sound card help

[Duran Durandall]

i have an ati 2600 HD video card, and am using mobo sound. i'm running video only to my tv through a DVI - HDMI cable, and using the on board optical out for sound.

my next purchase, will be a new receiver with HDMI, and hopefully i can get one with True HD, and all the other HD audio formats supported.

That being said... i want to keep using an HTPC, but i believe i need a sound card with True HD, and others supported too - right? i mean... my pc loads a blu ray in moments. i've read that dedicated players clock in at about a minute, to load. at this moment... the last thing i want to do is buy a dedicated player.

other things to note... the ati 2600, has HDMI. i mean... video and audio, through my vid card. 5.1 only i believe. after the new receiver, can i just connect both audio and video - and will things like True HD and all that be download able? like firmware?

[glogrono]

Currently, there are no video cards or audio cards that support sending true hd or dts HDMA through HDMI. At this moment, the only way to get those right now, is to use an audio card that has analog outs. The audio card will have a L/R output, a center/sub output, and a rear L/R output. You can connect those to your receiver if it has a 5.1 analog input oprion. There are companies working on HDMI audio for the PC's and should have something out within the next few months. Your ATI HD-2600 can only do 5.1 Dolby Digital through HDMI.

[Duran Durandall]

Originally Posted by glogrono

At this moment, the only way to get those right now, is to use an audio card that has analog outs. The audio card will have a L/R output, a center/sub output, and a rear L/R output. You can connect those to your receiver if it has a 5.1 analog input oprion.

my current receiver actually has those connections. do most current sound cards available today have analog outputs? my mobo has 7.1, and there's outputs galore in the sound region. i'm not against buying upgrades for my PC... but if all i need is a wire - that's pretty awesome.

so how do i enable True HD... THX... whatever. i'm not new to PC's... but this is my first go at HTPC.

[rarredoa]

If your MOBO has 7.1 analog outputs, then that is all u need to enjoy the HD sound formats. The only thing you will need now is a blu-ray video player/software. PowerDVD 8 Ultra, WinDVD 9 and Arc-soft are the current blu-ray software vendors and each has it particular advantages over the others. I myself use PowerDVD 8 ultra, and i get trueHD, DTS-HD MA and multichannel PCM, because the player software decodes the audio and sends the decoded multichannel PCM to the X-FI soundcard to convert to analog-out. Your MOBO would do the same, receive the decoded multichannel PCM then analog-out to your receiver.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by rarredoa

If your MOBO has 7.1 analog outputs, then that is all u need to enjoy the HD sound formats. The only thing you will need now is a blu-ray video player/software. PowerDVD 8 Ultra, WinDVD 9 and Arc-soft are the current blu-ray software vendors and each has it particular advantages over the others. I myself use PowerDVD 8 ultra, and i get trueHD, DTS-HD MA and multichannel PCM, because the player software decodes the audio and sends the decoded multichannel PCM to the X-FI soundcard to convert to analog-out. Your MOBO would do the same, receive the decoded multichannel PCM then analog-out to your receiver.

+1

[pseudomaniac]

+1

Output thru SPDIF to your receiver - and then let the receiver HDMI it to the display.

[rarredoa]

Originally Posted by pseudomaniac

+1

Output thru SPDIF to your receiver - and then let the receiver HDMI it to the display.

The way I understand your response, you are recommending that he uses optical/coaxial to send to receiver. If that's the case, then he will not get any of the HD sound formats at all, only 2.0 PCM or bitstreamed Dolby Digital or DTS

[pseudomaniac]

DTS Should go thru fine - I've been looking into doing this myself. I need to upgrade receivers on the HTPC television, but I've read so many nightmares about how slow the HDMI switching is on all but the high high dollar ones, I've held off.

Really, unless you're running a multi thousand dollar setup with positional and directional audio - do you NEED anything better than DTS or DD ?

[rarredoa]

Originally Posted by pseudomaniac

DTS Should go thru fine - I've been looking into doing this myself. I need to upgrade receivers on the HTPC television, but I've read so many nightmares about how slow the HDMI switching is on all but the high high dollar ones, I've held off.

Really, unless you're running a multi thousand dollar setup with positional and directional audio - do you NEED anything better than DTS or DD ?

You have a point. DTS AND DD have their advantages, midnite mode, for example, is something i actually use over the lossless formats at times, because i get good dialogue, ambience and overall sound-volume without waking up my neighbors (I live in a multi-unit complex) and sound really good. But when turned up at decent levels, the lossless formats, sound much better/more realistic, in my opinion, even with my mid-fi systems such as mine.