Thors1982 Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Hey, Sorry, I wasn't sure where I should have posted this.... I was going to post it in the Sound Card section but seems like no one ever reads that. I have been having some major problems trying to hook up my Computer to My Reciever. I am pretty sure I need a SPDIF out, to hook up to a Coaxial cable. But with my soundcard "Creative SoundBlaster 5.1 Live!" It doesn't have one, just has the little 3.5mm hookups. Not sure I understand how a sound card can be 5.1 and not support Dolby Digital or can it just not output it to another source. Anyways, I found a connector from my Motherboards sound card that has a SPDIF connector, I can't find anywhere in the manual that it supports Dolby Digital however. It is a "C-Media 6-Channel Integrated Audio" on a Asus A7N266 nForce 420 Chipset(Motherboard). Any ideas... on what will work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juba310 Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 I'm not sure about the motherboard idea... but why not just buy a new soundcard You can get one that would fit your purpose for around 50 bucks, and the sound quality would be better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thors1982 Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 $50 is not bad at all The problem is I have no clue what kind of soundcard to get, my current computer speakers require a Digital out (not coaxial just a little 3.5mm). So I need to find a soundcard with a 3.5mm digital out, and a Coaxial digital out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juba310 Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Look for an audigy or audigy platinum (it has the live drive thing). These are both good choices that should have what you need. The audigy platinum would cost a little bit more, but has more options like you can just use a toslink cable to hook up to your receiver. It also supports digital speakers (i used to use my old BA735's with it). The normal audigy should also work, but I'm not sure how exactly one would do it, as it doesnt have a toslink jack but rather a different type of digital out. I'm pretty sure either will work though. BTW: if you're interested, I have and audigy platinum that I no longer use that I could sell you. PS: mind that im talking about the ORIGINAL audigy's here... not the audigy 2's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thors1982 Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 What is a toslink cable? Is that different than a digital optical cable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juba310 Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 I think its the same thing... thats what i meant. I might be using the wrong term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thors1982 Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 See... now I am mad, I was hoping that since I had a 5.1 sound card and a 6.1 Soundcard on the motherboard... I wouldn't have to buy a soundcard, cause now that I look at it, my soundcard is still worth $50. If I wanted to get the cheapest audigy 2 Soundcard it was $130 on Compusa. I was hoping to do this for the cost of a cable... or less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juba310 Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 To get the best price on computer stuff online, use ebay or a price search engine. Pricewatch.com is my favorite for computer related items. Take a gander over there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thors1982 Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 I am reading the manual for my sound card.... and it has a couple choices.... Not sure I understand any of them so I am going to post a link and explain them Please help http://files.americas.creative.com/manualdn/Manuals/790/English.pdf pg 18-20 First option: Use digital Out(3.5mm), and connect to a Dolby Digital(AC-3) SPDIF In using a a 3.5mm(mono) to RCA cable I have never heard of a cable that goes from a 3.5mm to a Coaxial Second Option: Use 3 sets of 3.5mm(stereo) to RCA cables Simply connect 3 3.5mm stereo cables to 6 stereo inputs Now, How would I connect this to my Denon 3803, would I use the EXT.IN or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juba310 Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Sounds like either of those options would work. yes, there are stereo(mini-plug) to RCA cables... but i'm not sure if this would work, as the signal you'd be sending is digital and not analog. Someone else might have better knowledge on that than I. as for the second option, that seems like it would work fine, given the receiver has the plugs to connect it to. Experiment if you're not sure... the cables needed are pretty cheap; just buy one and test it first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thors1982 Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 Can you help me find a cable that goes with the first option.... I am flipping through my parts express magazine like crazy, dunno what im looking for :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juba310 Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 something like this maybe http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=42-2551 except, thats stereo and you need mono... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Parts express doesn't exactly have what you need, and I don't know if radio shack does or not. 3.5 mm is the same as 1/8". You could plug a stereo y - cable in and use only one rca plug, it will work the same. # 240-135 will work fine for option #1, just use one plug, you could tape the other one up if you like. Or, you could buy connectors and make your own cable, if you have soldering skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thors1982 Posted April 27, 2004 Author Share Posted April 27, 2004 Wait wait.... so option #1 is not in surround sound thats just purely mono? Also will option #2 end up being equivalent or close to dolby digital? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 Option # 1 --- Your sound card outputs a digital signal --- not an analog one, through that plug. It is the same as having a digital coaxial connector, only with a really small 1/8" ( 3.5 mm ) plug. So, instead of an optical output, you need a copper cable, not a fibre optic. Your ht receiver will decode the 5.1 signal fed through this cable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thors1982 Posted April 28, 2004 Author Share Posted April 28, 2004 Wow, so is it an actual cable that is 3.5mm on one end and (coaxial or optical) on the other? Or does my reciever have to accept a special kind of input? I have a Denon3803, only inputs I have is standard stereo RCA, Coaxial and Optical. BTW, Thanks everyone for your help. I am sure I made this way more complicated than I had to but I have been looking up information on it for at least 5 hours. So I just wanted to say thanks a whole lot I definately owe you guys :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdc Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 ---------------- On 4/28/2004 12:32:38 AM Thors1982 wrote: Wow, so is it an actual cable that is 3.5mm on one end and (coaxial or optical) on the other? Or does my reciever have to accept a special kind of input? ---------------- The physical medium has nothing to do with the actual signal. You should be able to just plug that Y splitter in and hook it up to your receiver. The digital signal will contain all the audio data for all 5 channels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thors1982 Posted April 28, 2004 Author Share Posted April 28, 2004 OK, so I just use a regular RCA Y splitter and plugging that into a regular RCA Red/White input on my reciever will be equivalent to 5.1 or if a program uses Dolby Digital it will be equivalent to that? Again, I am sorry just not grasping this.... My previous knowledge was RCA Red/White = Stereo(left+right speaker) Coaxial or Optical = Digital (surround sound) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfmacken Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 This is actually extremely easy to do. All you need is a little 3.5mm to female rca (mono) adapter (not a cable!). These can be found at radio shack for a buck or two. Then, all you do is connect a digital coax cable from this adapter to the digital coax input on your receiver. done. Your soundcard may have to be set to a certain output frequency for your receiver to decode the signal (it might only understand 48khz or less). I understand the audigy can do 90+khz, which would not be able to be decoded by many receivers. As far as the rca splitter scenario goes- I don't think that would work. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfmacken Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 Also, I forgot to mention that this will all be connected to the spdif out of your soundblaster live. I am pretty sure it will have one, and soundblaster usually combines this little headphone-like-jack with the ability to hookup the analog center and subwoofer channels. The idea of a digital signal coming through a 3.5mm jack is kind of strange isnt it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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