A description of the Digital Audio Extraction feature in Windows Media Player (271647)

SUMMARY

This article discusses the Digital Audio Extraction feature of Microsoft Windows Media Player. Windows Media Player uses the Digital Audio Extraction feature when it plays or accesses an audio CD by means of direct digital data output from a CD-ROM rather than as analog audio data output from the CD-ROM's audio outputs.

MORE INFORMATION

You may observe the following behaviors when you use the Digital Audio Extraction feature:

In the Multimedia Mixer volume controls, CD Audio does not control the volume for the CD. The wave volume control now controls the volume. This change occurs because the audio data is transferred as digital data, the CPU converts the data from digital to analog, and then the data is converted to wave data.
You must turn off the Digital Audio Extraction feature in both Device Manager and Media Player. For more information about digital compact disc playback, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
266035 Digital CD playback continues after setting Windows Media Player 7 to analog CD playback
The CD headphone jack may not work. This behavior may occur if the computer system extracts data from the CD, and then uses its operating system to decode it.
The CD's audio playback may skip. This behavior occurs because there is an increased use of the CPU and the integrated device electronics (IDE) channel. This behavior may occur on computers that have a limited amount of CPU bandwidth, limited RAM, or if its hard disk's Direct Memory Access (DMA) is turned off. Also, you can resolve some problems with CD-ROMs by upgrading the CD-ROM's firmware.