iviaudio.ax - is v2.6 the best choice?

[theReal]

I was reading something about a possibly better, newer version of the iviaudio.ax file for AC3 decoding from BSPlayer/Mediaplayer. I searched the web for other versions and found versions 3.2.41.133 and 4.0.5.43, but both of them don't work at all for me (I just replaced the 2.6 file). When I put version 2.6 back in place, it was working again.

Now I was asking myself if I was doing something wrong by just replacing the file, or if 2.6 is the only working version for BSPlayer/Mediaplayer.

[Wilbert]

Would you mail me v2.6. Thx. (w.j.dijkhof@tue.nl)

[FiW]

Originally posted by theReal
Now I was asking myself if I was doing something wrong by just replacing the file, or if 2.6 is the only working version for BSPlayer/Mediaplayer.

%system%> regsvr32 /u iviaudio.ax <-- v2
%system%> del iviaudio.ax
%system%> copy %drive%\iviaudio.ax . <-- v4
%system%> regsvr32 iviaudio.ax

work for me...

[theReal]

Would you mail me v2.6. Thx.

it was in this filter-pack (plus a rar-ed version 2.0):

http://doom9.org/Soft21/Filters/audiofilters.zip

[theReal]

ok, I played around a bit and I can perfectly install and uninstall the directshow filters (tried it with iviaudio.ax as well as claud.ax, the PowerDVD AC3 decoder). The installation of the newer versions of iviaudio.ax works fine, but they don't work. The filter shows up in media player, but there is no sound. As soon as I re-install version 2.6 or 2.0, it is working again.

I found it a little weird that all three AC3 decoders which are on my system (the two mentioned plus a Ravisent decoder from the ATI DVD player) are only able to decode to Dolby Surround (not 4-speaker surround). Then I read that this is a licensing problem, so the claud.ax works with 4-speaker sound from within PowerDVD, but for external programs, it only offers Dolby Surround downmix.

Now, my question is: are there any AC3 decoder filters with which I can enable 4-speaker surround sound?
(and if yes, where can I find them? :D)

[fiorettoe]

If you use Iviaudio.ax with "Default Waveout Device", tuo can set 4/5.1 speakers

bye

[FactorM]

@ theReal:

I recently discovered the Moonlight Odio Dekoda (http://moonlight.co.il/products/odio_decoda.shtml) while searching for a new AC3-Decoder.

But i only get it to work in WinXP, not in Win98. You have to unregister the iviaudio.ax (mpgaudio.ax remains registered) and then register the Moonlight Odio Dekoda.

[Wilbert]

@fiorettoe

If you use Iviaudio.ax with "Default Waveout Device", tuo can set 4/5.1 speakers

But you (at least I) will no sound in WMP.

@FactorM

If I go to that page and click on "DirectShow" I got directed to a microsoft page about directx and stuff. Am I missing something?

Edit: I was missing something but I have it now. Will try it tonight ...

[FactorM]

@wilbert

After exploring the site again, it'll be usefull to download the complete direct show filter package they are offering. Perhaps i'll get it to work in Win98 too.

http://moonlight.co.il/download/index.shtml?dl=mpeg2decoder

[theReal]

Thanks for the info, but unfortunately I still have some problems.

First problem, when I try the graphedit trick to use Direct Waveout instead of Direct Show, everything works like in Doom's guide until I open the fake avi in Media Player: "properties" is greyed out, so I can't set anything. I can open the avi from within graphedit (in this preview kind of window) but even there I cannot get the 4-speaker option in the Intervideo decoder configuration...

I can set "4-speaker" in the BSPlayer options, but on play, when I open the Intervideo Properties, it is set to Dolby Surround again with 4 speaker options greyed out.

I installed the Moonlight Odio Decoda (funny name:D) and un-installed all other AC3 codecs (Intervideo, PowerDVD, Ravisent). Now, Mediaplayer plays plain AC3 files perfectly, but the filter doesn't load when I open avi files. On the other hand - when I play plain AC3, the Moonlight decoder doesn't have any options to set, it only shows an info panel...

Weird, huh ?? ;)

If only PowerDVD was able to keep the avi aspect ratio in full screen, then it was the perfect player. It plays divx/ac3 with 4-speaker surround, and it really sounds good! The picture, however, is only good in 100% size and gets horribly stretched in full screen...

[Wilbert]

First problem, when I try the graphedit trick to use Direct Waveout instead of Direct Show, everything works like in Doom's guide until I open the fake avi in Media Player: "properties" is greyed out, so I can't set anything. I can open the avi from within graphedit (in this preview kind of window) but even there I cannot get the 4-speaker option in the Intervideo decoder configuration...

Why don't you use the reg-file for this? This can be found on http://www.doom9.org/divx__ac3.htm and then "SPDIF output enabler". Then Waveout is set default when playing avi's in WMP.

[theReal]

Thanks, I overlooked that download because it was labelled "SpDif output enabler". I should have known from reading the page that for enabling SPDif output, you must use Waveout, but my mind was so full of "regsvr32 /u damnfilters.ax" that I didn't notice ;)

Ok, now I can finally enable SPDiF-out with the intervideo AC3 filter. Unfortunately, I have no use for SPDIF-out and the 4-speaker option is still greyed out... :(

[theReal]

@fiorettoe,

you said "If you use Iviaudio.ax with "Default Waveout Device", tuo can set 4/5.1 speakers"

Which version of iviaudio.ax?
I'm using Default Waveout Device now, but I still can't enable 4-speaker surround in v2.6 and v2.0 (3.2 and 4.05 still don't work at all, but also show 4-speaker greyed out).

[fiorettoe]

I use iviaudio.ax of WINDVD 3.1 DTS FULL
I have a SbLive! Value 4speakers

[theReal]

It's getting weirder... I downloaded the trial version of WinDVD 4 and the iviaudio.ax file that came with it is binary identical to the 4.05 version I already have (compared with fc /b). But, it works, while the other doesn't. Probably it will stop working after a while due to trial limitations, but no matter what, I still can't enable 4-speaker surround.
Maybe it's just not working at all with my Philips Acoustic Edge card....

[theReal]

I just found that WinDVD 4 is able to show Divx avi files with the right aspect ratio on fullscreen. However I think 4-speaker surround is still not working, even I can choose it in the WinDVD settings. But no matter what I choose, it always sounds the same, more like stereo and no surround at all. The only reference I have is the sound from PowerDVD which sounds really, really good with Pro Logic 4 speaker surround - WinDVD doesn't seem to do it that good (or not at all?)

[FiW]

theReal
when use v2 I could not use 4spk, when use v4 - all well.
I use v4! ALL work!

[Wilbert]

@FactorM

I recently discovered the Moonlight Odio Dekoda (http://moonlight.co.il/products/odio_decoda.shtml) while searching for a new AC3-Decoder.

I couldn't get this to work on my Win98. Is it working in your case?

[FactorM]

@Wilbert

Yes, i only registered the demuxer (mpeg2dmx.ax) and the ac3 decoder (mlcom.ax) and it works like a charm.

[Wilbert]

I didn't register the demuxer. So there is still hope for me :)

[Apfelstruhdl]

i have the same probs here. tried almost every version of iviaudio.ax but the only time 4speaker worked for me was in a trial version and sound stopped after 6min. i found out that the filter that is included in dooms ac3pack works for most people with most soundcards. but not with every soundcard. i have a dmx x-fire 1024 with 4 speakers and i can't play any avi in 4speaker mode. dvds and vobs in powerdvd4 work fine as in windvd.
so the filters that come with a full version seems to support more cards but they only work with their player and not in oither players.
mayber the internal and direchtshow filter is not the same :confused: :confused:

i think powerdvd 4 is a good DVD player but when u try to play avis with it ist also just uses surround and no 4 speaker output. i tried that several times.

but if u open an .vob it has 4speaker output.

so for normal avis it behaves like all other directshow based players.

i heard about a decoder that is based on azid. and then it would be possible to any downmix you want on almost every system. anyone heard news on this ???

[Wilbert]

Can you play 5.1 Ch AC3 audio files using the powerdvd-filter (claud.ax IIRC) with 4 speakers? (I have a DMX 6 fire and can do that, but I used an external amplifier).

[theReal]

mayber the internal and direchtshow filter is not the sameDefinitely. The PowerDVD external directshow filter (claud.ax) only has two options: Stereo and Dolby Surround. There is nothing more to select, not even greyed out!

In Powerdvd, the 4-speaker surround works for me with DVDs and avi (you can clearly hear the difference, this is actually my point of reference). It doesn't work in WinDVD4 trial at all, even I can select 4-speaker output (but maybe WinDVD doesn't like my soundcard, which is a Philips Acoustic Edge).

Ok, I have to try to install the Odio Dekoda again and this time also install the audio de-muxer with it. Maybe it works then for AC3-avi (wouldn't be a bad solution because the same filter also decodes mp3, plus it plays back AC3 audio files in WMP with no problems)

[theReal]

FactorM, Wilbert,

I just found that there are two versions of the Odio Decoda - the one in the mpeg-decoder beta 2.0 package is newer than the single Odio Decoda download (alltogether their site is a little confusing).
Now, the new one seems to be able to decode to 5.1 and 4-channel surround. Also I hope it will work for avi files when I install their mpeg-demuxer.

[theReal]

Finally, it works!!!

I downloaded the Moonlight mpeg2 decoder package from this site

http://www.elecard.com/ftp/pub/mpeg/decoder/EMpgDec20beta.zip

and installed mlcom.ax and mpeg2dmx.ax.

Then I un-registered all other AC3 filters (iviaudio.ax, claud.ax and the Ravisent DSCinemAudioDecoder.dll).

Now, the Odio Decoda works fine in WMP and BSPlayer and I can set it to 2+2 Speakers, 5.1 or SPDIF-out. It recognizes the AC3 streams well with the right channel configuration and bitrate.
Perfect!

[hofmetzger]

thanks @ you all for this thread!
finally (after month's) i have 4 channel sound working (with Moonlight mpeg2 decoder package)!

but i had to download new drivers for my live 1024 player. those - who have one too - know that driver support by creative isnt that good (no drivers for months), but they released a new win2k/xp driver (2002/07/17) and now everything works fine (even multichannel vorbis, but thats another topic :p )

[Defiler]

I've experienced staticy sound/strange playback with the mlcom.ax file from the latest beta. No such problems with the one included in the standalone download at Elecard.com. Anyone else?
I don't have the mpeg2dmx.ax filter installed, though. Not sure if that's part of the problem. I'm hoping for a single set of filters that will allow playback of any type of AC-3 file, be it standalone, or included in an AVI/OGM. iviaudio.ax 4.xx doesn't seem to fit the bill. Am I merely lacking the mpeg2 demuxer?

[FactorM]

You should try it. I have to use the demuxer to get the solution working in Win98 for example. And I'm using the beta package too.

[Wilbert]

Maybe a dumb question... How do you use the demuxer when playing avi's with AC3. (Not to separate the streams, because AVI-splitter is still used for that.) Maybe that demuxer can be used for playing vob-files?

Can you post a graph (graphedit) of that file?

[ookzDVD]

@theReal,

I'm using the iviaudio.ax (WinDVD 4.0) and the SPDIF out is OK,
but the analog 5.1 speaker work with wrong channel mapping :(

but if I play the DVD (not the AVI-AC3) with the WinDVD... the
analog 5.1 work with correct channel mapping. :)

Strange.... experience :(

about the Moonlight.... only working with analog stereo output,
and if I choose the 4 or 6 speakers.... there is an error.

PS. using audigy and sb 5300 speaker on the win98 se.

[FactorM]

@wilbert

I've registered the mlcom.ax and the mpeg2dmx.ax. And I've only tested it with AC3-avi, not DVD content. If I get home I will make a graph and post it. And of course using the complete decoder package gives you the ability to play Mpeg2-Streams. More information here:

http://www.moonlight.co.il/products/mpeg2demuxer.shtml

@ookzDVD:

I have a SB Live 5.1 and also the sb 5300 speaker set. It's working in 98 and XP without any errors.

[ookzDVD]

@FactorM,

so... it's Audigy's driver problems. :(

[theReal]

I tried 4-channel surround with an SB live! Player card on another computer (Win2K). It worked fine with the Moonlight package (that is: mlcom.ax and mpeg2dmx.ax, nothing more).

ookzDVD, do you have the new Creative Drivers (released on the 17th, I think)?
They seemed to be a whole lot better for the live! Player card in Win2k than the old ones. I also heard they solve some problems with Audigy cards.

[ookzDVD]

@theReal,

The driver is still the old one since the audigy driver is not
updated yet... it's dated Jan 2002.

[theReal]

oh, I thought the new driver package contained drivers for all of their SB products (at least it's pretty big for a driver with 24MB...)

*edit* I guess I was thinking about the Live! Platinum, not the Audigy, but I confused them :)

[hofmetzger]

@ookzDVD

whats the error message if u select 4 or 6 channel?
i found out that on my pc there was an f*cking wildtangent filter installed (from a winamp-plugin) and i got an message like ... oh, i forgot it:( , but after removing it, the error didnt come up again.

so look in graphedit if there is something else then waveout behind your ac3decoder

just an idea...

[FactorM]

@Wilbert

Here is a graphedit screenshot, made in WinXP. I hope the moderator will post it sometimes :)

edit: Sorry for this tiny screenshot :)

[ookzDVD]

@hofmetzger,

The error message is something like :
"Downstream ...."

I think it's the problem with DirectSound :(
it seems the the Oida can't send the stream to the DirectSound :(

[Wilbert]

@FactorM,

Thanks. That is similar to my graph, so the demuxer isn't used here. I bet it is used when playing vob's in WMP, but had no time to test that yesterday.

If I had six speakers connected to my soundcard it also would have worked in my case (looking at my terratec DMX control panel), maybe I will buy them one day.

It still doesn't work using an external amplifier. If I select 3+2+1 Ch or spdif in WMP (bsplayer similar) I only here sound through the two front speakers (while the control panel indicates that I should have sound through all my speakers). Another strange thing is that the voices (of a film) are very soft compared to the music (of that film). The last is not the case if I select 2 Ch.

[theReal]

ookzDVD, directsound could be the problem. I enabled WaveOut for all Directshow applications before I ever tried Moonlight Odio Dekoda.

Thanks to Wilbert, I found the reg-files for changing to WaveOut and back to DirectSound here: http://www.doom9.org/divx__ac3.htm
the download is called "SPDIF output enabler".

[ookzDVD]

@theReal,

Thank you for the info,
I did change to WaveOut not to DirectSound with Doom9's reg. file.
But my Win98Se machine seems have a problem. It still render the
output to the DirectSound :(

[masken]

Good thread :)

My problem with the Intervideo filter is that it jumps back to two channel playback for every .avi started in WMP. I have to manually change the output to SDPIF out... (4 and 6 channel output being grayed).

SB Live 5.1 card. Any suggestions?

[Wilbert]

On the first page of the AC3-faq:

__Why don’t the SPDIF settings stick in the InterVideo filter after I reboot? This is a known issue but several people have had success changing the following registry entry to make them stick.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\InterVideo\WinDVD\Audio Set the DWORD value to 6 to enable SPDIF. (This key may have to be entered manually if it doesn't exist)

[FactorM]

Just try the Moonlight Odio Decoda, it was mentioned in this thread several times.

[masken]

@Wilbert. I didn't have those keys. What should the name of the DWORD value be?

Keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\InterVideo\WinDVD\Audio

Value in DWORD?

[Wilbert]

Double click on regedit.exe and go to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\InterVideo\WinDVD

and double click on audio. Now you can set the DWORD value to 6. At least in Win98.

[KyleK]

Originally posted by masken
Good thread :)

My problem with the Intervideo filter is that it jumps back to two channel playback for every .avi started in WMP. I have to manually change the output to SDPIF out... (4 and 6 channel output being grayed).

SB Live 5.1 card. Any suggestions?

I had the same problem, until I installed WinDVD 3.1 w/ Multichannel
Support. After that, the SPDIF-Setting got saved correctly.
The registry hack didn't do anything at all.

[theReal]

doesn't really belong here - but has anyone of you tried the moonlight divx decoder filter for divx 3.11 (and maybe 4?) content?

It doesn't seem to have any settings, but it's definitely a very good playback filter for Divx 3.11 !!

[masken]

Originally posted by KyleK


I had the same problem, until I installed WinDVD 3.1 w/ Multichannel
Support. After that, the SPDIF-Setting got saved correctly.
The registry hack didn't do anything at all. Oh, I don't have WinDVD installed. Got PowerDVD though. But I added the keys HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\InterVideo\WinDVD and made an "Audio" DWORD value and set it to 6, as mentioned here, and then it remembered the setting.

Only problem now is that audio get's desynced (only when SDPIF is enabled).. :(

So I might try one of those other filters instead...

[KyleK]

Originally posted by masken
But I added the keys HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\InterVideo\WinDVD and made an "Audio" DWORD value and set it to 6, as mentioned here, and then it remembered the setting.

Good for you, didn't work on my machine :(



Only problem now is that audio get's desynced (only when SDPIF is enabled).. :(


AC3 and Computers...it's a mess ;) Did you install the SPDIF Output enabler (aka setting output to waveout)? This fixes the desynch on AVIs with AC3, but DVDs played with PowerDVD get desynched. It is so damn annoying. Works the other way around if I enable DirectSound :P

[Xenoide]

Well, did anyone of you see ever not greyed out entries for 4 or 6 channels with the iviaudio.ax decoder?

No matter what I try, only 2 channel modes and SPDIF are selectable.

And with this alternative AC3 decoder...

Does it work well with WinDVD 4 PLUS or is there a conflict between it and WinDVD? I'd like to keep the Intervideo Decoder for my DVDs, since it works satisfactory there. But not with AVI files...

[theReal]

Why don't you just play divx with WinDVD? If you have a full version of WinDVD 4, that's one of the best solutions, imho.

WinDVD is, other than PowerDVD, able to keep the aspect ratio for divx on fullscreen display.

I guess if WinDVD plays the sound correctly for DVDs, it should also play it well with avi files. I only had the trial version for a short test and that does -of course, due to licence stuff...- not decode to 5.1 or 4 channel, but only to Dolby Surround, just like the iviaudio.ax directshow filter for other applications.
btw I think noone has ever seen the iviaudio.ax work for 4 channel and 5.1 channel decoding in other applications, unless it was a hacked version.

[Xenoide]

haha, good joke.

It's so weird...

Even inside WinDVD the AVIs will only play with 2 channels, no matter what I set up. When I load a *.vob or DVD it works surprisingly well.

And now, if I try to playback the *.vob in WMP guess what: Yeah! Again only 2 channels.

This start really to annoy me. I want 5.1 playback of my AVIs. It must be something with configuration. I mean the iviaudio.ax can provide the 5.1 sound with MPEG2 files in WinDVD, but why not in WMP and why won't the DivX files playback properly in WinDVD?

This problem occurs as well in Windows 2k as in Windows 98. I will have to use this other AC3 decoder, but I would be much happier, if the WinDVD stuff would work instead...

[Budginator]

I've had issues with iviaudio.ax for a considerable amount of time, and only just now am i getting a handle on it...

I have tried these iviaudio.ax versions-

v2.0
v2.6
v3.0.57.8 (i think its the full version, but not sure)
v4.0.5.20 (trial- this is the only one that works w/4-channel output)

After much piss farting around, my trial version now appears to be working in 4 channel mode indefinatley (its supposed to cut out after 7mins isn't it?).

However, i've only tested it with the AC3 extracted from LOTR, not with an AC3-AVI as of yet, but it seems to work fine.

Getting AC3 playback to work has been the most difficult aspect of using 5.1 divx's, and had put me off making them for some time, not anymore I hope!

[theReal]

Budginator, are you sure the trial really works with 4-channel output, or can you just select 4-channel but it decodes to Dolby Surround (2.1 channels)? This is what the trial of WinDVD 4 did in my case. I could select everything, but the sound was DolbySurround (took a while until I heard the difference...)


I mean the iviaudio.ax can provide the 5.1 sound with MPEG2 files in WinDVD, but why not in WMP As far as I read, these software decoders cost a lot of money that the companies have to pay to Dolby Labs. I guess it's just like with the Fraunhofer mp3 codec, Dolby Labs does not allow their expensive little software decoder to be distributed as a neat little 300kb Directshow filter that can be be used in every application and can be spread through the web in no time...


btw I unregistered all AC3 filters and registered the Moonlight Odio Dekoda - it doesn't affect PowerDVD 4. It still plays DVD's with all audio decoding options. It seems PowerDVD does not use its own registered Directshow filter, but it uses the decoder internally. Maybe this is also the case with WinDVD, so you could easily use another filter for WMP but WinDVD would still work.

[masken]

Originally posted by KyleK
AC3 and Computers...it's a mess ;) Did you install the SPDIF Output enabler (aka setting output to waveout)? This fixes the desynch on AVIs with AC3, but DVDs played with PowerDVD get desynched. It is so damn annoying. Works the other way around if I enable DirectSound :P Yeah, indeed ;) No, I haven't tried that, will do.

Too bad u didn't get it working m8 :( Guess it's that other CODEC for you?

AC3 rocks in general though (I actually replace my encodes in MP3/other shit with AC3 one's), if it weren't for those danged filterissues ;)

[Budginator]

Originally posted by theReal
Budginator, are you sure the trial really works with 4-channel output, or can you just select 4-channel but it decodes to Dolby Surround (2.1 channels)? This is what the trial of WinDVD 4 did in my case. I could select everything, but the sound was DolbySurround (took a while until I heard the difference...)

TheReal,

Yeah, i'm 100% positive. My test is an AC3 5.1 AVI of Behind Enemy Lines. The scene in which the serbs are firing on the hill 'our hero' is running up, if i turn off the front and center, and turn up the rear, the only sounds that come through them are very loud bullet 'wiz' noises and bullets hitting trees, no music or ambient noise, just richocets and the like (like the bullet effects in SPR)... (also, the music is in the front two channels in that scene).

I'm a little confused to be honest, as it has always cut out @ 7mins before... I installed the Moonlight pack, and uninstalled/reinstalled differant versions of iviaudio.ax a few times, things like that, until i removed the moonlight pack, set it to use wave out and installed the v4.0 of iviaudio.ax, and now it works in 4 channel mode indefinatley.

*shruggs*

btw, i'm using a CMI 8738 chipped card...

[theReal]

The only difference between 4-channel and Dolby Surround is that the rear channel is stereo with 4-channel, while it is mono with Dolby Surround. So, unless you are sure that the rear-channel bullet whizzes are stereo, it could as well be Dolby Surround...

[Budginator]

Yeah i'm positive.

A bullet will ping on left and not on right, differant sounds etc, i'm 100% sure its stereo. Thanks for questioning it however, as its made me test it more! :).

cheers

*goes back to watching 'The One' in 4.1 for the first time :D*