Connecting laptop to 5.1 receiver?

[Syringer]

My coworker's laptop has a 5.1 sound card with a SPDIF 3.5mm output and he wants to connect it to his 5.1 receiver. What does he need to do so?

 

[spidey07]

A 3.5mm to RCA Male cable.

 

[Tiamat]

get a RCA Digital interconnect with mini plug adapter and connect it to the Digital in SPDIF on teh reciever

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index...F8+to+rca+mono+cable&parentPage=search

 

[Syringer]

Will that preserve the 5.1/digital sound? Does that not convert it to analog first?

 

[spidey07]

Depends if the card can output 5.1 dolby digital.

 

[ForumMaster]

either what spidey said or if necessary, there are USB sound devices that can output the sound digitally. some laptops such as Apple's mac books come with an optical sound output that should be best.

 

[sdifox]

Normally, the minijack is in fact an optical out. you need an optical cable with a minijack connector. But if you already have the toslink cable, just an adaptor.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/produ...022902&p_id=1572&seq=1&format=2&style=

example of a cable with normal size toslink on one end and the minijack on the other.