i've the problem that some mpeg2- videos and avi's have a really annoying 'scraping' sound when the volume within the files gets high (like explosions, basses, etc.), like when the inputsignal is too much for an amplifier... all of them were mp3-streams. the same mpegs/avi run just fine on other machines.
does anybody have a clue, what the problem might be???

config:
athlon 1gig, 512mb, winxppro, audigy (newest driver), hauppauge wintv (newest driver)

00h

Isn't this what is referred to as "clipping"? In the future, use a normalizing/gain tool in your encodings to prevent this. If you want to solve the problem in your already encoded movies, take a look at the TFM Audio Filter.

EDIT: I am not sure this program will completely solve your problem, but at least it will minimize the risk of the scraping sounds "hurting" your speakers.

...or use HeadAC3he when you convert ac3-sound to mp3. A simple checkbox will make the tool normalise your sound to the optimal setting. Not like in some other converters, just boost the volume.

clipping problem it is not. Evil combination of via and creative? Try latest bios, latest chipset drivers, disable everything on bios(usb and such), reposition your pci cards, so nothing shares an irq. Try every driver for your os. Doesnt help? Switch to another os (from xp to 98se)
I had the same problem.

yeah, clipping. forgot the word. anyway, i didn't encode these flics myself. i usually use vidomi's 2pass noramlize at 98% and that always worked. anyway, i'll try updating the via drivers. didn't think of this yet. and no, there's no way i'm going back to win9x. i've been basically running my server for the last 2 months straight without having to restart since i have xp installed.

00h

check your audio codecs. if you are using something other than the standard fhg mp3 codec to decode in wmp, there could be trouble. I was using a codec called moonlight odio decoda to decode ac3, and it, unbeknownst to me, took over mp3 decoding too. It seemed to cause alot of clipping, and sometimes cut out. Just an idea

no, i killed the radium codec long ago. i have lame acm set to highest priority in the codec settings. this should tell xp to use lame as decoder, right? how do i find out, wich codec is used for decoding?
i chaged slots of the audigy and updated the via 4in1 drivers (a7v mainboard). didn't work. dammit. ah, well i guess soon it's time fo a new machine anyway.

00h

dont scrap your computer.
my config:
epox 8kha+(kt266a)
sb 64v wdm drivers
win2000
Just reproduced your problem.
Then went to the bios settings, syncronised fsb and mem, pci latency 255, disabled all fancy pci bus options(delayed transactions etc.) and voila. no cracles.
Please troubleshoot yourself whitch settings does the trick.

Same problem with via chipset motherboard (Gigabyte GA - 7IXEH). It happens also rarely with my terratec soundcard(128iPCI).

Still haven't got to sleep, but tomorrow i'll nail that thing down. I guess(wild) that the pci latency is it.

AFAIK, LameACM doesn't have decoding implemented yet, and WMP doesn't use ACM but DS, so I guess it's FhG DS decoder (well, you can always check in WMP properties or in GraphEdit).

BTW maybe you'll see there some 'unexpected' filter loaded (none of the standard ones), which might cause distortions?.. Just guess.

It was that PCI latency timer afterall B)
My mobo defaults to 32 clcks, the sound crackles now and then
When set to 64 clocks, its perfect. If i hear another crackle I will go mad!
The weirdest thing is that in 98se everything was fine.(except stability)

no luck yet. i'll check the mem latency and try to install an alternative mp3-decoder. strange. i always thought, lame acm did already have the decoder implemented.

thanx guys.

00h

found a solution.

just thought, some of you might want to know...

i tried changing mem latency, reinstalling drivers and codecs. nothing worked. then i had a hunch and tried playing avis/mpegs with powerdvd instead of zoomplayer. sound ok.

so this happenend:

zoomplayer, bsplay, wmp: scraping sound.

powerdvd: no scraping.

beats me. anybody have a clue why this is so?
i thought every program used the same method decoding mp3 streams...

00h