PC to receiver audio question

[ontherocks]

My laptop has 3 3.5mm jacks (mic in, headphone, headphone/s/pdif). HP has notified us that they are replacing our computer. They can't get the s/pdif to work either.

What is your Laptop Model No??
Cool......their ignorance is your bliss..........you are getting a new Lappy

 

[GlocksRock]

If you would use the A/V receiver for all your audio playback you don't need any analog output at all. You can play everything through digital output (mono, stereo, 5.1 DTS/DD......everything)
If you want to connect small speakers directly to your Lappy only then you need analog output.

To get digital output to work you will have to enable it in both in the audio controller of the soundcard as well in the audio output settings of the media player software. For example if you use PowerDVD then you would have to select SPDIF output in the audio settings of PowerDVD as well as select digital/SPDIF output in the audio controller of the soundcard by double clicking in the speaker icon in the taskbar.

I did that, but nothing would work. I'm thinking it really doesn't have s/pdif out even though it says it does.

I got my new sound card in yesterday with s/pdif out, the normal kind... and once I got everything configured I was able to enable s/pdif out in the control panel and once that was done, I saw s/pdif output options not previously available in the media players, which is what leads me to belive that my integrated audio in my desktop, and my laptop isn't really s/pdif capable.

My laptop is a Dell Inspiron E1405 and the desktop is a Dell Dimension E520n

 

[Davemcc]

What is your Laptop Model No??
Cool......their ignorance is your bliss..........you are getting a new Lappy

The model of mine is DV6233SE. Any suggestions for a replacement HP equal or greater are welcome.

GlocksRock,
What drivers did you use? Are they specific to that soundcard or can they be used with the existing onboard cards?

 

[GlocksRock]

I just used the sigmatel drivers that were preinstalled. It appears that it's working fine, but I just don't really think that it's a true s/pdif output, I have everything setup the way it should be, but I just get no audio, but I did get audio on my media pc when I put the soundcard in, so I know how to setup the software to output 5.1. At this point, I'm not too worried about it anymore since I already have the new soundcard up and running, and the chances of me needing to output 5.1 from my laptop are extremely slim.

 

[agarwalro]

so this is what I need right?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062459&cp=2032058&pg=2&f=Taxonomy/RSK/2032058&retainProdsInSession=1&categoryId=2032058&kwCatId=2032058&kw=rca+adapter&numProdsPerPage=100&parentPage=search

I would imagine a direrct cable would be better than an adapter. Something like this maybe, 1/8" Phono to RCA Cable

 

[GlocksRock]

Either way it should have worked, and probably does work, I think my problem was that the onboard audio really isn't s/pdif capable, and I thought it was. But now that I have a real sound card, I don't need to worry about it anymore.

 

[gus6464]

The S/PDIF connector that is on most laptops and sound cards are mostly toslink based and not coax. To be on the safe side you could always just get this cable from monoprice for 5 bucks.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10229&cs_id=1022902&p_id=1557&seq=1&format=2&style=

That is the one I use for my wife and I's macbook pros and also for the airport express.

 

[GlocksRock]

Thanks, but I don't need it anymore... I got my new soundcard with digital coax output and it works great. Althought I kinda doubt my laptop has digital optical output. This is Dell's idea of s/pdif
http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=uk&l=en&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&sku=470-10382&~lt=popup&~ck=ManRelated notice the lack of any actual digital type cable.

 

[jaxvon]

Thanks, but I don't need it anymore... I got my new soundcard with digital coax output and it works great. Althought I kinda doubt my laptop has digital optical output. This is Dell's idea of s/pdif
http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=uk&l=en&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&sku=470-10382&~lt=popup&~ck=ManRelated notice the lack of any actual digital type cable.

It looks like the 1/8" port might need a stereo adapter. Judging from the picture, it has S/PDIF I/O through the single jack, hence the need for a split to a pair of RCA jacks. Also, if it's like the digital output on my Creative Audigy ZS 2 PCMCIA card, then it uses an 1/8" optical connection, but that's probably not the case.

 

[Sheep]

Creative uses the 1/8 size jack on they're digital output as well. The 1/8 to RCA cables works there. That's weird how you can't have both running at the same time... My soundstorm is probably the best on board audio ever made..

The only reason to stay socket A

SheepStar