[MPlayer-users] stupid question - "spdif" AND "hw=2"

[Andrew]

On Fri, Oct 17, 2008 at 07:49:58PM +0200, Reimar Döffinger wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 17, 2008 at 01:03:32PM -0400, Andrew wrote:
> > But then, even with "hw=2.1" (without the explicit error messages), I only get two channels, not six! 
> 
> Sounds to me like that is just the "normal" output, not SPDIF.

Not sure on this one.... As i said earlier, I have tried the mplayer command with _two_ distinct audio hardware devices and systems.

One of them is the SIIG USB mentioned before. It has a toslink AND an analog output.

When I succeed to have mplayer play through the SIIG USB, using the " -ao alsa:device=hw=1.0 " (note that for this external SIIG, it's "hw=1.0" for me, not "hw=2.1"), and the SIIG LED is blinking steadily indicating data flow, the analog output seems to have the REAR two channels (!??). 

So, that begs the question, "what is your optical producing (while the analog carries the two rears)?" 

Unfortunately, i currently do not have a 5.1 amp with optical input, so I can only report on the optical at the moment.

A few days ago, when i /did/ have a 5.1 amp with optical in, I heard what could either have been only two front channels, or a mixdown.

I was inclined to believe there was no mixdown; not sure.  

Mplayer was playing through the SIIG, reporting it was playing 2ch, and, indeed, apparently doing so, according to the amp, which only played through the two front speakers and not the rear ones (all four had been tested to be connected and working properly)

But one of the main points i'm making is that i DID have optical (SPDIF) output at some point, except it seemed to carry only two channels - the two front ones.

I will explore  alsa.opensrc.org ; in the mean time, if anyone has more ideas, i certainly welcome them.

BTW, the link below does not work; I think it's  http://alsa.opensrc.org/index.php/DigitalOut

> Maybe this helps you:
> http://alsa.opensrc.org/DigitalOut
> I think you need to use something like
> iec958:CARD=...,DEV=...
> except that I think you can't directly with MPlayer so you'll probably
> have to modify your alsa config (unless e.g. aplay -L already shows a
> suitable alias for it).
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