Half-Life 2 5.1 Problems

[AuroEdge]

I can't get Half-Life 2 to output 5.1 audio correctly. All it does is outputs the left and right channels of the total signal. I'm on XP Pro using a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Notebook card. The card is connected to my receiver via an optical cable. It's my understanding any program outputting a signal has to be encoded in either Dolby Digital, DTS, or Linear PCM in order for it to be surround sound on the receiver but I'm not sure.

[Xylob the Destroyer]

Sure, the game has to have the right format, but your sound card also has to be configured to sending the right format to the receiver as well.
Especially if your receiver will only accept it in a specific manner. Check your receivers user's manual and then make sure that you have your sound card options set up to give the sound sytem what it needs to give you what you need.

[AuroEdge]

Sure, the game has to have the right format, but your sound card also has to be configured to sending the right format to the receiver as well.
Especially if your receiver will only accept it in a specific manner. Check your receivers user's manual and then make sure that you have your sound card options set up to give the sound sytem what it needs to give you what you need.

I can't find any info. on what format the sound for HL2 is. I had the same problem with Far Cry. The sound card only outputs Linear PCM Surround (that is what is displayed on my receiver, and it only shows left and right channels) unless an application uses S/PDIF to send a signal directly to the receiver e.g. Media Player Classic and a video DVD encoded in DTS audio. I suppose I need a lesson on how to setup games so they can produce correct surround sound.

[yoda313]

at auroedge -

have you been able to get any digital surround from your soundcard? Sometimes windows seems to change its sound modes on its own. Make sure in the control panel it shows 5.1 output. Also verify the same setting in your soundblaster output.

I'm sure there has to be some choice for 5.1 in the game itself. Keep checking in the settings menu.

Good luck.

[Xylob the Destroyer]

...Sometimes windows seems to change its sound modes on its own...

Damned straight!
I had this problem all the time when I had a SoundBlaster card.
I finally got sick of all the crap and badly designed interface software from Creative and just pulled the damned thing out.
I'm very happy with the mobo's onboard sound as my receiver can handle SPDIF.
Movies and games all in glorious surrond and no need to constantly play with the sound software!

[AuroEdge]

at auroedge -

have you been able to get any digital surround from your soundcard? Sometimes windows seems to change its sound modes on its own. Make sure in the control panel it shows 5.1 output. Also verify the same setting in your soundblaster output.

I'm sure there has to be some choice for 5.1 in the game itself. Keep checking in the settings menu.

Good luck.

Windows, Creative Audio Console, and Half-Life 2 are all in 5.1 (whatever Creative is set to will make the setting for Windows as well which then takes care of Half-Life 2). I really need to learn more about pc games and audio since I really don't know anything. I read about CMSS-3D which basically turns stereo sound into surround but I don't know how it works. I don't know if it justs adds effects to two channel sound or if it would be similar to Pro Logic II and send a stereo signal, over optical, that would be decoded into 5.1 'discrete' channels.

[Krispy Kritter]

I haven't played HL2 in awhile. But most games have multiple settings for output sound quality. Settings made within Windows or the Creative software have no effect on in-game settings. Games often have options specifically for Sound Blaster cards and/or surround sound.

You may also want to look for other issues with your hardware (ie motherboard) or the game itself. A quick search on Google (keywords: 5.1 sound in HL2) shows there are many known issues with 5.1 sound not working for HL2.

[AuroEdge]

I haven't played HL2 in awhile. But most games have multiple settings for output sound quality. Settings made within Windows or the Creative software have no effect on in-game settings. Games often have options specifically for Sound Blaster cards and/or surround sound.

You may also want to look for other issues with your hardware (ie motherboard) or the game itself. A quick search on Google (keywords: 5.1 sound in HL2) shows there are many known issues with 5.1 sound not working for HL2.

Well, Creative Cards do not output greater than 2.1 over digital out. Half-Life 2 uses DirectSound I believe so only analog audio out would work. Not only does my receiver not support multichannel analog audio input but I have a perfectly good solution (S/PDIF) sitting right here. There's a site for kX Project which eliminates your Creative audio driver and replaces it with their own which basically converts all audio to AC3. I don't think it works with my card but it's something to look at.

Edit: Did not work. There's a program called redocneXk that converts sound from any source to 5.1 AC3 in realtime. The only issue is that it requires an ASIO driver. I have not found an ASIO driver that even partially supports my Creative X-Fi Notebook sound card. This is all new to me so I'm asking somebody to please point me in the right direction.

[Sebb]

I solved it with this

I had been struggling with this for months, I got this little box and it works perfectly:

Diamond External Xtreme Sound 7.1-Channel USB Audio Device
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...r_mts_prod_img

Plugged it in, let Windows 7 work it all out, selected which speakers I have, started up Half Life 2 on Steam and I now get 360 degree sound - I hear what is behind me....behind me.

I am on a Thinkpad T61P, which happens to be in a docking station. I have analog speakers so the docking station's SPDIF output is no use to me. Otherwise I have the mic, and headphone jacks and the built in 2 speaker sound card. THis little box solves everything, and I notice no more stutter than I used to get with stereo (very occasional - and it's when the whole game stutters).

THe Creative Labs 5.1 XFi whatever doesn't work - they told me that themselves - it has no decoder.

[Nelson37]

Creative X-fi cards certainly do output 5.1 over digital. Mine works with video with surround sound, also Crysis 2 works just fine. Using optical cable to a Yamaha amp.

When outputting to a receiver, no decoding is necessary, the receiver does that.

[Sebb]

Glad it works for you - and if you don't need it to do the decoding and don't need analog then I guess it's fine.
Not sure what it's actually doing in that case - just providing a physical digital interface to your computer?

This is what Creative (eventually) told me when I threatened them with posts on a thread I started elsewhere on this subject:

"Based on your email history, I understand that you want to get true 5.1 sound from the game Half Life 2 with X-Fi Surround 5.1 and your analog speaker. However, as X-Fi Surround 5.1 does not have a built in decoder, it cannot decode DDL/DTS into surround sound. I am sorry that you can only get stereo sound when play games. I apologize for any inconvenience caused."