Anything bad about using an Acoustic Edge thru analog 5.1 out with a dolby digital ready sound sound system?

[Joony]

since i don't have a dolby digital reciever, i have to use analog 5.1 out...anything bad about using it out like this?

 

[MasterHoss]

Nope, as long as you're getting your 5.1 sound. I actually do not get center channel voice unless I watch DVDs using PowerDVD3.0 Pro (since I do not have a DD decoder and/or HERCULES WILL NOT RELEASE DRIVERS FOR THE GTXP TO SUPPORT "VIRTUAL 5.1"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

 

[Joony]

oh dang...better then nothin...

 

[Conroy9]

not sure what hoss is talking about, but analog 5.1 out is fine..

in fact, as far as i know, it's the only way you'll get 5.1 sound for games and be able to use their qmss sound effects in 5.1, since the digital out is only a passthrough for dvd's (it does not do any dolby digital encoding)

hm it seems like hoss isn't even talking about the acoustic edge.

 

[Joony]

oh, so perhaps i play need for speed 3...and set it for surround...will it use all the channels?

 

[MasterHoss]

Yup, it'll use 4 channel surround sound via D3d.

Conroy9, I answered his question--"Nope, as long as you're getting your 5.1 sound" meaning that ....what you said basically. The rest of my post was about the GTXP.

 

[Joony]

what about the center speaker? not all 5.1?

 

[MasterHoss]

Is there some kind of forced 5.1 mode for the Accoustic Edge? If not, you will only get the 4.1 surround sound. The Santa Cruz has "Virtual 5.1" the SB Live! has "5.1 speaker mode" the GTXP has "6 speaker mode" which doesn't do jack unless watching DVDs, if your sound card is more like the SB Live! (which I remember hearing it is), you'll be good to go.

Note that if you do get 5.1 sound, your center channel will be nothing but your left and right front channels mixed and forced out of the center channel (so not really a center channel).

 

[Conroy9]

the acoustic edge has a qmss mode, which is supposedly a little smarter than just mixing the front speakers to create a center..

i've listened to it and it sounds pretty good with music, but i didn't play many games with my AE because it was too unstable in win2k (this was a couple months ago, so the drivers may have improved)