The onboard sound on this MB is recognized, however whatever I try, I can't get the SPDIF to work... Anaolgue works though. I've tried every combintation of Alsamixer.

Does anyone have onboard sound on A7V8X-X working with SPDIF?

If so, please share your asound.conf, .asoundrc and Alsamixer settings.

Here are some of my settings:

root@mythtv:/etc# aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: V8235 [VIA 8235], device 0: VIA 8235 [VIA 8235]
Subdevices: 4/4
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
card 0: V8235 [VIA 8235], device 1: VIA 8235 [VIA 8235]
Subdevices: 0/1
Subdevice #0: subdevice #0



root@mythtv:/etc# cat /proc/asound/pcm
00-00: VIA 8235 : VIA 8235 : playback 4 : capture 1
00-01: VIA 8235 : VIA 8235 : playback 1 : capture 1


would I need to recompile Alsa per the "Digital Audio How-to" ?

_________________
Config:
ASUS A7V8X-X
ASUS FX5200 Magic 128MB
AMD Sempron 2400
256 mb ddr @333
120gb Maxtor HDD for system, recordings
250gb Maxtor HDD for music, videos
PVR-350 in "250" mode
PVR-250 "type 47" + IR unit
CD Rom

As I love to talk to myself, I solved this problem.

I installed Alsa 1.09 using this thread as a guide:
http://knoppmythwiki.org/index.php?page ... AudioHowTo

but you need to sub this step:
./configure --with-cards=via82xx --with-sequencer=yes
(instead of the intel line)

created this file: /etc/modutils/alsa with the following

# ALSA portion
alias char-major-116 snd
alias snd-card-0 snd-via82xx
# module options should go here

# OSS/Free portion
alias char-major-14 soundcore
alias sound-slot-0 snd-card-0

# card #1
alias sound-service-0-0 snd-mixer-oss
alias sound-service-0-1 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-3 snd-pcm-oss
alias sound-service-0-8 snd-seq-oss
alias sound-service-0-12 snd-pcm-oss

then run update-modules

reboot

run alsamixer
set EVERYTHING at zero and muted
then only unmute IEC958 9by pressing M
exit alsa mixer

run

/usr/sbin/alsactl store


that's it, not to make music, AC3 work as well

_________________
Config:
ASUS A7V8X-X
ASUS FX5200 Magic 128MB
AMD Sempron 2400
256 mb ddr @333
120gb Maxtor HDD for system, recordings
250gb Maxtor HDD for music, videos
PVR-350 in "250" mode
PVR-250 "type 47" + IR unit
CD Rom

Just because I enjoy talking to myself.......

I solved the AC3 passthrough

but first, I had a problem where the alsamixer settings weren't sticking on reboot, so I changed the /home/mythtv/.fluxbox/apps file to read:

[startup] {xset -dpms s off}
[startup] {/usr/sbin/alsactl restore}
[startup] {KnoppMyth-run}
[app] (SDL_App)
[Layer] {2}
[Deco] {NONE}
[end]


Next was to figure out why AC3 wasn't working on Videos:

had to go into the Videomanager and add the special player setting to each AC3 encoded file:
/usr/bin/mplayer -fs -zoom -quiet -ao alsa -ac hwac3 %s

can't just change the default player settings or else non ac3 encoded files play no sound...

Next to figure out DVD ac3 play back...

had go into Xine in an xterm and change:
audio driver from oss to alsa
speaker arrangement: Pass Through


I hope this helps someone, at least its posted so if I wreck my setup, I got somewhere to come back to...


S,

_________________
Config:
ASUS A7V8X-X
ASUS FX5200 Magic 128MB
AMD Sempron 2400
256 mb ddr @333
120gb Maxtor HDD for system, recordings
250gb Maxtor HDD for music, videos
PVR-350 in "250" mode
PVR-250 "type 47" + IR unit
CD Rom

Thanks a _TON_ for posting this. You managed to get my SPDIF working for me on my A7V8X-X.

One question, though. When I select Capture as the record source, and not muted, and set Line as the record source muted, I get live audio through the SPDIF from whatever is plugged into the line in. Did you have this same issue? If you did, how did you solve it?