User Guide

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Setting the Audio Configuration: Cyberlink PowerDVD User's Guide

• Depending on your software, choose the best suited Audio Output by clicking once and making your selection from the drop-down menu.

• DirectSound is Microsoft's application programming interface (API) and makes up the wave-audio component of the DirectX® API (refer to below for more information or What is DirectShow?).
  

  NOTE: DirectSound provides low-latency mixing, hardware acceleration, and direct access to the sound device all the while maintaining compatibility with existing device drivers. It also enables wave sound capture and playback, and supports property sets that enable application developers to take advantage of extended services offered by sound cards and their associated drivers.

• WaveOut is also an API developed by Microsoft but unlike DirectSound, it offers no hardware assistance, precedes DirectSound in the realm of audio technology, and is the most basic audio output method employed by all CPUs running Windows OS.

• Click here for more information on SPDIF. If SPDIF/AC3 is automatically selected, you'll be able to enjoy true 6 speaker output quality. Note that the rest of the audio surround options will be unavailable if SPDIF is in use with the same holding true if the 4 or 6 Speaker selections are chosen.

• The 4 or 6 Speaker selections are for computers which are equipped with 4 or 6 speakers. After choosing this selection, the Dolby Pro-Logic Decoder option found at the bottom will be available for selection.

• The majority of Audio Mode selections will depend on the previous Audio Output section. If you choose Use DirectSound or the WaveOut option, Dolby Surround and Stereo (referred to as downmixed stereo channels as opposed to true surround sound) will be available for selection. A3D and QXpander is OEM optional and may not be available for selection.

• The Use Dolby Pro-Logic Decoder option will be available only under the 4 or 6 Speaker audio output and allows users to experience an enhanced simulated surround sound as opposed to normal Dolby Surround (left, right, surround) by supplying a higher separation among four channels (left, center, right and surround) and more accurate sound positioning.

• The Listening within 4 feet of the monitor will be checked by default if you have selected a multichannel output (4 or 6 Speaker) under Audio Output. This option increases the Center speaker effects for the Left and Right channels when you are listening within 4 feet of the monitor.

NOTE: If the SPDIF Output is enabled, the volume control for PowerDVD will be disabled as your decoder assumes the task. For the latest in PowerDVD's SPDIF support features, please refer to the Readme file.

More Technical Information

For more technically-oriented users, provided are the following summary tables illustrating the specific capacities for audio configuration:

*Depends on sound cards' support for 3D sound

 

Audio Output Audio Stream Type	SPDIF for AC-3 Output	DirectSound	WaveOut
DTS	Yes	N/A	N/A
AC-3	Yes	Yes	Yes
MPEG Audio	N/A	Yes	Yes
LPCM	N/A	Yes	Yes

 

Audio Stream Type Effects Applicable	AC-3	MPEG Audio	LPCM
A3D	Yes	Yes	Yes
DS3D	Yes	Yes	Yes
Dolby Surround	Yes	N/A	N/A
Dolby Pro-Logic	Yes	N/A	N/A
Stereo	Yes	Yes	Yes

N/A=Not available

For more information on audio stream types or effects applicable, please refer to the Glossary.

Please read all restrictions and disclaimers.

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