converts any audio signals on a PC or game console into a *5.1 channel* *16bit, 48 kHz, 640 kbit/s* Dolby Digital format and transports it via a single S/PDIF cable.
> 
> ...



Thanks. Sadly there is no "DisableProtectedAudioDG"=dword:00000001  
after going through the steps:





@Gustavo Sicha


----------



## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> Lamentablemente esto es lo que obtengo de mi regedit:
> 
> View attachment 234397
> 
> ...


You need to create it for that, select right click on the blank => *New* => *DWORD (32 bit) value* and then name it ''*DisableProtectedAudioDG*'' with hex value ''*1*''

remember that this record may self-delete after a forced Windows 10 update from Windows Update it's always good to check if the record is still there after a big windows update


----------



## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> You need to create it for that, select right click on the blank => *New* => *DWORD (32 bit) value* and then name it ''*DisableProtectedAudioDG*'' with hex value ''*1*''
> 
> remember that this record may self-delete after a forced Windows 10 update from Windows Update it's always good to check if the record is still there after a big windows update



Thank you so much!!

SO this is waht I have right now. I selected Dolby Digital Live as default format:





But I only see a DTS NEO overlay here:





Is this normal @Gustavo Sicha


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## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> Thank you so much!!
> 
> SO this is waht I have right now. I selected Dolby Digital Live as default format:
> 
> ...


Yes, *DTS Neo PC* only works when you enable *quadraphonic* mode, *5.1* or *7.1*
I recommend that you enable *Dolby Home Theater* (*DPLII*)
You may have to select *DTS Interactive* so you can use *DTS Neo PC*


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## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> Yes, *DTS Neo PC* only works when you enable *quadraphonic* mode, *5.1* or *7.1*
> I recommend that you enable *Dolby Home Theater* (*DPLII*)
> You may have to select *DTS Interactive* so you can use *DTS Neo PC*


So by changing the format to DDL or DTS, all sounds will be 5.1 and it will actually take the uncompressed MULTICHANNEL game sound and shove it through SPDIF to true 5.1 sound. And not stereo beign upmixed to 5.1? @Gustavo Sicha


----------



## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> So by changing the format to DDL or DTS, all sounds will be 5.1 and it will actually take the uncompressed MULTICHANNEL game sound and shove it through SPDIF to true 5.1 sound. And not stereo beign upmixed to 5.1? @Gustavo Sicha



*Dolby Pro Logic II*: DPL II processes any high-quality *stereo* signal source into five separate full frequency channels *(right front, center, left front, right rear *and* left rear*) *5.1 Surround*.
*DTS Neo PC:* This is a technology based on the *DTS Neo:6* matrix surround technology, which transforms any *stereo* content (MP3, WMA, CD Audio, or games) into a simulated *7.1-channel* surround sound experience. The *7.1-channel surround* sound is output as a DTS stream for output via a S/PDIF cable port.

*Dolby Digital Live* (DDL) is a real-time encoding technology for interactive media such as video games. It converts any audio signals on a PC or game console into a *5.1 channel* *16bit, 48 kHz, 640 kbit/s* Dolby Digital format and transports it via a single S/PDIF cable.

*DTS Interactive*: This is a real-time DTS stream encoder. On the PC, it takes multichannel audio and converts it into a 1.5 Mbit/s DTS stream for output. Because it uses the original DTS codec to transmit audio, fidelity is limited to *5.1 channel* at *48 kHz*, *24bit 1.5 Mbit/s *.



dozy4850 said:


> Thank you so much!!
> 
> SO this is waht I have right now. I selected Dolby Digital Live as default format:
> 
> ...


DTS Neo PC is only suitable for quadraphonic, 5.1 or 7.1 analog connections selected and u must have a 3.5mm 5.1 or 7.1 jacked



Also, I remember that when I changed the *DTS Neo PC* options from *Music* to *Movie*, nothing happened when I listened to any stereo or multichannel sound.


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## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> *Dolby Pro Logic II*: DPL II processes any high-quality *stereo* signal source into five separate full frequency channels *(right front, center, left front, right rear *and* left rear*) *5.1 Surround*.
> *DTS Neo PC:* This is a technology based on the *DTS Neo:6* matrix surround technology, which transforms any *stereo* content (MP3, WMA, CD Audio, or games) into a simulated *7.1-channel* surround sound experience. The *7.1-channel surround* sound is output as a DTS stream for output via a S/PDIF cable port.
> 
> *Dolby Digital Live* (DDL) is a real-time encoding technology for interactive media such as video games. It converts any audio signals on a PC or game console into a *5.1 channel* *16bit, 48 kHz, 640 kbit/s* Dolby Digital format and transports it via a single S/PDIF cable.
> ...



So I can happily report your help allowed me to finally get TRUE surround sound in my games on PC over SPDIF
I really can't thank you enough. If you're in Portland or Dallas, I'd like to buy you dinner @Gustavo Sicha

You went above and beyond to hand hold me and help me not just set it up but also understand more about the formats. Thank you so much!

And I suoppose its the Dolby Pro Logic II but now all my music stuff has a much much bigger bass. And the sound sounds richer. WOW!



Gustavo Sicha said:


> You need to create it for that, select right click on the blank => *New* => *DWORD (32 bit) value* and then name it ''*DisableProtectedAudioDG*'' with hex value ''*1*''
> 
> remember that this record may self-delete after a forced Windows 10 update from Windows Update it's always good to check if the record is still there after a big windows updateView attachment 234404



So if Windows updates itself, I need to check the registry again? Do I need to re run  the Realtek driver installation again?


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## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> So I can happily report your help allowed me to finally get TRUE surround sound in my games on PC over SPDIF
> I really can't thank you enough. If you're in Portland or Dallas, I'd like to buy you dinner @Gustavo Sicha
> 
> You went above and beyond to hand hold me and help me not just set it up but also understand more about the formats. Thank you so much!
> ...


It is possible that they only reset the configuration, although in my last update of windows 11 the modified registry was deleted and I had to recreate it and the modified realtek did not touch it, but there are cases of other users claiming that Windows 10 deletes their modified Realtek for a generic Realtek, another way is to disable windows update


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## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> It is possible that they only reset the configuration, although in my last update of windows 11 the modified registry was deleted and I had to recreate it and the modified realtek did not touch it, but there are cases of other users claiming that Windows 10 deletes their modified Realtek for a generic Realtek, another way is to disable windows update


And you said anything above 2.8 no longer works correct? I wonder when it will be able to work. Is that only a Windows 11 problem or does it affect windows 10 as well if you go above 2.8


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## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

Also if you are using an AV Receiver or Sound Bar turn off any sound effects such as DTS Neo 6 or Dolby Pro Logic or Sound Bar Mode and select not to use any sound effects so you can hear the sound as it was recorded this so you


----------



## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> Also if you are using an AV Receiver or Sound Bar turn off any sound effects such as DTS Neo 6 or Dolby Pro Logic or Sound Bar Mode and select not to use any sound effects so you can hear the sound as it was recorded this so you


I am using a soundbar. Using Pro Logic makes the sound more bass heavy. I like it I'll have to see if it remains that way when I turn it off.

Well i just disabled Pro Logic and the bass is still the same. 

I thought you wanted me to turn Pro Logic on. Why woudl it be better to turn it off for my 5.1 soundbar?


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## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> And you said anything above 2.8 no longer works correct? I wonder when it will be able to work. Is that only a Windows 11 problem or does it affect windows 10 as well if you go above 2.8


I tried all versions from R2.73 to R2.80 and they unlock me Dolby Digital Live and DTS Interactive, for some reason in version R2.82 I had to reinstall it 2 times the first from the mandatory signed drivers disabled mode and the second reinstalling from the device manager and then from R.2.83, 84, 85,... 89, 90,... etc the patch no longer works and it is not possible to unlock DDL and DTS also the new Realtek DCH no longer weigh 300mb but now they only weigh 11mb.


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## dozy4850 (Jan 29, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> I tried all versions from R2.73 to R2.80 and they unlock me Dolby Digital Live and DTS Interactive, for some reason in version R2.82 I had to reinstall it 2 times the first from the mandatory signed drivers disabled mode and the second reinstalling from the device manager and then from R.2.83, 84, 85,... 89, 90,... etc the patch no longer works and it is not possible to unlock DDL and DTS also the new Realtek DCH no longer weigh 300mb but now they only weigh 11mb.


And this is both Windows 10 and Windows 11?


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## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 29, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> I am using a soundbar. Using Pro Logic makes the sound more bass heavy. I like it I'll have to see if it remains that way when I turn it off.
> 
> Well i just disabled Pro Logic and the bass is still the same.
> 
> I thought you wanted me to turn Pro Logic on. Why woudl it be better to turn it off for my 5.1 soundbar?


if you like the effects of strong bass then use Dolby Pro Logic from your soundbar, in my case I always disable all effects like DTS Neo 6 or Dolby Pro Logic II coming from my AV receiver since in the PC the driver Realtek audio already has the Dolby Pro Logic II option enabled and if you enabled DPLII on my receiver I will hear a lot of bass and not witness treble and surround effects as well as dialogue.





















dozy4850 said:


> And this is both Windows 10 and Windows 11?


Works perfectly on Windows 10 but found to work on Windows 11 as well


----------



## Ferather (Jan 29, 2022)

I would use the IT663x1 over the LG if thats the case, it has hardware 6 channels and all formats. If you want Interactive for Realtek I have an unlocked driver (here).
Some devices you might need to edit-add a device policy, however the ALC1220 might already support DTS without changes (My 889 does).

All-most of the instructions you need are in post 1, for the majority of people you just install and do nothing else.
Once you have the pack running, you can also add DTS to the GPU device (ask if you need help).




Note, there is no NEO-PC in this version, it uses expand tech and does not sound great.
Instead use E-APO to upmix stereo to 5.1 or 7.1 + DTS:X spatial (on by default).

E-APO can be turned on-off, unlike the Neo-PC (always on).

----


----------



## dozy4850 (Jan 30, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> if you like the effects of strong bass then use Dolby Pro Logic from your soundbar, in my case I always disable all effects like DTS Neo 6 or Dolby Pro Logic II coming from my AV receiver since in the PC the driver Realtek audio already has the Dolby Pro Logic II option enabled and if you enabled DPLII on my receiver I will hear a lot of bass and not witness treble and surround effects as well as dialogue.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Do I need to worry about Windows auto updating the realtek driver and wiping away the modified driver? Or does that only happen when Windows 10 updates itself? @Gustavo Sicha


----------



## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 30, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> Do I need to worry about Windows auto updating the realtek driver and wiping away the modified driver? Or does that only happen when Windows 10 updates itself? @Gustavo Sicha


I don't think anything will happen if Windows 10 is updated even if you update to Windows 11 it will keep the current realtek drivers but every time there is a big update weighing more than 7gb it's always good to check if the modified realtek drivers are still intact


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## dozy4850 (Jan 30, 2022)

Gustavo Sicha said:


> I don't think anything will happen if Windows 10 is updated even if you update to Windows 11 it will keep the current realtek drivers but every time there is a big update weighing more than 7gb it's always good to check if the modified realtek drivers are still intact


And the realtek driver doesn't auto update itself? @Gustavo Sicha


----------



## Gustavo Sicha (Jan 30, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> And the realtek driver doesn't auto update itself? @Gustavo Sicha


It does not automatically update, but if you manually force the update of the modified Realtek driver, it will update, it will erase your current modified Realtek and install a generic Realtek provided by Windows 10



dozy4850 said:


> And the realtek driver doesn't auto update itself? @Gustavo Sicha


I also just created a new publication with the basic guide to unlock DDL and DTS, if you like, save it in your favorites folder of your browser, which if we say Windows 10 manages to delete the modified Realtek driver, then you can reinstall the modified Realtek by following the basic guide









						Unlocked Realtek HD Audio Drivers for Windows 11 (Dolby Digital Live/DTS Interactive)
					

This is a basic guide and it will only serve to unlock the Dolby Digital Live and DTS Interactive nothing else using their own official drivers Realtek Audio  Guide to enable Dolby Digital Live and/or DTS Interactive:  1. Uninstall your existing Realtek drivers with Display Driver Uninstaller...




					www.techpowerup.com


----------



## roster17 (Jun 5, 2022)

Ferather said:


> You can have a transcoder (DTS, Dolby), on the system and still get 2 channel always, as you mentioned.
> This happens if the device, the driver or APO does not correctly adjust registry data.
> 
> In some cases a device might have an in-built policy you cannot edit (lack of tools), or restrictions.
> ...


Please give me tools. I have DTS interactive and DDL, but spdif shows up only as 2 channels, and games default run in stereo, unless they've an option to use surround. DirectX reads only 2 channels as a default. Need to change it in registry or sound driver. 
Entries:

{1da5d803-d492-4edd-8c23-e0c0ffee7f0e},3
{1da5d803-d492-4edd-8c23-e0c0ffee7f0e},6

doesn't change anything.
Can't change:

{1da5d803-d492-4edd-8c23-e0c0ffee7f0e},0                  from               "8"  to "1"                  -after reboot been renewed by driver (I think) back to "8"

Any other entries can be about 6 channels reporting?
What tool use to modify *.sys drivers?

Any sugestions, pls ?


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## dozy4850 (Jun 6, 2022)

roster17 said:


> Please give me tools. I have DTS interactive and DDL, but spdif shows up only as 2 channels, and games default run in stereo, unless they've an option to use surround. DirectX reads only 2 channels as a default. Need to change it in registry or sound driver.
> Entries:
> 
> {1da5d803-d492-4edd-8c23-e0c0ffee7f0e},3
> ...



In case you don't get it. I'd suggest getting a Creative Soundblaster sound card with DDL and DTS Connect. It simplifies everything for you and you don't need to fiddle around @roster17 

I was able to use the solution Gustavo Sicha suggested and it worked for me in almost every game. But a few games still wouldn't do true 5.1 sound like Witcher 3 and Halo 2 Annivesary. Getting creative Soundblaster SB-E fixed all this


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 6, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> Hi I have a 2080 Ti on an Asrock Z490 Taichi Motherboard and its hooked up to my LG C6 TV at 4K. The TV uses ARC to my Vizio M51A soundbar so I get audio.
> 
> I have noticed I get solid 5.1 in movies and even some surround effects in my music. BUT...
> 
> ...


Simple answer, you need a sound card that will decode and output the 5.1 spec for all codecs in all contexts. Onboard sound rarely does this. Get yourself a 5.1/7.1 SoundBlaster card or DAC and you should be good.


----------



## roster17 (Jun 7, 2022)

So i borrowed SB X-Fi 5.1 Pro with OEM DDL.
Now I know what was wrong. SB X-Fi needs to use analog speaker as a default in games, DDL turned on just send parrarel signal via SPDIF . SPDIF appears as 2 channels, but games work in 5.1.
If u just select SPDIF as an output - reporting to directX 2 channels, and game is stereo.
If the game sees 5.1 analog in DirectX output, SB copys sound to SPDIF, what couldn't be done with SB Live! 24 bit external.

Looks like SPDIF with DDL is just an encoder. Pitty, that must buy new device . Maybe is there a software which encodes 5.1 to DDL on the fly?


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## Mussels (Jun 8, 2022)

roster17 said:


> Looks like SPDIF with DDL is just an encoder. Pitty, that must buy new device . Maybe is there a software which encodes 5.1 to DDL on the fly?


SPDIF was only ever made to send stereo signals.

DDL and DTS were made for pre encoded use on DVD's.

There is absolutely software that encodes 5.1 audio to DDL and DTS: and it only works on certain, supported sound cards like the creative ones people keep mentioning. Since SPDIF is a very old, borderline abandoned technology the challenge is finding a card with modern driver support.


----------



## roster17 (Jun 8, 2022)

Mussels said:


> SPDIF was only ever made to send stereo signals.
> 
> DDL and DTS were made for pre encoded use on DVD's.
> 
> There is absolutely software that encodes 5.1 audio to DDL and DTS: and it only works on certain, supported sound cards like the creative ones people keep mentioning. Since SPDIF is a very old, borderline abandoned technology the challenge is finding a card


What software do You mean?
So, what format of digital multichannel is a good way? HDMI?


----------



## bug (Jun 8, 2022)

roster17 said:


> What software do You mean?
> So, what format of digital multichannel is a good way? HDMI?


In the PC world, it's either HDMI or DP. Since consumer electronics almost never support DP, HDMI is usually the default option.


----------



## ThrashZone (Jun 8, 2022)

Hi,
Yep dp/ computer compatible tv's are way to expensive to be mainstream so hdmi smart or dumb tv's rule
Easy to try all of them have hdmi ports so do graphic's cards ironic isn't it.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Jun 8, 2022)

roster17 said:


> What software do You mean?
> So, what format of digital multichannel is a good way? HDMI?


Again, you need a Sound Card or DAC that has 5.1 output and a DDS compatible audio receiver. You need to plug the outputs(yes, through analogue cables, not HDMI) of the sound device into the receiver and select that input to hear the output. There will be three cable sets: Front L/R, Rear L/R and Center/Sub. For PC's, this is how to make 5.1 work properly.


----------



## Mussels (Jun 9, 2022)

roster17 said:


> What software do You mean?
> So, what format of digital multichannel is a good way? HDMI?


Whatever software comes with the soundcard.
You cant mix and match here, you need a soundcard with hardware support, and it's matching software.

Yes, some driver mods exist to try and get it to work on some onboard realtek audio (because the hardware existed already, but was disabled since they didnt pay to enable it) but it's got a lot of complications and limitations.

Analog audio is the simplest, with each stereo cable you add, adding two channels. three cables, 6 channels, tada 5.1

HDMI is the ideal for multi channel digital audio, PCM is the 'universal' 'it just works' codec ideal for PC use.


----------



## Ferather (Jun 9, 2022)

SPDIF is what drives HDMI audio, which is why they are cross compatible and use the same transport methods and IEC.
Original TOSLink @ 3.1mbps indeed could only handle 2 channel uncompressed, or compressed 5.1.

SPDIF actually has no real limits, and TOSLInk is a connector, which is now 125mpbs, faster than HDMI and DP.
The IEC specs have been updated several times, its more OEM's not supporting it.

There are real devices that can do 64+ channels using SPDIF pro.

----

For older devices or lack of OEM support, you will indeed need the legacy method (DTS Surround, Dolby Digital Live).

For games (which output PCM) to work in legacy mode, you need to transcode the 5.1 PCM to 5.1 DTS-DDL.
In terms of a driver this its done via software, normally an APO, that transcodes PCM on the device.

The DTS APO I use actually sets SPDIF as 6 channel PCM, with compression at the final end, before output.

Game (5.1 PCM) > Device (6 ch PCM) > PCM processing (SFX, MFX) > PCM to DTS (EFX) > Out


The game audio is likely compressed as AAC or similar, but the audio device will get PCM (unless its passthrough).

----

The HBR portion of HDMI technically only specifies it can do 24.5mbps (likely for DTS-HD MA), its max is 37mbps.

----

Conversion of SPDIF to HDMI with essentially a programmable audio EDID.








====

Some extra info:

Audio devices and their specifications are usually in regards to its PCM capability, even with receivers.
The two main limiting factors are total sample aggregate and total bitrate available.

For example, a device with 768KHz total samples and a 20mbps module, lets say TOSLink.

@24 bit 768KHz can be: 2x 384KHz 24b, 4x 192KHz 24b, 8x 96KHz 24b.

All of the above, end up using the same total aggregate, and also bitrate, 18.432mbps.

My ALC 889, does 2x 192KHz on SPDIF, which requires 9.2mbps and 384k aggregate.
It also supports: 8 x 48KHz 24b, which is 9.2mbps and 384k aggregate.

The legacy DTS Surround and Dolby Digital live only support 6 channels for transcoding.
Normally a receiver that supports a format will decompress to PCM, for DAC's.

----

Last edit (sorry for the long post):

DTS-HD both MA and HRA, contain a DTS Surround core, which can be played on legacy setups.

I can bitstream all formats using an HDMI 2.0 to TOSLink 125mbps module, and also most with my ALC 889.
In either case my receiver does not support the formats via TOSLink in, sad face.

Interestingly in both cases the noise is the same, due to receiver support (thinks its PCM).
I can also utilize the full sample rate and bitrate of HDMI 2.0 via the converter.


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## Mussels (Jun 10, 2022)

Ferather said:


> SPDIF is what drives HDMI audio, which is why they are cross compatible and use the same transport methods and IEC.
> Original TOSLink @ 3.1mbps indeed could only handle 2 channel uncompressed, or compressed 5.1.


No, that's entirely not correct.


> For digital audio, if an HDMI device has audio, it is required to implement the baseline format: stereo (uncompressed) PCM. Other formats are optional, with HDMI allowing up to 8 channels of uncompressed audio at sample sizes of 16 bits, 20 bits, or 24 bits, with sample rates of 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, or 192 kHz.[5]: §7  HDMI also carries any IEC 61937-compliant compressed audio stream, such as Dolby Digital and DTS, and up to 8 channels of one-bit DSD audio (used on Super Audio CDs) at rates up to four times that of Super Audio CD.[5]: §7  With version 1.3, HDMI allows lossless compressed audio streams Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.[5]: §7  As with the Y′CBCR video, audio capability is optional. Audio return channel (ARC) is a feature introduced in the HDMI 1.4 standard.[41] "Return" refers to the case where the audio comes from the TV and can be sent "upstream" to the AV receiver using the HDMI cable connected to the AV receiver.[41] An example given on the HDMI website is that a TV that directly receives a terrestrial/satellite broadcast, or has a video source built in, sends the audio "upstream" to the AV receiver.[41]



The only thing they can do equally, is stereo PCM audio at 24 bit 192Khz. SPDIF does not have the bandwidth for anything above that.
All your screenshot above has shown, is all the compressed formats that fit within SPDIF's bandwidth, and tickboxes to show you've got passthrough turned on. That wont help with PC audio playback.


HDMI was backwards compatible with SPDIF audio standards, not 'driven by them'


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## lexluthermiester (Jun 10, 2022)

Mussels said:


> No, that's entirely not correct.
> 
> 
> The only thing they can do equally, is stereo PCM audio at 24 bit 192Khz. SPDIF does not have the bandwidth for anything above that.
> ...


And now we wait for the ego-driven defense response..


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## xcescxa (Jun 10, 2022)

_its the game itself lmao some games like on steam are only 2 channels why is this even a post. i recommend you dont install anything from anyone as it is bullshit. your graphics card has to go through a soundcard that has hdmi and then the soundcard to a hdmi supported receiver then you take the video of the receiver and that goes to your high definition display and then the audio goes to 5.1 speakers system. _

if not you need a recevier in the first place you cant just hook up the hdmi to a tv and expect it to instantly grant you 5.1 to your soundbar
even if you skip the soundcard part you still need a recevier to decode anything in the first place
if you downloaded anything from anyone you already messed up your setup

basically all you need to know for 5.1 this is my soundcards manual you can skip going through the soundcard and go straight to the receiver








anyone else that posts something else after this that involves setup is completely wrong

all the fake dts and stuff that people are telling you to download is emulated. if the device when you bought it or motherboard doesnt say it specifically supports it you arent getting the real thing.
sorry to tell you that but its the truth. all these realtek mods and gpu mods shit are all just malware. basically if it doesnt come out of box with whatever. there is no chance at all that is the real thing.

if you cant figure out these things on your own too i recommend you look at your tv or soundbar manual too, dont come here looking for help for devices when the people on here didnt make them.
simple as that. MANUALS MANUALS MANUALS ONLY!!!!!! The mods anyway are files from devices that actually supported them.


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## Ferather (Jun 10, 2022)

SPDIF - Sony/Philips Digital Interface
					

Decided to post some info I found.  ----  S/PDIF (tech-faq.com) - "Although the SPDIF protocol doesn’t specific a max resolution or data rate, the equipment which uses the SPDIF connectors has to determine the data rate..." S/PDIF - Wikipedia - "...has no defined data rate. Instead, the data is...




					www.techpowerup.com
				




You can read the whole thread if you wish, not here to argue. If I changed the digital converter chip on my 889 to a 6ch one, I can skip compressing to DTS.
The digital converter is the last point before final out, it has its own restrictions, the PCM portion prior however can and is doing 6 channel PCM.



Can be re-programmed via EDID override. The units internal EDID controls the flow down TOSLink also.
It's done via a virtual monitor, which on Windows can have a driver (EDID override).

In my case I programmed it as 6 channel, up from 2, and added all formats (same as HDMI 1.4+).
It works in the same way as my ALC889 in terms of passthrough, but up to 8 ch in PCM.

I contacted the OEM and they confirmed 7.1, and other tests with the above unit.
There is no SPDIF circuit, its most certainly an EDID controlled converter.

----

Passthrough on SPDIF-HDMI-Other is literally that, it passes through the converter, untouched by its PCM restrictions.

6 ch PCM > Converter, with 2 ch 192k  > Downmixed or 4 missing channels > 2 ch out.
Compressed > Passthrough (frame size restrictions) > Out.



			https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/attachments/alc-889-png.238145/
		


----

Last note:

Additional proof of multichannel on SPDIF can be seen via APO's which are PCM processors.
All APO's and DSP's become totally inactive during passthrough, as intended.



			https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/attachments/1644178833698-png.235510/
		


In terms of drivers, they can set the pre-converter PCM to multichannnel, then bypass it (DTS).

HDMI has EDID, which means the device-receiver can vary in PCM support, and its chips.
Lets says you had a GPU that has 1536khz samples, but a 2 channel 48k soundbar.

----

A 2 channel HDMI 2.1 soundbar, lets say 192k max, will do only that, even if it supports DTS:X and Atmos.
It will come with inbuilt processor's (APO-DSP), that can convert extra channels into spatial.

The spatial technology, is still however for a 2 channel setup, regardless of HDMI 2.1 bitrate.


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## Ferather (Jun 12, 2022)

@Mussels, If at any point I sound-sounded rude I apologize, you are many who still teach legacy TOSLink, don't feel bad at all.
I used to think along those lines once upon a time, but then I investigated and communicated, and its wrong.

Wikipedia contradicts its self due to lack of understanding, or updates.

----

On a totally unrelated note, here is an old pair of TOSLink headphones I once had (don't get along with headphones).





						Tritton AX 720 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset (PS3/Xbox 360/PC/Mac) : Amazon.co.uk: PC & Video Games
					

Tritton AX 720 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset (PS3/Xbox 360/PC/Mac) : Amazon.co.uk: PC & Video Games



					www.amazon.co.uk
				



So the an answer to a question, can you get SPDIF-HDMI DAC's for Headphones, yes you can.


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## roster17 (Jun 14, 2022)

So, how the hell can get more than 5.1 in games?


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## Ferather (Jun 14, 2022)

On HDMI, you should already be able to output 6 channel PCM, if the receiver is 6 channels and HDMI set to 5.1
On SPDIF-TOSLink, you need an APO which either sets SPDIF to 6 channels or has driver code for it.

With my driver I did both, with compression just before final out, to bypass the vendor added digital converter.

Short answer, game is PCM, it sends PCM to SPDIF, SPDIF is 6 channels PCM > Compression > Out.
Another way to think of it, 6 ch PCM > SPDIF set to 2ch > 2ch Converter > 2ch Out.

Full answer to your question: Device set to 6ch+, 6ch+ transcoding of PCM to compressed (bypass chip).


SPDIF > SFX (APO, PCM) > MFX (APO, PCM) > EFX (APO, PCM > PCM to DTS) > Final out.

Games, and even APO's detect SPDIF as multichannel, and work accordingly (set to 6-8ch).


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## Mussels (Jun 16, 2022)

roster17 said:


> So, how the hell can get more than 5.1 in games?


use analog speakers, or a HDMI receiver that supports multichannel PCM audio


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## Clibanarius (Aug 7, 2022)

More than 5.1 I dunno, but I do know that, IF you can't get a DTS or Dolby-encoding sound setup to output more than 2 channels, it's probably any given game's old implementation of Xaudio/Xaudio2 that needs fixing on your end that will bypass the 'only 2 channel PCM reported' BS from Windows. I mentioned before but was ignored. It's literally what fixed Nioh 2 for me and it takes all of 30 seconds to do.


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## hat (Aug 7, 2022)

Yeah, to my understanding, all that DTS stuff is already encoded sound... much like an MP3. It's something that can easily be used in movies, but it's a lot harder to do in games. You would not only need to have support for DTS in game, but also support for DTS all along the way, namely in your sound card and your end device (receiver). The game has to have the option to encode that audio with DTS on the fly, your sound card has to be able to handle that, and then your receiver has to be able to decode it. Guess which two of the three aren't very likely?

Analog audio remains the most reliable way, as there's no encoding involved, nor any of the BS that HDMI comes with. HDMI has more than enough bandwidth to handle uncompressed audio, but HDMI cannot _just_ carry audio. You'll need a receiver that supports up to whatever video standard you're trying to use, e.g. 4k 120hz, if you want to use that resolution with your monitor while using HDMI audio...


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## AsRock (Aug 7, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> I am using a soundbar. Using Pro Logic makes the sound more bass heavy. I like it I'll have to see if it remains that way when I turn it off.
> 
> Well i just disabled Pro Logic and the bass is still the same.
> 
> I thought you wanted me to turn Pro Logic on. Why woudl it be better to turn it off for my 5.1 soundbar?



Look for a loudness or alike option.




Mussels said:


> use analog speakers, or a HDMI receiver that supports multichannel PCM audio



It's really that simple, had 0 issue's doing this over many years now with many different receivers.


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## dozy4850 (Aug 7, 2022)

AsRock said:


> Look for a loudness or alike option.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Loudness as in a setting that can increase the overall loudness of the sound?

Also should I turn Pro Logic on or off?

And by multichannel PCM audio, you mean a reciever that can take in PC analog inputs right? @AsRock


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## AsRock (Aug 7, 2022)

loudness should not be any thing to do with pro logic, but it does typically boost the bass at the very least and imo spoils the sound in most cases.

And no it's preference, it's what ever you like but you might like it on with some stuff and some not so.


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## Mussels (Aug 11, 2022)

dozy4850 said:


> Loudness as in a setting that can increase the overall loudness of the sound?
> 
> Also should I turn Pro Logic on or off?
> 
> And by multichannel PCM audio, you mean a reciever that can take in PC analog inputs right? @AsRock


1. Loudness settings try and boost specific types of sound, such as voices.

2. Are you trying to upmix stereo to come out of all speakers, but with no positional audio? If so, yes.

3. No. Multichannel PCM is Multichannel PCM. It cannot be one on SPDIF or analog. It's uncompressed digital audio, all dolby formats are compressed.


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## converseme (Aug 12, 2022)

Hi everyone,

I am having this same issue since, I upgraded to windows 11, previously I have used the apo driver from pure soft in windows 10 (his link is broken now apparently) with my same configuration and it worked great using the Dolby format. Now I have also read somewhere the software from pure soft really contained some suspicious files, so I am not really sure if I should keep trying with that, even tho I tried once with no success and wiped my system afterward.

My computer detects the encoded formats but just two channels, in the past I was able to change the default format to Dolby after using the apo driver from pure soft, now I only see the DTS: X home for home theater option but once it's active there is no sound at all and all of the other formats output just stereo PCM.






I use an LG UP75 TV connected through HDMI ARC (bitstream in, and transfer out to the home theater, this configuration works flawlessly with an Xbox series outputting Dolby), my home theater is a sony BDVE2100, supports the following formats



TV audio supported according to the manual



Windows 11 21H2
A motherboard asus rog b550f
And an Nvidia 3070TI

Any input or help will be highly appreciated, I have been lurking the forum for a long time and have found a lot useful information on the past.


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## Mussels (Aug 12, 2022)

All those supported formats you see are "passthrough" - they require EXISTING dolby compressed audio

This forum section you found
Audio, Video & Home Theater | TechPowerUp Forums

Currently has three active threads for different driver mods to enable real-time encoding, but they all have various requirements (both hardware and software)









You'll have to look in those, and see what suits your hardware



You're probably running into a combination of issues.
Bluntly, you need to go Source -> receiver -> TV, and not source->TV-receiver

The moment you do that you need ARC, and ARC doesnt do the modern standards. Consoles paid the expensive licence to do all their audio in dolby formats.


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