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{{See also|WASAPI|Audio Output Modes}} Both Microsoft's [[WASAPI]] system and Apple's [[Core Audio]] API provide software with the ability to [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dd370844%28v=vs.85%29.aspx open audio streams in exclusive mode]. This provides a number of benefits, the primary of which is more direct and lower-latency access to the audio hardware. Media Center enables this option by default when you choose [[WASAPI]] or [[Core Audio]] as your [[Audio Output Mode]]. This setting can be toggled on and off via: <span style="color:#8B4513">Tools > Options > Audio > Audio Device > Device settings > Open device for exclusive access</span> [[File:MC19-Audio-WASAPI Device Settings.png|thumb|600px|none|Open device for exclusive access is recommended, but it is good to understand how it works.]] When Exclusive Access is enabled, then: * When you start playback, Media Center sends an exclusive-mode stream. If another audio device is ''currently'' using the audio hardware, the request for exclusive access is rejected, and playback fails. * While playback is active (including while paused) in Media Center, no other application on the system can use the specified audio device. Applications that attempt to play sound (such as system sounds or a web browser) will typically be automatically assigned to an alternate (perhaps disconnected) audio output on the computer, or playback will fail entirely. * As soon as playback is '''stopped''' in Media Center, the audio device again becomes available to the system for use by other applications. This allows Media Center to completely control the audio output, set any supported [[bitdepth]] and sample rate, and prevent other applications from interfering with the audio output. It is the recommended setting for WASAPI and Core Audio, and it is enabled in Media Center by default. == Requirements == [[File:Windows-Sound Properties Advanced.png|thumb|right|400px]] Exclusive Access requires: * An audio device driver that supports this mode. * A selected [[Audio Output Mode]] that supports Exclusive Access (such as WASAPI on Windows, or Core Audio on OSX). * In Windows under WASAPI, that ''Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device'' is enabled in the Advanced tab of the device's Properties dialog. Most standard Windows and OS X drivers for common audio hardware now properly support exclusive mode, though you may have difficulty with older hardware and with virtual sound devices included as part of virtual machines. Windows should default to allowing exclusive access (as described above), but you can verify this by: # Open the Sound control panel in Windows # Select your device and click Properties. # Switch to the Advanced tab. # Ensure that ''Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device'' and ''Give exclusive mode applications priority'' are both enabled. == Benefits and Considerations == Exclusive Access provides a number of sound quality and ease-of-use advantages, including: * It can play files of '''any sample rate''' natively, as long as your audio device supports the given sample rate. In Exclusive Mode ''it does not matter'' what ''Default Format'' is selected in the audio device's properties dialog on Windows, or in the ''Audio MIDI Setup utility'' on OSX. MC can "take control" and play any file supported natively by the audio device ''without'' resampling. * It can use your audio device's best supported [[bitdepth]] (which it does automatically). * It can directly control the number of '''output channels'''. This means that it can use a multichannel output even if the Speaker Configuration in the OS is set to Stereo-only. This is sometimes convenient when using Media Center with a Home Theater surround system and receiver, because you can set the OS default format to Stereo and allow the receiver to upconvert stereo sources to surround (for web browser audio and other applications). In Exclusive Mode, Media Center will still use the number of channels selected in the [[Output Format]] [[DSP]], regardless of the OS's Speaker Configuration setting. * It allows you to effectively use the ''[[Maximize device volume]] during playback feature'' to bypass your device's volume control and enable convenient use of MC's [[Internal Volume]] control. * It provides a much lower latency and hardware direct method for accessing and controlling the audio device. However, this means that while MC is ''playing'' or ''paused'', your audio device will be locked out from use by other applications on the system. You can't, for example: * Play a game with sound effects while listening to music * Watch a web video with sound while MC is playing something else. * Capture MC's audio output through other software applications like [https://www.rogueamoeba.com/audiohijackpro/ Audio Hijack Pro] or [http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html Camtasia Studio]. * Hear system sound alerts like email notifications and calendar alerts. == Disabling Exclusive Access == You can disable Exclusive Access by ''either'': * unchecking the ''Open device for exclusive access'' box in the <span style="color:#8B4513">Tools > Options > Audio > Audio Device > Device Settings</span> dialog. * switching the [[audio output mode]] to one that does not support Exclusive Access, such as DirectSound. [[File:MC19-Audio-WASAPI Exclusive Access.png|thumb|none|400px|The Exclusive Access setting]] === Issues with Disabling Exclusive Access in WASAPI === As described above, in WASAPI with Exclusive Mode enabled, Media Center can play any audio file natively without resampling. This means, for example, that audio files sourced from CD will play at their native 44.1kHz and audio from DVD and other video sources will play with their native 48kHz sample rate. It doesn't matter what the Default Format for the audio device is set to, as the OS does not need to resample and can play the file natively. Therefore, you can set MC's [[Output Format]] [[DSP]] to only resample those audio formats that your particular audio device does not support natively. On the other hand, unlike in the older Direct Sound API, Shared-mode WASAPI on Windows provides [http://mark-dot-net.blogspot.com/2008/06/what-up-with-wasapi.html no automatic resampling]. Therefore, with Exclusive Access disabled, Media Center '''must''' resample all audio output to match the currently selected Default format in Windows. Otherwise, playback will fail, because the audio device can't accept multiple streams in different formats simultaneously without resampling. This often manifests when you try to play files with differing sample rates. So, if the Default Format is set to 44.1kHz, you may not notice until you try to play a 48kHz video file, or the reverse. [[File:MC19-Error-Audio Output Format Mismatch.png|frame|none|This is the error dialog you'll see if you play any format other than the system's Default with Exclusive Mode disabled.]] '''If you disable Exclusive Mode in WASAPI on Windows, then you must set Media Center's [[Output Format]] DSP to resample ''all'' audio to match the format you have selected as the Default Format for the audio device.''' In WASAPI non-Exclusive mode, the Windows Default Format setting now becomes the only output setting that MC can use, and you must resample all other formats to match this format. [[File:Windows-Sound Properties Advanced-Default Format.png|frame|none|Without Exclusive Access, this will be the only format that will play successfully.]] :'''''Please Note''''': Core Audio on OS X does not suffer from the sample rate limitation, as it automatically switches the format and resamples as is needed on the fly. However, if you want to be sure to preserve the original format of your audio file and play them natively, Exclusive Mode is still recommended as it prevents other applications from changing the output format. === Alternatives to Disabling Exclusive Access === {{See also|Zones}} As described above, using Exclusive Access in Media Center provides substantial flexibility for MC to provide the best possible sound quality for your hardware. That's why it is the default and recommended setting. However, there are some cases where you may want to occasionally disable this to accomplish a particular task (such as those described above in the [[Exclusive_Access#Benefits_and_Considerations|Benefits and Considerations]] section). Rather than disabling Exclusive Access entirely, or switching to a lesser quality mode that doesn't support it, you can make a second [[Zone]] in Media Center that uses the same output, and use this Zone instead when you need to accomplish those tasks, while keeping your "regular" Zone set with Exclusive Access enabled for general usage. To do this: # Go to Player > Zone > Add Zone. # In the ''Add Zone'' dialog that appears, give the new Zone a clear name (such as "Non-Exclusive"). # Select your current regular Zone in the ''Copy'' combobox. # Click OK to add the Zone. Then, switch to your newly created Zone and modify the settings there to either: * Disable Exclusive Access and enable resampling in the [[Output Format]] [[DSP]]. * Switch your Audio Device to a mode that doesn't support Exclusive Access, such as DirectSound. Since Audio settings and DSP settings are applied per-Zone, this will not modify the settings in your original "standard" Zone. But, any time you need to play music while you are playing the latest Battlefield, you can switch MC to this alternate zone and you will be able to use it alongside other applications. [[Category:Frequently Asked Questions]] [[Category:Audio]] [[Category:Options]] [[Category:Troubleshooting]]
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