[wdmaudiodev] Re: Windows 7, multi-channel, 16-bit, dither bug?

From: "David A. Hoatson" <dhoatson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <wdmaudiodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:27:28 -0700
So back in December I reported this bug to Microsoft.  I just received the
first response to the bug report today:

Here is the official response: 
----------------------
Resolved as Won't Fix

Due to several factors the product team decided to focus its efforts on
other items.

A more detailed explanation for the resolution of this particular item may
have been provided in the comments section."
----------------------

No additonal information was given.

I asked the rest of my development team if I could use this on our
customers: "Hey, we decided we just don't want to bother fixing bugs.
Please continue to give us millions of dollars a year, though."  For some
reason they didn't think I could get away with it.  I guess I don't have
enough zeroes in my bank account.

This is why compaines get bad reputations.  You find a problem and report
it, and they just say "tough luck".  Why bother reporting bugs if Microsoft
isn't going to bother to fix them?  In fact knows about the problem and
says, "Don't bother us with these problems".

At least when Apple took three years to fix the bugs in Core Audio I
reported, they did fix it. :-)

Thank you,
 
David A. Hoatson
Lynx Studio Technology, Inc.
www.lynxstudio.com
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> [mailto:wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David 
> A. Hoatson
> Sent: Monday, December 28, 2009 8:15 AM
> To: wdmaudiodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [wdmaudiodev] Re: Windows 7, multi-channel, 16-bit, 
> dither bug?
> 
> Posted bug with Microsoft Connect.
> 
> https://connect.microsoft.com/site148/feedback/ViewFeedback.as
> px?FeedbackID=
> 522288
> 
> Thank you,
>  
> David A. Hoatson
> Lynx Studio Technology, Inc.
> www.lynxstudio.com
>  
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> > [mailto:wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Frank Yerrace
> > Sent: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 1:52 PM
> > To: wdmaudiodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: [wdmaudiodev] Re: Windows 7, multi-channel, 16-bit, dither 
> > bug?
> > 
> > Yes, it can't hurt. This is (at least) the second report of 
> this kind 
> > I've heard on this list.
> > 
> > Frank Yerrace
> > Microsoft
> > 
> > This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no 
> > rights.
> > 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> > [mailto:wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David A. 
> > Hoatson
> > Sent: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 8:34 AM
> > To: wdmaudiodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: [wdmaudiodev] Re: Windows 7, multi-channel, 16-bit, dither 
> > bug?
> > 
> > Frank,
> > 
> > Should I submit a bug report on this one?
> > 
> > Thank you,
> >  
> > David A. Hoatson
> > Lynx Studio Technology, Inc.
> > www.lynxstudio.com
> >  
> > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> > > [mailto:wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David A.
> > > Hoatson
> > > Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 3:53 PM
> > > To: wdmaudiodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > Subject: [wdmaudiodev] Re: Windows 7, multi-channel, 
> 16-bit, dither 
> > > bug?
> > > 
> > > Frank,
> > > 
> > > I am using our Lynx Demo app which I wrote.  It is using MME
> > > (waveOutOpen) and the app doesn't touch the audio at all.  
> > > Playing a 44.1kHz file and the hardware is also set at
> > 44.1kHz so no
> > > SRC should be occuring in Windows.
> > > Our hardware level meters go to -114dB so I can clearly see
> > the extra
> > > bits getting messed with (shows -94dB, so I am seeing 
> 20dB of noise 
> > > above the threshold of the meters).
> > > Since I wrote the driver & app and it is our hardware the
> > only part we
> > > don't control is between MME and WDM in Windows, which is 
> of course 
> > > why I made the post. :-)
> > > 
> > > We have not seen the same problem in Windows Vista, so it must be 
> > > something new in Windows 7.
> > > 
> > > Thank you,
> > >  
> > > David A. Hoatson
> > > Lynx Studio Technology, Inc.
> > > www.lynxstudio.com
> > >  
> > > 
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> > > > [mailto:wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> > Frank Yerrace
> > > > Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 2:54 PM
> > > > To: wdmaudiodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > Subject: [wdmaudiodev] Re: Windows 7, multi-channel,
> > 16-bit, dither
> > > > bug?
> > > > 
> > > > How are you playing the file? What application? Or if you
> > wrote the
> > > > application, what audio API family is the application calling?
> > > > 
> > > > Also, just curious, how did you notice this? What
> > tools/process did
> > > > you use?
> > > > 
> > > > Frank Yerrace
> > > > Microsoft
> > > >  
> > > > This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
> > confers no
> > > > rights.
> > > > 
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> > > > [mailto:wdmaudiodev-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David A.
> > > > Hoatson
> > > > Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 9:55 AM
> > > > To: wdmaudiodev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > > Subject: [wdmaudiodev] Windows 7, multi-channel, 16-bit,
> > dither bug?
> > > > 
> > > > Hello,
> > > >  
> > > > It appears that Windows 7 WDM audio sub-system has a 
> strange bug 
> > > > (feature?!?).  When in 16-bit multi-channel mode (I'm using
> > > 5.1 for my
> > > > testing), and playing back a stereo file, there is some
> > audio being
> > > > played back (at a very low level) on channels 3, 4, 5 & 
> 6 when it 
> > > > should be streaming zeroes.
> > > > It is about 94dB down from the original signal, which 
> leads me to 
> > > > think that somehow the audio sub-system is applying 
> dither to the 
> > > > channels that should be playing silence.  I haven't 
> tried this on 
> > > > Vista yet, so I don't know if it does the same thing.  
> Windows XP 
> > > > obviously doesn't do this.
> > > > 24-bit mode works as expected.
> > > > 
> > > > Any ideas?
> > > >  
> > > > Thank you,
> > > >  
> > > > David A. Hoatson
> > > > Lynx Studio Technology, Inc.
> > > > www.lynxstudio.com
> > > > 
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Follow-Ups:
- [wdmaudiodev] Re: Windows 7, multi-channel, 16-bit, dither bug?
  - From: Andrew Elder
[wdmaudiodev] Re: Windows 7, multi-channel, 16-bit, dither bug?

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