S/PDIF Passthrough. - Blu-ray Forum

Keiths Light · 01-18-2008, 12:58 AM

Kind of a newbie question, but does it matter what sound card you have in your pc if your using spdif passthrough to your receiver or do they all just do the same job and let the receiver do all the work? also, what happens to mp3 files when spdif is used?

Keiths Light · 01-20-2008, 10:53 PM

maybe i should try to clarify my question...

i want to know if sound cards with digital optical outs process the audio from your computer or do they just pass the raw data through the digital out to be handled by a receiver.

the reason i ask the question is im wondering if i should upgrade my soundcard before i connect it to my receiver, or is it gonna make a difference if im only using the digital out? my current card is an audigy 2. it will be used for watching movies with dd and dts, as well as listening to mp3's and such.

Pictor · 01-20-2008, 10:58 PM

I could be wrong but I think most will just pass the info to your receiver. You wouldn't want a sound card doing any of the work when a proper receiver would do a better job anyway.

jd213 · 01-21-2008, 01:32 AM

I have an M-Audio 24/96 sound card. Audio files such as MP3's are output as PCM (at native frequency or upsampled depending on the settings), Dolby Digital sound can be output as 2.0 stereo PCM or bitstreamed. DTS is bitstream only.

Keiths Light · 01-21-2008, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jd213

I have an M-Audio 24/96 sound card. Audio files such as MP3's are output as PCM (at native frequency or upsampled depending on the settings), Dolby Digital sound can be output as 2.0 stereo PCM or bitstreamed. DTS is bitstream only.

how would you rate that card? im looking into picking one of those since they are geared more towards using the digital out so they should be good. hows the sound quality?

jd213 · 01-21-2008, 03:46 AM

It works as advertised, and it's definitely a step up from having to rely on the cheap DACs found in onboard and add-on PC soundcards. The settings can be a bit confusing, though.

The S/PDIF input also works very well, I've used it to do things like record the digital uncompressed PCM audio from concert LDs (as well as one movie LD so I could re-author a DVD with crappy 192kbps Dolby stereo, making sure the audio was perfectly synched with the video was a PITA though).

But if all you need is output, then a cheaper model might work just as well, I can't say as this is the only one I've owned.

01-18-2008, 12:58 AM	#1
Keiths Light Active Member Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Canada Blu-ray reviews:1	S/PDIF Passthrough. Kind of a newbie question, but does it matter what sound card you have in your pc if your using spdif passthrough to your receiver or do they all just do the same job and let the receiver do all the work? also, what happens to mp3 files when spdif is used?

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01-20-2008, 10:53 PM	#2
Keiths Light Active Member Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Canada Blu-ray reviews:1	maybe i should try to clarify my question... i want to know if sound cards with digital optical outs process the audio from your computer or do they just pass the raw data through the digital out to be handled by a receiver. the reason i ask the question is im wondering if i should upgrade my soundcard before i connect it to my receiver, or is it gonna make a difference if im only using the digital out? my current card is an audigy 2. it will be used for watching movies with dd and dts, as well as listening to mp3's and such.

01-20-2008, 10:58 PM	#3
Pictor Member Member since:Dec 2007 Location:Northern VA	I could be wrong but I think most will just pass the info to your receiver. You wouldn't want a sound card doing any of the work when a proper receiver would do a better job anyway.

01-21-2008, 01:32 AM	#4
jd213 Special Member Member since:Sep 2007 Location:less than 10 minutes from Akihabara	I have an M-Audio 24/96 sound card. Audio files such as MP3's are output as PCM (at native frequency or upsampled depending on the settings), Dolby Digital sound can be output as 2.0 stereo PCM or bitstreamed. DTS is bitstream only.

01-21-2008, 03:46 AM	#6
jd213 Special Member Member since:Sep 2007 Location:less than 10 minutes from Akihabara	It works as advertised, and it's definitely a step up from having to rely on the cheap DACs found in onboard and add-on PC soundcards. The settings can be a bit confusing, though. The S/PDIF input also works very well, I've used it to do things like record the digital uncompressed PCM audio from concert LDs (as well as one movie LD so I could re-author a DVD with crappy 192kbps Dolby stereo, making sure the audio was perfectly synched with the video was a PITA though). But if all you need is output, then a cheaper model might work just as well, I can't say as this is the only one I've owned.

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