Surround Sound On Vista

[ctrob]

I'm using the Gigabyte GA 965P-DS4 onboard audio (Realtek) in 5.1 mode.

This worked fine under Win2k, but I upgraded to Vista RC1 to fix some hardware compatibility issues (Win2k isn't supported so much these days), and lost the 5.1 surround sound.

In my case, I just seem to get 2.0 sound.

This sort of thing appears to have come up a lot with Vista but I don't see any resolutions.

I've updated to more recent audio drivers and Vista does see all the output 'pins'.

I've configured the audio to 5.1 in the control panel.

I can run the 5.1 surround sound tests in the control panel and that works fine too , but the moment I use any real apps - like iTunes or World Of Warcraft - then it only plays through the front stereo pair.

Is there a resolution to this?

 

[SciFiMan]

The only solution is that Vista is beta and lots of it are new. You'll have to contact Giga support and give them all the details so they can improve their driver for Vista. Or possibly get a sound card that supports Vista. But it's still not production so you may have to get several new driver versions over the next few months until it's all set in stone.

 

[ctrob]

I know it's a beta, but looking around the web, there seems to be a common (universal?) problem with surround sound.

Even those of us who can get audio control applets running fine (ie can successfully configure and test surround sound from the control panel/systray) can't get surround sound running in actual applications.

I read somewhere a suggestion that it was more down to Vista itself and that DirectX can't currently access surround sound. Even if this is only roughly correct, it still seems like it's a Vista problem rather than a driver one.

 

[Action_Man]

You upgraded to a beta to fix compatibility issues?

 

[ctrob]

It's not as dumb as it sounds. I had Win2k and products on sale now are starting to require XP. With Win2k several hardware items do not work at at all, with Vista RC1 (it's more than a beta) everything works, the only problem I had is with surround sound. So clearly I'm better off now.

It's not like I'm complaining that the beta isn't 100%, I'm just trying to find out if anyone else has had a similar experience and possibly found a workaround.

I don't want to pay £100 for an OS that I will want to throw away in a year.

I'm still perplexed as to why this got moved? It's was clearly about soundcards and drivers, or is Vista RC excluded from this?

 

[beedude]

Vista does not support true 7.1 or 5.1 surround sound and is not compatible with other media apps like Adobe. This set up is psuedo surround and not up to Dolbly of DTS specs.

I got rid of my Vista system and got a Mac which is supported better my most software apps and it makes for a very robust media system.

 

[notherdude]

Vista does not support true 7.1 or 5.1 surround sound and is not compatible with other media apps like Adobe. This set up is psuedo surround and not up to Dolbly of DTS specs.

I got rid of my Vista system and got a Mac which is supported better my most software apps and it makes for a very robust media system.

Interesting. I was unaware that you could not get 5.1 surround out of Vista. It sure sounds like 5.1 to me but maybe I am unable to tell the difference. Could you direct me to an authoritative source on this issue?

 

[Scotteq]

Vista does not support true 7.1 or 5.1 surround sound and is not compatible with other media apps like Adobe. This set up is psuedo surround and not up to Dolbly of DTS specs.

I got rid of my Vista system and got a Mac which is supported better my most software apps and it makes for a very robust media system.

Interesting...

Dolby... DTS....