redirect speaker channels?

[ecc]

I've been looking at Gateway computers on sale at Best Buy. Currently, their 500GB hard drive model has only 4.1 sound while the 250 GB model has 5.1 (both have 2GB memory). I'm assuming the 4.1 is 2/2 (L,R,Ls,Rs) not Dolby Pro Logic with an LFE (L,C,R,S,lfe). For the 4.1 or 5.1 cards (or even the 7.1 cards in some other models), is there a software driver that allows one to redirect the speakers so that one set of speakers plays back the center and mono surround rather than left and right surround (for 2.0 surround DVDs) and switch back to Ls Rs for 5.1 discs?

The C-Media audio thing on my old computer has different audio jack configurations for different speaker counts but it does not allow you to change them? Can that even be done with software? On my old computer, I've only been using headphones or two desktop speakers.

Or will VLC play a Dolby Surround disc (without any other audio filters enabled) with the surround info as dual mono in the rear speakers?

[El Heggunte]

Hi there.

Both ffdshow and AC3Filter let the user reroute/remap the audio channels --- but remember, they both require a DirectShow-based player (WMP, MPC-HC, PotPlayer, etc.)

If you manage to find an Audigy 2 ZS (or even a Sound Blaster Live! 5.1), you can tell the drivers from the *kx project* to do that job.

Just complementing, 4.1 means the LFE-channel is mixed into the available channels, and it's the speaker system that applies a filter and redirects the LFE-information to the subwoofer output.

[yoda313]

Or will VLC play a Dolby Surround disc (without any other audio filters enabled) with the surround info as dual mono in the rear speakers?

Dolby surround IS just mono for the rear speakers. The same info on both channels.

ITs dolby digital 5.1 that has the independent channel information.

I'd agree with el huggente and just get any 5.1 card out there. Then you'd be properly setup.

However please note these days desktops seem to have limited pci slots. So if you have lots of cards you need to put in you might want to consider getting a usb model sound adapter. Creative still makes usb sound "cards" as far as I know. The xfi series was the last one I was aware of. I'm sure they have changed the name brand since the last time I looked.

[ecc]

Or will VLC play a Dolby Surround disc (without any other audio filters enabled) with the surround info as dual mono in the rear speakers?

Dolby surround IS just mono for the rear speakers. The same info on both channels.

ITs dolby digital 5.1 that has the independent channel information.

I am aware that Dolby Surround has a (matrixed) mono surround channel. What I was asking was whether a software player would send the mono surround info to both rear speakers, or if it - detecting two rear speakers - would automatically apply some virtual surround filtering (doesn't Pro Logic II - when enabled - attempt to simulate 5.1 surround even from mono tracks?)

[yoda313]

(doesn't Pro Logic II - when enabled - attempt to simulate 5.1 surround even from mono tracks?)

Yes if you have a card/motherboard that has pro logic 2 decoding and a player that can utilize it.

What I was asking was whether a software player would send the mono surround info to both rear speakers, or if it - detecting two rear speakers - would automatically apply some virtual surround filtering

In a perfect world if you are using a software player that completely respects dolby surround it will reproduce it as it was originally encoded. However that may vary from player to player and sound card to sound card. Unfortunately that is something you would have to test with the equipment you are using.

By all rights you should be able to tell it to do just the original decoding and nothing funky or extra. But like I said it depends on the player and your hardware.

If you install or already installed ffdshow or ac3filter I believe you can gain direct access to the playback formats. I haven't used it in awhile so I can't give detailed answers to those.

[ecc]

(doesn't Pro Logic II - when enabled - attempt to simulate 5.1 surround even from mono tracks?)

Yes if you have a card/motherboard that has pro logic 2 decoding and a player that can utilize it.

What I was asking was whether a software player would send the mono surround info to both rear speakers, or if it - detecting two rear speakers - would automatically apply some virtual surround filtering

In a perfect world if you are using a software player that completely respects dolby surround it will reproduce it as it was originally encoded. However that may vary from player to player and sound card to sound card. Unfortunately that is something you would have to test with the equipment you are using.

By all rights you should be able to tell it to do just the original decoding and nothing funky or extra. But like I said it depends on the player and your hardware.

If you install or already installed ffdshow or ac3filter I believe you can gain direct access to the playback formats. I haven't used it in awhile so I can't give detailed answers to those.

Thank you. I wasn't sure if it would be a question of hardware or software. It seems that newer cards and software are more versatile.

[yoda313]

Thank you. I wasn't sure if it would be a question of hardware or software. It seems that newer cards and software are more versatile.

Sure thing.