I have a PC that is loosely performing HTPC duties. It has a sound card in it already, and it's output is connected to my home theater system. I also have some applications that provide text to speach output. I'd like that output to be present even when the a/v system isn't on. But I don't want to simply connect a set of (always on) speakers to the same sound card, because I DON'T want that output to mix with the output of the home theater system, degrading the sound of music & HT audio. What I want is the output from the sound card going to my system, like it is now, but a second set of cheap, powered speakers, that only do TTS output. I know in the TTS settings of Win2K (which is what's installed on this PC) I can select an output device for the speech. Can I either install a second sound card, or better yet (from a limited PCI slot perspective) a set of USB speakers, and have those second speakers ONLY handle TTS output? Based on the option in the TTS control panel, it seems like I could direct TTS to another audio device, but I'm not sure if a) two sound cards in one system would cause problems, and b) how I would make sure OTHER audio would ONLY go to the existing sound card.
Alternatively: this is a 5.1 sound card. The only 5.1 sound it needs to output is through the optical connection (DD pass-through). I only need L&R (front) for analog outputs. Would there be a way to utilize the unused rear outputs as a second audio device that the TTS could be directed to?
Alternatively: this is a 5.1 sound card. The only 5.1 sound it needs to output is through the optical connection (DD pass-through). I only need L&R (front) for analog outputs. Would there be a way to utilize the unused rear outputs as a second audio device that the TTS could be directed to?