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enable 5.1 decoding

S

Steam

Junior Member
Hi,

I have a Logitech Z-5500 and a Creative Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro sound card. I am unable to enable the 5.1 decoding on the sound card when watching DVD's. I have connected the SPDIF and optical cables both and if i use the external processor on the speaker then I get the Dolby Digital or DTS symbol on the console. However, if i use the card, i don't get that. How do you enable 5.1 decoding on the card. I have tried various options but have come up with nothing.

Thx,
Steam 🙂
 
It sounds like its doing exactly what it should be doing. You are outputting raw audio with the spdif or optical to the head unit, which is decoding into DTS/DD. so your saying even when this even occurs you're not getting sound from the surround speakers?
 
If you are using a digital connection you normally want to "pass through" DD 5.1 to the receiver not "decode" it in the PC.

The reason you would turn on decoding by the soundcard is to use the 6-channel (3 x stereo miniplug) _analog_ outputs of the soundcard, not a digital out.
 
ummm.....no....here's what's happening.

1. I am using the sound card decoder to deocde a DVD movie i am watching using WinDVD. I am using optical output. Ideally, i should the Dolby Digital symbol on my speaker console. But, I do not. I instead have the Dolby ProLogic symbol which I otherwise use to listen to MP3's.
In all of this, I have set the Dolby and DTS decoding options in the Creative Audio HQ to use the card. Also, I have enabled the Digital output in the volume control panel. Still, i do not get 5.1 o/p.

2. I change the setting in the control panel to SPDIF passtrough to external processor and the speaker starts decoding the signal. Voila! I now have the double D symbol on my console which should have been there when i am using the card.

I hope this makes it clear.

?Steam 🙂
 
So dave,

What you are saying is that the card decodes 5.1 signals only over the analog channels and not over the digital channels? If i have to get 5.1 sound on my speakers over optical output i have to use the external processor on my speaker? The card cannot do anything about it?

Thx,
Steam
 
The DD signal on the DVD is pre-encoded, if you pass it through as-is over digital it stays DD.

If you tell the soundcard to decode DD it can only do that to analog out

Creative soundcards can only send either a raw signal (pre-encoded DD) or stereo over a digital cable. They do not support DD encoding, which is why games over the digital cable are just in stereo not surround.

What you are telling the soundcard to do (which it can't) is to first decode the DD data, then re-encode it as new DD data to send over the digital cable. Passthrough tells it to leave the pre-compressed DD data alone and send it as-is.
 
Ok here is the story. Your Audigy is an analog soundcard, and your are speakers analog, as well as supporting Dolby and DTS decoding like a mini home theater receiver. You have two options, use analog, set the Z-5500 to 6 channel Direct, and set the audigy to decode the Dolby/DTS and to output through the analog. The second option is digital, have the audigy passthrough the digital signal... meaning it doesnt process anything, and have the Z-5500 do all the work.

The best option is analog because the Audigy most likely has superior DACs onboard and will probably do a better job, in addition for MP3's if you want surround its usually best to use analog and have the soundcard upconvert to 5.1 than having the speakers do it. Essentially the Audigy is a great analog soundcard with better Dolby/DTS decoders than the speakers. The speakers are great, but you only want to use the Logitech decoders for a Xbox/PS2 or a standalone DVD player. When you have an audigy or X-Fi they are $100+ cards and represent the better sound quality option.

For your question use the 3 analog wires, set audigy to decode and set logitech to 6 channel analog.
 
Thanks Dave,

I get it! But it seems stupid for Creative not have such an optionon the card, the nForce2 motherboard has it onboard. Ah, well....what can I say....i was happy with my nForce2 until I fried it 🙁

Thx,
Steam 🙂
 
Originally posted by: Twsmit
... The best option is analog because the Audigy most likely has superior DACs onboard and will probably do a better job, in addition for MP3's if you want surround its usually best to use analog and have the soundcard upconvert to 5.1 than having the speakers do it. Essentially the Audigy is a great analog soundcard with better Dolby/DTS decoders than the speakers. ...
For your question use the 3 analog wires, set audigy to decode and set logitech to 6 channel analog.
Click to expand...
Good idea if you want to do more than watch DVDs.

If you play games, your games will also be in true surround sound once you switch to an analog connection.
 
Hi Twsmit,

I was under the impression that an Optical or Coaxial output over the speakers provide more clarity than regular analog. Isn't taht so?

-Steam
 
Originally posted by: Steam
Hi Twsmit,

I was under the impression that an Optical or Coaxial output over the speakers provide more clarity than regular analog. Isn't taht so?

-Steam
Click to expand...

Sound is analog by nature, adding a couple extra feet of cable isnt going to make a noticible impact on quality for a computer. Additionally like I said before, the digital to analog converters on the Audigy are superior to the Logitech.

The sound is gotta be converted to analog to get played back, so you might as well have the superior DAC do the work.

Also analog allows for surround in games and will make full use of your analog audigy. Using digital with an audigy or X-FI basically bypasses the entire soundcard, you will get identicle performance from onboard with SPDIF connectors.
 
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