[MPlayer-users] Sound issue with ac3 on PC speakers

[Ingo Brückl]

I've configured

  ao=alsa
  ac=hwac3,

for my Soundblaster Live. With mp3, aac etc. I have sound with both my
analogue PC stereo speakers and my digital surround receiver. With ac3 (both
stereo and 5.1) I have sound only with my surround receiver, but none with my
PC speakers.

Isn't it possible to have both AC3 pass-through and a 2 channel downmix for
the PC speakers simultaneously?

MPlayer's output

  Forced audio codec: hwac3
  Opening audio decoder: [hwac3] AC3/DTS pass-through S/PDIF
  hwac3: switched to AC3, 448000 bps, 48000 Hz

  AUDIO: 48000 Hz, 2 ch, ac3be, 448.0 kbit/29.17% (ratio: 56000->192000)
  Selected audio codec: [hwac3] afm: hwac3 (AC3 through S/PDIF)
  ==========================================================================
  [AO_ALSA] Format ac3be is not supported by hardware, trying default.
  AO: [alsa] 48000Hz 2ch ac3le (2 bytes per sample)

looks to me as if there should be a 2 channel sound, but it isn't.
Maybe I'm missing some config option?

Ingo