[MPlayer-users] Sound issue with ac3 on PC speakers

[Ingo Brückl]

Tom Evans wrote on Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:51:13 +0000:

> On Thu, Mar 13, 2014 at 1:22 PM, Ingo Brückl <ib at wupperonline.de> wrote:
>>
>> Isn't it possible to have both AC3 pass-through and a 2 channel downmix for
>> the PC speakers simultaneously?

> Yes, but not from mplayer I believe - mplayer can only output to one
> audio device.

Thanks, but that raises a few questions.

What does

  AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, ac3be, 448.0 kbit/29.17% (ratio: 56000->192000)

mean? That doesn't look like a pass-through to me, but rather like a downmix
or so.

Why does it always report "2 ch", even if the source is "6 ch".

Shouldn't it just report:

  Forced audio codec: hwac3
  Opening audio decoder: [hwac3] AC3/DTS pass-through S/PDIF
  hwac3: switched to AC3, 448000 bps, 48000 Hz

  Selected audio codec: [hwac3] afm: hwac3 (AC3 through S/PDIF)

What are

  AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, ac3be, 448.0 kbit/29.17% (ratio: 56000->192000)
  [AO_ALSA] Format ac3be is not supported by hardware, trying default.
  AO: [alsa] 48000Hz 2ch ac3le (2 bytes per sample)

supposed to mean?

I'm just trying to understand the issue.

Ingo