5.1 not outputting from my motherboard?

[Deders]

Is the optical connection not on your receiver?

 

[tinpanalley]

Is the optical connection not on your receiver?

It goes from the PC to an optical 3-input switcher under the TV itself from where it then goes to the other meter and a half to the receiver.
So you still think 45€ on the cables makes more sense than buying a sound card?

 

[tinpanalley]

not sure why you don't connect by analog to your receiver from the board

Got all the cables, setting that up. But, is there any way to continue to get sound to my PC speakers when I'm at the desktop? The speaker plug for my desktop speakers is in use by the RCA-minijack cable.

 

[Deders]

Got all the cables, setting that up. But, is there any way to continue to get sound to my PC speakers when I'm at the desktop? The speaker plug for my desktop speakers is in use by the RCA-minijack cable.

If your front panel is hooked up you can plug the speakers into the headphone socket when you want to use them. You should be able to configure the soundcard's software to disable the other outputs when the headphone socket is in use, or not depending on your preference.

 

[tinpanalley]

If your front panel is hooked up you can plug the speakers into the headphone socket when you want to use them. You should be able to configure the soundcard's software to disable the other outputs when the headphone socket is in use, or not depending on your preference.

Ok, thanks. Letting the speakers come from the front panel is gonna require a right angle minijack plug or else it's going to get whacked because of where the desktop sits. So, while that ships from Amazon, I'm just swapping from the back socket.
Now, everything is working fine, but the left speaker is faint. Works in EVERY other configuration on the receiver. That sounds like the RCA cable itself or the RCA jack on the receiver right?

 

[Deders]

What happens if you swap the rca cable?

 

[tinpanalley]

What happens if you swap the rca cable?

...just trying that.

EDIT: Just swapped the surround speakers cable and the front speakers cable and the left worked. Darn.. At least it's the cable and not the plug on the receiver. Much harder to fix.

EDIT 2: Can't explain it for the life of me, but that worked. Swapping the pairs. How can that be? (See, most people just say, ok that worked and move on. But nerdy me, I now need to understand why...:$)

 

[tinpanalley]

Just wanted to let everyone in here know that helped me that I now have the desktop speakers working and also have the analog cables sending the 5.1 to my stereo. I wish there was a way to automate it changing based on what I'm outputting to but having to go into 'Playback Devices' every time will do for now.
Thanks!

 

[Deders]

Some programs will allow you to specify which device you want to use with that program.

 

[piasabird]

HDMI is suppose to allow the unencoded text(sound signal) to pass through directly from your PC through HDMI, to your TV/peripheral without decoding and allow your TV to decode it assuming it is 5.1 and it meets the HDPC requirements. Otherwise your computer will decode the original signal and then reencode it as 2.1. See the HDMI 4.1 specification. So if you have ripped a video it might not be considered legitimate by MS and then get decoded and reencoded as lower quality sound.