Soft DVD and AC-3?

[WhiteMouse]

Is it possible to setup a DVD rom to support AC-3 without a hardware decode card? How?

Even further, is it possible to let the computer decode the AC-3, instead of the external receiver?

 

[Workin']

If you have a sound card with a S/PDIF or toslink digital output you can get an AC-3 signal from that.

I have never heard of a way to get the computer to decode the 5.1 channel signal - even if you could get it to decode, you would need a sound card with 6 outputs! I haven't seen one of those, either. But I guess that doesn't necessarily mean such a thing doesn't exist.

 

[WhiteMouse]

More question:
The sound card will have to connect to the digital out (2-pin) on the DVD ROM, or connect to standard 4-pin is fine?

I'd like to learn more about those stuff, is there a good web site I can visit?

 

[Workin']

The sound from a DVD movie is carried over the data bus (i.e., the 40 conductor ribbon cable and your PCI bus) - you don't have to connect the sound card to the DVD drive to get movie sound. The only sound that comes out of the little 4-pin connector on your drive is for CD-audio. The 2-pin connector is for digital output of CD-audio, not DVD-audio or data.

I can't think of a web site at the moment, I'll re-post if I remember the name of a good one.

 

[AMB]

That is good for DVD info

Power DVD 2.55 is a good DVD program