stark16

You may have to enable digital out on through the DVD player's menu options...I had to do this for my PS2 and my brother's DVD player. Cheers

Here's a link that has a picture of the back: http://www.soundwise.org/gethelp/dd51.htm

what sound card are you using?

I don't think the DD-5.1 is your problem. Make sure you enable digital out on your computer's speaker settings. Also, under Creative's "Audio Hq" double-click on "Device Controls" and enable SPDIF passthrough under the "Decoder" tab. Now to get true 5.1 out of the DD-5.1 you need to send it a Dobly Digital or DTS encoded signal. Otherwise you're just gonna get 2 channels. You can use the Pro Logic feature on the DD-5.1 to simulate surround, but it won't be true surround sound. Keep in mind that if you watch a DVD through your PC, you will most likely have to enable SPDIF in the Audio settings for the DVD software. I don't have an XBOX, but I know with the PS2 you have to enable digital out through the console itself. Again, you'll need to have a game or DVD that has DD/DTS to get true 5.1. Hope this helps.

I use this: http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F007%5F002%5F003%5F009&product%5Fid=42%2D2550 Works just fine. Cheers, John

No, I believe only an SACD players is capable of decoding that signal...highly proprietary from what I've heard. I think you're stuck using the analog outs on that player straight to your speakers. To get true 5 channel audio without enabling Pro Logic, the DD-5.1 needs a DD/DTS encoded signal. How are you connecting the SACD player to the DD-51 btw? What Pioneer model do you have?

You seem to have everything hooked up correctly. The RCA jacks on the back of the DD-5.1 are for other devices (stereo, tv, etc.) outputing a stereo signal. To get true 5.1 out of your speakers, you have to send a DD/DTS encoded signal to the decoder. If it isn't a DD/DTS encoded signal, you'll only get stereo. You can use the Prologic feature on the DD-5.1 to emulate surround sound when you're listening to music or games that won't output a DD/DTS signal. To work around this I keep an extra set of 1/8" stereo cables hooked up to the back of my Audigy. When I want to use the Audigy to decodes signals or use all 5 channels, I unplug the cables that connect the DD-5.1 to the sub, and plug the extra set of cables into the sub. Hope this helps. John

The DD-5.1 has a remote control and a volume function. It will not by itself power on the Promedia's. I have my Promedia's set to a volume of 65 and use the DD-5.1's remote to tweak it. The DD-5.1 uses an adapter cable that has two RCA plugs on one end and a female 1/8" on the other. You'd use the standard 1/8" cables to plug into the female ends. John

Here are a few reasons I can think of: 1. If you have multiple devices (TV, DVD Player, Stereo) and want one place to plug them all into one place and not have to connect your Pro Medias into each device seperately. 2. Alot of people feel the DD-5.1 is better at decoding and outputing a quality DD/DTS signal than a soundcard...this of course is debatable and depends on your soundcard. Either way, the difference between the two is certainly not night and day. These are two that come to mind. The DD-5.1 is not essential, but it is a very nice addition. John

You may not have to hook up any additional cables from your sound card to the DD-5.1. I'm connected via an optical cable to my DD-5.1 and I still get a stereo signal. The DD-5.1 will automatically display what kind of signal it is receiving. And yes, it does come with a remote. Just so you know, Creative has a decoder set to hit the market soon and it's being highly anticipated by alot members on this forum. It includes Pro Logic II as well as Dolby Digital EX & DTS-ES for 6.1 & 7.1 speaker systems and Neo:6 for cinema and music modes. There also seems to be a rumor spreading that a new Klipch decoder might be a possibility...but even if it is true, it'd probably be a while before it came out. Either way, I'm sure you'll enjoy the sound out of those Ultras! John

The only way to get a signal to anything other than the front two channels when not sending a DD/DTS encoded signal to the DD-5.1 is to use the Pro Logic feature. Quoting from another source: "Pro logic is a virtual device, developed by Dolby, to makes a stereo sound appears to be 3D, by spreading it over 5 boxes. It is the predecessor of Dolby Digital 5.1, that seperates the five different chanels. You can use Pro Logic to play a stereo sound in a virtual 3D environment." I would imagine this is similar to Santa Cruz's "Virtual 5.1". As to the merits of Pro Logic, I can't really speak. I don't use it myself. From what I've read, people seem to either love or hate it (and they have since developed Pro Logic II). In any case I would give it a try. There should be a button on the remote to enable this feature. When I want to use all five channels, I just use an extra set of 1/8" stereo cables I have plugged into the 3 analog outs on the back of my sound card and have them placed next to the subwoofer from a quick switch. As to your question about getting digital 5.1, provided you have enabled the digital out on your soundcard and enabled SPDIF passthrough in your DVD players audio configuration, then yes, you should be getting digital surround sound. Hope this helps, John

You may have already done so, but have you enabled digital out or SPDIF pass-through on your PC. Also, you have to enable SPDIF in PowerDVD's audio configuration. John

I can understand your frustrations...it took me a while to do the same thing with my Audigy2. I've found a page on the Turtel Beach website that explains how to enable digital output (using the VersaJack) on the Santa Cruz card and what cable you need to connect it to the DD-5.1: http://www.turtlebeach.com/site/kb_ftp/5853012.asp This should do it for you. John

Using the digital out, you can pass an DD/DTS signal from your soundcard with one cable. The DD-5.1 decodes that signal and sends it to the appropiate channels. The other RCA inputs on the DD-5.1 are for 2 channel signals from other devices (TV, Stereo). The only way to get 6 channel output from the DD-5.1 (w/out using Pro Logic) is to use either the digital coax or optical ins, and sending it an DD/DTS encoded signal. John

If it has a digital out (which I think it does) then yes. Justin's site, Soundwise.org, has detailed instructions for doing so: http://www.soundwise.org/gethelp/dd512.html