Splicing a 3.5mm aux cable with a 2 pin spdif cable. Will it work?

cyon04

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Apr 24, 2012
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If I splice a 3.5mm aux cable together with a 2 pin spdif cable and plug one end into a GTX 260 and the other into the computer's line out or headphone jack, will it work? This is so I can get audio through my HDMI cable. I have a DVI-I male to HDMI female converter.

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Solution
The terminology is incorrect on that outletpc page. It's not s-video, because an s-video connector is only 4 pins. That adapter should allow 1080p. Alternatively, if your HDTV has a VGA (aka D-Sub) input (it's pretty common for HDTVs), you could use a DVI to VGA cable for the video and a simple 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable for the audio.

Also, I did a bit more searching, and your card might actually support audio out through a DVI to HDMI adapter, but your motherboard doesn't have the required S/PDIF header. See the pictures near the bottom of this page: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/printpage/How-to-Use-The-SPDIF-Connector-Available-on-GeForce-Video-Cards/600 Your motherboard supports analog 5.1-channel surround sound by using 3 3.5mm...
Let me try to be a little clearer. Any 3.5mm TRS audio connector will be analog, and any type of S/PDIF connector will be digital. See this Wikipedia table:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_and_video_interfaces_and_connectors
You can't just splice a digital connector to an analog connector and expect it to work. You need something in there to convert from analog to digital or vice versa. If you explain what equipment you're trying to connect to your computer, I might be able to help you better. If your DVI-I to HDMI converter requires S/PDIF, you should check if your motherboard has a coaxial or toslink S/PDIF output.
 

cyon04

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Apr 24, 2012
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I would like to point out that analog is not capable of carrying 3D 5.1 Audio and this adapter states that it can carry 3D 5.1 Audio and therefore I assume it must not be analog. But yes I would be interested in your other solution but my motherboard doesn't have spdif out.
 
No, that adapter is still analog. I looked at the Amazon page you linked, and the third feature is "Support 3D positional sound and virtual 5.1 CH sound Track". Virtual 5.1 means it uses some gimmicks to try to fake surround sound, rather than actual 5.1 channel output. Also, if you compare the price with a usb to coaxial spdif converter such as this one: http://www.amazon.com/Fanmusic-FM6011-Coxial-Converter-Digital/dp/B00A2QJK5I it's not believable that they'd sell an adapter with digital output for only 88 cents.

Edit: Also, it would still help if you provided more details of what you're trying to connect to your computer, and what provisions your DVI-I to HDMI converter has for audio.
 
Okay, I see some problems:
1. Even if the splicing you originally proposed would work, how would you combine those wires with the hdmi on that adapter?
2. You say you have an EVGA gtx 260, but the video card pictured in your original post is a BFG Tech gtx 280, I think it's this model: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143142

You could also specify the model of HDTV. It may have some additional audio inputs you could use even with hdmi. Also, on both possible cards I see a 7-pin Mini-DIN-style connector, and the BFG Tech card comes with a short cable that goes in there and allows component video (aka YPbPr) output (if you don't have one I found it here: http://www.outletpc.com/eh3479.html?gclid=CLmwpvnO1LwCFa9j7AodfQgALw and I think it would also work on that EVGA card you linked). I would expect your HDTV to support component video input, so you could use that plus a 3.5mm to rca audio adapter (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882754029 ) and some component video cables (e.g. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882678079 )
 

cyon04

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Apr 24, 2012
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Wouldn't s-video be low resolution? My tv goes up to 1080p so I want at least that resolution. There is a spdif 2 pin input on the graphics card and it is the 260. That's how the sound would get into the dvi i converter and HDMI. I mean, why else would it be there?
 
The terminology is incorrect on that outletpc page. It's not s-video, because an s-video connector is only 4 pins. That adapter should allow 1080p. Alternatively, if your HDTV has a VGA (aka D-Sub) input (it's pretty common for HDTVs), you could use a DVI to VGA cable for the video and a simple 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable for the audio.

Also, I did a bit more searching, and your card might actually support audio out through a DVI to HDMI adapter, but your motherboard doesn't have the required S/PDIF header. See the pictures near the bottom of this page: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/printpage/How-to-Use-The-SPDIF-Connector-Available-on-GeForce-Video-Cards/600 Your motherboard supports analog 5.1-channel surround sound by using 3 3.5mm audio outputs, but no digital audio.
 
Solution

cyon04

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Apr 24, 2012
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My TV speakers aren't that great anyway so I will probably get some 5.1 speakers or something. I was just being a perfectionist, like the convenience of just haveing 1 wire that does both audio and video, and a little upset that I didn't choose a motherboard with a SPDIF connector but it won't be an issue whenever I upgrade to a GTX 460 in the future since they have a built in sound card and such. Thank you and I will probably be back here real soon when I start puting this computer together, it'll be my first build.