HTPC audio question

[XMan]

I have a Sony home theatre receiver. It's not the greatest in the world, but I like it and plan to keep it.

It has two digital audio inputs; one coax, and on S/PDIF. The coax connector is currently being used by my DVD player.

From the way I'm reading the Sony manual, I need to run the optical cable from the optical out on my HTPC (AN7 onboard audio) to the optical connector, and then of course hook up the video and stereo (red and white) connectors.

Am I reading it correctly or do I just need the optical cable? My reciever is a STRK840P; are you able to use the coax and optical connection at the same time? If not, not a huge deal as I can watch DVD's from my HTPC . . . but inquiring minds would like to know.

Thanks.

 

[Accord99]

Technically, your receiver has one coax input and one optical input, both of which support SPDIF. You would just connect the optical cable between the MB and the receiver, there's no need for the audio RCA cables since the optical cable already carry the audio. Virtually all receivers support multiple digital inputs, you just switch between the active input using your remote.

 

[EatSpam]

First of all, you don't need to hook up the red and white connectors.

Secondly, the receiver should, in theory, allow you to specify which input mode the digital input is associate with.

My yamaha has 4 optical and 1 coax digital input. I can assign a digital input to any input mode (digital TV, DVD, video 1, video 2, etc.) Look for a similar feature on your Sony.

 

[XMan]

Thanks much, fellas.

Only problem now is I did some fiddling and it seems my receiver doesn't seem to be recognizing the coax input from my DVD player. Sigh.

<rhetorical question> So is it an issue with my DVD player, my receiver, or the cable? Guess I'll just find out when I get the HTPC put together . . . :disgust:

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: X-Man
Thanks much, fellas.

Only problem now is I did some fiddling and it seems my receiver doesn't seem to be recognizing the coax input from my DVD player. Sigh.

<rhetorical question> So is it an issue with my DVD player, my receiver, or the cable? Guess I'll just find out when I get the HTPC put together . . . :disgust:

Is there an option on your DVD player to enable the digital out for sound?

Does analog out work from the DVD player?

Note about the computer hookup: you're not going to get 5.1 out of games unless you have a card that supports Dolby Digital Live, but DVDs will work fine and music will be output in stereo as intended.

 

[XMan]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: X-Man
Thanks much, fellas.

Only problem now is I did some fiddling and it seems my receiver doesn't seem to be recognizing the coax input from my DVD player. Sigh.

<rhetorical question> So is it an issue with my DVD player, my receiver, or the cable? Guess I'll just find out when I get the HTPC put together . . . :disgust:

Is there an option on your DVD player to enable the digital out for sound?

Does analog out work from the DVD player?

Note about the computer hookup: you're not going to get 5.1 out of games unless you have a card that supports Dolby Digital Live, but DVDs will work fine and music will be output in stereo as intended.

Yes, the analog out works. I'll have to dig up my manual to see if there's something special I have to do to enable digital out on the DVD player. I don't foresee doing to much gaming, this is going to mostly be a Tivo-type setup with DVD burning capabilities. Though if I feel like playing games, an XP 3200+ and the Radeon 9800 Pro should be sufficient to the task.

EDIT - Thump thump thump thump thump.

My head against the wall . . . . digital out works.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Ok, dumb question, but are you sure you have the inputs set up right on your receiver? I don't know if you did this already, but you may not have the digital audio connection you're using assigned with your DVD input selection (like "DVD" or whatever your receiver is on right now might not be looking at your digital optical or coax connection... whatever you have connected right now... so it doesn't know to output what's being input there)

Did that make sense?

Basically: make sure your digital audio connection is associated with whatever setting your receiver is on

EDIT: oh, it works What was it?

 

[XMan]

I never had it turned on. I started looking through the DVD player manual (what a concept!!!! ) and found the OSD to change settings. As soon as I did that, popped a movie in, hit play . . . and, dang, what's that cool blue LED that just lit up on my home theater receiver? Well, duh, that's what it does when you're hooked up with digital. How pathetic is that? I've had the stupid system for three years and just NOW figure it out.

I need to turn in my geek card.

Also . . . back to games. Found this on another forum. Not sure how accurate it is, but it's regarding the MCP-T southbridge on the AN7 . . .

"Other video files will fall back to stereo normally, still sent over the S/PDIF but as 2-channel PCM. With a Dolby Digital Live supporting device like the MCP-T southbridge any source that isn't already DD or DTS will be extrapolated into DD 5.1 sound."

So if that's accurate games will be output as 5.1. Good to know.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: X-Man
I never had it turned on. I started looking through the DVD player manual (what a concept!!!! ) and found the OSD to change settings. As soon as I did that, popped a movie in, hit play . . . and, dang, what's that cool blue LED that just lit up on my home theater receiver? Well, duh, that's what it does when you're hooked up with digital. How pathetic is that? I've had the stupid system for three years and just NOW figure it out.

I need to turn my geek card.

Well, the important thing is that you have it working now

So you've been using analog for three years when it could have been digital?

 

[XMan]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: X-Man
I never had it turned on. I started looking through the DVD player manual (what a concept!!!! ) and found the OSD to change settings. As soon as I did that, popped a movie in, hit play . . . and, dang, what's that cool blue LED that just lit up on my home theater receiver? Well, duh, that's what it does when you're hooked up with digital. How pathetic is that? I've had the stupid system for three years and just NOW figure it out.

I need to turn my geek card.

Well, the important thing is that you have it working now

So you've been using analog for three years when it could have been digital?

<sob>

Yes.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: X-Man
I never had it turned on. I started looking through the DVD player manual (what a concept!!!! ) and found the OSD to change settings. As soon as I did that, popped a movie in, hit play . . . and, dang, what's that cool blue LED that just lit up on my home theater receiver? Well, duh, that's what it does when you're hooked up with digital. How pathetic is that? I've had the stupid system for three years and just NOW figure it out.

I need to turn in my geek card.

Also . . . back to games. Found this on another forum. Not sure how accurate it is, but it's regarding the MCP-T southbridge on the AN7 . . .

"Other video files will fall back to stereo normally, still sent over the S/PDIF but as 2-channel PCM. With a Dolby Digital Live supporting device like the MCP-T southbridge any source that isn't already DD or DTS will be extrapolated into DD 5.1 sound."

So if that's accurate games will be output as 5.1. Good to know.

If it has Dolby Digital Live, then you should be good to go for games.

Oh, it's soundstorm! Totally good to go. The only onboard audio solution that has DDL capability afaik. :thumbsup:

Otherwise you'd be looking at $80 to $100 for a soundcard to output DDL.

 

[XMan]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: X-Man
I never had it turned on. I started looking through the DVD player manual (what a concept!!!! ) and found the OSD to change settings. As soon as I did that, popped a movie in, hit play . . . and, dang, what's that cool blue LED that just lit up on my home theater receiver? Well, duh, that's what it does when you're hooked up with digital. How pathetic is that? I've had the stupid system for three years and just NOW figure it out.

I need to turn in my geek card.

Also . . . back to games. Found this on another forum. Not sure how accurate it is, but it's regarding the MCP-T southbridge on the AN7 . . .

"Other video files will fall back to stereo normally, still sent over the S/PDIF but as 2-channel PCM. With a Dolby Digital Live supporting device like the MCP-T southbridge any source that isn't already DD or DTS will be extrapolated into DD 5.1 sound."

So if that's accurate games will be output as 5.1. Good to know.

If it has Dolby Digital Live, then you should be good to go for games.

Oh, it's soundstorm! Totally good to go. The only onboard audio solution that has DDL capability afaik. :thumbsup:

Otherwise you'd be looking at $80 to $100 for a soundcard to output DDL.

Yup yup. And just one cable, no big-ass breakout box with six cables to deal with, either.