no 5.1 out HDMI or Fiber optic?!

Hey everyone!
I have a RCA RT2906 i just bought. I have tried everything i can think of from installing drivers to trying the optic from my MB. My system wont send out 5.1. in sound settings, it displays only 2 channels and i cant select surround speakers. My ps3 works fine in 5.1 via hdmi. I use my 5850 to hook up to the reciever.
Why wouldnt optic work either?
Anything i can use, ext or internal to maybe decode on fly, or a few "hacks" to get it all to work? Thanks eveyone for the help!!

Bump! Still no luck. Any registry keys or anything I can force 5.1 out?

You are running VIA high definition audio... sometimes Windows 7 doesn't always have the complete software to drive the drivers to its full potential.

have you tried to go to VIA's website to see if there is particular software pertaining to these particular drivers.

I have Realtek High Definition device on my mother board and to get the complete software and drivers for this sound card.. the file is as big as 50 meg. Within that software that came from the website, i can make my sound card do whatever I want..

You probably just have the basic drivers that came with Seven or when Seven downloaded from Windows Update.
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Update: I was just looking at the photos...

You have HDMI going to your computer screen which should be picking up the sound.

If you are going to drive sound to an external Amplifier; you need to turn on the other drivers which you have disabled.
If you will be using 5.1 channel, not sure if your sound card has Fiber out.

I am looking at the manual for your reciever.

It looks to me that there is 4 HDMI ports on the back:

HDMI (out to TV); HDMI 1; HDMI 2; HDMI 3

Could you plug the HDMI cable from your computer to HDMI 1 and from HDMI (tv) plug another cable into your Monitor

http://www.1800customersupport.com/productdocuments/RT2906_RCA.pdf

That's how I have it.my motherboard its self has fiber out. I even tried that to the recvr. Audio will work just not 5.1. I'll try drivers but I believe I did them all many times. Thank you!! Will post back today on update.

I mean HDMI is just as good as Fiber... both of them are digital. To the human ear I am sure you won't hear a difference if there is one.

If you get get the Optical to work... which i know it can be frustrating, but as a last resort you can always use the HDMI cable and run your sound that way.

all drivers are right and connections are correct (hdmi to reciever, and tried optic to reciever). tried it with the HDMI sound and optic. NO 5.1. i get all sounds out of both perfectly, just stereo not surround. when i use the xf-i volume control program, i can select the 5.1, but its for the SPEAKER outputs. not the optic. and updating the ati realtek drivers (or anyother realtek driver) didnt work (or give me any kind of control panel??) how do i get the realtek control panel to work/where is it?

VIA Drivers Download - VIA Technologies, Inc.

do you have an idea what model is your sound card... there are three to choose from...


I am taking a look at your computer specs. this is a custom build computer... do you have a dedicated audio card for your computer or is this built into the mother board.
If this is on board sound: I have this as your motherboard: Crosshair IV Formula
there are a lot of versions of this..do you have a particular model number.

still cant get it
maybe a 5.1 3.5mm headphone jack to hdmi, if there is a such thing?
Wonder why the fiber or hdmi wont do it on my MB. anyone with a 5850 or an crosshair iv formula and use 5.1-7.1 out??

My Yamaha receiver only knocks out 1.3c 5.1/7.1 on certain connections!

What receiver - have you checked yer manual?

Not likely the receiver

On my 6-mo old homebrew HT system, based on an AMD 880/850 chipset with integrated Realtek audio, my Sound window (Win 7/32 Home Prem) lists "ATI HDMI Output", followed by "2 - High Definition Audio Device". The "Speakers" and "Realtek High Definition Audio" are likewise followed by descriptions beginning with "2 -".

Nowhere is any configuration other than "Stereo" or 2 channels displayed except as greyed out. It's hard to see how the receiver can disable the software configuration. The receiver is a ~ 2-yr old Yamaha RX-V665. I am sure both it and the HDMI cable meet V1.3b.

I had a similar problem with my first Media Center 2005 system, not being able to view a DVD via component video, which turned out to be an antipiracy "feature" in the OS. Could this be an HDCP "feature"?

Bob

Can you borrow an HDMI 1.3c or preferably an HDMI 1.4 cable (they are backward compatible) from neighbour or get one from a shop to test?

The 1.3b might not be allowing enough bandwidth to allow Graphics plus 5/7.1 sound (thus it only works on two channels!)

Ditch the optical cable; they're not capable of handling lossless audio, only 2.0 pcm streams. Only use high speed hdmi cables. When ordering cables, somewhere in the documentation it will say they're ready for DTS-HD MA and TrueHD. First gen hdmi's aren't sufficient.
HOW TO GET: Uncompressed PCM, Dolby TrueHD & Dts-HD MASTER Audio - Blu-ray Forum

Likewise, until you set up bitstreaming, you'll only get stereo from the machine to the receiver. The receiver, can use various surround decoders to output 5.1, but you know what they say: gigo.

Ideally, you want the machine to pass the audio straight through to the receiver as it's going to do a way better job of processing. It takes about 10 minutes to set up.
Guide: Setting Up Bitstreaming With Your Windows 7 HTPC – PART I

I have exactly the same issue, my laptop runs authentic Wind 7 64 bit and graphics card is ATI Radeon. The Sound configuration just shows only Stereo option. Will changing the HDMI cable impact the options? I dont think so.

Also I cant get to install some Realtek Media Center people are posting about. Any other hack to make it work? Damn! what a waste of Vaio