My sound goes out after watching movie in TheaterTek

[snsumner]

Guys,

I have a strange problem that I haven't figured out. When I start xlobby 2 all the sound works great, I can go and listen to music with no problem. But once I watch a movie and it goes back to Xlobby the sound disappears and I can't hear my music. If I go back and watch another movie and the sounds works fine. If I restart Xlobby the sound comes back. I'm launching TheaterTek 2.6 from Xlobby 2. Has anyone else ran into this type of problem before, if so did you come up with a fix or workaround?

Regards,
Scott

[snsumner]

I tried to isolating the problem by setting up Xlobby 2 and Theatertek 2.6 on another PC. I'm using the same types.xml and launching TheaterTek from XLobby and the problem doesn't occur on this other PC. My other PC is using a different sound card. Here is what I know.

HTPC:
Windows XP SP2
Envy/24 Soundcard w/ SDPIF/Toshlink to Marantz Receiver
Using AC3Filter Audio Decoder
Using Dolby 5.1

Sound stops working within Xlobby after going into TheaterTek

PC:
Windows XP SP2
Sound Blaster Audigy Soundcard w/ headphone jacks to Logitech 5.1 speakers
Using FFDshow Audio Decoder
Using Dolby 5.1

Sound remains working within Xlobby after going into TheaterTek

So based on these test results I have come up with the following theories:

1. Issue with Envy/24 Soundcard, I installed the latest drivers and problem still exists
a. It could be specific to the SPDIF component of sound card haven't tried plugging speakers into jack to see if I get sound
2. Issue with AC3Filter

Does anyone have recommend settings for AC3Filter for using SPDIF/Toslink and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound to an external receiver?

[snsumner]

I have removed FFdshow and AC3Filter and I'm still hitting this bug! I know its an issue with Xlobby because no sound works until after I close Xlobby.

Here is how I reproduce the problem:

1. Start Xlobby 2
2. From Xlobby 2 launch TheaterTek 2.6 (w/o FFdshow or AC3Filter enabled)
3. Within TheaterTek I can hear sounds of the DVD (my Marantz reciver is reporting a 5.1 Dolby)
4. Close TheaterTek
6. No sound works from any program on PC (iTunes, system sounds, Xlobby sounds, etc)
7. Close Xlobby
8. All sound works from any program on PC (iTunes, system sounds, etc)
9. Restart Xlobby (sound work again)

So I'm convinced there is something wrong with Xlobby when it launches an external video player. Maybe its specific to TheaterTek 2.x. I have had this problem since day one going back from TheaterTek 2.2.

What else can I do to troubleshoot/diagnois this problem? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Scott

[snsumner]

So nobody has any suggestions? I'm stumped on this problem.

[tswhite70]

Are you using the Calrad version of Xlobby? Sounds like some kind of problem with your launch movie event - maybe the internal player is also trying to play the movie or grabbing your soundcard outputs at the same time or something weird. Try this - start TheaterTek and then start Xlobby, play a movie manually in TheaterTek. Still have sound after you stop TheaterTek? If so, create a new event in Xlobby using OS>Execute, put in whatever the correct command line options are for Theatertek and hardcode a movie path in the event. Run the event from F2, stop TheaterTek. Still have sound? If so, point your "Play Movie" button at the new OS event you created, substitute your hardcoded movie path in the new OS>Execute event with %movies>parameter%. Play your movie.

good luck,
tsw

[snsumner]

Are you using the Calrad version of Xlobby? Sounds like some kind of problem with your launch movie event - maybe the internal player is also trying to play the movie or grabbing your soundcard outputs at the same time or something weird. Try this - start TheaterTek and then start Xlobby, play a movie manually in TheaterTek. Still have sound after you stop TheaterTek? If so, create a new event in Xlobby using OS>Execute, put in whatever the correct command line options are for Theatertek and hardcode a movie path in the event. Run the event from F2, stop TheaterTek. Still have sound? If so, point your "Play Movie" button at the new OS event you created, substitute your hardcoded movie path in the new OS>Execute event with %movies>parameter%. Play your movie.

good luck,
tsw

tsw,

Thank you for replying and you gave excellent suggestions, here are the steps I followed:

1. Rebooted HTPC
2. Started TheaterTek 2.6
3. Started Calrad's Comerical Xlobby 2 (latest build)
4. Comfirmed sound worked wtihin Xlobby 2 (play some music, hear beeps during navigation, etc)
5. Manually play a movie within TheaterTek 2.6
6. Comfirmed sound is working correctly TheaterTek 2.6 (I'm recieving Dolby 5.1 from my Marantz Reciever via SPDIF/Toslink)
7. Stopped movie, exited TheaterTek
8. Comfirmed sound no longer working within Xlobby!
9. Comfirmed sound no longer working within any Windows program, except TheaterTek
10. Restarted Xlobby, all sound comes back

Also if I go in standby (S3) and come back out of standby my sound comes back. There is some issue with Xlobby and TheaterTek I'm positive about this now.

I hope that Steven responds to my email to let me know how I can debug this because its driving me nuts.

[cmhardwick]

Also, have you tried JUST running a movie in theatertek (NO XLOBBY running) and exiting. After this, do you still get system sounds? It's probably some conflict of TT passing control of the SPDIF out back to xLobby when it exits. Do you have xLobby set for SPDIF out as well, I'm assuming?

[snsumner]

Also, have you tried JUST running a movie in theatertek (NO XLOBBY running) and exiting. After this, do you still get system sounds? It's probably some conflict of TT passing control of the SPDIF out back to xLobby when it exits. Do you have xLobby set for SPDIF out as well, I'm assuming?

If I run TheaterTek standalone without Xlobby running I don't lose sound after I exit TheaterTek. I only lose sound when Xlobby is running in the background.

What do you mean by "Do you have Xlobby set for SPDIF out as well", the only thing I have done is under the "xLobby Setup" F2 for "Audio" I selected "default" and have Output Device set to "Default DirectSound Device" I've tried all the outher Output device with no luck. "Speaker Output" always says (place holder). Are you saying there is a way to tell Xlobby to use SPDIF for sound? If so I don't see any option to do this.

[snsumner]

BTW, I didn't mention this before but I use S/PDIF (Toshlink) for all sound coming out of my sound card not just TheaterTek.