User profile for user: jimyoung999
jimyoung999 Author
User level: Level 1
1 points

AC3 Passthrough not working in windows 10 - bug and workaround

Hello all,

this is not a question but rather a way to share what I found about getting AC3 Passthrough working on my windows 10 install with iTunes.


(Note: my machine is in Japanese so my translations of some of the menu options may be slightly off)


Here is the problem that many people have

- PC outputting video and audio through an HDMI or DVI->HDMI connection, into an AVR that supports 5.1

- The output device is properly configured for 5.1 speakers (right click on the speaker on task bar -> playback device -> right click on device -> speaker settings -> set to your configuration).

- Testing this configuration puts sound through each individual speaker (right click on speaker icon -> click on device -> properties -> details -> test (you may need to choose multi channel) here.

- sound from iTunes only outputs in stereo. If you click PREFER AC3 PASSTHROUGH then you get no sound.


On my machine, it turns out that the AC3 Passthrough function ignored your default device that you had set and would send to a different device. This was really hard to debug because, if the other device is not connected to something (say, your optical out on the back of your PC), then you have no way of seeing where the output is going.

To recap - if my default is my HDMI out, iTunes and other apps properly play stereo through that output. However, once I click AC3 Passthrough in iTunes, then the output goes to a different digital device.


Fix: - disable all the other devices! This is painless since it's built into the sound dialog

- right click on the speaker icon, choose playback devices

- set your preferred output as the default

- right click on other digital outputs and select disable

- restart iTunes, and it works for me!


Don't forget to re-enable those others if you use them. If you right click in the open space in that dialog, you can select "show disabled devices" which is very helpful


I hope this helps someone! I was ready to stop using iTunes and move to a different digital system.

PC-OTHER, Windows 10

Posted on Feb 19, 2016 7:39 PM

Reply
Question marked as ⚠️ Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Kharax
Kharax
User level: Level 1
12 points

Posted on Nov 5, 2016 5:48 PM

Thank you, thank you and THANK YOU, my dear Japanese friend! I bow before you with thanks!


Yours is by far and simply the ONLY solution that worked and (I mostly believe) perfectly works for every sound card, receiver etc. which has a possibility to decode AC3.


And I am sure at least tens of thousands of people in the world have this issue, if they use several digital sound output bearing devices (which is perfectly possible with graphic cards, receivers, other sound cards, on-board cards, etc.)


I would kindly like to ask you to change your subject to a simpler "SOLID FIX FOR WINDOWS 10 iTUNES AC3 SOUNDLOSS!" or something else like that you wish for thousands of other people like me to be simply, happy and grateful 🙂


It perfectly works and it is perfectly logical (yet a real bug) for fixing.


Thank you once again.


ICK

View in context
2 replies
Sort By: 
Question marked as ⚠️ Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Kharax
Kharax
User level: Level 1
12 points

Nov 5, 2016 5:48 PM in response to jimyoung999

Thank you, thank you and THANK YOU, my dear Japanese friend! I bow before you with thanks!


Yours is by far and simply the ONLY solution that worked and (I mostly believe) perfectly works for every sound card, receiver etc. which has a possibility to decode AC3.


And I am sure at least tens of thousands of people in the world have this issue, if they use several digital sound output bearing devices (which is perfectly possible with graphic cards, receivers, other sound cards, on-board cards, etc.)


I would kindly like to ask you to change your subject to a simpler "SOLID FIX FOR WINDOWS 10 iTUNES AC3 SOUNDLOSS!" or something else like that you wish for thousands of other people like me to be simply, happy and grateful 🙂


It perfectly works and it is perfectly logical (yet a real bug) for fixing.


Thank you once again.


ICK

Reply

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

AC3 Passthrough not working in windows 10 - bug and workaround

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.
Learn more Sign up