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Jul 28, 2004, 06:15 PM
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#1
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Apple Fanboy?
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Basement of the first floor
Posts: 16,600
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5.1 and S/PDIF
A common misconception is that S/PDIF digital audio signals will provide a 5.1 channel sound.
This is not true.
S/PDIF is a 2 channel stereo format, regardless of the medium (optical or coaxial)
The exception to the rule is when a form of compression is used.
Dolby Digital (AC-3) compresses 6 channel signal into the 2 channel format used by S/PDIF, and can then be read by a decoder.
No soundcard apart from the nForce 2 Soundstorm chip so far can encode AC-3. Therefore if you do not have one of these motherboards, the only way to get 5.1 channel sound over S/PDIF is to play a source that is already encoded in the format, such as a DVD video.
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Jul 28, 2004, 08:28 PM
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#2
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DH's Dormant Dragon
Join Date: May 2002
Location: IN Rem-Dormancy
Posts: 27,773
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excellent information..... i've never really used s/pdif... is that the optical port?
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Jul 28, 2004, 08:55 PM
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#3
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Apple Fanboy?
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Basement of the first floor
Posts: 16,600
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Quote:
Originally posted by Judas
excellent information..... i've never really used s/pdif... is that the optical port?
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yes it can be in the opticle medium aswell as coaxial
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Aug 10, 2004, 02:48 AM
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#4
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DriverHeaven Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 28
Rep Power: 0
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by dj_stick
No soundcard apart from the nForce 2 Soundstorm chip so far can encode AC-3. Therefore if you do not have one of these motherboards, the only way to get 5.1 channel sound over S/PDIF is to play a source that is already encoded in the format, such as a DVD video.
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the latest version of AC3Filter can encode PCM, AC3, DTS, MPEG Audio and PES (a DVD format) on the fly
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Aug 11, 2004, 09:39 PM
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#5
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DriverHeaven Newbie
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 3
Rep Power: 0
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by DavoNogo
the latest version of AC3Filter can encode PCM, AC3, DTS, MPEG Audio and PES (a DVD format) on the fly
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Is there anyway to use this technique for playing games in surround?
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Aug 12, 2004, 06:36 AM
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#6
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Apple Fanboy?
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Basement of the first floor
Posts: 16,600
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the program should automatically do that… but will increase CPU load - possibly reducing performance in your game
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Aug 13, 2004, 03:33 PM
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#7
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DriverHeaven Newbie
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 3
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by dj_stick
the program should automatically do that… but will increase CPU load - possibly reducing performance in your game
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Isn't AC3Filter an acm codec/filter or something? As in, use it in windows media player? I don't see how I could use it for a game.
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Aug 13, 2004, 05:38 PM
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#8
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Apple Fanboy?
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Basement of the first floor
Posts: 16,600
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afaik AC-3 filter attaches itself to the directsound outputs before it reaches the soundcard, and should work for any directsound application
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Aug 15, 2004, 06:34 PM
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#9
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DriverHeaven Newbie
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 5
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This doesn't work for games.
Sadly
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Oct 10, 2004, 01:33 PM
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#10
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Xtreme
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Grande Prairie, AB, Can
Posts: 3,851
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Thats why i love my Soundstorm 
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Oct 10, 2004, 02:57 PM
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#11
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DriverHeaven Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Wu Han, Hu Bei, P.R.China
Posts: 1,236
Rep Power: 0
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Yeah,excellent information! I think S/PDIF is now the best solution to 192KHz/24Bit DVD-AUDIO for PC.
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Oct 10, 2004, 03:03 PM
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#12
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Apple Fanboy?
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Basement of the first floor
Posts: 16,600
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the S/PDIF medium can't support anything more than 24/96 afaik
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Oct 10, 2004, 03:19 PM
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#13
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DriverHeaven Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Wu Han, Hu Bei, P.R.China
Posts: 1,236
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If I play 192/24 DVD-AUDIO via S/PDIF to stereo speakers of A2 platinum drive, what will happen? will the speakers hiss? Thanks.
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Oct 10, 2004, 03:25 PM
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#14
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Apple Fanboy?
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Basement of the first floor
Posts: 16,600
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no - it will be limited to 24/96 - read the specs for your audigy 2, i'm pretty sure it only says s/pdif output is 24/96 at maximum
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Oct 10, 2004, 03:28 PM
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#15
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DriverHeaven Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Wu Han, Hu Bei, P.R.China
Posts: 1,236
Rep Power: 0
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I got it. Thank you!
Actually I haven't tred it before. I will go n try to play this using S/PDIF.
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Oct 26, 2004, 04:49 PM
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#16
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DriverHeaven Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 1
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So currently, the only way to play games in 5.1 and send the output digitally to a home stereo is with the now-discontinued nVidia SoundStorm?
Why doesn't Soundblaster just license an AC-3 encoder for their S/PDIF output?
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Oct 27, 2004, 01:33 AM
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#17
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Apple Fanboy?
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Basement of the first floor
Posts: 16,600
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the hardware has to be powerful enough to support it, and dolby has to licence the technology
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Dec 21, 2004, 11:51 PM
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#19
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Apple Fanboy?
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Basement of the first floor
Posts: 16,600
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yes ONLY if the original input signal/source file is 5.1, as this is its AC-3 passthrough mode
EDIT: the digital out jack on the audigy cards uses a 4 pole jack that gives 3 seperate stereo SPDIF connections plus a ground wire, for a total of 6 channels (5.1)
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Dec 22, 2004, 12:10 AM
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#20
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DriverHeaven Newbie
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 8
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ah.. ok.. thanks for the quick reply
so a special cable is needed ?
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Dec 22, 2004, 12:22 AM
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#21
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Apple Fanboy?
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Basement of the first floor
Posts: 16,600
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yes, most speaker systems that use that connection however would come with that cable (4 pole 3.5mm jack to 9pin mini-din connector)
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Dec 22, 2004, 12:25 AM
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#22
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DriverHeaven Newbie
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 8
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ahh.. so i guess i'll still need to get a soundstorm to hook up my PC to the home theatre set. thanks a lot 
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Dec 22, 2004, 12:29 AM
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#23
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Apple Fanboy?
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Basement of the first floor
Posts: 16,600
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yep, either that or use a software ac-3 encoder
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Dec 22, 2004, 12:31 AM
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#24
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Xtreme
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Grande Prairie, AB, Can
Posts: 3,851
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how about this soundcard? since it does dolby digital live also.
C-Media CMI8768
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Dec 22, 2004, 12:40 AM
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#25
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Apple Fanboy?
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Basement of the first floor
Posts: 16,600
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i don't think it encodes ac-3
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Dec 22, 2004, 02:51 AM
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#26
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DriverHeaven Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 28
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with regards to the digital out jack on the audigy, what it does is send out 3 ANALOG channels for ANALOG sources ie. games and music, and it will output digital ONLY if the source is AC3. so basically it saves having to plug in 4 cables, but remember, analog will still be analog using that cable...
there's hope with the soundstorm2 being a stand alone product... it's very unlikely they'll include it with the nforce4 (amd) or the nforce5 (intel), but don't quote me on that.. nvidia said to expect the unexpected
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Dec 22, 2004, 02:53 AM
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#27
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Xtreme
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Grande Prairie, AB, Can
Posts: 3,851
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by DavoNogo
with regards to the digital out jack on the audigy, what it does is send out 3 ANALOG channels for ANALOG sources ie. games and music, and it will output digital ONLY if the source is AC3. so basically it saves having to plug in 4 cables, but remember, analog will still be analog using that cable...
there's hope with the soundstorm2 being a stand alone product... it's very unlikely they'll include it with the nforce4 (amd) or the nforce5 (intel), but don't quote me on that.. nvidia said to expect the unexpected
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there is talk about actually including it on a videocard actually. seems like a pretty decent idea actually.
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Dec 22, 2004, 03:58 AM
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#28
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DriverHeaven Newbie
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 8
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a software ac-3 encoder ? like ?
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Dec 22, 2004, 04:28 AM
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#29
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Xtreme
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Grande Prairie, AB, Can
Posts: 3,851
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by siriuz
a software ac-3 encoder ? like ?
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ac-3 filter i think
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Dec 22, 2004, 04:40 AM
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#30
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DriverHeaven Newbie
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 8
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isn't ac-3 filter for movies only ?
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