Cheap optical in...

[chedabob]

Nope, the input is for a digital signal from CD players (the proper pro ones) or other high-end audio equipment. Most cards don't have decoders because it's all done in software.

[:D:]

Mine has decoders. No optical input, but it decodes from the DVD at studio quality. It was also $100, though. I don't use optical input because it's really only for total snobs or if you're running the cabling a long distance. I've got a $230 setup and can't hear the difference between 320kbps MP3 and WAV for music. Movies do sound superior with studio quality, but it's very slight and mostly because there's more going on at once in movie sound than music much of the time.

[chedabob]

Yeah, but if you give it a DD optical signal, will it decode and output it as analogue? From what I read, if you give it an optical input, it'll just output it the same. It won't touch the signal at all.

[:D:]

If you get a card with built-in decoders it outputs to whatever you have it set to output to. If I had equipment that used it I could output to S/PDIF.

Goalie, why exactly do you need optical and not analog input, anyway? You can get an adapter to change RCA to 1/8" stereo jack for a couple bucks at Radio Shack. That's only a bad idea if you're running the cord fifteen feet or something.

[chedabob]

I'm assuming he has a set of cheap speakers that don't have their own decoder, so he's attempting to take the optical input from a device, and then decode it output it to his speakers.

[:D:]

Yeah, but analog input is cheaper and probably exists on his built-in sound.

[Power666]

Creative has an external box which decodes Dolby Digital and DTS and outputs that signal to standard PC speakers. Switching between PC audio and console audio is simply selecting the input on the box. Dolby Digital and DTS can be had from his PC if he happens to have the appropriate sound card that'll encode that signal to the optical connector (several sound cards can do this).

[InsightGoalie]

See I thought this would be easy. Just run an optical line from the out on my tv to the in on the computer and be able to listen through my 5.1 speakers... If this is really that hard then maybe it's not worth it... If I use analog I wont get the 5.1 signal, or will I? Wont I only get stereo?

[InsightGoalie]

Originally Posted by Power666

Creative has an external box which decodes Dolby Digital and DTS and outputs that signal to standard PC speakers. Switching between PC audio and console audio is simply selecting the input on the box. Dolby Digital and DTS can be had from his PC if he happens to have the appropriate sound card that'll encode that signal to the optical connector (several sound cards can do this).

So, how does that work? I would just hook up the optical line from the tv to that and that to the PC? Or do the PC speakers hook up to that?

[chedabob]

PC speakers go to that, so does the optical connection.

You can buy better/cheaper decoders though. Google "Dolby digital 5.1 decoder".