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Delta-V
2nd April 2002, 10:40
After struggling with this for 2 days, I thought I'd share this info so nobody else has to bang holes in the wall with their head.

I had my 'movie server' running just fine until I decided to update the processor. Switching from Intel to AMD, of course, required a complete reinstall of WinXP. Fortunately, I only have about 5 programs to reinstall, so it didn't take long. Since it was a Via chipset with an Audigy, I decided to forgo ACPI.

I'm using an Abit KT7A with a 1.4ghz AthlonXP (dang things are getting really cheap). The sound card is an Audigy GamerXP, and the S/PDIF output runs into the receiver. AC3 Decode is turned off in the mixer.

Now, once I got everything up and running, I discovered that PowerDivx now had a audio sync problem. This was only apparent if you tried to skip to another part of the movie. If you played the movie from the start, without using pause or the slider bar, it would remain in sync throughout the movie. Ok, cross out a stretched video problem. This would also occur with movies which I already KNEW worked fine before. Furthermore, I didn't have the same problem with my other computer. Oddly, it wouldn't occur in ATI's File Player, either.

The sync problem was consistent, as well. Whenever you clicked on the slider to skip to another part of the movie, the audio would become delayed by about 400ms (373ms, perhaps?). Always. I could re-mux the audio with a -373ms delay in Nandub, and it would then play fine, as long as you clicked on the slider...if you just started and let it play, the audio would be 373ms early. Duh, it's gotta be drivers or filters.

After playing with audio and video filter settings, and just about every multimedia setting I could find, I finally found it. Following the AC3 FAQ, I had chosen "Default WaveOut Device" in the Intervideo Audio Decoder filter. When I set it to "DirectSound SBAudigy Wave Device", the sync problem went away! It works like a charm now.

Hope this helps save somebody else the flustration.

MaTTeR
2nd April 2002, 18:01
Originally posted by Delta-V
When I set it to "DirectSound SBAudigy Wave Device", the sync problem went away! It works like a charm now.

Hope this helps save somebody else the flustration.

It always amazes me what hoops you Creative sound card owners have to do for proper playback;) You didn't mention what version of PowerDivx you were running?

Thanks for the feedback though, I'll put it into the next revision of the FAQ.

Edit- Just to verify this before I add it to the FAQ. Can you make sure other players have to be set the "DirectSound SBAudigy Wave Device"?

Delta-V
5th April 2002, 05:22
Originally posted by MaTTeR


It always amazes me what hoops you Creative sound card owners have to do for proper playback;) You didn't mention what version of PowerDivx you were running?

Thanks for the feedback though, I'll put it into the next revision of the FAQ.

Edit- Just to verify this before I add it to the FAQ. Can you make sure other players have to be set the "DirectSound SBAudigy Wave Device"?

Why is it some people feel the need to be insulting whenever someone mentions having a Creative Labs card?

It's not an additional hoop to jump thru. The default setting works fine, just don't mess with it. The AC3 Faq mentions changing it in WMP, not PowerDivx, but I didn't go back and re-read it while reinstalling everything.

The correct setting is "DirectSound SB Audigy Audio". As far as I can tell, only PowerDivx has a setting for it. That's PowerDivx 3.12, BTW.

MaTTeR
5th April 2002, 05:56
It would be improper of me to list the reasons why I insult the Creative cards to be quite honest. I also don't have the time and would rather not get my blood pressure that high while discussing;) Look around on the web and you see the petitions and Creative bashing yourself with all valid points I might add.

The AC3 FAQ mentions setting WiMP? I must have been out my mind or you read wrong. I don't use WiMP whatsoever, so kindly please point out the sentence you are referring to and I will correct it immediately.

I updated the FAQ a few nights ago with your comment on the Audigy. Have you verified this with any other players besides PowerDivx? Obviously WiMP doesn't give you the flexibilty to change it but ZP or BSPlayer should. Again thanks for the confirmation and time.

Delta-V
5th April 2002, 14:12
You can insult Creative Labs cards all you want, they do have issues. That doesn't mean you need to be insulting to people who own them. (Sorry, just noticed you had a ;) on your original comment about them, so I gather you weren't trying to be insulting. I apologize)

It's not your AC3 Q&A FAQ, it's the Doom9 AVI/AC3 Guide I was refering to: http://www.doom9.org/divx__ac3.htm. Down at the bottom of the page, it lists how to get WMP to work, and that's where I got confused. Like I said, I was doing it from memory, so it's not the Guide's fault, just me mis-remembering.

I don't have ZP or BSPlayer installed to test. ZP looks interesting, tho. I may try it this weekend.