Index: DOCS/man/en/mplayer.1
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/mplayer/main/DOCS/man/en/mplayer.1,v
retrieving revision 1.761
diff -u -r1.761 mplayer.1
--- DOCS/man/en/mplayer.1	2 Oct 2004 15:57:42 -0000	1.761
+++ DOCS/man/en/mplayer.1	2 Oct 2004 22:31:11 -0000
@@ -1743,6 +1743,8 @@
 .IPs device=<device>
 Sets the device name.
 Replace any ',' with '.' and any ':' with '=' in the ALSA device name.
+Make sure you do not set this when you want hwac3 output via SPDIF, unless
+you really know how to set it correctly.
 .RE
 .PD 1
 .
Index: libao2/ao_alsa.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/mplayer/main/libao2/ao_alsa.c,v
retrieving revision 1.8
diff -u -r1.8 ao_alsa.c
--- libao2/ao_alsa.c	22 Sep 2004 14:12:53 -0000	1.8
+++ libao2/ao_alsa.c	2 Oct 2004 22:31:14 -0000
@@ -405,6 +405,7 @@
         }
     }
 
+  if (!device_set) {
     /* switch for spdif
      * sets opening sequence for SPDIF
      * sets also the playback and other switches 'on the fly'
@@ -430,24 +431,21 @@
  		s[0], s[1], s[2], s[3]);
 
 	mp_msg(MSGT_AO,MSGL_V,"alsa-spdif-init: playing AC3, %i channels\n", channels);
-	device_set = 1;
 	break;
       case 4:
 	strncpy(alsa_device, "surround40", ALSA_DEVICE_SIZE);
-	device_set = 1;
 	break;
     
       case 6:
 	strncpy(alsa_device, "surround51", ALSA_DEVICE_SIZE);
-	device_set = 1;
 	break;
 
       default:
 	mp_msg(MSGT_AO,MSGL_ERR,"alsa-spdif-init: %d channels are not supported\n", channels);
       }
     }
+  else
 
-    if (!device_set)
       {
 	int tmp_device, tmp_subdevice, err;
 
@@ -477,6 +475,7 @@
       } else {
 		mp_msg(MSGT_AO,MSGL_INFO,"alsa-init: soundcard set to %s\n", alsa_device);
       }
+  }
 
     //setting modes for block or nonblock-mode
     if (ao_noblock) {