[vasvir]

I can attest that KODI has options to bypass the default audio format that was automatically selected during handshake usually through HDMI.

The use case is the following. Consider one that has:

  * 5.1 capable audio system
  * A TVBox (KODI)
  * A TV
  * A projector

Now

  * The TV apps can play 5.1 content
  * The TVBox (KODI) can play 5.1 content when connected to TV through HMDI (5.1 was agreed in the handshake between TV and TVBox)
  * The TVBox __cannot play__ 5.1 content when connected to projector through HDMI because the projector is stereo audio only and there is no option to accept 5.1 content.

KODI gives the capability to __force__ audio output to be 5.1 if the playing video has it. It can transcoding on the fly i.e simple 5.1 in file to DTS.

It does not bypass ALSA. It uses ALSA. It bypasses the original HDMI handshake and follows the user's wishes.

Of course it does not work in my case because a) that's the universe we live and b) it hits some android capability / security problem and it switches back to stereo output.