Vista - Can Vista Ultimate output to multiple audio devices?

My computer includes an HDMI output port on an ADD2 card. The card is
internally connected to the High Definition Audio Device header on the main
board to provide audio output via the HDMI jack. The computer also has
typical 7.1 audio output via ST jacks and an SPDIF jack. The only way I've
found to switch among the audio output devices is to use Control Panel -
Sound - Manage Audio Devices. After setting HDMI Device, Speakers, or SPDIF
as the Default playback device, I have to close the applet and restart any
audio applications before the output is switched to the selected device.
This is really cumbersome and inconvenient.

Is there a way to open the Manage Audio Devices applet directly (without
having to go through Control Panel) to make this selection more convenient?

Also, audio is only output to the device selected as the Default device,
rather than all devices simultaneously. Thus, if you have a digital TV with
an HDMI input, but a receiver with only analog inputs, you can't switch
between the TV's speakers and the receiver's speakers without first going
through the procedure to switch the default playback device and restart any
applications. And you can't use both at the same time.

Is there a way to output to all audio devices simultaneously so I can simply
listen to the desired device by controlling its volume?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

An easy way to get to the Playback Devices and Recording Devices is to right
click on the Speaker icon in the Notification Area of the Taskbar.

As to your other question about multiple simultaneous playback devices, I too
would like to know how to accomplish that.

--
I Bleed Blue and Gold
GO BEARS!


"Tim Sagstetter" <Tim.Sagstetter@KernelSoftware.com> wrote in message
news:%23f6Zm7quHHA.3668@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> My computer includes an HDMI output port on an ADD2 card. The card is
> internally connected to the High Definition Audio Device header on the main
> board to provide audio output via the HDMI jack. The computer also has
> typical 7.1 audio output via ST jacks and an SPDIF jack. The only way I've
> found to switch among the audio output devices is to use Control Panel -
> Sound - Manage Audio Devices. After setting HDMI Device, Speakers, or SPDIF
> as the Default playback device, I have to close the applet and restart any
> audio applications before the output is switched to the selected device. This
> is really cumbersome and inconvenient.
>
> Is there a way to open the Manage Audio Devices applet directly (without
> having to go through Control Panel) to make this selection more convenient?
>
> Also, audio is only output to the device selected as the Default device,
> rather than all devices simultaneously. Thus, if you have a digital TV with
> an HDMI input, but a receiver with only analog inputs, you can't switch
> between the TV's speakers and the receiver's speakers without first going
> through the procedure to switch the default playback device and restart any
> applications. And you can't use both at the same time.
>
> Is there a way to output to all audio devices simultaneously so I can simply
> listen to the desired device by controlling its volume?
>
> Thanks in advance for any advice.
>

No version of Windows supports multiple active outputs at once.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] rgharper@gmail.com
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Tim Sagstetter" <Tim.Sagstetter@KernelSoftware.com> wrote in message
news:%23f6Zm7quHHA.3668@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> My computer includes an HDMI output port on an ADD2 card. The card is
> internally connected to the High Definition Audio Device header on the
> main board to provide audio output via the HDMI jack. The computer also
> has typical 7.1 audio output via ST jacks and an SPDIF jack. The only way
> I've found to switch among the audio output devices is to use Control
> Panel - Sound - Manage Audio Devices. After setting HDMI Device,
> Speakers, or SPDIF as the Default playback device, I have to close the
> applet and restart any audio applications before the output is switched to
> the selected device. This is really cumbersome and inconvenient.
>
> Is there a way to open the Manage Audio Devices applet directly (without
> having to go through Control Panel) to make this selection more
> convenient?
>
> Also, audio is only output to the device selected as the Default device,
> rather than all devices simultaneously. Thus, if you have a digital TV
> with an HDMI input, but a receiver with only analog inputs, you can't
> switch between the TV's speakers and the receiver's speakers without first
> going through the procedure to switch the default playback device and
> restart any applications. And you can't use both at the same time.
>
> Is there a way to output to all audio devices simultaneously so I can
> simply listen to the desired device by controlling its volume?
>
> Thanks in advance for any advice.
>

Well it may not support it but my system works with a Realtek High Definition
Audio Device and a Creative SB X-Fi device. Both output sound. Both report
they are working properly in Device Manager.

"Richard G. Harper" wrote:

> No version of Windows supports multiple active outputs at once.
>
> --
> Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] rgharper@gmail.com
> * NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
> * PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
> * The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
> * HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>
>
> "Tim Sagstetter" <Tim.Sagstetter@KernelSoftware.com> wrote in message
> news:%23f6Zm7quHHA.3668@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> > My computer includes an HDMI output port on an ADD2 card. The card is
> > internally connected to the High Definition Audio Device header on the
> > main board to provide audio output via the HDMI jack. The computer also
> > has typical 7.1 audio output via ST jacks and an SPDIF jack. The only way
> > I've found to switch among the audio output devices is to use Control
> > Panel - Sound - Manage Audio Devices. After setting HDMI Device,
> > Speakers, or SPDIF as the Default playback device, I have to close the
> > applet and restart any audio applications before the output is switched to
> > the selected device. This is really cumbersome and inconvenient.
> >
> > Is there a way to open the Manage Audio Devices applet directly (without
> > having to go through Control Panel) to make this selection more
> > convenient?
> >
> > Also, audio is only output to the device selected as the Default device,
> > rather than all devices simultaneously. Thus, if you have a digital TV
> > with an HDMI input, but a receiver with only analog inputs, you can't
> > switch between the TV's speakers and the receiver's speakers without first
> > going through the procedure to switch the default playback device and
> > restart any applications. And you can't use both at the same time.
> >
> > Is there a way to output to all audio devices simultaneously so I can
> > simply listen to the desired device by controlling its volume?
> >
> > Thanks in advance for any advice.
> >
>
>
>

Thank you for your reply. For some reason, I thought all you could get by
right-clicking the icon was the mixer. Thanks for the reminder! That
should work fine.

Tim

Richard:

Thank you for your reply. If this is possible, I sure hope engineering
considers this for a future release. With the number of
computer/audio/video connection scenarios increasing, it seems multiple
technologies should be supported for simultaneous playback if users want to
keep their existing A/V equipment.

Tim

I too would really like Vista to support this. This is my situation:

I have an AC850 (nforce4) connected to a set of Logitech 5450 speakers (this
includes a dts and ac3 decoder). My PC is connected to the decoder by a
toslink cable as well as the usual 5.1 direct outputs.

When I use media centre to play a DVD, I want it to passthrough ac3 and dts
streams to the toslink (spdif). For everything else I want it to be output
in analog 5.1 surround (this is especially important for games).

Using XP I acheived this by using digital passthrough with Cyberlink
PowerDVD. XP would always output everything else to both analogue and
disgital outputs simultaneously. Why can't Vista/Media centre do the same
without me having to change default devices?

That's not true. My HP DEC running windows XP had both analog and SPDIF
output at the same time. Additionally they were seperate volumes as well.
The SPDIF responded to my Media Center remote while the analog out was fixed.
Since the upgrade to Vista I have lost that flexibility. I am either analog
OR digital. This has really screwed up my distributed audio configuration.

"Richard G. Harper" wrote:

> No version of Windows supports multiple active outputs at once.
>
> --
> Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] rgharper@gmail.com
> * NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
> * PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
> * The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/
> * HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>
>
> "Tim Sagstetter" <Tim.Sagstetter@KernelSoftware.com> wrote in message
> news:%23f6Zm7quHHA.3668@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> > My computer includes an HDMI output port on an ADD2 card. The card is
> > internally connected to the High Definition Audio Device header on the
> > main board to provide audio output via the HDMI jack. The computer also
> > has typical 7.1 audio output via ST jacks and an SPDIF jack. The only way
> > I've found to switch among the audio output devices is to use Control
> > Panel - Sound - Manage Audio Devices. After setting HDMI Device,
> > Speakers, or SPDIF as the Default playback device, I have to close the
> > applet and restart any audio applications before the output is switched to
> > the selected device. This is really cumbersome and inconvenient.
> >
> > Is there a way to open the Manage Audio Devices applet directly (without
> > having to go through Control Panel) to make this selection more
> > convenient?
> >
> > Also, audio is only output to the device selected as the Default device,
> > rather than all devices simultaneously. Thus, if you have a digital TV
> > with an HDMI input, but a receiver with only analog inputs, you can't
> > switch between the TV's speakers and the receiver's speakers without first
> > going through the procedure to switch the default playback device and
> > restart any applications. And you can't use both at the same time.
> >
> > Is there a way to output to all audio devices simultaneously so I can
> > simply listen to the desired device by controlling its volume?
> >
> > Thanks in advance for any advice.
> >
>
>
>

I also have the same problem- I live in an apartment, and I have my
computer/computer speakers in one room and a projector/theater speakers in
the other. I have both video and audio hooked up to the room with the
projector (via a vga extension and SP/DIF out), for using windows media
center and occasionally playing games on a larger screen.

However, even though I have both sets of speakers connected the same
computer, there is no way to output audio through both at the same time. I
can choose between either, but each time I change the default audio output,
any new programs use exclusively those speakers. This ruins my plans of being
able to stream music through the entire floor.

From what I can tell, Vista does not allow multiple outputs (as backwards
as that may seem). Is there any other option available, preferably software
rather than hardware change? If I cannot find a solution, I may be forced to
go back to XP. again.

It seems that the only option with Vista is to have two audio devices installed.

I have my on board Realtek audio adapter and a Creative X-Fi installed for just
such purposes with no conflicts or problems. I don't think there is any way in
Vista to have both the analog and digital outputs of a single audio adapter
active at the same time -- too bad.

--
I Bleed Blue and Gold
GO BEARS!


"Alexander VW" <Alexander VW@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:386C7A0E-0583-46C4-890D-580D7D7C620C@xxxxxx