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N3150/N3700 HD Audio Passthrough

MAlme6
Novice
9,704 Views

Hi

I want to know if Intel N3150 and N3700 works with HD Audio Passthrough?

In Baytrail (J1900 and J2900) there was an issue with HD Audio Passthrough on Windows.

Can you confirm if Braswell correct this issue?

Thanks in advance.

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1 Solution
Ronny_G_Intel
Community Manager
4,223 Views

Hi Marcos Almeida et al,

We have finally confirmed that Braswell-based NUCs do support uncompressed surround audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio through testing in OpenELEC.

However, an updated driver is required to enable this same functionality in Windows. At this time we do not know if a new Windows driver will be developed or when it might be available. We will update the community when we have more information. I apologize for my previous post in which I stated the differently.

Regards,

View solution in original post

54 Replies
Anonymous
Not applicable
2,154 Views

It is a good question. I escalated your request with our engineering department.

Mike C.

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MAlme6
Novice
2,154 Views

When will you get an answer?

I need to buy the hardware but i don't want to buy if this problem persists.

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Kirk_B_Intel
Employee
2,154 Views

Can you give me your definition of "HD Audio 'Passthrough'" and what issue you believe exist with Baytrail? There is a lot of confusion in the market around the DP ports and dongles used to convert to other display types and how audio should work in those situations. The dongles are fairly inconsistent on how they report their capability and that seems to get blamed on the driver and chipset rather than on the dongle manufacturers...

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MAlme6
Novice
2,154 Views

By HD Audio Passthrough, I mean the ability to passthrough high definition sound formats (DTS-HD, DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD) to a AV receiver that supports does audio formats using HDMI.

BayTrail didn't support this and some reports say that neither does Braswell.

Intel, any confirmation about this issue?

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Kirk_B_Intel
Employee
2,154 Views

Sorry for my inexperience on audio capabilities- I am an embedded graphics person (you know- 3d engine, display ports, DX, OpenGL that sort of stuff) but because the audio gets piped out the display ports sometimes, I tend to get pulled into the discussions.

I do not see Dolby support on the Intel(r) Atom(TM) processor family roadmap until the next product after Braswell. Keep in mind the Atom line is designed for lower cost and lower power applications and it may not be possible to include higher end features within the die/cost/power targets. The good news is that we do have Dolby support on the Intel(r) Core(TM) processor family now so you do have a solution available to you.

Hope that helps.

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Anonymous
Not applicable
2,154 Views

The HD graphics is complaint with HDMI 1.4 features. The sound formats DTS-HD, DTS-HD MA, Dolby and TrueHD belongs to HDMI specification.

Intel® HD graphics supports 3D. More information on page 75 of the technical product information.

N-series Intel® Pentium® Processors and Intel® Celeron® Processors

http://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/datasheets/pentium-celeron-n-series-datasheet-vol-1.pdf http://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/datasheets/pentium-celeron-n-series-datasheet-vol-1.pdf

Mike C

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MAlme6
Novice
2,154 Views

Does this answer my question?

Have you tested HD Audio in any version of Windows?

One thing is whats says in the paper, the other is reality of the product.

Currently, the reviews about N3150 and N3700 say that it doesn't work with HD Audio on Windows.

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Anonymous
Not applicable
2,154 Views

Our engineers developed these processors with HD video and audio. Take in mind these processors are embedded, mobile manufacturers define the quality of the Audio and Video on their devices.

The official documentation from our Embedded Design center is the following:

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/embedded/products/braswell/overview.html http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/embedded/products/braswell/overview.html

Mike C

Anonymous
Not applicable
2,154 Views

Hi Wanthd,

In regards to your last question, Braswell processors support HD passthrough but does not support HBR's(High Bitrates). Hence it will not support HD Audio format with HBR.

Regards,

 

Mike C
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SKamp1
Beginner
2,154 Views

Hi Mike C,

The Intel Display Audio driver in the current version VGA(v15.38.4.64.4234) give me not the option to bitstream support HD Audio formats in Windows 7 x64. I think it is the same issue like on the J1900 mainboards and a driver update is needed.On the J1900 plattform the problem was solved, so i hope in the future this will also ne solved on N3150.

Regards

fly

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Anonymous
Not applicable
2,154 Views

Hi,

Hopefully processor engineers will add the feature to the drivers.

Regards,

 

Mike C
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JSkau
New Contributor II
2,154 Views

Hi there Mike C,

All Intel SoCs (onboard GPU) have had hardware support for HD audio passthrough / HBR, ever since Sandy Bridge. Don't let anyone tell you any different. A driver patch was originally required to enable this, and that patch was written by Intel (Wang Xingchau) in 2012 (for linux). This was phased into core since 3.10.xx in July 2013. HD audio (including HBR) passthrough has worked under linux on all sequential NuCs, since then. This I have personally tested and confirmed working, with both the N2820 18 months ago, and the N3150 two days ago.

This "issue retainment" within Windows was exposed when user @ArneG here at Intel Community discovered that the Windows GFX drivers (10.18.10.3958) for the N34010 worked with the N2820 (and some others), and installing these drivers instantly enabled HD audio passthrough (including HBR streams). I personally tested and confirmed this on the N2820.

cvare is currently working with physical demonstration confirming this hardware support.

 

- So please. Everything is already there, over at your (Intels) end of the court. It has already been done before, both for Linux and Windows drivers - by Intel. So we beg of you, please put in a request for the driver techs to include the previous patch in future driver updates.

Note for you, and all users: Even with fully functional drivers - the hardware must be set up to allow this. HD audio passthrough over HDMI from a Windows platform, requires all parts of the PAP (Protected Audio Path) to be configured correctly and working. AND, your playback software of choice have to support audio passthrough of the selected audio stream type:

The requirements of an UEFI booted Windows install (not legacy BIOS), OS set to Windows 8.x in UEFI ("BIOS") (if Windows 8.x, etc), Secure Boot enabled, and Intel Trusted Executions Engine (formerly Intel Management Engine, may still apply to some older units) installed and working - still stand. This however, only relates to HD Audio passthrough (incl. HBR) on Windows 8.x and Windows 10 platform. On linux, this is in kernel from 3.10.xx and onwards (proper UEFI / BIOS setup still applies).

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Ronny_G_Intel
Community Manager
2,154 Views

Hi All,

This is just a quick comment on this topic.

 

•Bay Trail does not support HD audio formats at all.

 

•Braswell (N3150 and N3700) supports HD passthrough but does not support HBR's (High Bitrates). Hence it will not support HD format with HBR.

 

◦DTS-HD, DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD are HBRs, and are not supported on Braswell.

◦If you try to play these format audio/video file on Braswell then the app should output AC3 or DTS instead.

I hope this helps,

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JSkau
New Contributor II
2,154 Views

Its ironic that you insinuate that this is a hardware limitation - as Bay Trail supports HBR HD audio formats in Windows with the "right" (wrong) Intel drivers, and ALL intel NUCs with HDMI "HD Audio", support HBR HD audio on Linux. This has been thoroughly documented, and tested and confirmed by Intel. Its an intentional driver limitation, everyone knows this by now. I'm actually bitstreaming Dolby TrueHD from my Intel Bay Trail NUC under Win 8.1 pro to my AVR, as we speak.

Lets just be clear - we're still talking bitstream passthrough here.

Regards,

Jan

DSwid
Beginner
2,154 Views

I was very upset today, becouse i just finished my new HTCP on Asrock N3150DC-ITX and find out then it no passthrough DTS HD MA and TRUE HD audio to my Onkyo 607. I also have older Asrock Q1900DC-ITX and there is no problem with High Bitrates audio. I preffer the newer Asrock N3150, but there is no chance to keep it while is not support HBRs :/

My question is how long does it take to upload new Driver by Intel?

Regards,

Dawid

P.S. Sorry for my English

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Anonymous
Not applicable
2,154 Views

Hi lycone,

I understand your situation; however Intel® Celeron™ N3150 and Pentium ® N3700 are no HD Audio Passthrough.

Regards,

 

Mike C
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DSwid
Beginner
2,154 Views

This is not hardware problem. On Linux OS N3150 passthrough TrueHD and DTS HD MA without any problem. How do you explain this?

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MArer
Beginner
2,154 Views

Hi @ mikec_intel

I can not understand, why you give wrong informations again and again and again....... N3000, N3150, N3700... are of course capable of HD Audio passthrough, please take a look at this thread ->/thread/77858?start=120&tstart=0 Link<- , there this bug is discussed since month.

Fix it or Fix it not, but please don't take us customers for idiots.

Best regards

Cavaradossi

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JSkau
New Contributor II
2,154 Views

Mike, Mike, Mike... we've been over this close to 100 times the last few years - and time and time again we've delivered hard evidence that directly contradict your lies on this particular subject. For they are lies, no more - no less. Harsh words, I know, but thats just the (well) documented facts. Why will you (Intel) not just admit that you don't want buyers of the lower-tier units to have this ability, and manage this policy intentionally through driver support? I really can't stand this kind of cynical market strategy - but if there's one thing I can't stand even more - it is watching you and other Intel reps, blatantly lying to customers over and over again. Enough is enough. I think its high time we let the media call you on this, not just the thousands of paying customers you clearly have no regard for. I need to make a few phonecalls.

Regards,

Jan

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wwuna
Beginner
1,960 Views

intel just dont do this to your clients...

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