5.1 DD option not available

[rdksek844]

i did find this, but i have no idea how to do this.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DigitalAC-3Pulseaudio

[rdksek844]

aparently i am not the only one. can someone dumb this down for me so i can do the same?

http://mattillingworth.wordpress.com...-ubuntu-12-04/

[marianoa]

The guide you found looks quite straightforward, which ones are the problematic steps for you?

[marianoa]

Furthermore, when you select the correct card in alsamixer you should check the sliders and make sure that the channels are there and that their volume is not set to zero, you could post a screenshot of the alsamixer window for the 5.1 soundcard in order to have an idea of what the situation is.
Also, in pavucontrol you should select the correct output (in the third tab, there's a drop down menu) and then proceed to the Configuration tab and select one of the 5.1 option.

[rdksek844]

Furthermore, when you select the correct card in alsamixer you should check the sliders and make sure that the channels are there and that their volume is not set to zero, you could post a screenshot of the alsamixer window for the 5.1 soundcard in order to have an idea of what the situation is.
Also, in pavucontrol you should select the correct output (in the third tab, there's a drop down menu) and then proceed to the Configuration tab and select one of the 5.1 option.

I have tried all of that. All channels are on, but everything is either digital 2.0 or Analog 5.1 not digital 5.1. The configuration tab has no option for digital 5.1. Supposidely, the a52 fixes this issue and then adds the digital 5.1 option.

[rdksek844]

The guide you found looks quite straightforward, which ones are the problematic steps for you?

I am just unsure of how to type the actual code in the terminal. It appears to be straightforwad, but should I write this in a file editor, notepad, or directly into the terminal? Also, some of the lines require a prefix, ex. sudo ... I am not familiar enough with Linux code to know what to write. I guess I need a dumbed down version of the text for typing exactly what I need to do.

Also, it says I need to add text to the /etc/asound.conf file, but how do I do that?

Example,
do I type this verbatum, or are there commands I should be typing in front of each line? Also, why the carrage returns? Is that a pasting issue or is that the way the code has to be formated?

pcm.a52 {
@args [CARD]
@args.CARD {
type string
}
type rate
slave {
pcm {
type a52
bitrate 448
channels 6
card $CARD
}
rate 48000 #required somehow, otherwise nothing happens in PulseAudio
}
}

[marianoa]

Ok, I'll try to walk you through the steps of the guide

1) in a terminal execute the command

gksu gedit /etc/asound.conf

you'll be required to enter your password since the file you're trying to create/edit is in a system directory.

2) paste the code

pcm.a52 {
  @args [CARD]
  @args.CARD {
    type string
  }
  type rate
  slave {
    pcm {
      type a52
      bitrate 448
      channels 6
      card $CARD
    }
  rate 48000 #required somehow, otherwise nothing happens in PulseAudio
  }
}

in the text editor, save the file and close the editor. It's necessary that you respect the code formatting (newlines in the right places).

3) Then there's a series of commands that you have to execute in the terminal, the ones starting with sudo are the ones that may require your password. Copy-pasting the commands in the terminal and executing them should work just fine. Mind that the ";" in the terminal marks the end of a command and can be used to execute a series of commands (one after the other, not simultaneously) typing them on a single line. If you will have to use the "libtoolize" section of the guide, I suggest you to execute the commands one by one in order to be able to understand where a possible problem comes from.

Let me know if it goes well

[rdksek844]

Ok, I'll try to walk you through the steps of the guide

1) in a terminal execute the command

gksu gedit /etc/asound.conf

you'll be required to enter your password since the file you're trying to create/edit is in a system directory.

2) paste the code

pcm.a52 {
  @args [CARD]
  @args.CARD {
    type string
  }
  type rate
  slave {
    pcm {
      type a52
      bitrate 448
      channels 6
      card $CARD
    }
  rate 48000 #required somehow, otherwise nothing happens in PulseAudio
  }
}

in the text editor, save the file and close the editor. It's necessary that you respect the code formatting (newlines in the right places).

3) Then there's a series of commands that you have to execute in the terminal, the ones starting with sudo are the ones that may require your password. Copy-pasting the commands in the terminal and executing them should work just fine. Mind that the ";" in the terminal marks the end of a command and can be used to execute a series of commands (one after the other, not simultaneously) typing them on a single line. If you will have to use the "libtoolize" section of the guide, I suggest you to execute the commands one by one in order to be able to understand where a possible problem comes from.

Let me know if it goes well

Great, thanks for taking the time to walk me through it. I will take a shot at it tonight.

[rdksek844]

well, i followed the instructions to the letter. i even received the same error message and had to run the same libtoolize tool and i did the setup steps as defined within pavucontrol and sound control. i finally got a 5.1 option, but there isnosound at all. if i select digital 2.0 i get the same sound as before, but again if i switch back to 5.1 digital, nothing.

what now?

[rdksek844]

Actually i was able to get it working. There were two 5.1 dd options in the configuration menu. I had to choose the second one.