HELP!! I am buying a DVD drive today but need to know the difference between digital and analog out.

[mellondust]

I am buying a dvd drive today and had my mind set on the pioneer 116. As I was searching the archives on this to confirm my decision, I notice people had posted that it has no digital out, just an analog out. My other option was the toshiba SD-M1612 which apparently has a digital out. They are about the same price so this could sway my choice. What benefits will a digital out have? I am only buying this so I can watch dvd movies on my pc becuase it is a lot cheaper than buying a dvd player. Is there any difference at all? I have a sound blaster live! with digital 4 point surround speakers. I want to order it today so any quick answers would be great.

 

[Mavrick007]

The Pioneer or the Toshiba are very good quality DVD drives. If you are worried about Digital Audio out, just set it in the device manager cause you can now get the Digital Audio out through the ide cable. The digital audio here is really only referring to the cd-audio and it shouldn't matter when concerned with DVDs.

If you connect the SB Live up to the 4 point surround speakers, you shouldn't have any probs with getting the audio you require and it will sound great. Don't worry, go with either brand, they're both good.

 

[Boobers]

Since you're running XP, neither the digital nor the analog audio cables are required. The audio information is sent over the IDE cable.

The audio cables are only required if you're using older OS's (Win95 & 98, etc.).

BTW, I would recommend a Lite-On DVD drive, as they are the fastest at ripping DVD's and Audio CD's (to make MP3's). I had a Toshiba, and it was limited to a 6X rip speed on DVD's. I returned it, got the Lite-On, and am very pleased with it. Besides, the Lite-On doesn't make that terrible high pitched whirring sound that the Toshiba made.

 

[mellondust]

Thanks!