5.1 Surround Sound on PC

[envy me]

Just a quick question. I've got Creative Audigy + Logitech 5500 setup on my pc and I know both are 5.1 compatible.

MP3's are only stereo and will not play 5.1 and from what I recall, games are not true 5.1 either.

I wanted to know how/what can actually use true 5.1 surround sound on a pc setup.

the DVD's I watch are usually watched directly from HD and not DVD drive if that matters.

 

[Howard]

DD/DTS [5.1] signals can be output properly with a TOSLink or S/P-DIF connection. Some newer cards will also encode [ordinarily analog] surround-sound to digital-out, IIRC.

 

[envy me]

Originally posted by: Howard
DD/DTS [5.1] signals can be output properly with a TOSLink or S/P-DIF connection. Some newer cards will also encode [ordinarily analog] surround-sound to digital-out, IIRC.

can you elaborate? I am not familiar with S/P-DIF at all. I know that I am on analog right now and that I can go digital (either coax or optical) but from what I've read elsewhere digital does not really benefit much unless you are watching DVDs (correct me if I'm wrong).

With my setup, when could I expect to get true 5.1 surround sound out of my speakers? games? music? movies?

 

[Crescent13]

With audigy's you usually want to stick with analog. First...


Go to your control panel, Sounds and Audio Devices, and in the speaker settings box click advanced. Now set it to 5.1 Speakers. Then in the games, go to your audio options and set them to 5.1 Surround sound. (if the game will let you). For MP3's, they are only encoded in stereo and are not 5.1 Surround sound formats, however, the sound blaster cards come with something called CMSS3D which will split the signal to 5.1 speakers. Go to start, Programs, Creative, Creative Audio Console, then click on the CMSS3d tab and choose CMSS or CMSS2 or Stereo Surround. This is all personal preference. Hope this helps.

 

[envy me]

Originally posted by: Crescent13
With audigy's you usually want to stick with analog. First...


Go to your control panel, Sounds and Audio Devices, and in the speaker settings box click advanced. Now set it to 5.1 Speakers. Then in the games, go to your audio options and set them to 5.1 Surround sound. (if the game will let you). For MP3's, they are only encoded in stereo and are not 5.1 Surround sound formats, however, the sound blaster cards come with something called CMSS3D which will split the signal to 5.1 speakers. Go to start, Programs, Creative, Creative Audio Console, then click on the CMSS3d tab and choose CMSS or CMSS2 or Stereo Surround. This is all personal preference. Hope this helps.

thnak you... yes it does help.

One 2 last questions though.

1. What advantages are there of running digital over analog?

2. If I do decide to go digital, should I go coax or optical?

thanks for your help.

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: envy me

Originally posted by: Crescent13
With audigy's you usually want to stick with analog. First...


Go to your control panel, Sounds and Audio Devices, and in the speaker settings box click advanced. Now set it to 5.1 Speakers. Then in the games, go to your audio options and set them to 5.1 Surround sound. (if the game will let you). For MP3's, they are only encoded in stereo and are not 5.1 Surround sound formats, however, the sound blaster cards come with something called CMSS3D which will split the signal to 5.1 speakers. Go to start, Programs, Creative, Creative Audio Console, then click on the CMSS3d tab and choose CMSS or CMSS2 or Stereo Surround. This is all personal preference. Hope this helps.

thnak you... yes it does help.

One 2 last questions though.

1. What advantages are there of running digital over analog?

2. If I do decide to go digital, should I go coax or optical?

thanks for your help.

1. The signal is much more resistant to noise and interference. There are disadvantages too however.

2. Won't matter. I prefer optical to avoid grounding issues, but everyone has there favorite and will result in the same performance.

 

[InlineFour]

most people use optical/toslink when they connect from a dvd player to an amp/receiver.

 

[DaveSimmons]

With an analog connection you get 5.1 surround in games (and movies). This is "true" 5.1 just not compressed into a lossy dolby digital signal.

With a digital connection from Creative cards you get just stereo for games, only movies are 5.1.

Some other companies (not Creative) make cards that do real-time dolby encoding of game audio, so that 5.1 game audio can be send over a digital connection. This loads down the CPU though so you might not want one unless you have a dual-core system.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: envy me

Originally posted by: Howard
DD/DTS [5.1] signals can be output properly with a TOSLink or S/P-DIF connection. Some newer cards will also encode [ordinarily analog] surround-sound to digital-out, IIRC.

can you elaborate? I am not familiar with S/P-DIF at all.

S/P-DIF stands for Sony/Philips-Digital Interface Format (IIRC) - i.e. digital over coax. TOSLink (TOShiba Link or something) is digital over plastic fiber.

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: InlineFour
most people use optical/toslink when they connect from a dvd player to an amp/receiver.

Actually, its split pretty evenly

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: envy me

Originally posted by: Howard
DD/DTS [5.1] signals can be output properly with a TOSLink or S/P-DIF connection. Some newer cards will also encode [ordinarily analog] surround-sound to digital-out, IIRC.

can you elaborate? I am not familiar with S/P-DIF at all.

S/P-DIF stands for Sony/Philips-Digital Interface Format (IIRC) - i.e. digital over coax. TOSLink (TOShiba Link or something) is digital over plastic fiber.

or glass

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: PurdueRy

Originally posted by: InlineFour
most people use optical/toslink when they connect from a dvd player to an amp/receiver.

Actually, its split pretty evenly

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: envy me

Originally posted by: Howard
DD/DTS [5.1] signals can be output properly with a TOSLink or S/P-DIF connection. Some newer cards will also encode [ordinarily analog] surround-sound to digital-out, IIRC.

can you elaborate? I am not familiar with S/P-DIF at all.

S/P-DIF stands for Sony/Philips-Digital Interface Format (IIRC) - i.e. digital over coax. TOSLink (TOShiba Link or something) is digital over plastic fiber.

or glass

Who's ever heard of TOSLink over glass? Maybe ST, but not TOSLink.

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: PurdueRy

Originally posted by: InlineFour
most people use optical/toslink when they connect from a dvd player to an amp/receiver.

Actually, its split pretty evenly

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: envy me

Originally posted by: Howard
DD/DTS [5.1] signals can be output properly with a TOSLink or S/P-DIF connection. Some newer cards will also encode [ordinarily analog] surround-sound to digital-out, IIRC.

can you elaborate? I am not familiar with S/P-DIF at all.

S/P-DIF stands for Sony/Philips-Digital Interface Format (IIRC) - i.e. digital over coax. TOSLink (TOShiba Link or something) is digital over plastic fiber.

or glass

Who's ever heard of TOSLink over glass? Maybe ST, but not TOSLink.

http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat_id=2001&sku=45456

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOSLINK

no?

 

[PhoenixOrion]

Originally posted by: envy me

Just a quick question. I've got Creative Audigy + Logitech 5500 setup on my pc and I know both are 5.1 compatible.

MP3's are only stereo and will not play 5.1 and from what I recall, games are not true 5.1 either.

I wanted to know how/what can actually use true 5.1 surround sound on a pc setup.

the DVD's I watch are usually watched directly from HD and not DVD drive if that matters.

connect your audigy to z5500 using the 3-plug 6ch direct. use this for gaming and set within computer as crescent13 explained.

also connect your audigy to z5500 using coax digital. use z5500 control center and use "effect" to listen to 5.1 music or movies should go default DD PL2 or DTS.

 

[jonnybruno]

i have an audigy and klispch 5.1 i used the codec setup here. http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/48608 im using analog connections, and if a movie i have has 5.1, i go to in windows media player, tools, options, dvd tab, advanced, and under input/output click on AC3. that gives me DD sound. non DD movies you have to click back on the other tabs.. 16, 24, 32, 32.
for music i use the eax CMSS 3D stereo surround w/ izotope ozone plugin for winamp and it sounds great.

if you use vlc player it will pick up the 5.1 encoded in movies.