No 5.1 from HDMI

[doomgaze3]

I have a Radeon HD 6950 on Windows 8. For some reason, I can't get Windows to switch to 5.1 sound even though I'm connected to the reciever/TV via HDMI. Whenever I try to test or switch the HDMI audio device from Stereo to any other sound mode, I get the following error message: "Audio device is already in use."

I've already tried to uninstall/reinstall the driver. I haven't yet tried a driver cleaner or anything that drastic.

Anyone know how to fix this?

 

[bryonhowley]

Make sure that any thing that would be using the audio device is closed before you try to switch to 5.1. Right click on the speaker icon in the task bar and choose playback devices select AMD HDMI Output and then click configure what is does it show? It should let you select between Stereo Quadraphonic and 5.1 Surround.

I have a Sapphire HD 6950 reference card and that is what mine has as options if you can't select 5.1 Surround with out error you might need to completely uninstall the drivers and reinstall. I am running Windows 8 Pro using the latest Beta drivers 12.11 and it works correctly with mine.

 

[doomgaze3]

Make sure that any thing that would be using the audio device is closed before you try to switch to 5.1. Right click on the speaker icon in the task bar and choose playback devices select AMD HDMI Output and then click configure what is does it show? It should let you select between Stereo Quadraphonic and 5.1 Surround.

I have a Sapphire HD 6950 reference card and that is what mine has as options if you can't select 5.1 Surround with out error you might need to completely uninstall the drivers and reinstall. I am running Windows 8 Pro using the latest Beta drivers 12.11 and it works correctly with mine.

Thanks for the reply! In between the time I wrote this and now, the driver somehow magically unf**ked itself. So now I can select 5.1 without error... but I still only get stereo output. Even worse, every time it plays a sound over "5.1" it causes my receiver to flip out and change sound formats. FOR EVERY SINGLE SOUND. Normally, the receiver only flips out when changing audio formats and that's normal behavior for receivers. With 5.1 selected, the receiver flips from bitstreaming to stereo and then back to bitstreaming again once the sound finishes playing.

Are there any driver cleaners that work with WIndows 8 that anyone knows of? It looks like I'm going to have to nape this thing and start over otherwise...

 

[doomgaze3]

Thanks for the reply! In between the time I wrote this and now, the driver somehow magically unf**ked itself. So now I can select 5.1 without error... but I still only get stereo output. Even worse, every time it plays a sound over "5.1" it causes my receiver to flip out and change sound formats. FOR EVERY SINGLE SOUND. Normally, the receiver only flips out when changing audio formats and that's normal behavior for receivers. With 5.1 selected, the receiver flips from bitstreaming to stereo and then back to bitstreaming again once the sound finishes playing.

Are there any driver cleaners that work with WIndows 8 that anyone knows of? It looks like I'm going to have to nape this thing and start over otherwise...

Resetting the receiver fixed the problem. Go figure.

 

[doomgaze3]

Best answer selected by doomgaze3.