SPDIF input dropped from newer mobos?

[dave_the_nerd]

So, my dad asked me to build him a new system. He does mostly Office type stuff, and a little audio editing. His current system has optical in and out that he uses to talk to his gear.

I'm finding stuff like this, and older motherboards with SPDIF_IO headers to match, that allowed for optical in/out without an add in card, but except for a couple of 7xx series AM3 motherboards, I can't find anything newer than Socket 775 that provides both SPDIF input and output. (They all have output, but never any inputs.)

Is this feature-reduction really a thing or am I just not looking hard enough? My old Macbook has optical in too. WTH?

TIA.

 

[darkfalz]

I think it's still pretty standard on the back panel (this may be out only though?) but the motherboard header was normally for an additional one.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I think it's still pretty standard on the back panel (this may be out only though?) but the motherboard header was normally for an additional one.

Yeah, those are just outputs.

I guess HDMI is the new hotness when it comes to outputting an audio signal to a receiver.

 

[Cerb]

I've never seen SPDIF in on a motherboard, personally. If they used a chip supporting it, some may have brought out pins, but it's always been uncommon, IME. It's much simpler and cheaper to not implement digital inputs, so most codecs don't have it, and that's nothing new. You'll find that most ad-on cards don't have it, either.

Sound Blaster X-Fi HD has one, and is under $100.