Surround through a digital output

[x3m]

Hi folks,

There has been a while since I last visited this forum, a lot has changed Looks very nice now ?

However, I've a question that I can't find the answer to. I want to know if it's possible to connect a computer with an A/V receiver through a digital interface, preferably Coax or optical Toslink. Some people claims this is not possible, since I won't have real surround unless I watch AC3 coded movies. For me - digital output is natural since this is the way one usually connect i.e. a DVD-player to an A/V Receiver. On the other hand, analogue connection is required for DVD-audio ... hmm ... but I'm more interesting in usual DVD-playback from the computer, and computer games.

Or is this depending on the Soundcard? I'd appreciate if someone could give me a good explanation

Thanks in advance

/Jonas AKA x3m

 

[Dug]

Digital out from all motherboards and sounds cards will pass the DD or DTS signal onto the receiver for DVD's (movies). The receiver then decodes this signal and provides the surround sounds. Games will only come out through two speakers (or three if you count the subwoofer).

DVD audio will require analog out to your receiver. Cards like the Audigy2 can do this.

The only exception is the nvidia nforce boards that can do the encoding of signals on the fly and provide a DD signal for your receiver, in which case you can get surround sounds for all forms of sound. Although you don't want to turn on encoding when a source is already encoded- like a DVD.