HydrogenAudio

CD-R and Audio Hardware => Audio Hardware => Topic started by: Boggmeister on 2017-08-09 03:36:01

Title: PC Video Card That Will Bitstream All Audio Sampling Rates Over HDMI
Post by: Boggmeister on 2017-08-09 03:36:01
 I use Foobar to bitstream audio from a desktop PC to a Yamaha receiver via HDMI.  The NVIDIA GTX 745 video card in the PC does not support 88.1 kHz or 176.4 kHz audio files for bitstreaming(see quote from website below)

      Sampling rates: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 96 kHz, 192 kHz
      Sample sizes: 16 bit, 24 bit
   Note: The following formats are not commonly used, and consequently are not supported by the audio driver:
    Sample rates: 32 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 176.4 kHz
    Sample size: 20 bit

I believe the AMD Radeon cards will support all of the formats: 44.1  48  88.1  96  176.4  192 kHz, but I can not find a definitive  answer on their website.

Does anybody know the answer?  Anybody have a video card that is successfully handling all of these sampling rates?
Title: Re: PC Video Card That Will Bitstream All Audio Sampling Rates Over HDMI
Post by: andy o on 2017-08-09 07:46:10
My AMD/ATI cards supported those frequencies but last one I used was the 7770, before that the 5000 series, and I think the 4000 series also supported those frequencies, but not bitstreaming of TrueHD/DTS-HD. NV cards don't support those odd frequencies, as you have found out.

But it's not been a problem whatsoever for me, and right now NV has the upper hand in efficiency and raw power, though not on price/perf for most midrange cards. Is there a reason you actually need those frequencies?
Title: Re: PC Video Card That Will Bitstream All Audio Sampling Rates Over HDMI
Post by: Arnold B. Krueger on 2017-08-09 13:15:54
I use Foobar to bitstream audio from a desktop PC to a Yamaha receiver via HDMI.  The NVIDIA GTX 745 video card in the PC does not support 88.1 kHz or 176.4 kHz audio files for bitstreaming(see quote from website below)

      Sampling rates: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 96 kHz, 192 kHz
      Sample sizes: 16 bit, 24 bit
   Note: The following formats are not commonly used, and consequently are not supported by the audio driver:
    Sample rates: 32 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 176.4 kHz
    Sample size: 20 bit

I believe the AMD Radeon cards will support all of the formats: 44.1  48  88.1  96  176.4  192 kHz, but I can not find a definitive  answer on their website.

Does anybody know the answer?  Anybody have a video card that is successfully handling all of these sampling rates?

This all kind of surprises me, since the audio in HDMI sound is embedded in the HDMI data stream and from a hardware viewpoint can be just about anything.

What happens if you attempt to play one of the *forbidden* data rates?

I guess on the worst day of your life you could resample any affected files to a *supported* sample rate. 

Where do you obtain the files that you can't play?
Title: Re: PC Video Card That Will Bitstream All Audio Sampling Rates Over HDMI
Post by: Boggmeister on 2017-08-09 19:31:57
Thanks for the replies.  I can play the "forbidden" file by resampling.  If I attempt to play them directly through Foobar 2000 via WASAPI or ASIO instead of the Windows audio mixer I get an "unsupported file type" error.  The most common forms of 88.1 and 176.4 kHz files are created when using a Playstation to rip an SACD and convert to PCM.  I am trying to eliminate any physical media used for playing digital audio.

I sent a tech support question to AMD.  If I can get a definitive answer, I will share. 
Title: Re: PC Video Card That Will Bitstream All Audio Sampling Rates Over HDMI
Post by: andy o on 2017-08-10 00:10:49
If you go to the HTPC section at AVS Forum you'll be likely to receive a quicker and more trustworthy answer, but I'm like 98% sure that AMD still supports them.
Title: Re: PC Video Card That Will Bitstream All Audio Sampling Rates Over HDMI
Post by: Boggmeister on 2017-08-11 01:06:24
Thanks Andy O - I just posted the message over at the AVS  HTPC forum.