saclarkdoc

I purchased AnyDVD HD as you suggested, but by itself it did not solve the problem. The root of the issue lay in the instructions from Auzentech regarding the PowerDVD software. Auzentech instructions (written for PowerDVD 9) indicated to set the Audio Output to "Non-decoded Dolby Digital/DTS audio to external device." However, PowerDVD 10 Ultra (which I have) offers a third choice for the output:"Non-decoded high definition audio to external device." When I changed to this setting, all Blu-ray DVDs (both Dolby-HD and DTS-HD) performed flawlessly, with the Denon indicating the presence of the HD signal (including Avatar). Now on to 3D. PowerDVD 10 converts regular DVDs to 3D perfectly, even with my 60Hz Samsung DLP TV. I set the PowerDVD 10 menu "Choose 3D Display" to "120Hz time-sequential 3D LCD." When I attempt to play one of the few 3D Blu-Ray disks, my options under PowerDVD 10 "Choose 3D Display" are grayed out, so it will not play 3D. Not sure if the Samsung blu-ray ODD is the issue; a '3D blu-ray player' is required, and I don't know if my Samsung SH-B083L meets that criteria. In any case, I'll keep working on it.

I have set up my new X-Fi HTHD Card according to the manual and the FAQ section. You may recall my system specs are as follows: CPU: Intel i7-920 Memory: G.SKIL Ripjaw 6GB DDR3 1600 Graphics: GeForce GTS250 w/ 1GB DDR3 OS: Win7 Pro x64 AV RCVR: Denon AVR-2809CI Software: PowerDVD 10 Ultra Mark II The sound with my 7.1 speaker system is awesome. When in Windows 7, my receiver displays "M Direct 7.1." However, I still have an issue to resolve -- When playing a Blu-ray DVD with DTS-HD audio, my Receiver displays "DTS SURROUND." Any suggestions to achieve DTS-HD on my receiver?

Just wanted to let you know I finally purchased my Auzentech card. If will arrive next week. Then begins the 'fun' on integrating it into my 3D HTPC system. I'll keep you posted on my progress toward achieving Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Audio.

Darth - I have verified Auzentech has done a firmware update to address the Denon issue; I am still researching the status with nVidia. I have finally been able to resolve the 3D viewing issue. I can now view 2D DVD movies in 3D, and they look great! Furthermore, I have been able to route the signal through the Denon without any problems. The upgrade to Cymerlink's PowerDVD 10 for 3D viewing of Blu-Ray movies is supposed to be released this fall. Supposedly it involves a transition from HDMI 1.3 to HDMI 1.4; not sure how this will affect my current setup. I'll keep you posted on my progress when I finally purchase the Auzentech.

Darth - Apologies for not getting back to you. I have been working to resolve minor video problems which are now solved so I can turn my attention back to audio. I will probably try the Auzen X-Fi Home Theater HD Card. However, one concern I have was raised in an Australian Forum late last year (see http://www.xpmediacentre.com.au/community/video-audio-cards-windows-7/38773-auzen-x-fi-hometheatre-hd-sound-card.html) with the Auzen X-Fi card and the Demon 2809 amp; however, he was also running Win XP. Then there is another potential issue between Auzen X-Fi and nVidia (see http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3632&p=3) Given these potential issues, I may need to explore some more. What do you think?

Darth - As I re-read our commentary and my focus on the Xonar HDAV Slim, one of your comments causes me concern: "To get HD audio playback from Blu-Ray you will need to use Acrsoft's Total Media Theatre software". Are you indicating that if I want Pure Direct sound with my Blu-Ray disks that I MUST use Total Media Theater to display my movie? Must I also use Total Media Theater with regular DVDs in order to obtain Pure Direct audio? If the answer to either question is 'Yes,' that I have a problem because my nVidia 3D Vision System at present must be used with PowerDVD 10 Ultra software to display the movie in order to have 3D video. I had assumed I could just route my HDMI video signal from my GTS 250 through the Xonar HDAV Slim card, and Pure Direct audio would be added to the HDMI video signal. I had also assumed that I feed my S/PDIF audio from my motherboard to the Xonar, and it somehow converts the audio to Pure Direct format. Could you please clarify?

Darth - Many thanks for your lengthy reply. The added info is VERY helpful. The reason I chose an nVidia graphics card is that the only 3D glasses that will work with the 60Hz Samsung 3D-ready HDTVs are the nVidia glasses (Samsung's current glasses will only work with the newer 120Hz TVs). Because nVidia's 3D Vision System works only with nVidia graphics cards, I was forced to buy nVidia. If I wasn't an early adapter type, I could have waited until there were more high-quality 3D glasses on the market, but such is life!! Also the nVidia 3D system is designed to work with PowerDVD 10 Ultra software. Using the nVidia graphics card and glasses with PowerDVD 10 Ultra software also allows me to view conventional DVD 2D movies in 3D, which is a terrific added bonus, but the processing requires added CPU horsepower, hence my decision to select the i7-920 CPU. I really appreciate your help in explaning the details, and I will probably go with the Xonar HDAV Slim. Thanks again!!

Darth - Many thanks for your insight. From looking at the Xonar HDAV 1.3 card specs, that may be what I need, routing the graphics HDMI output signal (no audio) into the Xonar HDMI input and then routing the Xonar HDMI output to my Denon. From what I have read on lime, I'm not the first HTPC builder dealing with my situation. I'll probably need to use the Xonar HDAV 1.3 Slim Card. Let me explain more about my system so you can appreciate my dilemma. My Gigabyte motherboard (GA-X58A-UD3R) is designed specifically for the i5 or i7 CPU. It has double-thickness copper etch, supports USB 3.0, has 6Gbps SATA, supports DDR3 memory, and supports severe overclocking automatically. It was part of a high-end HTPC recommended on several websites as being near-term obsolescence-resistant. However, for all its capabilities, this motherboard has no video output (not even VGA), so it MUST be used with a graphics card. I chose the MSI N250GTS Twin Frozr 1G OC Nvidia GeForce GTS 250 1GB DDR3, and yes, one of the factors in this selection was its 3D capability. The end result is great looking video coupled with S/PDIF audio (which is jumpered to the graphics card from the S/PDIF output on the motherboard, which is the only audio output the motherboard offers). By the way, I found the "Pure Direct" button you mentioned. I'll try it for a while and let you know what I think. Thanks for the info on Xonar. I think it's probably what I need. Any other comments?

Darth - My primary reason for building this rig is to be ready for Blu-Ray 3D movies when they are released this fall. My HTPC works well with nVidia 3D glasses and my Samsung HDTV. Accordingly, I would like Blu-Ray playback with Dolby True HD and DTS-HD audio formats. My preference would be to have the Denon decode the audio formats if possible. Finally, it is possible that my grandchildren will use the rig for 3D video games; however, that is not the prime purpose. Any other questions?

Forgot to clarify the HDMI output from my HTPC graphics card is fed into my Denon where the audio signal is stripped off and processed. The video signal flows from the Denon via another HDMI to my Samsung HDTV.

Darth - I have a GeForce GTS250 (w/1GB DDR3) Graphics card. My MOB is a Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R with an i7-920 CPU. I have patched the S/PDIF audio output from the MOB to the S/PDIF audio input on the graphics card, so that the S/PDIF audio signal is output with the video signal via the HDMI output of the graphics card. Hope that clarifies your question.

I have a high-end HTPC (OS Windows 7 x64) connected to a Denon 2809 Receiver via HDMI cable. The Denon outputs are connected to a DD7.1 speaker system. The output from the computer (for both music and video) is S/PDIF through the HDMI cable. However, the Denon wants "Pure Direct" audio for best sound. Is there a computer card that will convert S/PDIF Audio stream to Pure Audio?