MSI Mega 651 making me crazy

[Baramin]

Hello everyone,

Finally decided to post as I'm out of ideas on how to solve my problem.

A friend of mine offered me for my birthday a MSI Mega 651 with a celeron and some RAM. He knew I was working on making a divx box, but so far I was using an old K6-3 400, an old tower case, etc.

Was a nice gift, but so far I havn't been able to get ac3 to pass thru the onboard sound card... Best I've done is analog thru spdif, but when it comes to ac3, nada.

Sound card is supposed to be a Realtek ALC650
lspci sees it as a :

0000:00:02.7 Multimedia audio controller: Silicon Integrated Systems [SiS] Sound Controller (rev a0)
Subsystem: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd.: Unknown device 7600
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 32, IRQ 11
I/O ports at e000
I/O ports at e400
Capabilities: [48] Power Management version 2

and everything seems to work OK (except the ac3) with the intel8x0 driver.

I'm trying (that time, I last time I hoped mandrake would help me "auto-guess" the proper configuration) to get it working on gentoo 2004.1 with accept_keywords=~x86, hoping everytime that "next emerge -u" will bring that missing key to my puzzle.

if that can help, that's what mplayer says when I try running a dolby digital vob file with the following command :

mplayer -vo null -ao alsa1x -ac hwac3 dolby-waterfall.vob

output gives something like :

Cache fill: 10.25% (860160 bytes) Fichier de type MPEG-PS détecté.
VIDEO: MPEG2 720x480 (aspect 3) 29.970 fps 6500.0 kbps (812.5 kbyte/s)
==========================================================================
Codec audio forcé: hwac3
Ouverture du décodeur audio: [hwac3] AC3/DTS pass-through SP/DIF
No accelerated IMDCT transform found
hwac3: switched to AC3, 448000 bps, 48000 Hz
AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, 16 bit (0x400), ratio: 56000->192000 (448.0 kbit)
Selected audio codec: [hwac3] afm:hwac3 (AC3 through SPDIF)
==========================================================================
==========================================================================
Ouverture du décodeur vidéo: [mpegpes] MPEG 1/2 Video passthrough
VDec: requête de configuration de vo - 720 x 480 (csp préferé: Mpeg PES)
VDec: using Mpeg PES as output csp (no 0)
L'aspect du film est 1.78:1 - pré-redimensionnement à l'aspect correct.
VO: [null] 720x480 => 854x480 Mpeg PES
Selected video codec: [mpegpes] vfm:mpegpes (Mpeg PES output (.mpg or Dxr3/DVB card))
==========================================================================
Checking audio filter chain for 48000Hz/2ch/16bit -> 48000Hz/2ch/8bit...
AF_pre: af format: 2 bps, 2 ch, 48000 hz, big endian AC3
AF_pre: 48000Hz 2ch AC3
alsa-init: requested format: 48000 Hz, 2 channels, AC3
alsa-init: soundcard set to iec958:AES0=0x2,AES1=0x82,AES2=0x0,AES3=0x2
alsa1x: 48000 Hz/2 channels/4 bpf/65536 bytes buffer/Signed 16 bit Little Endian
AO: [alsa1x] 48000Hz 2ch AC3 (1 bps)
Building audio filter chain for 48000Hz/2ch/16bit -> 48000Hz/2ch/8bit...
[format] Sample format big endian AC3 not yet supported
Couldn't find matching filter / ao format!

and then movie plays with no sound (and no picture of course as I use -vo null)

has anyone any idea of what I could try to make that work ? I've spent ages trying to find something with google, spent nights reading alsa-project.org, nights reading opensrc.org/alsa/ but I'm running out of ideas and patience.

got a dual boot, so I could make a windows version for my divx box (friend who gave me the mega 651 is a more of a windows user so I thought it'd be a good idea for him and I figured it would let me play my movies quickly, giving me all the time I need to make a perfect linux version)

I sincerely hope to get a helping answer as I'm desesperate and doubt I can find a solution without outside help now.

Thanks in advance whoever will take some time to read that post and hopefully post some ideas on how to get my ac3 to go thru spdif.

last bit of information as I was forgetting, here's the content of asound/devices (and while I'm at it, I have no .asoundrc as I couldn't find any that would help)

tvbox root # cat /proc/asound/devices
1: : sequencer
0: [0- 0]: ctl
25: [0- 1]: digital audio capture
16: [0- 0]: digital audio playback
24: [0- 0]: digital audio capture
33: : timer

(2nd digital audio capture is probable spdif in as that motherboard has spdif in and out)

Thanks in advance,
Baramin

[Baramin]

Up. Giving my problem a second chance to find someone able to help. After that I'll let the post slowly vanish

[gorbang]

Maybe outdated now but maybe it's still worth it

Alsa Driver for MSI mega 651 is : intel8x0

[Baramin]

That's the driver I've been using, as mentioned in my initial post.

But despite using that driver, I can't manage to play any video with ac3 (DVDs or ac3 xvids for example).

Really looks like the driver failed to find the spdif output (except when it comes to "playing analog thru digital output" but that won't help with DVDs and 6ch videos)

haven't got enough time to look at it recently though, but next time I can give it some time, I'll try to get the alsa version from
realtek to work.

[digitalb0y]

I also have this same issue, with
Sound worked fine using Knoppmyth that does all of it automaticaly
but is based off of an 2.4 kernel.
Nor did I ever have this much trouble on my other pc's that use 2.6 kernel
I've heard many people have had issues with the mega 651 intel8x0 driver and alsa. I might just not use alsa or keep on trying. Did you ever come up with a solution?
Well if I can get it working I'll post it

-thanks in advance.

[tuppe666]

I have a mega pc 651(which is beltin by the way) I have never used digital out ever ever just not that posh. I'm using the mega pc speakers the 2:1 ones which give me a nice sound. i use kernel 2.6.9 if that makes any difference. Is your problem AC3 which works nicely for me, or is your problem with SPDIF which I don't use. Any information on my current setup-just ask.

The only problems I have experenced with sound and it it a new one. Is when I use 8-bit sound I get no sound, but I only use that for games.

I am having difficulty getting sound though my soundcard which is the standard tv-tuner card although to be honest I haven't looked recently.

Mp3's through xmms suck' I'd move to a new player when I can figure how to purge if from my system without it wanting to re-emerge.

My issues are the same as most with the MSI Mega PC:-
want my display to work(bluebird vl+)
remote control(although I see a post it works (if it does I'm really upset as mine has been gathering dust)
smbus(supported only in 2.4 kernel) think thats about it.

Anyhow don't be a stranger.

[digitalb0y]

Well I wiped the HD clean and started over (Had many other issues with the earlyer install). So with all the knowlege of all before the new stuff i've learned and more on ALSA, I Now got the ALSA sound working, Then had issues with sql server permisions which after some tweaking and reading the gentoo wiki on mythtv got that working got mythbackend and my tv tuner card PVR-250 working with the ivtv drives along with sound. What Tv Tuner are you using? My only issue now is when I use the sis drivers I get no video, so I switched to the unaccelerated VESA drivers I get video now . just slow TV viewing and got this message after running mythtv.
Couldn't find Xv Support, Falling back on non-Xv mode MythTv performance will be much slower since color conversion and scalling wil be done in software. bla bla bla What video driver are you using?

[tuppe666]

lol xv for the sis651 works very well. Check sisfb is set up correctly.

This is a link to the sis driver site which is excellent http://www.winischhofer.at/linuxsisvga.shtml

Make sure your framebuffer drivers is loaded if your building a real mythtv box.

Code: Select all

title=Gentoo Linux
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda3 video=sisfb:mode:1600x1200x16,mem:12288,rate:75

- My Grub

Code: Select all

#
# Graphics support
#
CONFIG_FB=y
# CONFIG_FB_MODE_HELPERS is not set
# CONFIG_FB_CIRRUS is not set
# CONFIG_FB_PM2 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_CYBER2000 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_ASILIANT is not set
# CONFIG_FB_IMSTT is not set
# CONFIG_FB_VGA16 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_VESA is not set
CONFIG_VIDEO_SELECT=y
# CONFIG_FB_HGA is not set
# CONFIG_FB_RIVA is not set
# CONFIG_FB_I810 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_MATROX is not set
# CONFIG_FB_RADEON_OLD is not set
# CONFIG_FB_RADEON is not set
# CONFIG_FB_ATY128 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_ATY is not set
CONFIG_FB_SIS=y
# CONFIG_FB_SIS_300 is not set
CONFIG_FB_SIS_315=y
# CONFIG_FB_NEOMAGIC is not set
# CONFIG_FB_KYRO is not set
# CONFIG_FB_3DFX is not set
# CONFIG_FB_VOODOO1 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_TRIDENT is not set
# CONFIG_FB_VIRTUAL is not set

#
# Console display driver support
#
CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE=y
CONFIG_DUMMY_CONSOLE=y
CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=y
# CONFIG_FONTS is not set
CONFIG_FONT_8x8=y
CONFIG_FONT_8x16=y

#
# Logo configuration
#
CONFIG_LOGO=y
# CONFIG_LOGO_LINUX_MONO is not set
# CONFIG_LOGO_LINUX_VGA16 is not set
CONFIG_LOGO_LINUX_CLUT224=y

- my kernel config

I'd probably have a look at directfb(add it to your use flags).

btw XV is pretty fast and getting faster.

[Baramin]

...Is your problem AC3 which works nicely for me, or is your problem with SPDIF which I don't use. Any information on my current setup-just ask...

My problem is with SPDIF. I managed to have analog sound (regular stereo from movies, mp3s, etc...) thru that cable into my hometheater center, but the digital sound (AC3 from some divx and most DVDs) is not working at all under linux and perfectly under windows (dual booting, windows is here to stay untill I solve that problem).

it's as if the alsa driver found the analog in, digital in, analog out, but no digital out.

digitalb0y, when you say "sound worked fine using Knoppmyth", do you mean AC3 sound on the SPDIF output ? if so, I need to check that CD and see if I can find anything I could re-use on my gentoo. Thanks for giving me new ways to explore