Playback Devices - Multiple Outputs

[djscottallen]

Does anyone know if Windows 8 will intergrate multiple output devices to play at the same time? Windows 7 doesn't do it... which is stupid. Pirates will always find a way to bypass this, but I'm stuck without this important feature!!! This is absolutely CRUCIAL for HTPC (home theatre PC) people and/or DJ's or Music producers / Artists. I also use audio levelers like SRS audio essentials which is considered another audio playback device. This is truly ridiculous that I paid all of this money for Windows 7 and I can't play to 2 sets of speakers at the same time. And if I want to switch to headphones for a second for any particular reason, i have to go through a process... and make it the default device and when I want to go back to watching tv I have to go through the process again...... SO ANNOYING..... it's my computer, I should be able to play to ALLLLLLLL of my devices. That's why I buy all these devices so I can use them all simultaneously. This is so basic. Can you please update Windows 7 with multiple playback on all devices. I don't copyright infringe or rip dvd's to external sources, but even if I was a shady individual, which I'm NOT, I don't need multiple playback device to do this. You're only hurting ME, the consumer that pays for things I use. It's MADDENING. PLEASE UPDATE YOUR PLAYBACK DEVICES TO INCLUDE SIMULTANEOUS OUTPUT PLAYBACK TO ALL DEVICES.... OR AT LEAST SEVERAL... I mean really... for this stage of technology, this is totally ridiculous. :sarc:

 

[Maguscreed]

better to ask this question here
Windows 8 Forums

The people frequenting there have more direct experience with windows 8 than the average user here.

 

[djscottallen]

As for the Windows 8 upgrade question, I will ask it there, but the actual question is: Will Windows 7 SP1 or SP2 be upgraded to support simultaneous multiple device playback, so this is the place I should be posting I believe.

 

[Maguscreed]

In and of itself this is more of a software issue than an os issue. So long as windows can detect all said devices it can be done. (which it can though it has been known to have issues with multiple instances of a identical device.)
I am not currently aware of any specific package that allows for it though.

 

[Barman58]

Windows 7 does support multiple output devices out of the box - the issue is normally with the actual software - Eg. WMP does not support this but PowerDVD and VirtualDJ both do. There is a method to get windows to send all sound output to two streams (devices) by setting the what-you-Hear device to listen to one stream and send it's output to another

 

[tman69]

to do what you want--there is software available--see:

VIRTUAL DJ SOFTWARE - MP3 Mixing Software

under products, there are choices, even a free 'home' version

 

[djscottallen]

I own the pro version of Virtual DJ and I know how to use it, but producing music & mixing music is not the only thing I need this function for. My issues are not with the programs. I am very aware of what these programs can and can't do. My issue is that XP played any and all sound to all plugged in sound devices, and now W7 is restricting you to only one output device for sound. Speaking as a person that uses my computer as a home theatre system (htpc) this is something that can't be worked around properly with programs. One example, I have HDMI cables running out of my video card (default) that piggyback sound and some that are using Realtek through my motherboard outputs, which I can't hear unless I switch to them, but i don't need to switch, I need them both to play at the same time.

@ Barman58 - I tried the "what you hear" option a while ago. It gave me really bad feedback distortion instead of sound. Who knows what happened there, it was too involved or complicated for just setting another output device. Playback device manager is great, it just needs more functionality. Windows 7 is AWESOME. I love it, it just needs to update this one feature and a lot of people will love it even more.

@ Maguscreed - Thank you for your input. You can see all the devices installed, but only the default device can play sounds at this point. You can set 1 "default output device" and 1 "communication device", however, my issue is that I would prefer to set individual sound outputs to ON or OFF as apposed to setting just one default. That way, I could just turn ON 2 or 3 audio devices indefinitely for use of any program I wish to use at any given time to make use of these activated hardware devices. That's why I buy all this high tech equipment.

1. If the device is not the default device, it will not output sounds.
2. I could give you 100's of examples in which 2-3 separate devices need to be used at the same time for specific sound output in which no "program" would help.
3. I should not have to use a specific program to utilize a feature that was commonplace in a very old, previous version of Windows.. and rightly so, it's a basic feature.
4. Nor should I have to go switching around the default device constantly back and forth to use different programs, it's ridiculous.

Microsoft needs to update this:
*Multiple playback device option*

 

[jim97219]

I asked the question there last month and got no replies.
http://www.eightforums.com/general-discussion/2730-simultaneous-audio-fron-windows-8-possible.html