[deathbringer]

I'm having a problem bitstreaming DTS-HD High Resolution Audio (HRA) on two different Setups. Every other format, like DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS:X, Dolby Atmos, Dolby True HD, ... is working fine. Currently I'm using Kodi 17 (dsplayer), the debug logs are made with this version, but I've experienced the problem with Setup 1 also in Kodi 15 and 16 (no dsplayer). I'm using the DTS Orchestra Trailer (short) for testing.

Setup 1:
Win 7 (64bit)
AMD A8-3850 APU
Arcam AVR 360

With Setup 1 I'm not getting any sound when playing a file with DTS-HD HRA, unless I play a file with DTS-HD MA first. In that case the HRA file plays with sound, but it shows up as DTS-HD MA on the Arcam AVR 360. In case of the DTS Orchestra Trailer, the HRA stream in the file is a 7.1, but the receiver displays DTS-HD MA 5.1, so I'm guessing it's only getting the DTS-Core. I've also tried Videoplayer and DSPlayer, with the same result.
On System 1 I also have a PowerDVD 10 installed, playing the DTS Orchestra Trailer with that I'm getting the correct DTS-HD HRA 7.1
Debug Log



Setup 2:
Win 10 (64bit)
AMD A8-7600
Sapphire Radeon RX 480 Nitro+
Anthem MRX 720

With Setup 2 I'm not having the issue of not getting any sound when no DTS-HD MA has been played first, but when playing DTS-HD HRA the receiver is only getting the 5.1 DTS-Core. When using the installed Power DVD 12 on this system, DTS-HD HRA 7.1 is being correctly bitstreamed to the receiver.
Debug Log

[myurkoski]

I too am getting no sound from the "BBC Life (2009)" series which uses DTS-HRA 5.1. Shame too, as I just got these BluRays in the mail and was thrilled to watch them. All other passthroughs work (TrueHD, DTS-HD Master, Atmos), and when I play the offending videos there's a moderate pop right when its launched and then the receiver claims there is no incoming stream.

System specifications:
* Anthem MRX 710
* Kodi Krypton 17.1
* Windows 10 Home x64
* Radeon RX 480

Have you since made any discoveries? I notice that you have a Radeon RX480 as I do as well as an Anthem (you have good taste!). Though on my Anthem/RX480 setup I get no audio, unlike your setup.

[myurkoski]

I just found your "Bitstreaming DTS-HD HRA broken" post over on the AMD forums. If it's worth trying I can plug my Nvidia GTX 1060 into my HTPC and test the setup with the different video card. That way at least I would be confident as to where the problem lies. Right now I've no confidence as to where the issue is really lurking.

[MrBfJohn]

I also have issues with HRA audio. Mine only shows up as core. It does seem to be more to do with the AVR than the source though. I started a thread some time back, and one poster found that his Marantz would play HRA fine, but his Denon would just show core DTS with the same file. Mine is an Onkyo and has that just plays DTS core with a HRA file.

[myurkoski]

I just want to add something else regarding replicating Deathbringer's problem. After reading their post, I attempted to play another DTS video before launching the HRA content. It worked! Upon further testing, i also confirmed that:
1.) I could open the other DTS content once, and NEVER have to launch it again. The HRA content would play no matter how long it had been or what I was doing before.
2.) Closing and reopening Kodi did NOT reset the behavior. Once DTS-MA content had been launched, the HRA content would always work after that, through Kodi closures and relaunches. This has me suspecting that its not a Kodi issue at all.
3.) Rebooting the PC reset the behavior, requiring me to launch DTS-MA content to kick-start HRA functionality.

All the above indicates that HRA is broken at a driver or Windows API level, not within Kodi. If anyone knows of a reasonable workaround, please let me know.

[deathbringer]

I haven't found any solution or workaround yet. I tried activating the 'Use DTS-HD framing for all DTS types' option in LAV, but it didn't change anything. I also don't really know where the problem originates. I kinda guess it's a combination of the AVR and the AMD drivers.

[stoolzo]

i have this problem two on my RX480, i'm sure this was working fine a few months back, it might be worth rolling back some drivers

[stoolzo]

dont think this is driver related, just tried several really old drivers, no difference, could be a windows 10 issue, or maybe LAV and FFMEG issue as both LAV and KODI fail to bitstream, odd that DOLBY is fine though.

[stoolzo]

is it just my machine or is LAV audio totally messed up, or is it the creaters update?

I cant get DTS to bitstream and its not sending the right information to my speakers. Rears are summed and i'm getting not height, height is being summed to front left and right.

if i play my test audio files in windows films and TV it works find, its just anything with LAV filters, whats going on

[stoolzo]

well that explains that then, guess we're screwed for now.

Microsoft Response
The Creators Update, and Windows Insider builds 14980 and later, broke "encoding Audio Processing Objects" that are used in third-party drivers to power things like Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect, where the output of the Windows shared-mode audio engine is sent to an external decoder such as a S/PDIF audio receiver.
We have a fix in Insider builds 16183 and later. Depending on how well this works we will consider pushing out an update to the Creators Update. from Matthew v - Microsoft Engineer
i am on 15063.250 (1703) right now so hopefully we will get this sooner then the gap to 16183 fee

[MrBfJohn]

I hope something gets sorted soon. I just bought the remastered version of Gangs of New York not knowing it had DTS HRA instead of DTS HD Master. Again it's defaulting back to core DTS. Most disappointing.

[VonMagnum]

well that explains that then, guess we're screwed for now.

I hope something gets sorted soon. I just bought the remastered version of Gangs of New York not knowing it had DTS HRA instead of DTS HD Master. Again it's defaulting back to core DTS. Most disappointing.

People are getting screwed for now? There would have to be an audible difference first to get screwed. Fortunately, I've yet to see any credible indication that there is any audible differences between Core and Master Audio. As far as I'm concerned, it's a marketing gimmick. Lossy codecs are designed to NOT have audible differences. That is their goal in life and fortunately for us, at reasonable bit-rates they succeed quite well at it. The true purpose of lossless audio is more of a marketing gimmick (as in you "know" it's the best because it's identical to the master!) made possible by vast amounts of empty space found on Blu-Ray discs.

The audio industry has known for a long time it's profitable to sell things that appeal to the "audiophile" crowd that will generally believe "high-end magazines" advertising-fueled nonsense thrown at them from green marker pens that somehow make CDs sound better when you highlight the edges of a CD (where no data is stored) to "mats" that are supposed to make the sound "smoother" when in reality all they did was place a heavier load on the motor mechanism resulting in a more error prone condition on most drives. Then there was the infamous "jitter" bug that everyone blamed everything they didn't like on. People spent $5000+ to get "jitter-reducing" DACs and the high-end rags swore by them (to sell advertising dollars) but when pushed to double blind tests, NOTHING. NADA. No one could hear a single difference. So they'd dismiss double blind testing as BAD and obviously BS since it couldn't prove the differences they could clearly hear!!!

I think people simply feel better when they're told their audio is uncompressed and "high resolution". Hear a difference? What does THAT have to do with anything? I want to KNOW that I'm getting the "best quality sound possible" !!! I know that by reading a label on the back of the disc case! Hear anything? What's THAT got to do with it? LOL.

[MrBfJohn]

[deathbringer]

People are getting screwed for now? There would have to be an audible difference first to get screwed. Fortunately, I've yet to see any credible indication that there is any audible differences between Core and Master Audio. As far as I'm concerned, it's a marketing gimmick.

Well, since there's only 5.1 supported in the core, I'm missing out on the two rear channels from the 7.1 DTS HRA, how's that for starters?

[VonMagnum]

People are getting screwed for now? There would have to be an audible difference first to get screwed. Fortunately, I've yet to see any credible indication that there is any audible differences between Core and Master Audio. As far as I'm concerned, it's a marketing gimmick.

Well, since there's only 5.1 supported in the core, I'm missing out on the two rear channels from the 7.1 DTS HRA, how's that for starters?

Have you tried letting KODI convert to PCM 7.1-channel output instead? (i.e. it decodes it and sends it over HDMI as PCM instead)